“Being healthy is more important to me than being acceptable to society”
Beginning her sojourn into the
entertainment industry as a model, the young Titi Oyinsan (nee Adelagun)
found massive success from TV commercials, billboards and press
campaigns. Having been in some iconic ads for Fanta, Close-Up
toothpaste, Cowbell milk, True Love magazine, Coca-Cola and many more,
Titi meteorically rose to fame.
From TV commercials to presenting on
Nigezie and Soundcity, the MBGN 2007 Miss Lagos soon became a media
darling gaining her the nickname ‘Titi Fanta’. She also had stints as a
music video model featuring in 2Face Idibia’s “Keep On Rockin’
”, Shank’s “Julie”, the Freewindz’s “That Girl” and most recently in
Lagbaja’s “Knock Knock Knock”.
An on-air personality at Inspiration FM Lagos, Titi got married to a fellow on-air personality, Gbemileke Oscar Oyinsan of City
FM Lagos back in April 2012. Titi welcomed BN exclusively to her home
to meet her beautiful baby girls, Amber and Ruby; and to talk about her
pregnancy, newly found motherhood, her relationship with her husband,
her humble beginnings and upcoming projects.
Before you got into radio, you had a
very buoyant career as a model and TV personality. Some people may still
recognize you as ‘Titi Fanta’. How did you get started in the
entertainment industry?
Well, I started working in the industry a very long time ago. I’ve done
numerous different things in the industry ranging from helping plan
events to modelling. Modelling was a very big part of my life as I did a
lot of TV commercials, runway work in and out of Nigeria; I did a lot
of music videos as well. A big shout-out to Tosin Martins; I was the bride in his “Olo Mi”
video. It’s always a great experience doing music videos, especially
when your role gets a little complicated along the way. On set, it’s
always fun.
It all started with modelling for you.
Yes, it was a means to end for me. Basically, what we had was a young
girl who was trying to push herself through school, university and I
needed a means to do that. Modelling just created a major opening for me
as it was a great means for me to make a lot of money from just taking
pictures. And, modelling really worked out for me as it gave me an
opportunity to meet a lot of people, mix in different circles from what I
was used to and helped me come out of my shell.
The truth is that my goal was never to
become a supermodel. It was not my intention to get so big in the
industry or get so well-known but in order to get more and more work in
modelling, I had to put myself out there. I needed to keep in touch,
stay in the limelight and be at the places where things were happening.
How did you get started on TV?
From modelling, I went into TV sort of by default because a lot of the
producers that I worked with advised me to try out TV. So, I started off
working for the NTA. It was a really great experience because they have
a lot of great and fantastic equipment that you can use to train. I got
a lot of experience from there because it was a very professional
environment. I worked with Nigezie as well. Kwame was like a godfather
and is a really really great friend. I worked on a few programs for him
and did a few red carpets for him as well, right before moving to
Soundcity.
At Soundcity, it was also another
fantastic experience. I went almost all over Nigeria with the crew – a
lot of very eccentric people. Big shout out to Illrymz, Denrele, Yinka, S.dot, Pearl, Onyinye and Olamidas.
Now, there are so many great things happening for everyone who worked
on that team. When you work with a great team, you’re going to grow and
you are going to want to move forward. For me, it was always about
moving forward to the next big thing. I wasn’t sure what I was going to
be but I always knew something was going to come.
So the next big thing for you after Soundcity was radio?
Yes. I heard there was this new radio station opening called Inspiration
FM and it gave me an opportunity to do what I always wanted to do. I
recall when I represented Lagos in the top ten for the 2007 MBGN beauty
pageant. As Miss Lagos, there was a ‘weight’ of representing your
state and I didn’t get to a stage in that competition where I could
give back, where I could make that much of an impact; but right now on
the radio, I have that opportunity to give back, to actually touch
people’s lives. I think radio is my longest stint ever and I find that
it’s a little more taxing. I believe radio is a lot more hard work than
TV or modelling.
Why do you think so?
With a pretty face, anyone can hold a television screen or make you buy a
magazine but the truth is a pretty face isn’t what you need with radio.
