INTERVIEW: I can’t sacrifice my career for marriage now —Uti Nwachukwu.....................

Six years after winning the popular reality TV show, Big Brother Africa, Uti Nwachukwu has never looked back. He has used his popularity, good looks and talent to earn himself a space in the entertainment industry and the Delta State born media personality appears to still want more out of life. The man who loves to call himself Sir Uti recalls his early beginnings in the industry and hints at how far he wants to go on the job in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO.

Since you came into limelight some years back, your career has taken different dimensions. You have come out as an actor, a TV presenter and even a writer. In spite of your many engagements, you don’t seem to be looking back, how would you describe the journey so far?

It is obviously the grace of God. It is not about who works the hardest, if you go on the road and you see bricklayers and wheel barrow pushers, you will conclude that they are really working hard. At the end of the day, it is just God that crowns one’s efforts with success. But on my part, what I have done is that I have kept my head on the ground; I never saw my Big Brother Africa (BBA) victory as a way to rest on my oars. I have never felt like I have won money; I am now a superstar. For me, BBA was just advertising the product I was selling, which is my brand.



Despite winning the BBA, it was said that some producers still didn’t believe you have got the talent to be an actor, how challenging was that moment for you?

It was not really difficult as much as you have painted it now. BBA remains one of the biggest reality shows in Nigeria and arguably the most watched reality show in Africa. So, coming out, I didn’t spend time playing around because I have got some millions in my account. It is just God’s grace that people find me to be likeable and easy to work with. The kind of charisma that I bring to my work makes it more interesting to work with me. It was not that difficult for me, because my brand was and is still very marketable. The talent was there; very raw. Though, I had to brush up all my talents one after the other. It was just the extra grace of God.



What was the first major challenge you had to fight off when you were about to start?

The moment I left the BBA house, a lot of people felt I would become too expensive and inaccessible but I had to prove them wrong. I wanted to know that I have not changed. So, I walked up to movie producers and quite a number of production houses to tell them that any shows they had, they should call me for auditions. So, that’s how I got Jara. Rita Dominic introduced me to Desmond Eliot, and I kept telling him that I wanted to act. Anytime I went for events, a lot of people were criticising me, but they didn’t know that that was networking for me. I made sure I appeared at every major event and the good thing about it was that I was being paid. It was not that easy for me despite winning BBA, I still had to move from one event to another to let people know that I can mcee their events and act too. I had to let people know that I was ready to work and that I am open to negotiations. I made sure I was very approachable. I stay in touch till today with my fans and supporters, because I am a product of a reality show, so I try as much as possible not to let people down.



You are also very active on social media…

It is just part of what I have been doing. I try to be open to people as much as I can. I communicate my feelings to my fans and I let them know that nothing has changed and nothing will change. When I meet people, I have never said no to a picture; I just try to remain approachable and very focused on my jobs. The jobs have to keep coming so that we can stay on top of our game. I tell people that I am open to jobs anytime.



You are open to all kinds of jobs?

Laughs…not all kinds of jobs in the way you are suggesting. I mean good jobs. That’s why you don’t see me in every movie, because I am always choosy when it comes to taking jobs, so that when I do a movie, everybody will know that for Uti to be on this movie, it has to be a good job.



Would you mind to reveal the first thing you did with your money back then?

I just made sure I was comfortable. I grew up in a very comfortable home; we never lacked anything we wanted. Without my support system in Lagos, there is no way I would have survived in Lagos.



What do you mean by your support system?

I mean my family. I was treated very nicely.



So you didn’t grow up in Lagos?

Yes, I grew up in Delta State. I am a son of the soil. I grew up in Ughelli and Sapele.



So you were spoilt as a child?

I wouldn’t say I was spoilt but I don’t think there was one thing that I needed as a child that I didn’t get. So, as I said, my support systems in Lagos are my siblings. They made sure I had everything I needed.



How long have you been keeping your dreadlocks?

In 2009, I had an identity makeover. I just felt like I had to reverse my life because I went through a lot before then.



What did you go through?

Let’s just keep talking about my dreads for now. So, I wanted to have a new me and not what anybody thinks about me or what has happened before then. I grew into my own person and I have no apology for being what I wanted to be. I had just graduated from the university then, so in 2009 I decided to keep my hair this way and it has been like this since then. It does not cost much to keep it clean. I am not too crazy about my dreads.



Does it bother you that despite the popularity of your brand, you have not been able to tie down deals with telecommunications companies like some of your colleagues do?

It does not matter. Most of the time, you will ask yourself how good are these deals? If I get a good deal, I will sign but I am not one of those people that they will sign for N3 million and they go and lie to people that they were signed with N30 million. A lot of my colleagues have lied so much about these things, but for me it is not worth it. I am not someone that would do things just for money. If I am telling people that I am endorsing a product, I want to be able to stand by that product anytime.



