Lukando Wins!

On Saturday (6 Feb) in Lagos, Nigeria, Zambia's Lukando Nalungwe was announced as the 2010 winner of M-Net's Face of Africa...
Zambia's Lukando Nalungwe is this year's Face of Africa! The final was held in Nigeria's Lagos on Saturday 6 Feb.

The event was attended by a number of celebrities and politicians, and included performances from Naija's D'Banj and SA's Lira.

Nalungwe, 22, is currently studying business administration in Kabwe, Zambia and won 50 000 US dollars and an international modelling contract with O Model Africa.

Get to know Lukando a little better in her home town of Lusaka!

PHOTOS FROM FACE OF AFRICA 2010

Oluchi, Koo Govender, Lukando Nalungwe, Patricia Scholtemeyer & Biola Alabi.
A Winning Combination

Presenters Fareed and Oluch

Marvelous Marvis
Thembi Walks the Talk
Tough Tholakele
Ravishing Rozanna
Spirited Esperanca
Ernania Republic
Dressing Diana
Lillian's Tresses
D'Banj not out of place on the runway!
Blessings for All
Lukundo from Zambia
Lukundo Wins

Bad Boy’ Jim Iyke At War With Ex-Lover

Without doubt, he is one of the best actors in the Nigerian movie industry called ‘Nollywood’. His interpretation of roles (mostly as a lover boy) has endeared him to fans and critics alike but unfortunately, Jim Iyke is one actor with a bad boy reputation.

He is constantly swimming in controversies: spats with Emeka Ike; a catalogue of heartbreaks (Oluebube Nwagbo , Ruth Okoro and Jamaican born model Keturah Hamilton at the last count!) and arrests; and occasional brawls with producers. He may not always be on the wrong end of things, and may not always be the culpable one, but-no thanks to his perceived arrogance and braggadocio-he almost always ends up the one who goes with the blame.

The Nollywood ‘serial heartbreaker’ who last year pledged to correct the perception by using music to tell his own story seems to be finding it hard to keep controversies at bay. Now, Iyke is presently embroiled in a bitter war with an Abuja based lady after a relationship gone sour.

And, with the look of things, this is one ‘war’ that could further dent his image.


The actor’s estranged lover is a 24 year-old OAP with Rhythm FM Abuja named Tutupie Sheriff from Maiduguri.

In a telephone chat with NET, the lady claims Iyke tried to strangle her- and she’s willing to present medical reports to back her claims up.

When NET contacted the actor, his publicist confirmed that the actor indeed ”dated the lady in question” but refuted her claims that Jim beat her up and tried to strangle her.

In his words: ‘‘That lady is just out to blackmail our client. She claims to have a medical report from a hospital in Abuja that Jim tried to strangle her; any body can get a medical report as far as I’m concerned. Her accusations are baseless and fabricated. She was bent on getting pregnant for Jim and his refusal led to the break down of their relationship’’ the actor’s publicist stated.

However, Tutu insists her accusations are true. ‘‘I know he has been going around with stories that I am out to blackmail him and hold him down with pregnancy. I have no reason to do that. I have witnesses; my Dad is a living witness. He saw what Jim did to me but I had to lie to him. Even my sister is aware of and I have evidence to back it up.’’

‘‘I am too busy to be blackmailing him, I have a job as a presenter on radio and I also run a clothing line. If Jim continues spreading lies about me, I will totally sue if I read any other thing he says about me.’’ The enraged lady threatened.

Efforts by NET to speak with Jim Iyke were unsuccessful as his publicist insisted he wasn’t making any comment regarding the issue.

‘‘I already told you Jim is not making any comment as regards the issue. We have already issued a press release in respect of the allegations. If it was something else, I could arrange an interview with him but not on this issue.’’ Jim’s publicist said.

Now that the former lover birds are singing discordant tunes, it remains to be seen how the episode will turn out as both parties look poised for war.



Quick Jim Iyke Facts

Jim Iyke Esomugha was born in Gabon Libreville to the family of Mr & Mrs Stephen Esomugha.
Jim Iyke hails from Enugu Agidi village of Anambra State.
He is the only son with seven sisters as siblings.
Jim Iyke has over 100 films to his credit
He has acted alongside internationally renowed actresses Judy Shekoni and Tangerine Martins.
He is a martial art specialist
He is an alumnus of the University of Jos with a degree in Philosophy.
His acting versatility has seen him rise to the peak of his career inspite of the odds against him.
In 2007, the handsome actor was embroiled in a messy wife-snatching mess with a US based Nigerian.
He has a bad boy tagged that plagues him even in real life.
He has a foundation to protect the right and welfare of children born with deformities.
Aside acting and music, he has interests in Oil & Gas (Jimke Oil & Gas) and Automo

