Category Entertainment News

Highlife legend Mike Ejeagha’s tribute to comedian Brain Jotter, aka Chukwuebuka Emmanuel, was given new life by a viral social media challenge that led to the release of the 1983 film “gwo gwo ngwo.”

Ejeagha passed away on Friday at the age of 95.

Brain Jotter posted a throwback video of the late musician on Instagram on Saturday, saying, “39 years ago, he made magic. 39 years later, we re-danced to it. He is now resting, but his melody will always live. Rest in peace, legend.

After his skit featuring the track Ka Esi Le Onye Isi Oche propelled the decades-old song into a viral sensation, the comedian had visited Ejeagha at his Enugu home in July 2024.

The veteran musician watched a new generation embrace his timeless work with teary eyes as a result of the encounter.

During the visit, Ejeagha’s son had remarked, “Thank you for returning my father’s legacy.” This is the most attention his music has received in more than 30 years. Additionally, Brain Jotter and his team thanked the family for their support and donation of $2 million.

READ MORE about Mike Ejeagha’s classic Sparks Viral Dance Challenge, “Gwo Gwo Ngwo.”

Obi Mourn, Tinubu, and Atiku

The veteran singer passed away shortly after the song went viral, which prompted a wave of tributes. Bola Tinubu, president, set the tone.

Ejeagha was described as “one of Nigeria’s greatest folklorists, songwriters, and musicians in the Igbo language” by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement.

“Mike Ejeagha inspired generations by his unique storytelling style and musical style, preserving and projecting Igbo culture and customs.

The music of Gentleman Mike Ejeagha continues to inspire us that music has the power to rekindle, heal, and direct energy toward good causes that advance our country, said Tinubu.

The president also praised Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for acknowledging Ejeagha’s contributions while he was still alive, including changing the name of a major Abakpa Nike road to Chief Mike Ejeagha Road.

Atiku Abubakar, the legendary politician’s former vice president, praised the viral challenge as a source of joy in his final months.

It is heartwarming to note that Brain Jotter’s performance included the encore dance “Gwo gwo gwo ngwo” by highlife legend Mike Ejeagha before the curtain was drawn. Gentleman Mike Ejeagha, “Atiku wrote on X,” is the best in music.

Peter Obi, a member of the Labour Party, described Ejeagha as a “cultural custodian.” His voice will continue to ring out through generations as testaments to wisdom, culture, and truth as he enters a new era, but not his voice.

Obi praised his lyrics, which were full of proverbs and folklore, as moral compasses for both young and old.

Ejeagha was described as “a legend, cultural ambassador, and revered son of Enugu State,” according to Governor Peter Mbah, who also had sentiments.

Mbah promised to make the musician’s memory more immortal, noting that “his death leaves a huge void that will be difficult to fill.”

Reimagined as a violent sensation

The song was first released in 1983 as part of Akuko Na Egwu Vol. A clever tortoise deceives an elephant to win a princess’s favor in marriage, according to the first album.

The comedic reenactment of the elephant chasing the tortoise in Brain Jotter’s skit quickly dominated TikTok and Instagram, generating over 28 million views in a week.

Two dancers meet, perform an unusual leg shuffle, and then one suddenly vanishes while the other chases, resembling the song’s vivid imagery.

The dance sparked a flurry of nostalgia and excitement all over, including Super Falcons and celebrities.

International participants eventually joined the dance challenge, with many others coming from other countries.

Chris Hughes’ ex-girlfriend JoJo Siwa and Love Island co-star JoJo Siwa have a heated relationship, and his ex-girlfriend has revealed that she is expecting their first child.

Chris Hughes’s professional sport star ex-girlfriend has announced she is expecting her first child – just as his romance with Celebrity Big Brother co-star JoJo Siwa has been confirmed. Professional golfer Annabel Dimmock, 28, shared her happy news via a social media post on Saturday.

The golf star took to Instagram showing herself wearing a pink crop top and a pair of short denim shorts. With her legs dangling into a swimming pool, the star showed her growing baby bump.

