Toke Makinwa
Background
My name is Toke Makinwa and I turned 29
last month. I am from Idanre, Ondo State and I come from a very large
family. I studied English Literature at the University of Lagos. I am
just a girl next door, unpredictable, a lover of life and I am very
passionate about God.
Being an On Air Personality
Growing up, my voice was not nice. I
thought I sounded husky and I remember breaking up with a guy who said I
sounded like a man. I was 18 going on 19 and waiting to get into the
university when a friend informed me that Cool FM had opened. I went in
for auditions and I was being paid N25,000 per month in 1999. I did not
tell anyone at home. One day, my mother heard my voice on radio and she
stopped me. I was not even allowed to go back to put in my resignation
letter! After I graduated, I was stuck. Do I go for youth service? Get a
job or relocate to England? I wanted to break away from my parents. I
went to the UK, didn’t get a job and I returned to Nigeria. Then, I got a
job at a bank because I had given up on entertainment. My siblings, who
knew I was not happy, working at the bank, told me about Silverbird
recruitment. I applied and got the job.
Life on radio
Radio is much harder than television. A
pretty girl or a handsome guy can sell any show on television. People
don’t necessarily have to listen to what you have to say. Instead, they
can like your hairstyle, colour of your shirt or even your shoes. With
radio, it is a hit or miss. You are not even permitted to have a bad day
regardless of what is going on in your life. Even if you were jilted at
the altar the day before, you turn on the microphone and have your
show.
My V-log series
There is this friend I met on twitter who
took an interest in my brand .We got talking and he sent me a message
asking if I had ever heard about Christina Marble. I found out she is
the most searched person after Kim Kardashian. She is famous for having a
blog on YouTube and what she does is talk about just about everything.
So, I thought I should give a platform where we can talk about things
like marriage, men, women, relationships and so much more. The reception
has been amazing.
People don’t hate me
I don’t think anyone hates me; it’s such a
strong word to use. I think its people not knowing and understanding
who I am. Social media is free and people can say anything. It’s not
really hate; it’s like a silent envy you can’t really explain.
Role models
The late Nelson Mandela was a huge
influence in my life. From him, I learnt forgiveness. Oprah Winfrey has
also been a huge influence in my life. My work ethics also comes from my
mother because she is a fighter as well.
I get paid to attend parties
I enjoy going out and there are some
appearances that I would be paid for if my brand aligns with what they
are pushing for. I have people who come to me saying they want me to
appear at their weddings or birthdays and ask how much I would bill
them. It’s not every event that I get paid to attend. It’s called an
appearance fee.
Relationship
I am not under any pressure to get
married. It’s the society that puts pressure on women not minding that
divorce rates are high. I was once in a long term relationship with Maje
Ayida and it has come to an end. I think it’s unfair for me to speak
about our relationship because he is not here to defend himself. He is
an amazing guy but it was not meant to be. It’s strange being single
again but I am taking it one step after the other. One of the mistakes I
made in my last relationship is that we dated for a long time. They
were amazing years but they were also 12 long years. When you are
faithful to someone, know what you can tolerate. My Mr Right has to be
God-fearing, who would not do certain things because he is God-fearing.
He has to understand what I do and must not be selfish in any way.
Style
It has to be comfortable, sexy and chic.
Clothes go out of season and you always feel the need to acquire new
styles. I don’t have great legs and I try not to wear shorts. I also
love shoes and scarves which I splurge on from time to time.
Future
I hope to have my own talk show before I am 30. I am running out of time but its work in progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment