Comedienne Princess Damilola Adekoya who goes by the stage name Princess granted Punch an interview recently where she talked about when she would get marriage, the day she was robbed and her plans for the future.
How I was robbed
It was on Valentine’s Day, around 2 am. About 15 men came with some gadgets, cut the burglary proof and entered my residence. They even said they knew me. They said they saw me on TV all the time and that I always made them laugh. But they said they wanted money in order to survive. They didn’t harm us. They just stripped the whole house. They apologised for what they put me through and said they just wanted to make some money for food. They were polite. I was
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jittery and tensed up, but they kept on calming me. They spent more than two hours in the house. They asked if I had gold, but I told them I don’t wear gold. They searched for money. I gave them what I had. They said they expected to find more money because I had participated in the Gulder Ultimate Search reality show. But I told them the show had taken place the previous year.
Comediennes in Nigeria
Everybody started this business at different times. In life, there is always a time for somebody to rule the comedy industry. Ali Baba ruled for some time. Then it was Seyi Law’s turn. And there was a time when Princess reigned, too. I don’t think one comedian will reign for 10 years. We will all remain relevant. There are more than 100 comedians and just four females in this business. All the four are relevant. Just as the comedians are doing well, the females are succeeding as well. Only a few comedians host annual shows because it requires big funding. Everybody hopes to get better. I don’t attempt comparisons between two comedians. What constitutes the strength of one may be another comedian’s weakness. The things that make Ali Baba what he is today are very peculiar to him and they are different from the things that make Basket Mouth or even Princess what they are today. In whatever we are doing, the comediennes have tried to make their mark. It is not as if women don’t want to be in comedy, it is just that they are more practical than the men. A lot of people come and tell you they are comedians, but when they perform, you will wonder if they didn’t check themselves well. Comedy is not really what you can just learn; it has to be in-born. Comedy is a full time job. I cannot say it is the easiest thing to do because it requires a lot of time. I think everything depends on time. But we will get there.
Life as a comedienne
I am fulfilled as a comedienne. I wouldn’t be a comedienne, if I wasn’t comfortable with being one. The job description is to make people laugh. We also try to re-invent ourselves, to learn more and improve on everything we do. It is not an easy task, but it is a great job. If you get into a profession because of money and you don’t get what you are looking for, then you would be like fish out of water. I got into the industry when it wasn’t as big as it is today. People didn’t see it as a job. I didn’t care. Some people were doing it then. Julius Agwu was there. Gandoki and Tee A were also there. There was a lot of criticism. People wondered what I could say that would be funny. People tried to discourage me. But I’m the kind of person who doesn’t allow anybody to discourage me from doing what I have already set out to do. I didn’t allow all that to get to me. I am happy. There are challenges in every profession. If you are in a profession for the wrong reasons, you will fall by the way side, while the others move on.
Scandals
I don’t have the time to listen to what is being said about me. I am a very busy person. I have to be at the stadium very early for my training before I get into my normal duties. If you keep peddling false rumours about somebody else, your life will become rubbish one day. They said I was camped in a hotel for one week for a romantic getaway. It was a bloody lie. I was only shooting a movie in the hotel. The likes of Desmond Elliot were a part of the movie.
Marriage