In an accompanying caption, she wrote: “New rookie on tour coming soon” alongside pink heart emojis – and thereby announcing her pregnancy. Fans were quick to take to the comments to wish her well – and noted that the star was posing with baby pink baby shoes.

One person expressed their happiness when they saw you. Another phrase was written, “Congratulations you’re going to make the best mother, I’m so excited to meet her.”

Annabel previously enjoyed a 14 month romance with Love Island star Chris which lasted from 2020 until 2022. Chris had previously hinted the split hit him hard.

“I’m in a good place,” I said. When a relationship is just beginning, he said to The Sun in 2022, “I always struggle a little bit.”

“But I’m working out at the gym and working on my work. I’m a complete stranger in the store. I feel good because I have good friends and family around me, which is also a blessing.

Agent of Annabel had previously told OK! “Annabel wishes Chris the best of luck and I can confirm that they have split,” the magazine said. She then moved on to date Alfie Best Jr., whose businessman father Alfie Best Sr. is credited with making his father, a successful entrepreneur, worth £10 million.

A source told The Sun that “Alfie is a really liked guy and has been a great match for Annabel” when the romance first surfaced in June of 2023. The pair are head over heels for taking their own actions rather than posting their thoughts everywhere.

Chris has since found a new romance, however, with American pop singer JoJo Siwa, 22. The pair fell for each other after appearing on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother in April this year.

Viewers watched in surprise as the pair grew extremely close while in the house – despite the fact JoJo had a girlfriend, Kath Ebbs, on the outside world. When the series concluded, Kath sensationally claimed that JoJo had dumped her at the CBB wrap party.

When JoJo and Chris were photographed kissing in a swimming pool during a vacation together in Mexico, they raised eyebrows.

Chris and the younger star later exchange photos of themselves in bed to confirm their romance. JoJo has since opened up about their relationship, telling Lorraine on ITV that Chris and I have a lot of conversations. The head is turning as we enter the kitchen, but that version is the only one we have. The best man is him.

She responded, “It’s so funny to me. I’m not sure what was going on. How innocent people are is hilarious. She claimed that he had given her roses as discount flowers when they were discovered. This adorable clip of him has the sticker on it, but better news is that the flowers are in a blender bottle, which everyone should be aware of. The best is him.

Over the years, the Jeremy Kyle Show on ITV has drawn controversy, with one guest who accidentally killed his girlfriend’s hamster after discovering out he wasn’t her baby’s father.

A former star of The Jeremy Kyle Show has had his lifetime ban on owning animals lifted.

Controversial host Jeremy, 59, confessed that he still feels “immensely proud” of the ITV show, despite it being a factor in the death in one of its guests. The programme showcased a diverse range of individuals to the public, including an elderly escort who happily had sex with over 1,000 men.

However, a previous visitor has since filed a lawsuit to have his lifetime animal keeping ban lifted. A judge granted this right to Stevenage resident Ryan O’Brien, who claimed he had been successful in “turning his life around” and demonstrating his ability to look after a pet.

READ MORE: Jeremy Kyle guest who threatened to ‘knock out’ the host is on road to being drug free

After smashing a hamster against a wall and striking it, O’Brien admitted to inflicting unnecessary suffering on an animal in 2012. O’Brien and his girlfriend had a turbulent relationship that had just ended shortly before the incident, according to The Comet, which was occurring at the time of the animal’s death.

After appearing on a contentious ITV program to find out if he was the father of a 13-month-old girl he had been co-parenting with his partner, his relationship abruptly ended. A DNA test revealed that he was not the father of the child while he was on the show, according to the Daily Star.

O’Brien was initially given a suspended jail term and an indefinite ban on keeping or owning animals after admitting the offence. He has, however, persuaded the court to uphold his reformation, which is a dramatic turn.

No fewer than four witnesses defended his transformation when he appeared in court on May 22 to show evidence that he was now fit to care for a pet. His lawyer made a press release revealing that O’Brien’s demeanor had significantly changed since the magistrates had witnessed.