On radio, whatever you say must be profound enough to keep someone’s
attention. Someone said the attention span of the average listener is
just thirty seconds so, if in thirty seconds, you haven’t said something
important enough for people to stay on that radio station then you
haven’t made a positive impact. If they stay up to one minute or more,
you have a chance to impact that person’s life. If they stay up to
thirty minutes or an hour, then you have ‘connected’, you’ve gained a
followership and people will remember you. They will remember you, not
because you have the latest hair or the newest fashion but because you
said something that made an impact in their life and that’s why radio is
really important to me. I learnt a lot from Sunny Irabor and
Wale Ewedemi. Big shout out to my husband, Oscar for being the one who
really trained me in radio. He’s now the head of programmes for City FM
and I believe he’s now where he’s been called to be.
How did you and and your husband Oscar Oyinsan meet?
It was very simple. Denrele, who is an ex-boyfriend of mine (I dated him
when I was still a teenager), was having a birthday party and Oscar,
who was working for Showtime Africa at the time, was also working the
red carpet with me. For a brief moment, there just happened to be a lull
in time when we were interviewing each other.
What were Oscar’s first words to you?
I actually cannot recall his first words to me but all I remember is
that I needed to interview at least twenty people on that red carpet and
I had reached about fifteen when I saw this guy in a very bright pink
shirt. I thought it would look good on camera so I just pulled him
towards my camera and started the interview. After convincing him that
he looked great, I conducted my interview and for some reason, this guy
in the pink shirt just never left me for the rest of the night. I
actually began to think we had met before or that he was a really close
friend of Denrele because he kept on checking up on me to make sure I
was having a great night. So, because of that, I was very cordial and
nice. I meet a lot of people at events so I didn’t want a situation
where it would seem like I was snubbing someone that ‘I knew’, not
knowing that I had never met him before.
When did you and Oscar start dating?
It was probably immediately. I had to hitch a ride with some girlfriends
that night and suddenly, those girls disappeared so I needed a ride
back to my school hostel. He gave me a ride home and dropped me at the
gate. He was also working at UNILAG FM at the time so we used to see
each other all the time and we just became really fast friends. I can
say ‘immediately’ and I can say ‘it was a gradual process’ but it wasn’t
one of those ‘love at first sight’ things. It was a really great
friendship that just grew; no sparks or anything.
What attracted you to Oscar?
He was very lively and open, respectful. He’s very family-oriented and
respects his family and gives them that amount of attention. I needed
that in a companion. He’s very funny, caring and understanding. He’s
someone that doesn’t really judge people based on their past. Not to say
that either of us are angels but let me just say that he knows most of
my exes and he understands and respects me for who I am now and not what
I was.
How did Oscar pop the question?
We had been going out for about two years, I think. We met in July, 2008
and he popped the question on his birthday in 2010. There was an
Inspiration FM red carpet event we were supposed to be reporting live
from and suddenly, it started raining. Red carpets are terrible when it
starts raining so he suggested that we go for a drive. I thought, “A drive in the rain, really?”
and before I realized it, we were at Oriental Hotel. I thought that
maybe he just wanted to have a few drinks and enjoy his birthday at the
hotel. He got one of those beautiful corner side rooms overlooking the
lagoon and in the morning, he got me breakfast in bed. Then, he starts
talking really mushy and emotional, and I’m like – ‘Hey! It was just a birthday. Calm down’.
I noticed there were three plates which
was unusual because we were only two. I assumed it was some kind of
breakfast dessert or something. It was my first time at the Oriental
Hotel back then so I didn’t want to embarrass myself so I just started
eating mine. Then, curiosity just pushed me to open the second plate. It
had one of those hotel dome things so I opened it up and just saw this
incredible ring box. My response was very razz. I said “what’s that?”
and he was just looking at me with a very straight face. So, as I
opened it, he knelt before me and said that he’d appreciate it if I
would help him to build a fantastic life together. He said he was going
to dedicate his life to making me happy and that he hoped that I would
give him the opportunity to be his wife. Then, I go “if you’re sure. Are you sure?” and he goes “are you sure?”
as well and we keep going back and forth like that until we hug.
Apparently, he had told everybody – his whole family and my best friends
– that he was going to propose that day so it was a beautiful surprise
to be the last to know.
How was pregnancy for you, being a first-time mom?
