#WithChude

This was an incredible honour.To have the legendary newscaster and TV host, Cyril Stober sit down to interview me for my celebration of 25 years in the media, and my 40th birthday. I have worked in the media since I was 15 - from my first job on the NTA - and in this conversation we go deep into a career across print, radio, online, film and television; working from the NTA to MBI to Channels TV, and from TEMPO Magazine to Thisday to NEXT. He grilled me o! - Why did I start so young - what was driving me? - How writing my first book at 13 kicked off my career? - Why did I leave my law degree to practice journalism?- Was I afraid being on TV as a presenter at 16 the first time? What was it like working with icons like Levi Ajuonuma, Funmi Iyanda, Comfort Okoronkwo, Agatha Amata and others? - When did I have time to do ‘young things’? - How did I meet my first girlfriend - on the job?- What led to a nervous breakdown in my 20s?- Why did I choose the lowest paying job out of 5 job offer after NYSC?- Why did I join NEXT newspaper’s even when they were already owing 3 months salaries?- Why I am not fazed by being ‘rave of the moment’ because of all the icons that I have seen go before me - What’s my vision for my work and the next 25 years?From a starry/eyed young couch potato to the host of the most watched talk show on the continent, I stand on the shoulders of giants like Stober and other greats who have shone the path for me. This conversation truly helped me unravel a life of so many highs and so many dreams come true. ❤#ChudeIsCelebrating Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After his contract with Naira Marley’s label expired in 2022, Fabian Blu disappeared from the public space after releasing four singles under Marlian Records. He is speaking for the first time to the media about his time at the label and royalties over the past five years that he says he is owed. He says he has not been paid a penny and when he threatened to sue them to court, Naira Marley laughed in his face. He tells me about the suffering and punishments he said endured during his time under the label—how he was called a lazy artist and sidelined because he wasn’t Yoruba or Muslim. How he was maltreated in the accommodation provided, marched out of the studio and ignored when he asked for help for his mother. He says he was introduced to drugs after signing with Marlian Music and to a dangerous lifestyle that he has to escape from. Then I ask him: Why did he reach out to me to speak out just now, when Naira Marley is making a comeback with his music?Hear him tell his story exclusively on withChude.com right away and on @WithChude YouTube at 5pm today. Let me know what you think in the comment section.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the very first time, Mohbad’s wife Omowunmi Aloba is granting an interview. She says the bullying her husband suffered, her son Liam is now suffering it. From Naira Marley to her father-in-law. She speaks of death threats and attempted poison. She also fully explains why the DNA test has not been done to verify the father of her child. Today. 5pm. YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the release of the monster hit ‘Caro’ with Wizkid, L.A.X (Damilola Afolabi) became a huge star. And he was only 18.He tells me the story of how he got that big break, how Wizkid changed his life… and why everything slowed down because his parents insisted he finish school and does his NYSC. Whatever that may have done to his momentum, he says he has no regrets. Returning to Nigeria, growing up with his grandmother taught him wisdom. We talk about: ● Why he left Wizkid, and why his leaving made Wizkid worried ● Why he continues to call Wizkid his Big Brother and why he thinks Wizkid has been on the attack in the past one year ● Why people think his energy and his career have slowed down, even though he is cleaning out concerts across Europe ● The heartbreaking story of how he found out his ex-girlfriend was cheating on him - and why he still begged her to stay ● How he paid her back for the cruelty he suffered - and what he learnt from that entire experience ● Why he sued the anonymous lady who accused him of sexual abuse and then recanted ● Why he takes life easy, no matter what other people are doing in the industry or on social media L.A.X. says he is a huge fan of the show and that’s a big compliment, because he is without any doubt from one of the coolest guests I have ever interviewed on this show. Watch the full 1-hour episode now on withChude.com.And let me know what you think in the comments section below. ❤   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I watched Teniola in Unbroken and immediately I knew she was a star, from then she’s gone on to feature in some of my favorite movies.But in December, she finally had a global star vehicle befitting of her massive talent with ‘Christmas in Lagos’.In this interview she talked about the journey from being behind the camera, wanting desperately to be in front where she knew she belonged but having little opportunity - especially because very few people believed in her talent. How she got here is a powerful story of fighting - to be seen, to be heard, to be believed.We also talk about Losing her ex-boyfriend, and why this made her tear up on the show How her ex-boyfriend completely changed her life and her relationship with God What his death taught her The story of her AMVCA Trailblazer Award and what that moment meant to herHow she managed to survive the intense pressure of social media, seeing others succeed while her career stalled Why acting matters so much to her You’ve never seen Teniola like this before. Watch the full 1-hour episode now on withChude.com. Let me know your thoughts below. ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I would like to judge my father (Sir Shina Peters) for how he treated my mother (Clarion Chukwurah Abiola), but I’m not in the position to.”