ADVERTISEMENT

Throwback Thursday: 12 Nigerian Celebrities Who Made the Jump from Reality TV

Once upon a time Iyanya was just another hopeful contestant on MTN Project Fame and Dare Art-Alade was the guy from Cool fm who was a contestant in the Project Fame Academy. Today Iyanya has females from Lagos to London dancing etighi and Dare probably has Kim Kardashian on speed dial.

It's throwback Thursday and in honour of this time-testing tradition, we recount the journey of some of the hottest celebrities around now. So, prepare to see these celebs in ways you haven't seen them in a while!

Omawumi: with several endorsements and 2 hugely successful albums under her belt, Omawumi has come a long way from her humble beginnings on the Idols West Africa stage. Competing alongside the likes of Timi, Temitayo, Jodie, Eric and Jerrilyn on the Idols West Africa show in 2007, Omawumi sang her little heart out to the top 5, eventually finishing in 2nd place behind Timi Dakolo. 6 years, 3 endorsements and 2 great albums later, Omawumi has emerged as one of Nigeria's most successful artists and a reference point in Nigerian music contests  that 2nd place doesn't necessarily translate to 2nd rate.

Uti Nwachukwu: after emerging the winner of Big Brother Africa in his second venture into the house in 2010, Uti shot straight into limelight becoming a permanent fixture in the Nigerian social scene. He currently co-hosts the African Magic lifestyle program Jara in addition to compering events and modelling.

Dare Art-Alade: as an undergraduate of Music in the University of Lagos, Dare worked as an On-Air Personality in Cool fm. In 2004, he landed a spot as a contestant on the Project Fame Academy in South-Africa finishing in 3rd place. On his return back to Lagos, he began earnestly promoting his music career, pitching his tent with Storm records. Today Dare stands as his own boss with label, Soul Muzik and has 4 albums to his credit with a fifth on the way.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chidinma: as the quietly confident contestant on MTN  West Africa's Project Fame season 3, Chidinma won over many hearts as she rendered her songs week after week to the admiration of the judges, faculty and fans alike. 3 years after winning the contest, Chidinma remains a winner as she has successfully leveraged on the exposure gained from the show to score many hits including a Best West African Female KORA award in 2012. She also recently bagged an MTN endorsement as brand ambassador.

Iyanya: before he started asking for girl's waists, Iyanya was a hopeful contestant on the first edition of MTN West Africa's Project Fame. After emerging winner, Iyanya went the core R&B route for awhile and in 2012, he underwent some rebranding with the release of his hugely successful 'Kukere'. He has never looked back since and recently concluded a tour of the United States and Canada in addition to bagging an MTN endorsement deal.

Tonto Dike: the journey for Tonto began in movie reality show, The Next Movie Star in 2006 where she participated but did not win. Shortly after her exit from the house, Tonto began getting calls from producers and the «Its Ova» crooner has never looked back ever since.

Gideon Okeke: another Big Brother alumnus, Gideon participated in the first and only ever Big Brother Nigeria game in 2006. Upon his exit from the house, Gideon made a few attempts to kickstart a career in the entertainment industry and finally broke even when he landed a recurring role in Mnet's Tinsel. Now Gideon thrills audiences across Africa as Phillip Ade-Williams on Tinsel. Earlier in the year, he also landed a gig as the host for 'The Money Drop Nigeria'.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu: as a vocal young Nigerian in the frontline of the Nigerian socio-political scene, its easy to forget that Ebuka first came into public consciousness as a Guinness-loving contestant on the Big Brother Nigeria show. While Ebuka did not make it to the end of the show, he wisely utilised his 5 minutes of fame stretching it out all the way in spite of taking a break at some point to earn a Masters of Law degree. He currently hosts the Channels Television show 'Rubbin' Minds' and is a columnist on Y!Naija in addition to practising Law and frequenting the Lagos social circuit.

ADVERTISEMENT

Timi Dakolo: Timi won his first set of adoring fans as a velvet-voiced contestant on West African Idols. Upon his exit from the house, Timi continued to thrill audiences with gigs across the country. In 2010, he won the Hip Hop World Awards for Best Recording for the track 'Heaven Please' and in 2011, he released his highly anticipated debut album 'Beautiful Noise'. He has also been nominated for several awards.

O.C Ukeje: O.C 's journey with movie stardom started withthe Amstel Malta Box Office reality show, AMBO where he emerged as the first male winner of the show. A year after that, he went on to star in the Amstel Malta produced movie, White Waters in which he starred alongside industry heavy weights Joke Silva and Rita Dominic and won the Best Upcoming Actor award at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). There's been no slowing down for O.C ever since. He was also nominated again at the recently concluded African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for Best Actor.

Praiz: as a contestant in the very first MTN Project Fame show, Praiz held us spellbound with his beautiful voice and hunkish looks. Although his journey in Project Fame ended in the top 10 stage, Praiz steadily worked his way back to our consciousness and has emerged a fixture in the music scene in the last few years. He recently returned to his MTN family as he was made a brand ambassador for MTN alongside ex-Project Famites Chidinma and Iyanya.

K.C: long before we were swaying to 'Limpopo', K.C was a contestant on the Star sponsored music reality show, Star Quest alongside former group mate, Presh. Although the duo had been together for 12 years, they recently split and K.C has since taken the music scene by storm with his hit single 'Limpopo'.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT