Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi is a Nigerian broadcaster and presenter, especially known for presenting programmes on radio station Cool FM and on Beat FM, She won on-air personality of the year at the 2008 Future Awards and, as part of Nigerian group The Unrulies, was nominated again at the 2009 awards; that year she also co-hosted the Future Awards ceremony with comedian Jedidiah. She is a celebrity model for Soul Mate hair products.
Born Adegbemisola Moradeke Olateru-Olagbegi on July 18, in Lagos, Nigeria, Olateru-Olagbegi is the daughter of Yemi (a banker) and Banke (a nurse). She has two younger brothers. She attended Pampers private school, Surulere, and Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo. She also attended Queens college, Yaba to complete secondary school and then Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan for her Bachelors degree in Communication. In 2009, she got her Masters degree in Media and Communication from Pan African University, Lagos, Nigeria.
Gbemi won the future awards in 2008 for "On Air Personality of the Year". She also won the 'Dynamix award' for Radio Presenter of the year in 2008, won the "Green Awards for Excellence" for the radio category that same year. In 2009, she won the "Exquisite Lady of the Year" award for "Best female radio presenter" and in 2010, she was nominated again for the "The Future Awards"
Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, talks about her job and what she wants in
a man in this interview with Gbenro Adeoye
You have a great voice, by the way. Is it
your voice that made you decide to become an On Air Personality?
Thank you. I
actually got into radio as a course requirement in school. I started reading
the news at the student radio station at Oakland University, Rochester,
Michigan. When I returned to Nigeria, I started serving at NTA, Victoria
Island. And I had a part time job at Cool FM as a news editor. I walked into
the studio to drop off the news and I got chatting with Dan Foster. I became
his co-host from that day. After a few minutes of chatting, he told me to grab
a pair of headphones and join him on air. I got my own show soon after.
So what is it about radio that has kept you
there?
It’s a great
job. I get to play good music every weekday, interact with listeners, stars and
important people. Radio has also opened so many doors for me. I’m currently in
the middle of production for my TV show. I also run a media company called
Speakerboxx.
I will come back to your TV show soon, but
there is this joke that people who try to train their voice avoid eating heavy
meals including eba. Is there any truth in this and how do you manage to keep
yours?
LOL. I have
never heard anything like that. I really don’t do anything when it comes to my
voice.
What would you be doing if you were not an
OAP today?
I think I would
be involved somehow in the media, public relations and communication field.
That’s what I’m interested in; I’m fascinated by the media.
What’s your beauty routine?
Beauty routine?
I don’t have a specific formula. I do have oily, acne-prone skin, so I visit my
dermatologist quite often.
Can you leave home without a make-up?
I leave my home
without makeup most weekdays. I only have a full face of makeup when I’ve got
an event.
What kind of reaction do you get from people
who fall in love with your voice on air and get to see you later? Do they claim
to already have a picture of what you’d look like by the sound of your
voice?
A lot of people
imagine what the owner of the voice they listen to often would look like.
Someone once told me he expected me to be “Tall and fair”. I had a good laugh.
People usually expect me to be older. They say I sound mature.
Are you in a relationship?
I’m in a
relationship with Jesus Christ.
So you’re not in a romantic relationship at
the moment? What do you like in a guy?
I didn’t say I’m
not in a relationship and I didn’t say I’m in one.
What I look out
for in a man -a good heart, intelligence, street smartness, confidence,
ambition, great work ethic, sense of humor. A love for God and good looks too.
How do you deal with male advances?
I deal with male
advances as any responsible woman would. Decline respectfully if I’m not
interested.
As an OAP, do you get advances from females
as well?
I have not
gotten any advances from females. Thank God. I get more of people trying to be
my friend.
If you get advances from a female fan, how
will you handle it?
If I got
advances from a female, I would shut it down immediately.
I’m totally
uninterested in such.
What striking memories do you still have of
your childhood?
My
childhood was normal. Comfortable. We lived in Surulere and my parents worked
hard to make my siblings and I comfortable. We went to good schools and I would
forever thank them for that. My parents were very protective of us. And they
were very strict too. Striking memories would be all the birthday and Christmas
parties we attended and I remember winning all the dance competitions except
one. I cried myself to sleep that night.
For you to have cried yourself to sleep for
losing a dance competition, you must have been good. Who taught you how to
dance?
Sadly, I don’t
dance as well as I used to. No one taught me how to dance. I was just this
awesome dancer. Now I dance in my chair.
Why are you going into TV show?
My TV show is
called ‘Gbemi’. It’s a talk show and it’s different from all the others. What
makes it different? You will find out soon.
We are still
shooting, editing etc. I’ve always wanted to go into TV. In fact, I had plans
to start with TV. Radio wasn’t a priority in the beginning. It just so happened
that I was given a fantastic opportunity and I could not pass it up.
What relationship do you have with Dan
Foster?
Dan Foster was
and still is a great mentor. He taught me a lot about radio.
We still keep in
touch till today