“The newer generation of Afrobeats artistes saw me as the old guard and was just like ‘we are tired of you’.”—With these two statements, you already see how deep we got in this conversation.For the very first time ever, the greatest music video director of my generation - who avoids interviews like the plague - opens up like he has never done ever before. He says #WithChude was the only show where he would go this deep or speak this openly. Just after he premiered his revolutionary series ‘Inside Life’ on Netflix, he sat with me and spoke with incredible depth and an open heart. It was well worth the 5-year wait.We also discuss:● How he really feels about how his father treated his mother as the tabloids hit her hard ● Why he learnt to stop judging and forgive his father when he became an adult and had his own relationships ● How his mother resisted the intense pressure to abort him● Why the pressure of being child to two superstars led to impostor syndrome ● The helplessness and fear he experienced as he moved from doing 3 music videos-a-week to the industry ‘rejecting him’● Why he didn’t make his Netflix film ‘Inside Life’ for the world. This was a masterclass - on life, on growth and on how to re-invent yourself after you feel like everything has fallen apart. Please watch or listen to the full 1-hour episode on withChude.com. Let me know your thoughts below. ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes people think of suicide? What makes even a successful, famous person consider committing suicide?How do you avoid getting to this point? How do you recover if you get to this point?And how can you help people you love or know who have arrived at this terrible point?My guests over the years have shared deeply and honestly about this - and we have a special YouTube episode with some of the most powerful stories.It's now up on @WithChude on YouTube and on withChude.com.Let me know your thoughts below.❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“They were contemplating cutting off my legs in the hospital emergency room.”Victony (Anthony Ebuka Victor) says as a child, his parents were away all the time, they left him on his own, and he was very lonely. That, he says, has completely reshaped his life.He has had to rely on himself to take care of himself emotionally and mentally, but it has also helped him build the resilience to face life - including the infamous accident that landed him in a wheelchair.In this conversation, he shares:— The real possibility in the emergency room that his leg was going to be cut off and how he survived that ordeal.— Why he had to answer those who said he was using his wheelchair for sympathy - and how he grew out of the deep frustration of that incident.— Why he feels his heart cannot be broken because of how he has trained himself to be, based on the loneliness of his childhood.Pensive, reflective and wise - Victony’s clarity will soothe your spirit.Watch the full one-hour version on withChude.com.Let me know what you think in the comment section ❤. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years people have been asking me: What’s your own story?This year, I am finally saying yes and sharing a part of my story. The part I think the world needs to hear today.When my show hit its stride, I stopped saying yes to interviews because I wanted to focus on listening, on hearing, on being a channel for others. I wanted to have something significant to say to the world before speaking again.I believe that time has come. My book ‘How Depression Saved My Life’ will be out in April 2025 and it is a memoir of my life from 2014-2024 - a journey that led me through depression, heartbreak, thoughts of suicide, quitting my job as CEO and landing here as host and creator of #WithChude. It tells a story I believe the world urgently needs to hear today. To help me prepare for the release of the book, I have some heavy hitters starring as guest-hosts on this show - with me as guest. I am honoured by all the people who either offered or said yes.The first special is with my sister and friend, the chart-bursting actor, producer and director — Omoni Oboli.She reached out to me last year to say ‘you need to tell your story and I want to interview you’ and it’s because of her that we came up with this special series.This is one of the deepest, truest, most heart-felt conversations I ever did. We cried, both of us, as I told never-before-heard stories about my life, my emotions, my mother, my career, and the moments when I thought it was all over and I wanted to end it all.This interview will move and bless you deeply. ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don’t have guests twice on my show - unless there is a deeply compelling reason. Pastor Bolaji Idowu is only the second guest I have gotten back on the show.Because, I attended the Next Level Prayer Conference in London last year and I was blown away. He has been a brother for over a decade, but to actually see him on stage minister to tens of thousands of souls who had come for freedom and healing was to see a man transformed.Today, on the eve of the NLP Conference in Lagos, I sat with him to talk about how much the ministry has grown in the two years since our last interview.We talk about:Why he is called a celebrity pastor - and why celebrities flock to his church.The shocking stories of emotional healing he has heard - including that of a married woman who was impregnated four times by her own father.The dramatic stories of healings from cancer, near death experiences and what he says to people who disbelieve these miracles.His answer to critics who think he is “doing too much” on the internet.How his focus on emotional healing comes from his own childhood - where he didn’t feel the love of his father and grew up being taken advantage of by others.The level of truth and vulnerability in this interview will blow you away.This one is a MUST WATCH. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After leaving Nigeria in 2017 to make a better life for himself in America, Tolu Michael suddenly collapsed from a heart condition. The doctor said if he had been just 5 minutes late, he would have died.That literally life-changing situation made him realise how short and fleeting life is.Because of it, he has written 8 books in the past four years, and he has developed a business that transforms the lives of people like who immigrate to America and don’t know the first thing to do.This is a man in a hurry to make his life count - and in this interview, he tells you exactly how you can do the same in your own life.The full interview is now up on withChude.com.I’d love to hear your comments below ❤. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The enfant terrible of the food industry is my guest today!The fear of Opeyemi Famakin is the beginning of wisdom for chefs, restaurants, food bloggers and content creators everywhere.But how he got here is incredibly inspiring.He tells me that he heard the voice of God literally and clearly telling him this is his path, and so he quit his job as a senior editor in his twenties to do this thing that no one else had ever done on this scale before.After saying no to one high-paying job, he went home and cried. Because he was so afraid he was making a mistake.We also talk about:● Why he regrets criticising Don Jazzy’s burger brand and what he would do differently now.● The fight with his mom that has led them to not speak for several years.● Why he feels hurt when people who know him personally in the food industry attack him on social media.● Why he is sad only his negative content gets the most virality when he lifts up countless brands - and how he eventually learnt to stop caring about that.● How he has handled being laughed at, belittled, criticised and cancelled - including how his Instagram page was “permanently disabled” because of his criticism of Igbo ‘oha soup’ and how he survived that scary period and got his page back.It’s Opeyemi Famakin like you’ve never heard him never before.Let me know your thoughts below ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I give you one year and you will fail in this industry.”That’s what the man who trained Lateef Adedimeji in the Yoruba movie industry told him after his training.Today, on our show, Lateef has a message for that man, who is still alive and still in the industry.He face; that same lack of faith for his viral Lisabi movie. Lateef says all the people whopromised to support him, the ones he actually expected to support him, all abandoned him.“There was nobody.”But his wife Mobimpe stood by him like a rock.We also talk about:— How he and his wife have responded to the people who call her barren. — Why he spent months denying a relationship with his wife and the shocking way he finally proposed to her.— How his father went from locking him out of the house for being an actor to investing in his very first film (which then failed woefully!).— How he often has no confidence in himself, and how his wife stands in to remind him of who he is and what he can do. Without her, he doesn’t know what would have happened to him.Today, as the epic sequel, Lisabi: A Legend is Born is released on Netflix, Lateef is here to share his testimony.Watch the 30 minutes interview version this evening at 5pm on YouTube and the full 1-hour version on withChude.com.Let me know your thoughts below after watching ❤. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“People say we are barren because we’ve been dating for 10 years and don’t have a child” — Kassia and KellyRae #BBNaijaPromo caption #BBNaija’s Kassia broke up with the winner winner Kelly Rae because he wasn’t being responsible about money. Then later he tried to break up with her because he thought she deserved better and he couldn’t provide for her. Little did he know that in 2024, both of them would enter the Big Brother house and become millionaires in a matter of months. They talk about - Going through thick and thin together - death, cancer, a gambling addiction, a cheating incident, being thrown out of his friend’s house, accusations that he was being frisky in the house, and having to hide the fact that they were married in the house. Her desperately wanting to be married to him for years and he didn’t propose, and then when she decided she no longer cared about marriage fulfilling her - he proposed, just weeks before the house. How they respond to people who attack them for being barren today because they have no children after 10 years together. They smiled when people said their marriage wouldn’t survive the house. They are still smiling today. Because underneath all of the drama and the face and the money is a great, great love story.Let me know your thoughts below after watching. ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frank Edoho is regarded by many as the greatest TV host alive - but this interview was not about ‘Who Wants To Be A Billionaire?’It’s about the Frank Edoho you’ve never heard about - and the exclusive stories he has never told anyone anywhere. Like the details of how the sponsors of ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ called him to a meeting in Ikoyi, Lagos to fire him because his wife had accused him of being a wife-better. Frank says that never happened, he was in fact the victim, and till today he hasn’t said a complimentary word to his ex-wife because he can’t understand why she did that. He tells me about: - the depression and loneliness he has dealt with since his childhood - and that he continues to deal with today.- ⁠his parents’ divorce and how it shattered his sense of sense - and why he fought against it when they tried to get back together. The trauma was too hard to relive. - ⁠how he has learnt not to depend on anyone emotionally apart from his children - because people break your heart and people leave. One must know how to stand alone.