Popular Nigerian media personality and Big Brother Naija host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, has opened up about his past struggle with smoking addiction. The stylish TV presenter made the revelation during a recent appearance on the Mentality podcast.
Ebuka's Smoking Journey
According to Ebuka, his smoking journey started as far back as junior secondary school. He stated, "I started smoking in JSS3, I smoked for 13 years, by the time I got to the university, I was already smoking two packs a day." This confession comes as a shock to many fans who have admired his public persona.
Romantic Gesture to Wife
Interestingly, Ebuka's revelation comes just months after he melted hearts online with a romantic gesture to his wife, Cynthia Obi-Uchendu. In February, the media personality celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with a luxury trip to Rome and Vatican City. During the vacation, Ebuka surprised fans by sharing a video showing the moment he proposed to Cynthia all over again at St. Peter's Square. The touching clip showed him kneeling with a ring box in hand as stunned tourists watched the emotional moment unfold. Cynthia appeared visibly shocked before eventually bursting into laughter and saying yes once again. The romantic gesture earned admiration online, with many describing the couple as one of Nigeria's most admired celebrity marriages.
Public Reactions
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of social media users below:
- @Saliu_ade stated: "2019–2021 was one of the craziest eras for peer pressure. People weren't just pushed into one bad habit anymore it became smoking, drinking, drugs, and reckless lifestyles all at once. The pandemic gave people more time freedom and funding to explore unhealthy habits. If you survived that period without getting lost in it, honestly you did well for yourself."
- @Abdulrasheed_YK noted: "One thing with smokers is that, at first, they think they are hard guys, not knowing that they are killing themselves slowly and steadily."
- @manlike37512 commented: "Omo I thank God for my mom I love you mom I would have been in rehab or about to come out of rehab but she didn't give up on me until I changed and now I'm clean. Looking back now and all I can say is thank you lord and thank you mommy and myself for believing I could do it!"
Ebuka Speaks on Ini Edo's Alleged Wedding
Legit.ng earlier reported that Ebuka Obi-Uchendu claimed that the alleged wedding of Nollywood actress Ini Edo was not true. He said that it was a series titled My Fairy Tale Wedding, which features the movie star as the lead character. Other role interpreters featured include Caroline Hutchings, Daniel Etim-Effiong, Tina Mba, Ramsey Nouah Jnr, and Ayo Mogaji, among others. According to the 42-year-old, who is notable for hosting the Big Brother Naija reality show, Ini's fans did not read the part where the actress shared that her "wedding" was a series. This clarification helped dispel rumors and set the record straight for her followers.