O’Brien, 35, has welcomed a small British bulldog pup named Dotty into his family. He shared his journey of turning over a new leaf while collaborating with The Comet and allowing substance abuse to focus on improving himself.

He proudly reported to the paper that he had just completed a three-year apprenticeship with the construction firm Wates and that he was a qualified electrician, tiler, and decorator. He also volunteers at warm spaces and food banks, giving back to the community.

O’Brien said, “Many things have changed, and I’ve changed.” “My body isn’t breaking a bone right now,” I said. He expressed regret over his past deeds, saying, “My life’s biggest regret is killing the hamster.” I was simply not thinking at the time.

O’Brien acknowledged that despite his best efforts to move forward, the consequences of his past are still present, and public humiliation is a reminder of this. He thanked The Jeremy Kyle Show for revealing the truth about his ex-partner, though.

He shared that he’s been clean since Christmas, steering clear of drugs for the past two years. He admitted reaching a juncture where he was “sick” of his previous lifestyle. Now, with “a good support network of friends”, he’s turned a new page: “I have stopped hanging out with people who were bad for me.”

A tense clear the air meeting between Meghan and Kate was revealed by Prince Harry in Spare – and experts have explained how it changed the course of the monarchy

A clear-the-air meeting between Waleses and the Sussexes “ripped the monarchy to pieces”, a royal expert has claimed. Back in June 2018, the Prince and Princess of Wales met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as tension had brewed between the couples after Harry and Meghan’s wedding. It came after, as Harry recounted in his memoir Spare, his new wife seemingly being at loggerheads with his sister-in-law in the early days of their romance.

He says the two women had a row over bridesmaid dresses in the lead-up to his wedding that left Meghan in tears and that Kate “grimaced” when the duchess borrowed her lipgloss. Both couples decided to have a clear-the-air chat shortly after the Sussexes’ honeymoon.

However, things got so tense that Kate’s fingers supposedly went white. Harry describes the moment in his memoir after he and Meghan were invited over to see William and Kate for tea at their Kensington Palace apartment. He recalls how both couples aired their grievances including Kate, who asked for an apology from Meghan as she gripped a leather sofa so tightly her “fingers were white”.

According to Spare, Kate wanted Meghan to say sorry for making a remark about her hormones and having “baby brain” while she was pregnant. The book then recounts how Meghan apologised and explained that is how she speaks to her friends.

But the encounter took a turn when Harry claims William “pointed a finger at Meg”, then allegedly blasted: “Well, it’s rude, Meghan. These things are not done here.” To which he says Meghan responded: “If you don’t mind, keep your finger out of my face.”

Now in a new Channel 5 documentary, ‘Meghan vs Kate: The Meeting That Changed the Monarchy’, royal experts believe this meeting was a turning point for the Sussexes as set the wheels in motion for Harry and Meghan to dramatically quit their royal roles.

According to the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay, this was the meeting that saw “the seed of Megxit sewn” while fellow expert Sarah Hewson said: “Had that meeting been a success, had they been able to put their differences aside, things would have been very different indeed.”

And chief royal correspondent from Newsweek, Jack Royston said: “If only they’d listened. If Meghan had listened what was being said to her, she could have changed way back in 2018. And even if they had still quit the monarchy, they could have saved themselves so much pain and so much conflict.

“What happened in that room back in June 2018 was the defining element of the relationship between the two couples that ripped the monarchy to pieces.”

While respected royal author Valentine Low added: “They had pathetic little differences that should have been sorted out in two minutes. But it helped fuel the flames.”

Harry’s observation in Spare comes after Meghan took aim at Kate during her and Harry’s Netflix docuseries. As she recalled their first meeting she said she was “surprised” by the behind-the-scenes formality of members of the royal family.

Speaking in episode two of the six-part Harry & Meghan docuseries, she said: “When Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.

“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go ‘You can relax now’, but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”

Meghan vs Kate: The Meeting That Changed the Monarchy, airs on Channel 5 on Saturday at 9.20pm.

On Friday at around 4 p.m., a car belonging to Nigerian musician Darey Art Alade and his wife Deola was allegedly caught in flames on the Third Mainland Bridge.