- ⁠why he began to buy shoes and why he began to play football - and how his hard comebacks to errant people on Twitter are actually quite therapeutic for him. And so much more. The Essential Frank Edoho - like you’ve never seen or heard him before.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you escape a toxic relationship or marriage?How do you even identify it in the first place? What are the signs? What do you do when you are in it? And how do you rebuild your life when you come out of it?My guests over the years have shared deeply and honestly about this - and we have a special YouTube episode with some of the most powerful stories. It’s now up on @WithChude on YouTube and on withChude.com. Let me know your thoughts below. ❤ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I stumbled upon a Steve Hills (Stephen Ogbonna Orijinta) live worship session on YouTube a few months ago after watching a video of EbukaSongz - and I caught the fire! Immersing myself in viral hit ‘Fire and Light (The Supernatural Anthem)’ was like jumping two-feet first into Heaven on Earth. I am Fire! I am Light! I am Glory, oh! The Supernatural!I immediately changed all my plans for our annual The Music Playlist episode - I wanted to experience this fire live; and to experience this special anointing that I am certain will take over the world next year. The full worship session is up on @WithChude YouTube and the session plus interview are exclusively on withChude.com!This is my Christmas gift to myself - and to you ❤. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Shopsydoo’s (Adesope Olajide) father came to visit him in the UK he couldn’t believe the life his son was living. He asked him - “You left a life as a prince to come and live like a pauper here?”But he stuck with his dreams for himself and his family. Now, no major Afrobeats concert in Europe and the United Kingdom is complete without Adesope. He is of the country’s biggest hype men and MCs.  We talk about how that industry and that sound has changed over the years - from 2face and Psquare to Rema and Fireboy - changed the world and changed his life. “Black women didn’t want to date us because we had Nigerian accents,” he tells me. “But now, because of Afrobeats it is now mainstream to be African, to come from Africa, to be part of the culture.”He says he will forgive Tiwa Savage and Wizkid because these pioneers made it possible for this change to happen.And he tells me the greatest lessons he has learnt from the great successes and great failures of Nigeria’s music industry. Consider this a masterclass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a ‘hard guy’ get vulnerable and open hearted. Blaqbonez (Emeka Akumefule) is one of Nigeria’s brightest rappers and he has often been called controversial. But this interview we see a side we have never seen before, as this ‘hard guy’ gets vulnerable and open hearted.We start from his dad who simply disappeared from the house while he was young and hasn’t apologised or explained since then.He tells me about how his mother survived the stigma of being a single parent, and worked a maid to help him get a good life. He says he has forgiven his father, but then he sees that influence from his in his life - breaking up a relationship despite being in love because he doesn’t think he can be monogamous and he didn’t want to ruin the perfect life of his girlfriend.  That influence also scares him from making any woman pregnant - making his take extreme measures to avoid that. Underneath all it is in an introverted, thoughtful, sensitive young man who wants to avoid the mistake of his parents, build a life of happiness was and make those around him happy if he can. In between the talk of Don Jazzy, Victor, MI, Terry Tha Raman, his missing Headies plaque, stream farms and controversy, this is the beauty of Blaqbonez that shine through. It’s one of my best conversations yet.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Titi Oyinsan (known then as ‘Titi Fanta’) was famous as one of hottest models in Nigeria. But while she was working hard as a model, there were the rumours that her trips and lifestyle were being funded by men. Titi says she didn’t care - she was focused on building a life for herself and her family, who had been duped by the man who they sent money to while they were in the UK. They were so badly duped that when they returned to Nigeria, they could only afford a place in Mushin, Lagos. That focus has led to building a sparkling 20-year career as a TV host, a radio host, producer and author. Then exclusively, she shares for the first time ever a harrowing experience of sexual abuse while she was in school, and how she overcame that dark experience and built a marriage and a home over the past 10 years.She also shares why she can never deny that the TV icon, Denrele Edun was her boyfriend for over two years - because he absolutely changed her life. This, was a beautiful conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastors Emmanuel and Laju Iren are a gospel power couple. They are one of the most influential pastors for the Gen Z generation and one of Nigeria’s most influential gospel figures today. And this year marks 10 years of their marriage. Laju says she is a fan of our work here at #WithChude, but I told her I am a bigger fan of hers. She is a pioneer - pushing the boundaries of gospel content from Nigeria. Her films have been on Amazon Prime, she has built a solid community on YouTube, and she has built a powerful technology-driven independent distributor for her films, making tens of millions in the process. This is a woman fully aware of her place and power in the world today.We talk about how she and her husband have built their