Africa's funniest comedian, Eric Omondi unveiled a different side of his persona when he was hosted by Citizen TV's Lilian Muli on Friday, November 15.
Omondi, known for his humour, declined to crack jokes on live TV, despite the host pleading with him a number of times.
He instead chose to speak on critical issues affecting comedians and celebrities, following the death of Churchill Show comedian, Njenga Muswahili.
"Now we are about to wind up, make us laugh," Lilian Muli requested.
Eric played coy stating that the problem of people asking him to make them laugh will never end as he went on to speak on the crucial issues.
"We all assumed he (Njenga) will be well. It is what some of us have gone through, however, we are lucky to have come out of it. When you come into fame and you acquire celebrity status, it is very easy to go down that road of depression, if you become unable to handle some things," Omondi affirmed.
He was referring to a point in his life in 2008 when he broke into the limelight and became famous, yet he was broke. His house was locked by the landlord and his possessions seized, forcing him to seek shelter at a friend's house for 6 months.
Despite all of the predicaments, he stood strong and entertained his fans who eagerly awaited his appearances on Churchill Show.
After landing his first advertisement, earning his first Ksh1 million, Omondi almost made a huge mistake with his life. However, his mentor, Daniel Ndambuki (Churchill), advised him appropriately.
"I was so lucky to be mentored by Churchill. I approached him and he asked me to get a manager and to save my money. He asked me to avoid pressure. I was going to buy a Mercedes Benz on Lang'ata Road. Churchill asked me to relax.
"There is a process for all celebrities. Mentorship is paramount. The pressure is real. Fans and fellow celebrities put a certain image, expectation and standards on you. When someone sees you driving a high-end car, they want to do so too," Omondi pronounced.
The comedian went on to state that despite having mentors, some celebrities still make wrong decisions in life.
"One of the reasons Churchill and I are still relevant today is because we made the right decisions. There are more funny people than us. The new generation of comedians and musicians are popcorn. Despite connecting them to audition at Churchill, most of them want a fast life.
"They want to meet me in one day, meet Churchill the next day and be on TV. If someone makes a breakthrough, they become more famous and forget to save and make poor decisions. At a point, it retaliates on them. I would like to talk to them not to bow to pressure," he advised.
Video courtesy of Citizen TV
