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TopNaija Stories: Oscar & Titi Oyinsan, Media Personalities

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They met coincidentally on a red carpet, became friends and, over time, grew fond of each other by the day. Now working together, entertaining the world together, building an irresistible brand together…and loving each other! The love story of the ‘on-air-couple to be’, Oscar Gbemileke Oyinsan and Titi Adelagun (Both of Inspiration fm) is one of a kind, rare to find anywhere…enjoy their interview with Isaac Oladipupo! It’s real Love on the airwaves, enjoy!

 

WHAT LOVE MEANS TO US

OSCAR: The definition of love differs from person to person. I don’t necessary like to use the word love when we are on air or even when we are talking in terms of love. Are we in love in terms of chemistry, yes! We have an understanding and respect for each other and I think that has helped us become a good duo on and off air. Sometimes, we are sent to represent the station together at most of the events and we also compere together as most people prefer us together. So, we are very much in love.

TITI: love is a very big word and a lot of people use it in different ways. Love equals respect, sacrifice, and hard work.  So far we’ve put in all these things into what we do every day, and the fact that we do it together makes it even easier. So if you ask me whether there’s love, I’d say yes! There’s love between us.

OUR FIRST MEETING

OSCAR: I was working for an e-news program called Showtime Africa and my boss was Tee-A (A comedian) then. I used to do a lot of red carpet events then, so I was heavily on TV, while she was also working with Soundcity.

TITI: It was a particular event where we were both on the red carpet and I didn’t really know he was a presenter, so I pulled him in for an interview and the first look he gave me was like, “what’s wrong with this girl?” And I asked him a question, I can’t even remember fully now. But, for the rest of the event, I wasn’t alone anymore.

OSCAR: This is actually the truth; she thought I was someone else. She saw a guy on the red carpet and, apparently, the guy was very hot! So when I told her that it wasn’t me, she was disappointed but I had to show her love.

HEADING TOGETHER FOR INSPIRATION FM

OSCAR: When we met then, I just saw her as the girl next door and didn’t really know who she was until we got talking and outing. I just came out of a relationship then and she also just came out of a relationship so we weren’t dating, we were just each other’s companion and fond of each other. I later applied for Inspiration fm and I told her about it. Then she applied, and we did some rigorous screening. We got hired based on our individual professional backgrounds, and that’s how we came to Inspiration fm. So, when we got to Inspiration fm the chemistry was there and there was a little bit of shifts and moving around. Long story short, I got drafted into the midday café but she didn’t have as much radio experience as me so I was there to mentor her. My GM, Mr. Wale Ewedemi, also said it would be good for me to personally mentor her being that we have chemistry on and off air. It was also an opportunity to brush up on her radio experience because I had more that her and she basically had a lot to learn so Midday Café with Oscar and Titi was born.

HOW LONG WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER

TITI: It’s been 3 years now, precisely September 2008; so whenever anyone says you can’t meet someone special in a club, it’s a lie!

OSCAR: We’ve known each other for about 3 years. It was actually at Denrele’s birthday, at K’s place, on the red carpet!

OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT EACH OTHER

TITI: He’s honest, open and very mature. He is also very focused for a man of his age. I’ll like to say that his achievement were all due to him, he hasn’t really needed to rely on anybody to get to where he is. I’m not saying that he has reached his peak, but he has a lot of potentials and he shows it every minute you see him or speak with him; you’ll know that this person is going somewhere.

OSCAR: It wasn’t anything physical, though she’s a very attractive woman and, I believe, that’s part of the reasons she’s got so far in her life at a young age. She’s got a balance between the internal and external beauty but I’m not sure which one is much! That’s what initially attracts any man on the face of the earth. Now, when you’ve come to know a woman more, it’s either the attraction increases or decreases based on her character.  Fortunately for me, the attraction wasn’t just about beauty, she’s also very intelligent and very stubborn; a kind of stubbornness you can rely on! She has achieved so much and gained a lot of respect in the entertainment and modeling industries that stigmatizes females trying to excel by doing those untold things that girls do as far as am concerned. She’s been very professional on her job which I think is part of the reason why she has followership from young models, respect from older models and other professionals in the media industry. There’s nobody on the face of the earth who knows Titi well that won’t say that she’s an epitome of any young Nigerian lady who wants to achieve, but the question is how much can the guy stomach because she’s quite intimidating to any man really! So, Titi is everything a man who’s willing to settle down, achieve and go further in life should have and I feel very happy for the guy that gets her (General laughter)!

THE FIRST MOVE OF LOVE

OSCAR: Technically, she made the first move and I reciprocated! The red carpet was the first move and I followed up because I just came out of a relationship and I needed companionship and we were on the same intellectual level. Initially, we didn’t want to jump into another relationship so I made the move and offered to be a friend. You know, we had enough of stories to share and I think I pushed more and she responded. I could have opted out at any point she could also have opted out. Both of us had an opportunity to be with several other people we were seeing at that time but we stayed through. I’ll say I pushed for it and she encouraged.

MOVING FROM FRIENDSHIP TO COURTSHIP

OSCAR: I think we both crossed the line when we both got employed on the same shift and I think part of the chemistry we have on air as ‘on air couple’ is the fact that we knew each other before and had become quite close overtime. That helped us in our delivery, presentation, mentorship stage, and learning from each other. And when the chemistry is good why change the winning formula? The management was very happy with the delivery, and we brought-up a lot of creative elements on the show.