marriage - struggling with how to communicate at first, but learning how to do it. She says her husband may not be the kind that does her breakfast in the morning, but he is her biggest champion.She tells me practically how she manages her work as a filmmaker, her calling as a pastor (and a pastor’s wife) and the not-small task of raising four children. She says - do not be deceived, she gets a lot of help. Her honesty is striking. She tells me how she learnt to separate God’s word from her own peculiar experiences - the first cannot be moved, but the second depends on your life and circumstances and should not be imposed on others. I ask for her response to those who accuse them of running a business while being pastors, I ask her if they have any regrets for the times they have ‘clapped back’ at critics on social media and we talk about “the darkness in the world today.” Ah, this conversation was sweet. Too many shekere moments. She is a delight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peace Lotus says she was with Bimbo the late wife of popular car seller, IK “IVD” Ogbonna on the day when she was set on fire - leading to her death. She shared the exclusive videos to the blogs that went viral and called the attention of the public to the plight of her friend. For the first time ever, she tells me the story of what she saw and experienced on that terrible day. She says she saw Bimbo after she was set on fire and then she drove Bimbo - with her body incinerated - from her home to four hospitals across Lagos, begging for them to accept her. They all rejected her until the Gbagada Hospital finally accepted her. She drove for over 9 hours, she says, while the husband insisted on leaving his wife and escaping, and then threatened to assault Peace if she didn’t stop trying to help his wife. All the while, Bimbo kept begging her husband: “Please say the truth” and begging her friend: “Please don’t leave me. Please don’t let me die.”Bimbo sadly passed a few days after - leaving behind 5 children and after 16 years of marriage to her husband. The case was taken to court shortly after and IK remains innocent until proven otherwise. But as the case finally comes up for a new hearing after more than a year of no update, Peace says there is no sign her late friend is going to get justice anytime soon. The story she tells is a horrible one.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘Super Story’ song is one of the most viral tunes our country has seen. The singer, Essence (Okoro Uwale) has one of the most beautiful voices you have ever had. But for some time, she disappeared from the mainstream and I wanted to know what exactly was going on with her. For her first interview in a very long time, we had one of the most wholesome conversations you will watch - about loss, self-love, and learning to be at peace with yourself even if things don’t go the way you want it. In between, she gives me exclusive updates about the song Super Story - the fact she didn’t sign a contract, how much she was paid, and how things were done “back then”. She also spoke to the persistent silly rumors about an intimate relationship between her and her mentor and collaborator, Kenny St. Best. And then we speak about her faith, her new music, and how she has become totally at peace with herself and with life.“I was called a noisemaker as a child and so I started whispering,” she said to me. “But now, I no longer whisper.”Boom! This one’s a must watch.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I did something I try never to do and I asked AbimBola Craig directly: Why are you not married?She had done a video a while ago saying ‘marriage is a scam’, amd as we talked about that video I knew that this was a question she was going to tackle with flair. Of course, she delivered. Right moment. Right person. bold question. Perfect answer. We talk about marriage, and we talk about the beautiful relationship she had with her father, who was also her role model, and whose passing shook her to her core. Then she told me exclusively about the moment when she thought her whole world was going to come crashing down - she was diagnosed with a tumor on her brain. She paused her career, and went to America for the surgery. She says it was “war”. She thought she was going to die. She began to prepare for death. How did that change her? Who is she now? In this rare interview - the actor, producer and YouTuber tells her story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This was such an emotional interview.Ashmusy has seen hell from the media and the comment section - they have questioned her talent, questioned her source of income, questioned her wealth, questioned her morals… and just thinking about all of the attacks she has had to endure, she broke down in tears on our set. She had to consciously change her dress sense, she tells me, because that was one of the reasons she was being stereotyped. Yet Amarachi Amusi is one strong woman - and she continues to conquer. Yes, her father didn’t provide for them when she was a child. Yes, her mother had to endure loan sharks to take care of her children. Yes, Ashmusy had to borrow hair to pretend to be one of the ‘big girls’ in school, and yes she had to borrow hair to start her own business. Yes, she went for over 100 (!) auditions - including Big Brother - and was not successful in any.But, she says, she built everything by herself. There was no sugar daddy, there was no ‘runs’, no there was no cutting corners. She pulled herself up from nothing to the multiple successful businesses she owns - and, she tells me… she is just getting started. A boss lady, #WithChude today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kemz Mama, or Mummy Wa as many know her, may be buzzing because of her first movie - Nigeria’s first Korean drama - but her journey here was an almost impossible one. First, her father