Evelyn Obahor is an international presenter who started her career at the then DBN television in Nigeria. In the last 30 years, the vibrant television personality has seen it all as she is a television host, scriptwriter and movie/TV producer. Her television show popularly known as JustEve is doing very well abroad and the show is a household magazine programme touching lives and ruling the airwaves in the UK, US and Canada with an array of notable international figures as guests. In this interview she reflects on what she has been working on, her life in broadcasting outside Nigeria and more.

By Bolatito Adebayo

What have you been doing lately? 

I’m still into broadcasting and I have my show The JustEve Show. The show is aired in the United Kingdom, America and Canada but it began this February in the Caribbean. I’m also in the process of publishing a magazine titled Hey! Moreover, I have a fragrance brand, JustEve London.

What was broadcasting like for you  in Nigeria before you left? 

It was an opportunity I didn’t take for granted because it made me wiser and I am very grateful for the privilege it gave me.
I would say that my life as a broadcaster has been very interesting. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet different kinds of people from across the globe; people of all races, religion, sexuality and from different walks of life. It has also made me to see life differently.  You see, it’s really not about where you come from, it’s not about your religion or your sexuality; I think it’s more about being human first than any other thing. 

What inspired you to go into broadcasting? 
I can’t really say what exactly inspired me to go into broadcasting. However, from the onset, I knew I was going to be in
entertainment but what part I didn’t know.

Do you have role models or mentors? 

For now, I am my own role model. It may sound arrogant but each time I look into the mirror, I see a better person than I was yesterday. Of course it’s not an easy thing; it’s a personal thing that I strive to do. I guess everyone is different.  However, as for having mentors, I wonder what that really means. Back in the day in Nigeria, Soni Irabor and Bisi  Olatilo used to encourage me a lot especially when I wanted to throw in the towel and I am grateful to them.
When I was in secondary school, Chika Okpala of the Giringory fame saw me direct a play I had written and acted in.

He pulled my ear and said he doesn’t want to hear that I did anything else in my career when it comes to making choices. So, maybe I would call them my mentors, people who motivated me to be where I am today. But above all, there is nobody I’ve seen that I wanted to be like. I’ve always wanted to be me. I remain me till this day. Don’t get me wrong. I admire the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks but I don’t want to be like anybody. I work better just being me.

What are some of your achievements over the years?

 For me, being able to put smiles on faces and inspire people with what I do is important. For instance, I love it when people walk up to me and say “I watched your show and I was Inspired and because I saw that or because Evelyn said that, I was able to do this” that would be my greatest achievement.

But apart from that, I created a reality show and I was in search of a television presenter of African descent here in the U.K. We held auditions and sent people into a house where we drilled them in different areas of TV presenting till a winner emerged. It was a very interesting process and seeing all contestants both winners and evictees doing so well for me was an achievement. Also seeing my show being aired in major countries is an achievement. It can only be God, I am so humbled.

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What are the memorable moments in your life especially in your career? 
Wow, for me, every moment is memorable. I am in my happiest mood when I am in front of the camera. But elsewhere, I am a very shy person. I once worked with someone from BBC on an event and I was commenting for 5 hours none stop. The director was surprised and asked me how I did that. I told him I was taught to work with my blood. But the most memorable would be presenting Nightshift.
That was awesome! Some people still call me nightshift.


What are some of your challenges on this job?

There are challenges on a daily basis with the team not knowing  where you are coming from. I am grateful that I have a great team that gets me and the job moving. For instance, guests can cancel at the last minute but you have to have a backup plan. Otherwise, it could just be a guest arriving late and altering the program a bit.

I don’t want to say funding because that would be flogging a dead horse.
But I think there should be more investment in broadcasting. Things have changed. The world, I say, is a global hamlet not a village. Information is now on your fingertips. The private sector should do more and the government should support by making the environment more conducive. But on the whole, we encounter new  challenges daily.

How do you cope with  challenges?
  
I cope with challenges by just getting on with it. There is  always a way out, just find it. I strongly believe there is nothing wrong with failing; the important thing is to have a vision and follow it. My mother used to tell me while I was growing up “Never say you can’t, how do you know what you want when you haven’t tried and you haven’t tried until you’ve succeeded”. I have grown up with that and so nothing fazes me.

What do you consider  the greatest influence on your life? 
God and love. They are the two most important words that have greatly influenced my life too.

What other things are you passionate about? 
I am passionate about children and rape victims. I’m a rape victim.
I have an organization where I help people who have been raped. It’s  called Haven Of Light and the focus of the JustEve Organization is supporting rape victims.


What’s your definition of style? 
Style to me is what you are comfortable in and what suits your physique.
I usually don’t wear something, because it’s in vogue. I believe the way you look says a lot about who you are. Class is key like I say, it doesn’t have to be expensive or designer’s. It should be something that’s just well put together.


 
If you had to advise women, what would you tell them?
I would advise them to first and foremost be themselves, believe in
themselves and never let anyone put you down.

We should know that we are life influencers, keep being strong, the world cannot function without women, and we run the world.
   So, there is no need to be in the shadows. At the same time, I am a firm  believer that men should be respected. They should be in control and by that I don’t mean a man should step all over me. But once you know you’ve got it, you rule.

Always be confident.