Chude Jideonwo, host of #WithChude, sits with social media commentator, Daniel Regha and popular gossip blogger, Tosin Silverdam to talk about their careers and the public perception of them.
On how he got into gossip blogging, Tosin shared, ‘I was into blogging online back then, but then I stopped. I got a job at a pharmacy as a social media manager, and things weren’t going so well like that. Then I got a job at Dufil Prima, the makers of Indomie and I was transferred to Kano. I didn’t know anybody in Kano, so I had to go to Kano to start my life over. During the pandemic, people were doing TikTok, so I said, ‘let me try TikTok’. I didn’t know how to dance, but I was doing the normal challenge. One day, I decided to do something different that will shake the internet, I just said, ‘5 celebrities that I don’t like’, and just like that it went viral.
Speaking about why he thinks he doesn’t contribute to the toxicity on the internet, Daniel Regha said, “I air honest opinion. Even the haters know that what I am doing is right, otherwise, they should use the block button. Personally, I do not care if my followers drop to 100,000 today. If I can put brands that I work with on blast, why will I care about ordinary following? I would rather have 4,000 legit followers than have people who are stalking me looking for what I am going to wear next to call me and just insult me.”
He also shared how he developed a thick skin to what people think of him, ‘I think I just grew into it. There was a time I was looking for people’s approval on certain things, especially when I was in school. But at one time, I was like, ‘you can’t please people and at the same time, while trying to please people I will end up displeasing myself’.
On his persistent quarrel with the popular cross-dresser, Bobrisky, Tosin said, “I do not have anything against them (Bobrisky). Bobrisky is content. I met Bobrisky in Khloe’s place. Bobrisky came late, so Khloe was like I should wait for Bobrisky, I should see him and we must settle. I was like how many celebrities will I settle with because even if I settle with them today, I will still talk about them. He came in late, he was supposed to sit beside me but he said ‘I can’t sit down beside that guy, he always talks about me’. So, Khloe said I should talk to him. I met with him, and he wasn’t upset by some things I said about him. He said I called him a liar that he doesn’t lie, and I was comparing him with Papaya and all that, that was the only thing he said, but I can go ahead and talk about him, but I shouldn’t say he or she is a liar”.
On the business of gossip, he shared, “I don’t care what people say, as long as I am making my money. This is just for a period of time, then I will delve into something else”.
Watch the excerpts from the interview here:
#WithChude is a network of media products across TV, Film and podcasts telling stories that enable and strengthen the mind, the heart, and the spirit. The weekly interviews are widely syndicated across terrestrial television and social media platforms reaching an average of 8 million people weekly – positioning it as the most watched and most syndicated weekly talk show (digital + traditional) in the region. It has become a safe space for guests to talk about things publicly for the first time. Actor Joke Silva revealed that her husband Olu Jacobs was dealing with dementia with Lewy body for the first time on the show, and producer Kemi Afolabi opened up about her experience dealing with Lupus on #WithChude. That month, Lupus and Kemi Afolabi were among the top Google Nigeria searches. The interviews have been featured everywhere, from the BBC to the New York Times. The documentary and travelogue series #ChudeExplains has tackled issues from criminal justice reform to Gen Z coming of age. The show launches the #WithChude Global series in 2023.
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