Entertainment

Actress Ireti Doyle Claps Back At Chief Daddy Director For Criticizing Actors

Ace actress Ireti Doyle (Tinsel) has responded to a tweet put out by filmmaker Niyi Akinmolayan where he seemingly scoffed at Nollywood actors who demand challenging roles.

The filmmaker criticized actors for constantly demanding challenging roles but were unwilling to commit themselves to what he deemed to be the requirements to take on a challenging role. He went on to add that those challenging roles required challenging money on the part of the filmmakers and that the actors should be willing to trade comfort for the challenging roles they seek.

“I want challenging role…I want challenging role….can you train for 3 weeks for free…No!! Can u refuse other jobs for 2 months to be in character without being paid…No. So u see my dear actor…and critics who want challenging roles. challenging roles need challenging money,” the Wedding Party 2 director wrote on Twitter.

Akinmolayan’s thread ended with the sentence; “Ordinary table read, Una no go show…talk less of rehearsals. But u want challenging roles. Influencer actor lol.”

The filmmaker’s statement did not sit well with many tweeps who engaged him in the comment section.

One user with the handle @opelenge commented saying;

“If you don’t have the budget to pay the crew hold off on maming the movie. A person can’t have challenging cost of living and be doing free labour on top. The challenge should be in the story and the actors interpretation not their wage packet.”

Another user with the handle @@Jamalbanx_ wrote;

“Can you train for 3 weeks for free”? Kindly explain that because I know they pay for actors time when training, so elaborate!!!!”

Also responding to Niyi Akinmolayan’s tweet was actress Ireti Doyle. Doyle called out producers for being hypocritical as they prefer to hire the influencer actors that Akinmolayan seemingly mocked rather than opt for capable talents in the industry.

Doyle’s tweet read;

“Perhaps if casting is based on talent and the hunger to succeed as opposed to social media numbers and who is willing to push YOUR film aggressively (at no added cost) producers wouldn’t have this particular problem.”

Perhaps if casting is based on talent and the hunger to succeed as opposed to social media numbers and who is willing to push YOUR film aggressively (at no added cost) producers wouldn't have this particular problem. https://t.co/euKIcrdN8k

— Iretiola Doyle (@IretiolaDoyle) May 22, 2022

Niyi Akinmolayan began his career in the entertainment industry in 2010. Some of his most successful films include; Falling (Adesua Etomi) Make a Move (Beverly Naya), and The Arbitration (O.C Ukeje).

Entertainment

Tems becomes first African female artist to feature on a song with a billion Spotify streams.

This feat comes after Future’s 2022 hit single ‘Wait For U’ reached 1 billion Spotify streams thus making Tems the first African female artist to reach this milestone.

The record which features Canadian megastar Drake and vocals from the Nigerian award-winning star has enjoyed enduring commercial success since its release as part of Future 2022 album ‘I Never Liked You’.

The single has marked several high points for Tems including making her the first Nigerian artist to debut at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100. It also earned her her first Grammy award for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 2023 Grammys.

With her latest feat, she joins Wizkid(Drake’s ‘One Dance’) and Rema (‘Calm Down’ featuring Selena Gomez) as the Nigerian artists who have appeared on songs with over 1 billion Spotify streams.

Since breaking into the international mainstream in 2020 after her decisive contribution to Wizkid’s hit single ‘Essence’, Tems has risen to superstardom with collaboration with Beyonce and Drake.

She also became the first Nigerian to earn an Oscar nomination after she was shortlisted for Best Original Score for writing ‘Lift Me Up’ the lead soundtrack for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ which was performed by Rihanna.

At the 2025 Grammys, the singer made history by becoming the first Nigerian artist to be nominated in the R&B category with a nod for Best R&B Performance.

She also won her second Grammy award after she picked up the Best African Song Performance for her song ‘Love Me Jeje’.

Celebs

Chimamanda Adichie announces the birth of her twins at 47

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the multi-award-winning Nigerian author has announced the birth of her twins with husband, Ivara Esege.

She made the good news known during her interview with The Guardian where she also spoke about her new book, Dream Count, cancel culture, and other topics.

The 47-year-old author revealed that she welcomed her twins months ago but kept the news private because she wanted to protect her children.

Chimamanda disclosed that many didn’t know she got married in 2009, noting further that Nigerians are nosy people, making her hesitant to talk about her family.

Addressing the interviewer, Charlotte Edwardes, Chimamanda said, “You’ve met my babies. I want to protect my children. I’m OK with mentioning them, but I don’t want the piece to become about them.

“So, here’s the thing, Nigerians are nosy, they want to know about your personal life. Because of that, I am resistant. I very rarely talk about it.

The mother of three, also spoke about cancel culture as she reflected on the massive backlash she received for her remarks about trans women in 2017. For the remarks, her career took a huge blow.

She had been asked during the 2017 interview whether a transgender woman was “any less of a real woman”. Her response was, “A trans woman is a trans woman”.

However, speaking about cancel culture in her latest interview, Chimamanda described it as bad, saying it should be stopped.

“What do I want to say about cancel culture? Cancel culture is bad. We should stop it. End of story”.

Chimamanda is married to Ivara Esege, a Nigerian doctor. The lovebirds tied the knot in 2009 and welcomed their first daughter in 2016.

Celebs

Nedu Steps Aside From The Honest Bunch Podcast Amidst Sex-For-Roles Controversy

After finding himself in the heart of recent controversy, Nigerian media personality Nedu Wazobia has resigned from the popular podcast ‘The Honest Bunch.’

In a statement shared on Instagram on February 14, 2025, Nedu said hosting the podcast had been a great experience, but the recent constant scrutiny and false accusations had become too much for him.

He wrote, “The past week has brought a lot into perspective for me. Hosting The Honest Bunch Podcast has been an incredible journey—one built on open conversations, bold perspectives, and the willingness to tackle difficult topics. But with that responsibility has come an overwhelming level of scrutiny, antagonism, and unfounded accusations that have now begun to take a personal toll.”

He explained that stepping down was a tough choice but necessary for his peace of mind and the future of the show

In light of recent events, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the podcast. This is not a decision I take lightly, but one I believe is necessary—for my peace of mind, for my family, and for the integrity of the show itself. I have always been committed to honest conversations, but when those conversations lead to relentless attacks and misrepresentation, it becomes clear that stepping back is the best path forward.

I sincerely hope this decision brings an end to the negativity surrounding my name and allows The Honest Bunch Podcast to continue thriving.

His resignation comes amid controversy stirred by social media critic Martins Ortse, aka VeryDarkMan, who accused him of demanding sex for movie roles from a female content creator, Jojo.

VeryDarkMan made the claim amid his ongoing face-off with stand-up comedian, Deeone who had claimed to have evidence that VeryDarkMan was gay during a recent appearance on the Honest Bunch Podcast, Deeone.

VeryDarkMan then threatened to release the names of all celebrities Nedu had allegedly slept with in exchange for roles.