Adenrele Olufemi Edun simply known as Denrele is a Nigerian TV presenter for Channel O. His unique fashion style and personality have earned him some knocks and kudos from his fans. In this interview with ORUKPE NELSON, the graduate of UNILAG talks about his career, relationship and challenges, among others.

What was it like when you decided to settle for weird thing because it was not a very common thing aside from Charly Boy who was popular with it before you brought it to the fore?

Well, that is a million dollar question rolled into one. As you are asking, I was just wondering where I will start from or what should I say. Truth be told, it’s a two way to know your personality. One, the way you behave when you have everything and the way you manage when you have nothing. I have lived a life where I had nothing, I don’t have everything yet but I am still looking towards getting to that level. But at that point in time the reception was negative, I don’t know how Charly Boy did it in his time but for me it was hell. At a point, I would just go home and sit down and began to think that; Tanimo se? (Who did I offend?) Because I did not step on toes or get on anybody’s way. I would just be like why can’t they let me be? Why can’t they allow me express my individuality? I think the only industry that kind of appreciated what I was doing and it was for a limited period of time, was the fashion industry which I got into when I was young. But when I got out of the casting and I face the real world in its raw form, it was all kind of criticism. On the street, people would stop me and abuse me; conductors would not let me enter their buses. I remember one day when I boarded a bus from Yaba to Obalende, the moment I got in everyone ran out of the bus shouting mad! Mad!! So, the outside world was crazy. And again, the church as well, I was in the choir, so many times I got stopped from wearing the choir robes probably because of the way I looked or my hair was in certain way and the church now said they had to ex-communicate me from the church. They would call my father and complain… my grandma too would wake up in the morning, call members of the family… she would call my father, Alaba… that’s my father’s name…. se o kin ba omo yi soro ni. Don’t you talk to this child?) My cousins too would like, what is wrong with you? Are you waiting for them to discover you? You never get discovered this way and so on. It was totally negative. And again, it was a tip of the iceberg. I was also in UNILAG at that point and that was one of the hardest places to survive in because when I get to school, my lecturers would walk me out of the class, students would pelt me with pure water, all the magazines would take on me, and I would like, what is this? Why are they doing this to me? I think someone now told me not to be bothered that what they were doing to me only shows they acknowledge my presence and actions.

People love you, some hate you and others don’t even understand you. How do you feel about these things?

I am the one sitting in front of you. I am alive and well. Over time, they should have realised that I no send. It’s not that I am not grateful. I am grateful to critics. I am grateful to people who love my originality. I am grateful to people who hate my guts. I don’t like to use the word, but haters are like confused admirers. They cannot understand why everybody likes you. And they cannot bring themselves to like you. They either will not like you because they do not understand why you are doing something they should have done, or why you are getting away with doing it. It’s funny. I think the people who do not understand the essence of Denrele are the ones who do cyber bullying. If you have noticed, when someone insults me, I retweet it because it’s a sort of compliment. I am not a hypocrite that will be retweeting only good things about me. I want people to know that I too get insulted and abused and that I take it in good stride. For me, I have also realised that my target audience is not only the teenage group, but also older people, like grandmas and grandpas. My brand cuts across to everyone.

Is Denrele a role model?

I don’t know if I have attained the position of a role model yet. But I think I stand for originality. I think I have a voice. I can speak my mind without conforming. I think that can be emulated.

What is the worst thing that has happened to you for being who you are?

I think it is the scandals. And I can handle scandals well but people have fabricated so much about me. They say I have a child somewhere that I have abandoned. They say I am bleaching my skin – that is even the one they are using to chase me up and down. If only people can see me when I wake up in the morning, then they will know whether I am bleaching on not.

How easy is it to make weird costume part and parcel of you?

If this was like pretense, then that makes me a complete hypocrite or it makes my life look like I have been living an act and I have been living a lie all this years. I am not living a lie; I am not living an act. This is me. I don’t drink or smoke, I get my energy amazingly. I do what I want to do, I wear what I want to wear, I don’t give a hoot… If you don’t like it, na your wahala and you fit enter third main land, jump… I really can’t be bothered about people’s opinion, I am way passed it. But again, it’s a thing of the mind. It started with a thought, I now built it into an act, then from sowing an act, I started to reap the talent and from sowing in talent, it started building into character, from sowing a character, we started reaping an identity and from identity, we dey build brand. In as much as I don’t see myself in that light… but again when I go to some places and I see some people screaming, I wonder what they are screaming at? Are they not tired of seeing me? I don’t see things that people see which also has helped me stay grounded over time. Above all, it’s not about wearing the cloth, going out there; trying to say I don’t read the news, I make the news…I am not publicity hungry. What will be, will be. And another thing is this, when we go home and we are left alone on our bed…in my case, I don’t have to say hey…and I am lying to people or say what do I do next? I don’t even plot my next move; I take each day as it comes.

How do you feel when people labeled you a gay?

Well, I have been labeled everything that is sexual in this country, from heterosexual to metro-sexual to bisexual to homosexual to solo sexual, even sexual sexual. So, what can I do? I go with the flow, I don’t complain. The thing is, it has always followed me right from UNILAG because may be because I would say I am a bit of feminine in nature or because I am different from the regular guy or I dress in certain way but I always tell people that who you go to be with is different from who you go to bed as. Sexual orientation is very different from gender identity but in Niger, they put it together. So, right from school, all those beef magazine would go like, Denrele is too gay to function and all that and because I was very young at the time I got to UNILAG, I would go home and cry but of course, I could not tell anyone at home. That is why I can relate well with celebrities when certain stories are fabricated against them or they are being harassed over a particular thing because I have been through it. But now, I have developed a thick skin that I just laugh them off.