didn’t support her, calling her career ‘irrelevant irrelevancies’. Then Mr Macaroni didn’t call her back after her first appearance as ‘Mummy Wa’ on his channel. THEN, when she finally got a small role on Tinsel, her character was killed off, without the producers even informing her! In between all of this, she was robbed violently of the phone she was using to create content on YouTube - after entering a one-chance bus. And then she struggled to get roles because on the one hand she was being sexually harassed and on the other hand she was insecure about the size of her breasts. Then one day, everything changed. Mr Macaroni called her back, her role became constant, her social media pages grew into the millions, and this year she produced her first movie. She tells me the full story. Also, for the first time ever, she speaks about the viral issue on the blogs about a past relationship, and why she has refused to talk about it until now. This was a hilarious interview through and through - but it was also incredibly inspiring. You will fall in love with this young woman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They own perhaps the biggest web series in Nigeria and Africa - and the biggest Gen Z series ever. Without making any noise about it and with no media campaigns, their videos rack up millions of views. One of them has over 11 million views! Jesi, Jemima and Jeiel Damina are YouTube OGs, and the youngest is barely out of her 20s. They are also fantastic singers. First I was their fan, and THEN I discovered that they are the daughters of Abel Damina, a man whose teachings in 2017 saved my faith, and changed my life. I was extremely excited to discover this. As they release their first feature film, ‘Guli’ this weekend, we release this exclusive conversation that discusses how they grew their platform to over one million followers from their base in Uyo-Akwa Ibom, how they converted mops into boom mics, and what it’s like to grow up as Pastors daughters. We talk about that time Jeiel was kidnapped, and how her father challenged God, and why she blamed her father for a long time. And we talk about the big, big BIG visions they have for the now and the future - while they focus on the work and only the work. Now, these ones are true inspirations for their generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, she lost her younger brother to chronic kidney disease.Then last year, Ufuoma McDermott was also diagnosed of Stage 3 kidney disease - after battling with it for 12 years. She was told to slow down at work and rest. But she thought she had more time and negotiated with her doctors. That delay turned out to be costly. She was shortly diagnosed of Stage 4 kidney disease. Stage 4. That’s the final stage. And she says it was a result of drug abuse - ingesting too many painkillers. Thus began a battle for her life, where there was zero room for error. For 6 months, she couldn’t move. She couldn’t work. She couldn’t add weight. She actually thought the end had come. In this exclusive interview, the actor and producer shares how she found her way back from Stage 4 kidney disease, how it changed how she lived her life, how she managed her public career while dealing with this in private, and why this life-changing experience has transformed the way she lives her life today. Also for the first time, she confirms that over the past few years she has lived with her family abroad while acting and producing in Nigeria - and how a very private life has served her very well. This was one hell of a conversation.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 6 months last year, Oluwadolarz suffered from depression - and no one knew about it. He couldn’t function. He couldn’t create. He couldn’t even leave his room. He finally opens up about this in this exclusive interview. What caused the depression? He suddenly saw his career crater and felt he was ‘un-blowing’ while watching his colleagues grow in leaps and bounds. It’s a familiar story, isn’t it?One day his mother finally had enough, and he tells me what she did that finally made him find a way out of depression. It’s also the reason his mother started making skits. It’s such a beautiful story, to hear him tell it. Then he tells me about that time an anonymous person came online to accuse him of abuse and then disappeared, leaving him panicked and having to defend himself. He also learnt that not everyone who likes his posts wishes him well. Then we talk about having his first child with his wife while navigating the #EndSARs protests - and for the first time, he opens up on what exactly he apologised to his wife last year. He says he was “tested as a man and he failed the test woefully.”What did we not talk about? I think I now have a mind-crush on Oluwadolarz - because this conversation was so honest, so real, vulnerable, inspiring and magical all at once. I try never to stereotype, but I honestly was not ready for this level of depth. This conversation WILL bless you.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For speaking up against what he considered injustice in school, Mr Macaroni was expelled just before convocation. It was the fight of his life.How did that transform his life?Why did that radicalize him? What did his journalist father say about all of it?How did that prepare him for that time when the Nigerian Police stripped him naked?And how long can he keep fighting while still remaining a pop culture brand?“Any brand that is not happy with my activism - bye bye!” he says. This interview goes deep into the heart of what makes this young man special.