Pregnancy was a challenge, one I only overcame with the grace of God. We
got married in April 2012 and I gave birth in April 2013. My first
trimester was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through in
my life and that’s saying something because I’ve been through a lot of ish. I
was so sick that I had to take a month off work. I had morning sickness
galore. There was even a time when I had to go to the hospital to
re-hydrate with a drip because I couldn’t eat anything. But, eventually,
by the middle of the fourth month, everything started cooling off but I
was still reacting to so many things. I couldn’t smell onions. If there
was any food in the vicinity that had onions in it, I was going to
barf. My mum actually created a menu for me of food that had no taste;
I’m talking about eating Quaker Oats with no milk, dry rice… but fruit
was great. I actually documented quite a bit of this on my blog.
I had a lot of support from church members, friends and family and my
mum was with me almost 24/7. I was constantly online checking for ways
to assist myself.
How do you and Oscar balance out raising the twins and your jobs?
Job-wise, Oscar has tried his best to be hands-on, even though
he has a lot of responsibilities but I needed a lot of support from a
fellow woman and fellow mother that I could trust and believe in and
that’s my mom. Since the moment she knew I was going in to the hospital,
she hasn’t left my side, not for lack of other things to do but because
the job of raising two girls, Amber and Ruby, wasn’t something
that new parents could do to the best of their capability. She studied
child care and community studies so child caring was never a problem for
her. She was like my own personal Google for any question I had and I’m very grateful. Oscar
has done everything he can to be a great dad. I don’t think there’s
anything I’ve asked him to do that he hasn’t put his hundred percent
into.
When did you set up a business together?
That was back in 2011. It’s called Amber 11 Media and we
provide media solutions for a lot of companies. We tailor media to you.
We noticed that a lot of media agencies cater for the big companies –
telecoms and what have you. But, what happens to the one-man businesses
and the SMEs? We cater to those ones and help them provide media
solutions based on their budgets. We also record audio books for people.
Oscar and I record with our own voices and we have a lot of authors on
standby for audio books.
How do you handle the tension when arguments arise on business decisions? Does it translate to the home?
We don’t actually argue; we discuss. Arguments are reserved for family
matters, trust me. Most of the time tension in business never comes from
finance, it comes from creative differences. In the end, there can’t be
two captains on the ship. We both have our strengths and we make
compromises depending on those.
Has it been challenging for you getting back into shape post-pregnancy?
Yes, it has been. I give a lot of respect to all the mothers all over
the world looking fantastic. I had to adjust my diet a lot. A lot of
people say that I don’t look like I’ve just dropped twins. I have a
fitness trainer and he even comes on air with me three times a week.
Since I didn’t go through natural birth, he helps with the tiny routines
I can do to get back into shape. You can check my blog as well for some
of the routines.
Do you think you will be going back to modelling or TV anytime soon?
I’ve actually received a few phone calls and I’m in negotiations with
about three or four people. I’ve now been classified as a plus-size
model and categorized in mother roles. I’m not planning to be a size 6
or size 0 but I plan to get back to a comfortable weight.
As for TV, I can’t let the cat out of
the bag. I’m actually looking for investors right now and I’ve got two
or three great ideas in the works.
How have you been handling comments from the public on your body during and post-pregnancy?
It hasn’t been so bad. Someone even flattered me on Twitter by comparing
my pregnancy body to Halle Berry’s. I just hope I won’t get as
chastised as some of these celebrities have been. Right now, being
healthy is more important to me than being acceptable to society.
What did you hate and love the most about your pregnancy?
I hated the swollen feet, going to the bathroom every few minutes and
not being able to stay in a car for longer than a few minutes.
I loved the fact that everyone wanted to
pray for me, the gifts and goodies for the babies. I really cherish the
prayers. I don’t think I’ve ever been as beautiful as when I was
pregnant
When should we be expecting another little Oyinsan?
I’m not planning to have kids in the next three years, based on research
and me wanting to get back to work. But, if God wants it to be any
other way, then so be it.
Are you back to work now?
Yeah, I am. I’ve got two major new programmes that are really getting a lot of buzz, ‘Your Baby And You’ as well as ‘Naija Women in Business’ so make sure you tune in.
We loved chatting with Titi and from Youngswaggs Entertainment, we wish her the very best!
You can follow Titi on Social Media: Twitter – @Titithedynamite & Instagram - Titithedynamite
Today Nollywood star Mercy Johnson is a year older.
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(I’ve patented it oh! Before any one gets some funny ideas.)
