INTERVIEW: Why I built my parents’ house at 10, handled pregnancy, marriage rumours – Comedienne Emmanuella

Over the years, the Nigerian entertainment industry has witnessed the rise of numerous child stars who have captivated audiences, kept viewers glued to their screens, and showcased the nation’s culture on a global stage.

Following in these footsteps is comedienne Emmanuella Samuel, popularly known as Emmanuella, who began making waves at the age of five and built a name that resonates far beyond YouTube skits.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, she spoke about her decision to build a house for her parents, dismissed swirling rumours about her personal life, and shared how she remains focused on what truly matters to her.

Excerpt:

PT: What does it mean to you to be a teenage star in Nigeria, and who’s Aunty Success to you?

Emmanuella: It means a lot to me, and it also came with a lot. It came with how people saw me and treated me, both positively and negatively. Aunty Success was a friend who turned out to be family. We are not related, but we work together.

PT: How do you manage the balance between your acting career and your education? What challenges do you face in keeping both on track?

Emmanuella: It’s not easy, but God has been helping me. I do skits mostly on weekends, and that helps me to balance my education with my work. I haven’t faced any challenges.

It has really been easy with the help of my manager and my family members. They work together, and everything is easy for me. They schedule only on weekends, and it’s only on weekends I shoot. So it’s not hard for me.

PT: You’ve been more active on TikTok lately, jumping on viral trends. Does that mean you’re moving away from comedy?

Emmanuella: If you check my Facebook and YouTube, you would see them, even on my TikTok. I only did TikTok for fun. Yes, just for fun.

PT: What’s something Emmanuella knows now that she didn’t understand when she first went viral?

Emmanuella: That I’m popular and a whole lot of people in and out of the country know me. You know, when you walk in or go out and get recognised, the experience was just so beautiful.

Like walking, and people would be like Oh! This is Emmanuella, can I take pictures with you and I’d say yes, come on. It is like seeing people you know but you don’t know, but you feel like you know them. I don’t know how to explain it, but it is wonderful.

PT: How does it feel to be recognised across Africa and still be a teenager?

Emmanuella: I feel so happy, and I appreciate all the love I get from people. It is so beautiful getting all the love. I don’t know how to explain it, but it is wonderful.

PT: Do you ever miss just being a “regular girl”? What’s the price of fame?

Emmanuella: I do because I can’t move freely or go out alone, even in school. It is difficult sometimes, but it was much better later because a lot of people knew me.

When you see someone constantly, you get used to that person; that’s how it was then.

Most times, when I go out, I have to cover my face so I wouldn’t get recognised easily.

PT: What’s one skit you wish the public didn’t take seriously or misunderstood?

Emmanuella: I can’t remember because I have done a lot of comedies and I have lost count of them, but I would say this is not my real face.

PT: Have you ever said “No” to a joke because it didn’t sit right with you?

Emmanuella: When I saw that the content was not child-based, not child-related, I changed it because I was a child and I wanted something that children could also relate to.

PT: Do you ever feel pressured to always be funny even when you’re not in the mood?

Emmanuella: Yes, I did, but I always tried to remind them that I was not a stand-up comedian, but they still insisted. Don’t get me wrong, I loved what I did. I loved what I did. I always tried to put a smile on people’s faces.

You know, when I went out and met people, they would be like, “Emmanuella, show me this, is this your real face? Is this not your real face? Show me, what’s your real face? Ella, before you tell me one joke, this one, this one, this one,” and then I would have to be like, “Okay, this is not my real face.”

PT: What’s the wildest rumour you’ve ever heard about yourself, and what’s the truth?

Emmanuella: There are lots of rumours out there. I have heard a lot, but I know the truth. There’s one where they said Ella was pregnant, that I was getting married, that I had married, etc., which are all false. There are so many unspeakable rumours, and sometimes I wonder where they come from.

PT: Is it true that “you bought your parents a house at 10?”

Emmanuella: Yes, I did. It was a long time ago. The reason or motive was to make my parents proud, making everyone around me happy, no matter what; even if I was sad, I would make sure I put a smile on everyone’s face. I sensed it wasn’t right for my mummy to be staying in a rented apartment, that my family couldn’t be staying in such an apartment, so we came up with the idea of building a comfortable place where they wouldn’t be paying rent.

That’s how building the house came about. There are six of us in my family. I’m the fourth child. I did it (built the house) out of love. I don’t feel any pressure.

PT: Would you ever leave comedy? What would make you quit?

Emmanuella: What would make me quit? I can’t leave what I love doing. I love putting a smile on people’s faces, and if I leave it, who would do it? Yes, I’d say it’s the near future.

Maybe in the near future I’ll feature in a movie and also learn how to direct one. I featured in “Survive or Die”, and it was good, it was great. If you noticed, it was just one episode I featured in. So it was nice.

My experience was not bad. It didn’t change my perspective. It didn’t change. The thing is, it’s just like doing comedy but in a serious way. It’s just acting; everything requires acting.

It’s just like acting in comedy. I don’t see anything different. It’s just the same. It’s just that this one came with more scripts. It came with being serious. So I don’t think there’s any difference.

PT: Do you think Nigerian adults respect child stars enough or just use them for laughs?

Emmanuella: They respect them a lot. I mean, I saw the way people treated and loved me when they saw me, and obviously, it would be like that for other child stars. They love them.

PT: If you weren’t famous, what do you think your life would look like right now?

Emmanuella: Maybe I’ll be in school learning and struggling from nobody to becoming somebody.

PT: Who’s your celebrity crush (don’t lie!)

Emmanuella: Now I don’t have one, but before, it was Rema. I don’t have a favourite. I love all of them equally. All of them. I listen to all their music. So, no exception.

PT: If you could prank one Nigerian politician or celebrity, who would it be and what would you do?

Emmanuella: I will either prank Davido or Don Jazzy. The prank will be – okay, I just found out that I’m your lost daughter from a so-so mother. I look up to them a lot. I love what they do. So, it will be nice to prank them. No, I have not thought of pranking any politician.

PT: What’s one thing fans would be shocked to learn about you?

Emmanuella: That I drank garri and ate soup every morning, afternoon and night, everybody did that, right? Or was I the only one? Yes. I think they would be shocked to know that.

I loved drinking garri and soup morning, afternoon and night. Normal garri with sugar, groundnut, milk and water then. With a little pinch of salt.

PT: What’s your opinion on politics in Nigeria, especially President Tinubu’s administration?

Emmanuella: People are suffering. The government needs to look into it. They need to do something about it. It is getting out of hand. Seriously.

PT: When people look back on your career, how would you like them to remember Emmanuella? What legacy do you hope to leave behind?

READ ALSO: NITDA and the removal of million of harmful online content, By Shuaib S. Agaka

Emmanuella: I want to be rich, make more money and care for people, and I have just registered my foundation in respect to that. I want people to know that it’s possible to do anything.

As a child comedienne, I want to leave behind a legacy of joy, want people to remember that I made them laugh, eased their pains, and I want people to know I was a great person. I loved watching her comedies when I was younger.

I want kids to know that their voices matter. I want to let all the children out there to dream big, no matter how small they are. They should be kind to themselves, be who they are, trust God, and if I can do it, they can.