Award-winning filmmaker and host of the viral talk show #WithChude, Chude Jideonwo sits down with veteran broadcaster, cultural icon, fashion designer, and one of the most recognisable faces on Nigerian television, Eyiyemi Olivia. In a deeply reflective conversation, the media pioneer addresses long-held assumptions about her life and career, including the belief that marriage slowed her trajectory in broadcasting. With calm clarity, she shares the truth of her 20-year marriage, the quiet ache of dreams of motherhood that never came to pass, and the grace required to navigate both public scrutiny and private longing.
In a career that began long before the age of algorithms and virality, Eyiyemi Olivia reflects on fame before social media, when relevance was earned in studios, not feeds, and the fleeting nature of public attention. She opens up about the unexpected burden of being perceived as “too beautiful,” and how that perception shaped her experiences in the industry. “People thought I was a threat,” she shares, speaking about navigating envy, misunderstanding, and the isolating weight of public projection. The conversation also reveals grief, reinvention, and the discipline required to remain grounded when applause fades.
At the heart of the interview is faith. “God sent me to Nollywood,” Eyiyemi Olivia tells Chude, describing her work not as accident, but assignment. In a world that often equates visibility with value, she speaks instead of purpose, obedience, and spiritual clarity.
WATCH EPISODE: https://vimeo.com/1163900504
