Jay On Air is everyone’s favorite right now. His content is joyful, his confidence magnetic, and his presence unforgettable. But before the millions of views and the laughter we see on screen, he was just a young man trying to stay afloat, emotionally and financially.
In 2020, Jay sent a quiet message asking if he could intern on this show. He had just lost his job in radio. Nothing else was working. Depression was setting in. He had tried everything. He worked in PR. He took on assistant roles. He started selling okrika to survive. Just when the business began to grow, the pandemic arrived and shut it all down.
In that stillness and silence, he picked up his phone. Not to chase fame, but simply to feel alive again. He started recording short videos on TikTok.
That quiet act became the beginning of something extraordinary. Today, Jay On Air is one of the most loved content creators in West Africa. His journey didn’t begin with influence. It began with pain, with trying, with picking himself up again and again.
What moved me the most during our conversation was not the virality, not the career wins, but the clarity with which he sees himself now. Jay told me there was a time he wasn’t a good person. He wasn’t a good friend. He was proud, defensive, and impatient. And he knew it. Instead of hiding from that version of himself, he faced it. He decided to grow.
He spoke openly about losing his radio job and how it broke his heart. About how he sent his CV to every station he could find and got no replies. About how he doubted himself deeply. He didn’t think he had the voice to be a host. He didn’t believe he had the presence. He didn’t think he could be seen. He told me he once hosted a wedding and got paid one hundred thousand naira. It was one of the first times he felt like maybe he was actually good at something.
Jay also opened up about his insecurities. Growing up, he was insecure about his height. He intentionally surrounded himself with taller friends so that no one would point it out or make him feel small. He confessed it with a gentle honesty that made it clear he has done the work to accept and love who he is now.
He talked about the pressure of going viral, about the three-day dragging on Twitter after recreating Adesua’s pregnancy shoot, and how much he had to learn about balancing bold creativity with public backlash. But most importantly, Jay talked about healing.
He spoke about the relationship with his mother. How they were too alike, and how that made it hard to be close. There were years of tension. But slowly, with time and effort from both of them, they found understanding. They worked on it. Today, his mother is one of the most important people in his life. He said she was strict, but never compared him to others, not even to people who were smarter or more successful.
He also shared how he had to rebuild trust with his brother. There had been strain for years. But eventually, they both did the emotional work to heal. Jay said something that stayed with me. He said family needs the same love and effort we give to friendships. And he meant it.
Jay On Air didn’t just blow up. He broke through. He didn’t just build a career. He worked on his heart. He made peace with his story. And that is why the world is drawn to him. Not just for his talent, but for his truth.
This is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard. One of the sweetest humans I have ever met. And this conversation, with all its vulnerability and depth, will stay with me for a long time.
Jay On Air. Like you have never seen him before.
Watch here : https://vimeo.com/1101591337