The picture where you kissed Charly Boy was controversial. What was the experience like?

I was in Malaysia when the story came out….I went for a show with 9ce and Niga Raw when I started getting in on BBM…it was not funny o. when I landed in Nigeria, all the custom officials had copies of the paper. Before they signed my passport and get my luggage…it was not easy. My driver came to pick me and he was looking at me through the mirror like, dis brother no know wetin dey happen. In traffic, vendors were running after me shouting, shame, shame…see wetin you do. In traffic, people would come out of their cars and come and knock on my window and say all sorts of things. It was a terrible period but my close knit family handled it well. I guess people expected it would make me mellow but for where? I would get to party and they would ask if I was looking for Charly Boy and I would say no that I was looking for who to kiss again. But seriously, it was hectic; it was a very traumatic period for me.

Tell me the truth. What happened between you and Charly Boy?

The truth is it was not real. If it was real, there should have been something behind it. But Charly Boy is somebody I respect in the industry for his relevance and consistency. To answer your question, there is nothing between me and Charly Boy. He is my area father. But then the media blew it out of proportion. I think it was a phase I had to go through.

What was the reaction of your prospective in-laws when you first meet them, when your wife to be took you home, because we learnt you are getting married soon?

That is a very good one (laughs heartily) the person in question, obviously the family knows me well and I think they have grown to understand me.

Tell us about the first meeting with them?

The first time, they came to our family house actually because we have known each other for a while. But again, take away the clothes; take away the hair, the shoes…away from all of that, I am a regular person. But if I had seen it over time that the family want to change me or make me do things that I would necessarily would not do, noooo….mo ma gba bride price mi pada ni. Ootoni o, mi o raye gbogbo iyen (I would take my bride price back. It’s true o. I don’t have time for such things) but make we do the marriage first because everybody don dey dis marriage matter.

What attracted you to this lady you want to marry?

What endears me to a woman is… I love women who make very good conversation, not women who will just sit down and be looking at me like hmmmm… jump into water, hmmm, kill yourself, hmmm, no, I used to have those kind of people in my life before. I like somebody who would not want to change me, I love someone who we can go to the saloon together to do our hair and we laugh about it… I think this person in question has met all the requirements. I also don’t like ladies that are chop up too much because na wetin I fit handle I go handle o.

How do you feel that some people find it strange that you want to get married or that you even date at all?

I know a lot of people are wondering and saying who is he marrying to? What family is giving their daughter to this one? Who are the father and mother of the girl? How is it going to do the wedding? Is he going to wear a dress or suit but I would say they should wait till that time.

Are you going to continue with the way you dress when you eventually get married?

This is the way I am and I am going to continue to be like this, even more. This is my life, this is my choice and this is what I have fashion my life to be and I don’t think I want to change that anytime soon.

When is the wedding coming up?

That should be before the end of the year. I was not even supposed to say it because it’s even too early.

Would you allow your children to take up weird appearances?

It depends on what you consider as weird but if my kids wake me one morning that they want to do this. Who am I to tell them not to when my own father gave me the chance to and it’s been reaping for me bountifully right now and he’s also benefitting from it.

Are you fulfilled in your career?

I don’t think I have done anything yet and I am not trying to sound modest, being hardworking or too ambitious as a person. I don’t even think I have met one quarter of the guiding philosophies I set for myself, my target and deadline. I don’t I have met half. Thank God again for one being busy; work keeps coming and I am ever grateful to God for that. Fulfillment is not the word….my greatest fear actually is running out of work to do which is why I am always busy. I don’t know how to stay idle; I have never had a vacation so, self-fulfillment, I am not there yet…there is still much to do. I never start self.

Aside entertainment, what are your other inspirations?

Yea, I am supposed to finish up with my book very soon. One of my targets was to finish it by my birthday which is June 13 but I am not done with the manuscript yet, and it’s a book that chronicles my life so far. Things people know and a whole other people don’t know about me. Definitely, Channel O is off the air… we are rebranding, so, there is so much work to be done on that side. And of course, I want to have my own show in as much as am helping a lot of people with their shows so, when time is ripe for all of these, baba God go guild us as we suppose go.

What is your dream car?

I like big cars. It would have been so nice to have the 2014 Ford F450 and the 2014 Mercedes Benz E-Wagon. That car is exotic. But I am a very practical person. I can’t spend all my hard earned money on one car. I have always been a Toyota lover. I have used all the Toyota brands. They could take me anywhere. I had all my clothes in the booth. My car is my mobile wardrobe because I am always dressing and changing wears on the road. But I still love that Mercedes Benz G-Wagon.

I hear you can’t drive.

I do not drive. I have a driver. That’s why I do not want to do any sporty car. They are just for two people and I need a roomy (big) car. If I do Porsche or Ferrari, the space wouldn’t be enough. It will really look funny.

Why can’t you drive?

I am always on the phone, and I am always changing. If I am rushing for an event and there is no one to drive, it’s certain I will get there late or not properly dressed. I have never learnt how to drive. I have always had drivers.

Can you tell us one of your weaknesses?

I think it is making empty promises. I am someone who can’t say ‘No’. When people come to me for help, I don’t know how to tell people off. I always try to help people sometimes to my detriment. There are so many times I have had to reference people and they disappoint.