But you signed with Martini, was it worth it?

Yes, everybody can attest to the fact that that was a good brand and that Martini has now become the main thing at occasions and parties. So, I am not one of those people that would rush to endorse deals. If a brand loves me and I love them, I will sign the deal and we will create a beautiful relationship.



It seems entertainers now see endorsement deals as the way out…

It is true. Everybody now sees endorsement deals as the way out; everybody wants to get signed on one deal or another. For me, I am a unique person. If I am doing anything, it has to be unique. I don’t follow the crowd. When the deal is right, you will hear from me that I have signed a deal. I thank God for my life, deal or no deal; there is always something on the table for me. Go and find out, anything I attach my brand to is always the best. Anything that I have talked about, you will find out that I am always the pioneer. It is not in my place to go and lobby. When a good deal falls on the table, I will sign it. The kind of destiny and grace I have is that nothing will ever affect me or my brand negatively. I am of those people that even when you try to do something bad to them, it turns to be a blessing for us.



What about scandals, you have been linked with one or two in the last few years, did they also turn out to be blessings?

I will tell you this, anything that I didn’t do while I was staying in my father’s house; I will not do now that I am staying alone. Scandals can come, but they won’t even move me an inch. I have managed to live my life the best way I can and I leave the rest to God. Anything that comes after that, we will handle the way it comes. Let me also let you know that the quest for fake life leads people to do different outrageous things. For me, the only reason they have tried to link me to any scandal is because they felt this boy is too clean; there must be something about him that we need to push out for people to see. They managed to link me with unfounded tales but God helped me.



Why would anybody do that to you?

I was surrounded by the wrong people then and you that the industry has a lot of envy and jealousy. When they can’t find something to bring you down, they will manufacture stories. At the end of the day, those lies would end up making your brand popular because a lot of people would be interested in knowing what is happening. It is not that I stay away from scandals but I have never been a scandalous person. I have been naughty and mischievous growing up, which is why I was interesting to watch on BBA. I am very lively and playful. I was that guy that likes to always come up with something, but I have no business with scandal.



What has happened to your relationship with some of the ladies you met during your time at the BBA house?

Hmmmm…BBA is a world of its own. Sometimes when you are in that house, things that don’t make sense to you before will start making sense to you. But when you come out and you face the real world again, you will realise that everything inside there should just remain there. You know people want to follow your life to see what has happened beyond the show, and that may cause a lot of pressure and tension on you. Most times, when you want to carry on with that relationship, especially if you are someone who wants to keeps your brand working; it is going to be pressure on you. It is a different thing if you come out with your relationship and you go underground, but in my situation, I was not ready to go underground with anybody because what I am doing now has always been my dream. The only thing left for me to do is to take my brand international. You can’t live your relationship life out there; it will be destined to fail.



Your TV show, Jara, has become a popular one, especially with Helen Paul as your co-host, did you ever think you could work together?

I never knew we could ever work together. We never knew each other personally. Yes, I was a fan of that lady with a special voice and she said she enjoyed watching me on BBA as a naughty boy. When we auditioned for Jara, the producers and organisers kept asking if we had been friends before, but we said no. They had to audition us for a couple of times, but they told us that the minute they auditioned us for the first time, they knew they had found their hosts for the show. It has been great working with them for six years, and we are just entering our seventh season. It is my daily job.



You are friends with Tiwa and Tee Billz and you shared your view on their break-up on the social media, how did you receive the news?

The truth is that you can’t get a lot of real friends in the industry, the few ones you get, you have to keep them close. Tiwa and Tee Billz are my good friends. I am someone that people listen to when I speak, so I had to let people know that you don’t take sides when things like that happen. You just have to pray for the couple and wish them well. I was not forcing anybody to take my opinion. It was really sad for me.



What project are you working on right now?

I just finished working on a project called Duplicity. It was premiered on Africa Magic last week. In two days, I am going to Port Harcourt (Rivers State) to attend the AMAA awards as a nominee for the role I played in the movie called Breathless. It is my first ever AMAA nomination and I am very happy about it. I am crossing fingers and hoping that I win. The movie will be premiered in the Cinema on July 1 and I am very excited about it. It is a huge step in my career.



Do you think settling down will affect your showbiz life?

If you are a passionate and ambitious person, one will have to suffer for another. I have not got to the stage of my career where I am ready to sacrifice my career for anything. I will be lying to myself about being ready to settle down or not. At the end of the day, you can never tell these things. If God says, I should marry tomorrow, who am I to say no?

 [Nigerian Tribune]