Deola expressed gratitude that the car’s driver was unharmed when she shared videos of it on Instagram.

We’re incredibly appreciative that the driver made it out safely, she wrote. No lives were lost, and that is what really counts.

Videos posted on her page showed attempts to put an enormous fire out of the car’s engine before it started to burn fiercely.

Firefighters were present at the location where the flames were discovered later in footage. In the end, the vehicle was left to burn.

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Deola used the incident to reflect on the importance of life and the fleeting nature of material possessions, encouraging everyone who experiences unanticipated losses to hold on to the hope of new beginnings.

Moments like these serve as reminders of how quickly life can change and how unimportant material things can become. We’re sharing this to show someone that things can be changed rather than show our sympathy. Lives cannot exist.

We hope this reminds you that “we can rebuild if you’re dealing with a sudden loss of any kind.” We can re-enter the momentum and find the willpower to advance. One step at a time, one breath, one prayer, “

She also praised God and those who came by the scene to offer their assistance.

We’re choosing to pray for protection, perspective, and the still-so-quiet strength to carry on. Jesus, I’m grateful. She thanked everyone who stopped by to help.

Prince William joined Sir David Attenborough for a chat about the importance of protecting the world’s oceans ahead of William giving a speech urging action in Monaco tomorrow

Sir David Attenborough has warned Prince William of the “unspeakably awful” damage to the ocean floor in a newly released film. The pair joined together in conversation to discuss the importance of protecting oceans in a video released to mark World Ocean’s Day tomorrow.

During the chat, which was filmed at the Royal Festival Hall after the premiere of Sir David’s new documentary, Oceans, William quizzes the 99-year-old naturalist about his experiences of exploring the ocean over his long life. And he issued a stark warning after the Prince of Wales asked him about the state of the oceans right now.

Sir David tells William: “The awful thing is, it is hidden from you and from me and most people. The thing that I was appalled by when I first saw the shots for this film is what we have done to the deep ocean floor, it is just unspeakably awful.

“I mean if you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms. If this film does anything, if it just shifts public awareness, it’ll be very important and I can only hope that people who see it will recognise that something must be done before we destroy this great treasure.”

However, the pair agree there is still reason to be optimistic about reversing the damage to our oceans, with Sir David adding documentaries like Oceans, which is released on streaming platforms today, can spread the message of the work that needs to be done to reverse the damage.

He told the prince: “What is heartening really is that we have the entree to people’s front rooms. Whole families sitting at home in comfort, can actually suddenly see this coming up. Films like this can expose something new.”

And William added: “It’s a really optimistic excitement sort of moment for the next generation to be able to be bigger explorers and find more data. The next 50 years will be incredible.”

Also in the chat, Sir David shows William an old aqua-lung diving helmet, putting it on his head, as William laughs: “Don’t put it on, you’ll never get it off, David.”

The documentary-maker also tells William about being one of the first people to be able to go diving after its invention saying: “That was the moment when suddenly you moved into a new world. You were flying among the fish, which was an extraordinary experience.”

The release of the footage of the conversation comes as William travels to Monaco tomorrow to attend the Blue Economy and Finance Forum, where he will give a speech calling for action to save the oceans before it’s too late.

He is expected to say: “Halfway through this decisive decade, I call on all of you to think big in your actions. Let us act together with urgency and optimism while we still have the chance.”

A Kensington Palace spokesman said: “There should be no doubt that this speech is the Prince of Wales calling for action to save our oceans now. The world is watching. This is him using his platform to call for more to be done sooner rather than later.”

William will be joined at the forum by French President Emmanuel Macron as well as Prince Albert of Monaco and Costa Rica’s President Chaves Robles, who will also make speeches about saving the world’s oceans.

Protecting the oceans has been one of the key focus areas for William’s Earthshot Prize Awards, which is handing out five £1million prizes over a decade for planet-saving solutions.

Since the awards were established in 2021, finalists in the Revive Our Oceans category have collectively protected and restored over 20,000 square kilometres of ocean and saved, reduced, or recycled 2.5 million tonnes of water.