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was arrested by a battalion of Nigerian police men at his home for leading protests at #EndSARS - tortured in the system long after the protests ended. Then began an ordeal that lasted more than one year - as the Nigerian government stormed his house, took him away in his boxers, slept in a prison cell without a roof, passed from location to location at night, locked underground and then taken to court in secret. The police denied that they arrested him or knew him. They wanted him to disappear completely. For protesting against police brutality, Eromz became a victim of police brutality. How did he escape?He tells me the story, exclusively, today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Falz become so iconic? Was it inevitable that the son of the great Femi Falana would bring help bring the Nigerian government to its knees years ago? And how has he managed to do that while still maintain his place as a singer actor and a mover of the culture? We go deep in this conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vector says he has paid a very steep price for insisting on being himself in a country like Nigeria - he has been shadow banned, he says. But he insists on being himself, making his art, and speaking his mind, telling me he has no fear of any man who owns a mic. From studying witchcraft at the University of Lagos to teaching his daughters how to box and defend themselves, this ‘song of a gun’ tells me about growing up amidst the violence of Lagos Island, being detached without being inhuman, how his wife and daughters have helped him understand tenderness and why he didn’t cry when his father passed. We speak about regrets he may have about the epic scuffle with MI, why exactly that was a battle he had to fight and recent misunderstandings in the media of what he said about Burna Boy, Nigeria - and that time Portable heard Vector rap about ‘Zazu’ (Lion King’) and thought he was being attacked.Then I ask him if he is happy with where his career is today. Everything about this episode is fire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Rico Swavey - #BBNaija contestant and singer - died in a motor accident in October 2022, the nation was in shock. He was well loved.His mother, Halima Hassan watched him die in her own arms in a Lekki hospital - asking the doctors to leave her with his corpse as she begged him to come back to her. Months after, as friends and family watched her walk the streets aimlessly, unable to cope with the loss of her son, she had to check into a mental facility.He was the second son of hers to die while she was alive.In this exclusive interview, on the second anniversary of Rico’s passions, she joins me to talk about the premonition she had of his death, his last days and his last moments - and how behind the scenes, her son struggled to get his colleagues to support his music.She also talks about how she survived the loss and found her way back to mental and emotional recovery.Then, she shares with me Rico’s unfinished business - and the solemn promise she made to him as she cradled him in her arms for the last time. This episode will move you.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

in February, we re-launched #ChudesBookClub with Jay Shetty’s incredible book ‘The 8 rules of love’ which, literally, changed my life.It upended everything I thought I knew about the practical matters of intimacy and relationships - and helped me rebuild the foundations of how I approach love, attraction and relationships. After seeing how it transformed so many of the participants long after the event, we decided to make it into a 3-part special that you can access.If you’ve been struggling with love and relationships and have a sneaky feeling you’ve been doing this all wrong, I can’t recommend this book enough.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In February, we re-launched #ChudesBookClub with Jay Shetty’s incredible book ‘The 8 rules of love’ which, literally, changed my life.It upended everything I thought I knew about the practical matters of intimacy and relationships - and helped me rebuild the foundations of how I approach love, attraction and relationships. After seeing how it transformed so many of the participants long after the event, we decided to make it into a 3-part special that you can access.If you’ve been struggling with love and relationships and have a sneaky feeling you’ve been doing this all wrong, I can’t recommend this book enough.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In February, we re-launched #ChudesBookClub with Jay Shetty’s incredible book ‘The 8 rules of love’ which, literally, changed my life.It upended everything I thought I knew about the practical matters of intimacy and relationships - and helped me rebuild the foundations of how I approach love, attraction and relationships. After seeing how it transformed so many of the participants long after the event, we decided to make it into a 3-part special that you can access.If you’ve been struggling with love and relationships and have a sneaky feeling you’ve been doing this all wrong, I can’t recommend this book enough.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve had so many A-list guests come on the show to talk very honestly - and often for the first time - about divorce. The comments and emails we have seen after these interviews showed me how deeply those truths have resonated. So we decide to do a special episode that combines the greatest, deepest, most powerful things my guests have shared about confronting and surviving the end of a marriage over the past four years.We have Shaffy Bello, Jim Iyke, Tonto Dike, Damilola Adegbite, Stanley Okorie and Olumide Emmanuel amongst others. As I listened to this special episode again, I was struck by the great gift these guests gave me and the great service they have done for my audience - speaking so openly, truthfully and realistically. If you’re dealing with a difficult marriage, left a marriage and don’t know what to do, find yourself alone or confused in a marriage, or just want to know the truth about marriage, this special episode is for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How exactly did MKO Abiola die? How exactly did former head of state, Sani Abacha die? What role did Wole Soyinka, IBB’s late son, Femi Falana, Bola Tinubu, RMD’s late wife MEE, Shehu Sani, Kudirat Abiola and others play in this macabre story?And why exactly should you be grateful?I go way back - through my narration, a panel of Nigerians remembering that terrible period Gen Z may be unaware of, and exclusive interviews with Abiola’s son Abdulmumuni, activist Dapo Thomas who fought alongside Abiola, and June 12 historian Abraham Oshoko. ABIOLA vs ABACHAAn October 1 SpecialThe full episode is available tomorrow 7am on @Chude on YouTube and on withChude.com. It’s the first of our special series celebrating 25 years of democracy in Nigeria. #WithChude#TheCCCPodcast#AbiolaVSAbacha Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How exactly did MKO Abiola die? How exactly did former head of state, Sani Abacha die? What role did Wole Soyinka, IBB’s late son, Femi Falana, Bola Tinubu, RMD’s late wife MEE, Shehu Sani, Kudirat Abiola and others play in this macabre story?And why exactly should you be grateful?I go way back - through my narration, a panel of Nigerians remembering that terrible period Gen Z may be unaware of, and exclusive interviews with Abiola’s son Abdulmumuni, activist Dapo Thomas who fought alongside Abiola, and June 12 historian Abraham Oshoko. ABIOLA vs ABACHAAn October 1 SpecialThe full episode is available tomorrow 7am on @Chude on YouTube and on withChude.com. It’s the first of our special series celebrating 25 years of democracy in Nigeria. #WithChude#TheCCCPodcast#AbiolaVSAbacha Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chude: You need to know in life, the things that you can do and you cannot do. Many years ago, I received another invitation to join the government in Nigeria at the highest levels, and I called my second mother, Obiageli Ezekwesili. I said, ‘Aunty, he’s putting me under pressure; he wants me to join this government’. So she asked me a question: “In your deepest of hearts, do you think that you could truly make a difference in that position at this time and will it give you joy?”I thank God she framed the question like that because it became very easy for me to answer. I said no. Ali Baba says when Obasanjo wanted him to be a minister at the time, he didn't do the things that they asked him to do “because he knows himself.”Sometimes, people ask me, why don’t I join the government? I say it’s not, because of some moral superiority because government needs to be joined. We need people to join government, we need politicians, we need public servants but one must look at one’s self and say: is that the environment in which I would most thrive?Can I wake up every morning and still keep my Soul and Spirit in this position?Will I get joy from doing this?Will I feel a deep sense of satisfaction doing this thing no matter how much it will ‘change my life’?Many people have gotten into positions that have robbed them of their integrity their soul’s purpose, of what makes them special. And most times it’s because we feel that every opportunity that comes we must grab, that every road or door that opens that we must enter. We need the presence of mind and self-awareness to know what is for us and what isn’t for us - and to stay in our most authentic truth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saidi Balogun says he almost died after this accident - nobody thought he was going to survive. He was bed ridden for three months.And then, many years later, he confronted the worst business decision he ever made - he invested N25,000,000 in a movie, the movie was pirated and he only made N800,000 For the first time ever, he reveals that - already a celebrity - he was penniless and homeless. So, his mother asked him to come back to Nigeria and to visit her in Lagos Island - where she had some of the pirated copies. Then she said to him: “Do you remember when you were lifeless, and nobody thought you were coming back to us and I stayed with you and I nursed you and you came back and you lived? If you could survive that, you would survive this.” He learnt that life can be breathed into any situation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How exactly did Obasanjo change AliBaba’s life? Why did people doubt for years that he was making millions as a comedian - and insist his first wife was funding his lifestyle? What does he feel about not having a national award - when he essentially built the comedy industry? What does he think about the public battles between Basketmouth, AY and others? And what has learnt from a life of so many accomplishments and so many boundaries broken? Then: the legend shared with me gist for days! Soooooo much inside gist about the most hilarious moments with Nigeria’s politicians, chief executives and diplomats. You have to hear the stories! This one? Another #WithChude classic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bed ridden for three months after his car somersaulted and he almost died, Saheed Balogun learnt the greatest lesson of his life - that he can survive anything. A few years later, he invested N25 million in a film, pirates ravaged the film and he only made N800,000 in return. He says he has never said this anywhere; he ended up homeless, penniless and wanting to end his life. His mother reminded him: Do you remember when you were in the hospital almost lifeless and nobody thought you were coming back to life? Well, here he is now - and he has come to testify. In addition, we discuss how he has managed the marriage ‘scandals’, how he has dealt with the Baba Ijesha controversy, and why he is unabashed in his support for Bola Tinubu, even if some of his fans disagree. A veteran with 40 years in the industry under his belt, #WithChude today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.