GETTING TO SEE EACH OTHER EVERYDAY

OSCAR: That’s a very good question, it’s a question that baffles me because I used to ask myself too, but the beauty of the answer is that am not afraid of the fact that we see each other 24/7. I think it’s one of our strengths; it just depend on how you manage it. Whether you are together in the same building or you see each other once in a day or whatever, it goes down to the understanding that both of you have. It boils down to how well you understand each other’s boundaries and also what your focuses and your aims are. Titi and I are always on a constant path to learning and developing ourselves, we have creative outlets that help us manage our time. It doesn’t feel like a burden, it’s just like saying you love your mother less because you see her every day (which is impossible). Do we fight or have arguments? Yes of course! But its easy come easy go. We have our off times, we have our quiet time, and we have times when we do stuffs separately. But anytime we are talking together it’s about something constructive and progressive, it’s about the next stage. And because we are in the same industry, we understand the same language and it helps us become better presenters and helps us generate better ideas. My focus, however, has never been that she’s in my face 24/7, instead it has always been what have I gained in this 24hours that we’ve been together.

TITI: I actually think there’s less conflict because we both understand the industry; though some other people might think contrary to this. But, for instance, if there’s an event I need to go for and, as a boyfriend, he understands that I need to be there at that time, I need a hand with putting on an outfit or buying a new outfit because of the type of industry we are into. If I take twenty or thirty minutes on my make-up, he’s not going to complain as much as he would if he wasn’t in the industry. I think it comes down to what you are looking for in that person and if you believe the person shouldn’t be stressed by you then you don’t stress the person. If you feel that you are too far on something, try your best to hold back, it’s a collaborative effort.

OUR PARENT’S STAND

OSCAR: Our parents are okay with the union. Although our parents have not connected to each other, that will soon happen. My parents are in Akure. My Dad worked with FRCN for about 35years before he retired and today happens to be is his birthday; he just left us this morning.

TITI: I think they are happy about the merging of two like minds and I know that both of them have a lot of respect for us. I know his parents like what I do and who I am, and the fact that I can cook! My parents really like him for how matured he is and how much he cares.

INSPIRATION FM’s POINT OF VIEW

OSCAR: They are fine with it. And a long life rule for me has always been to follow your heart. When you follow your heart, every other thing falls in place. We’re persistent, so I believe the world will seat around you when you know what you are doing.

TITI: I actually believe that the on-air thing is beneficial to the station more than detrimental because of how matured we are. We don’t throw into people’s spaces, we don’t do things to the extreme and we aren’t scandalous about things. I know that other industries like banking and insurance might not condone it but in the end there will always be a means to that end you are looking for. I have been approached by so many ‘wealthy’ men, but I always say that I will rather grow with somebody than be with somebody who’s already made. Because when you grow with someone, there’s a mutual understanding.

OUR CHALLENGES SO FAR

OSCAR: The truth is that challenges are stumbling blocks we use as stepping stones to greater heights, so it depends on your perspective. Most of the people we respect in the industry know us for who we are from way back and they don’t let that get into the way of our professional conduct, and our relationship even enhances that. It just works for us and, like I always said, why change the winning formula.

DEALING WITH JEALOUSY

TITI: The issue with jealousy is that every human being has that small iota of jealousy in them but I think for both of us, it’s quite low. Our pressures are quite high when it comes to jealousy because what exactly are we to be jealous of? In the end that means the other person has broken the commitment or given any reason to create that jealousy. But of course, every couple needs that jealousy. For instance, if a lady sends him a birthday cake to the station on his birthday, which has actually happened and I was jealous. I wasn’t jealous of the fact that it was a lady sending him a cake, I was only jealous of the fact that I didn’t get a cake on my birthday. But it’s the type of jealousy you have to handle, my own jealousy is not a cut throat or I’ll kill you kind, and I don’t think we are jealous people. I think Oscar has a lot of people we can call friends, he gets very close to people, so many people get a lot from him and in the end I’m always on the sideline wondering what on earth is going on. But in the end, he proves to me that there was a reason for him getting close. He always tells me if you are not going to make friends, then don’t make enemies.

OUR FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

OSCAR: It has to do with media and entertainment, and I’m in the school of thought of getting as much education as I can. That’s why I’m doing my M.Sc (Part time) in the school of media and communication at the Pan African University at the moment. I have done a lot of short courses and trainings. If I spend a day without learning anything, I always feel bad trying to make up for it. Learning is a constant thing for me and I see myself being a mogul. My mentors are Oprah Wilfrey, Sony Irabor, the great Alibaba -we went to his house for a birthday party and I was blown away by his huge library. It’s not about the looks, the glitz and the glamour but about what you’ve got upstairs. It’s not about just having a good voice, you also have to be sound upstairs. For me it’s just learning, learning and the beauty of life is that you don’t know what to expect. My aspiration is still in the media, meeting people, making interaction and imparting on people’s lives. My project now is the job finders club on Inspiration FM where I want to get as many people as possible employed by forming the club, talking to other Human Resources managers and learning more about job creation.

TITI: Well, the sky is the beginning. I never knew I will be in Inspiration FM today. I came in on merit and it was on the goodwill and experience I had earlier on television that brought me on. I have learnt a lot since the time that I have been there. But regarding where I’m going to be, I don’t think I have planned that far. It always works for me that I just look up to the next thing and I could probably get a phone call tomorrow saying CNN needs me, and I’ll be there for them. I will love to work for CNN, I’ll love to work with the likes of Aisha Sesay, Amanpour and be a big representative for Nigeria. I have always wanted to represent Nigeria, and that’s why I went for MBGN in 2007 where I ended up as one of the top ten. I was also Miss Lagos and I got the award for best traditional costume, but in the end it’s all about being Nigerian. Whatever you do, do it to represent Nigeria.  People ask why I haven’t gone abroad to settle down despite I have always had the opportunity, but in the end I consider that whatever I do in another man’s county, I’ll be paying my tax to them.  So, why not do and be as much as you can in your own country.

 

 

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