“I can become a babymama, things are changing” – 46 year old actress, Bimbo Akintola

Veteran Actress, Bimbo Akintola has said she can become a baby mama, because things are changing. She made this disclosure in an interview with Tunde Ajaja of Punch Newspapers.

When asked if she could consider having a child out of wedlock, she said: “Of course, I can. Definitely I can do it because I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Excerpts from the interview below:

You once said you love kids, and with the way people are embracing the option of child out of wedlock, popularly called baby mama, is it something you could do?

Of course, I can. Definitely I can do it because I don’t see anything wrong with it. Things are changing in the world at large. If you look around, you would find a lot of women are having babies and taking care of themselves. It’s everywhere. There are women who are not actors but are single mothers, and for a lot of people I think it’s about their biological clock. Instead of waiting for manna from heaven and you know there is no manna, and you feel the need to have children, then do it.

A lot has been said about your love life and some have said you should be married by now. Would you say the society is mounting pressure on you as regards marriage?

I guess these questions arise because of the country we live in and the kind of people we are. It’s also something I think we need to look at critically, because it seems we are creating more trouble for people, as marriages are now crashing within six months or even less. This is partly because the society puts a lot of pressure on people to get married. Shouldn’t we take a step backward and ask ourselves what we are doing wrong. It’s not about how soon, but how well? I think it’s time we realised that marriage is such a serious thing. Shouldn’t we allow people make their choices by themselves, without pressure? Parents should stop putting pressure on their children. Many women are divorced now and in some cases, there is serious fight and both of them would be fighting over the custody of the child. We need to start changing the way we look at marriage. It’s important we get married but marry at your own time.

But the Yoruba culture makes it look like a woman is incomplete without a man. Does that not bother you?

We have to change our thinking, due to the time. You can’t be rooted in the past when the present and future are a totally different place. If you look at what is going on now, there are women looking for husband but can’t find. So would you now say because of that they shouldn’t have children? That’s unnecessary and it’s like making them suffer twice. I think for anybody that wants to have children, as long as you know you are capable of taking care of them financially and emotionally, why not.

As a good-looking woman, how often do men approach you?

(Laughs…) Every day that I go out. It’s a normal thing every day; from younger men, to people of same age and of course older men. It’s a regular thing. If it is not happening, you have to worry about yourself. Because of what we do, people want to date actors.

Can you date an actor?

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years, so there is nobody I want to date in the industry, except such persons have not come into the industry yet. I know everybody and there is nobody I’m interested in dating. That is the truth. Most of them are like my brothers, and maybe it’s because of the work, because when I’m working, those things don’t even occur to me, so by the time work is over, I already see you as a brother or colleague. For me, I have never been interested in any actor. Never!

If you work closely with someone for a length of time, are you saying you have never had feelings for any actor in the line of duty?

Never! It has never happened to me, personally. I don’t look at anyone except from the angle of the character the person is representing. I could talk with the person before or after, but at that point, you are probably entering the brother or friend zone. I’ve worked with the finest men in the industry and I have not felt anything like that before. I worked with RMD, and that was even when I had just started acting. I worked with Ramsey Nouah, Desmond Elliot, Emeka Ike, Kanayo Kanayo, Fred Amata, etc. they are all like my friends and brothers. Even the directors, like Jimi Odumosu, Lancelot Imasuen are like my brothers. So, for me, I have never had an attraction for an actor.

Some reports say you are in a relationship. Is it true?

I’m an actor and because of that people are curious about my life, but I like to keep certain things to myself.

When you are not on set, how do you relax?

I go out with my friends once in a while. Or when I’m not working, I’m at home. I like staying at home, or I take my niece and nephew out to cinema. Then, I cook a lot; I love to cook and I cook every day. So, I don’t eat out. Cooking is amazing, and there is nothing I don’t cook, including Nigerian, Indian, Italian, Chinese dishes, etc.

What is your favourite meal?

I don’t have favourite meal anymore. I just like good food that was properly cooked. For me, cooking is not about the favourite, it’s about the quality, the mixing of different ingredients to achieve a particular taste. I’m a real proper foodie and cooking makes me extremely happy.

The Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists has nominated you as one of the recipients of its Integrity Award. How did you receive the news?

It was a huge surprise; I wasn’t expecting it at all. For a lot of us who are in arts, we do what we do, hoping that we are touching lives. So, being given an award like that is just like people saying they see what you are doing and you are doing a great job. And once in a while, you need that, like a pat on the back, saying well done.