NOLLYWOOD STAR ACTRESS, UCHE JUMBO IN ABORTION MESS

Glo Ambassador and one of the star actresses in Nollywood, Uche Jumbo is reported to have recently aborted a 6-month old pregnancy she allegedly said to have for her (ex) lover, Uche Okechukwu, the ex Super Eagles soccer star

It started like a drama some months back when Uche started having some strange feeling in her body system, according to close sources, she went for a test and it was discovered that she was a few months gone. On hearing this good news, we squealed that, she made a call to the man who was supposed to be responsible for the fetus in her belly, Uche Okechukwu, but it was like a shock to her when the soccer star vehemently denied taking responsibility of that.

In a confused state of mind, Uche Jombo, we were reliable informed, jetted out of the country to see if she could appease her lover to, at least, accept the pregnancy after all, she’s financially ok to take good care of the baby, but we heard that all her efforts proved abortive as Uche Okechukwu never consented to that kind of arrangement.

Before Uche left for her trip, it was noticeable about the increase in her size and tummy, in fact, everybody who saw her then could tell that she had taking-in but her return back to the country few months after, she was looking so pale like someone who has not eating for a whole month. At the wedding of Tricia Eseigbe, Uche Jombo who was sighted amongst her colleagues was a shadow of her old self as a lot of her colleagues who greeted her later went back to comment about her skeletal shape.

If you see Uche Jombo lately, you will agree with me that definitely something is not right somewhere as far as her health is concerned. A report in one of the soft-sell journals in Lagos recently started that Uche was contacted and she was adamant about the whole issue until when she was later said to have told the reporter that “for me not to have responded quickly, that should tell you that I am not interested in that kind of talk.”

We shall keep you posted as event unfolds…

PHOTO OF THE DAY

ADAORA ukoh

PHOTO OF THE DAY

LILIAN

Superstar Madonna is planning to adopt a Nigerian child.

Madonna is planning to adopt a child a child from Nigeria; sources have told the News Of The World. In April, Madonna tried to adopt four-year-old Chifundo 'Mercy' James from Malawi, but her bid was blocked by the country's High Court. "She was distraught when her adoption failed in Malawi. At the time she blamed the fact that her relationship with Jesus [Brazilian boyfriend Jesus Luz] made her look like she was going through some midlife crisis," an insider claimed. "But now she's looking at adoption centres in Nigeria and has got another female friend to make an initial approach to test the waters. She's determined not to make the same mistakes and feels that the only way to do this is to get Jesus involved from the off."

Does Rihanna Get Paid to Watch Fashion Shows?

Oh don't stop there. Take me as an example. If, say, Michael Kors would like me to appear at his show during New York's Fashion Week, which starts Thursday, I shall do so for the modest fee of $100,000.

But if he wants me to appear in his clothes, that's extra. And if he wants me to appear on the red carpet before the show, that's extra, too. And if he wants me to say nice things about his clothes in the press...You get the idea.

Among the stars recently seen at fashion shows—Kanye West, his Silly-String-clad girlfriend, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway—at least a few of them charge the designers for the honor of their presence.

For example, take...

..Rihanna, who, according to reports, is among the highest-paid celebrity seat fillers at fashion shows, demanding at least $100,000 just to sit down.

Beyoncé, reportedly, is open to negotiation, commanding between $80,000 and $100,000 to be seen in a front row. And Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen—who are still famous, apparently—each fall into the $80,000 range as well.

But it doesn't end there. Like I indicated earlier, each little extra can set a designer back thousands of dollars.

"These are all separate deals," says veteran fashion publicist Kelly Cutrone, of the show Kell on Earth and the book If You Have to Cry Go Outside. "Some fashion houses buy a celebrity for a year. In the contract, it may outline five to seven things the star will do, like wear a designer to an awards show or premiere, or give the designer a nod in an interview.

"It's like dim sum," Cutrone says. "It makes it very easy, like, 'Are we gonna buy six things, or a one-off deal?' "

The average "one-off deal"?

Cutrone confirms the top star fees hover around six figures, some as high as $200,000. Smaller stars, or easier deals, may cost as little as $10,000.

All that said, not every star you'll see during New York's upcoming Fashion Week is a shill. Some stars really are just friends or fans of designers.

Or as fashion publicist Eileen Colavita of Spin Shoppe tells me, "A smaller designer, just starting to show, would not be paying and would likely still get B- and C-level people in to see the show."

"But," she adds, "no super A-list."

PHOTO OF D DAY