- Celebrity Chef T has been involved in some Nollywood social media drama involving actress Wunmi Toriola and Funke Akindele allegedly
- The famed YouTuber and food blogger has been accused of having an unfair attitude towards the movie industry
- A report disclosed what the Jenifa Diary filmmaker allegedly did to the food enthusiast as Wunmi came forward to narrate her experience
Celebrity Chef T, also known as Diary of a Kitchen Lover, whose real name is Tolani Tayo-Osikoya, has been called out by actress Wunmi Toriola after popular filmmaker Funke Akindele reportedly unfollowed the cook.
Wunmi Toriola publicly chastised the famed YouTuber and food blogger for ignoring her direct message.
Toriola shared on her Instagram story how she approached the culinary influencer in August last year, wanting to appear on one of her cooking episodes as part of a promotional push for her film debut. However, she never received a reply.
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She shared a screenshot of the unopened message, which read:
“Good morning, sis. I have been a lover of your page for a while. I don’t know if any of your cooking episodes is coming soon. Would love to feature as my cinema debut is coming in September—me wearing a t-shirt of it while cooking on one of your episodes. I don’t know if and how it works with you.”
Expressing her dismay, the actress accused Chef T of feeling too big to collaborate with her. She insinuated that the food blogger had distanced herself from others since her popularity.
“Chef T @diaryofakitchenlover feels she doesn’t need anyone again. Na only she grow her grow. Shey na December me sef come out????” she wrote.
In another post, she complimented people who, despite their success, continue to foster healthy cooperation in the entertainment and content creation industries.
“Shout out to great people who have grown and still maintain healthy collaborations…” she added.
Before Wumi’s post went viral, reports emerged that renowned filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele had unfollowed Chef T on Instagram for allegedly refusing to promote her movie.
While Chef T has yet to react to the negative buzz, Toriola's post has generated online debate, with netizens questioning the relationship between a chef and the Nollywood industry.
See Wumi’s post below:
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Chef T, Funke Akindele and Wunmi Toriola trend online
See what netizens are saying below:
desuwablaq wrote:
"Nobody likes to be ignored or Aired. A simple YES or NO response would have made a difference, it’s good to want to mind your business and staying away from dramatic people but ghosting some is not it,Communication is vital."
fabric_merchandise said:
"It's not easy being a Mum, having a thriving business and being a wife. Maybe it was an oversight. Extend grace to people and stop drawing conclusions."
dailydose_dev wrote:
"Good aura for aura..funke should getat."
naija_rich_kids wrote:
"When did Nollywood start having issues with cooking content creators na?"
karowilliamshair said:
"Wetin concern food business with movie ? If it doesn’t work for her brand why not bounce unto who can promote your movie? Must you be bitter about it? Life goes on abeg! It’s not that deep!"
homelybae_ wrote:
"I think I understand Chef T on this, I guess she doesn’t want to be involved in their industry wahala, given that they’ve always had competition issues for December cinema movies…"
Nollywood collaborations: 'Filmmakers should not feel entitled' – Critic
Seyi Lasisi, a film and culture critic, has weighed in on the controversy involving celebrity chef and YouTuber Chef T, Funke Akindele, and Wunmi Toriola.
"I don't think Nollywood filmmakers should be selflessly entitled to collaborations from influencers and musicians. Timini Egbuson recently made a tweet saying musicians should collaborate with filmmakers to license and clear songs that can be used in films," Lasisi told Legit.ng.
He emphasised that an entitled approach to collaborations could prevent the film industry from developing a proper structure.
As he put it:
"If filmmakers enter this collaborative conversation with an entitled mentality, it hinders the need to build a structure in the industry."
Lasisi urged both filmmakers and influencers to engage in structured discussions rather than public disputes.
"What I think filmmakers and influencers should do is to have, rather than this outcry, a proper and structured conversation on how to seamlessly work together," he concluded.
Funke Akindele reacts to man who criticised her
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Nollywood actress shared a video where she was praying seriously in the Yoruba language.
She was on a movie location with her cast and crew when she decided to pray about her project. She also went against all the forces that would not allow the project to be a success.
Her video drew the attention of a fan, who scolded her for showing off with prayer by recording and broadcasting it.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a film critic for this report.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.
