Sheila Nyambura, a star of the popular Zora show which aired on Citizen TV has opened up on suffering depression after the show ended its one-year run.
In an interview with Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, April 19, Nyambura, who played the supporting role of Fiata on the hit show, noted that her fame climaxed fast in what she described as a dream job.
Her journey to the small screen kicked off after her return from Dubai where she did a merchandising job for a Portuguese retail brand.
"My experience on the show was amazing. It was my biggest break ever because I had just returned in the country and it was a struggle to find something to do and it came about.
"It changed my life, I can't go anywhere without people recognising me. I was in Dubai doing merchandising for a retail company. It is a Portuguese brand in retail," she explained.
When she attended the audition, she had been informed that her role was needed for one episode but the producers kept calling her back.
Her repeated appearances made her a household among the show's fans that spanned across the country. She, however, described the pay for her role as a hand-to-mouth type.
"I was famous and everywhere I'd go people would recognize me... I was always busy but broke!! People didn't understand.
"When people see you on TV, they assume you're rich which might not be our reality as actors. Zora ended and the aftermath was even harsher," she observed.
Her troubles began after the end of the show when her main source of income ran dry sending her into depression. The situation was exacerbated by her relationship which went south.
"After my relationship ended, I hit rock bottom. It just added to the list of things that didn't work out for me. I cried for a while until I got to a realization that I might be giving up on life. When I started having suicidal thoughts, my life had to change!
"It scared me that I thought the only way to stop the pain was to die. It scared me that I felt that nothing was working and that the only way to lose the burden was to die. I had to shake it all off and start working on myself," she explained.
At that point, she decided to redeem herself directing her energy into other projects by launching her music career and starting a podcast titled Coffee and Pajamas.
She is also working on her own TV show, Zest and Zeal, whose pilot is currently in development.
"I am not acting at the moment, I actually ventured into music and podcast and I have a community-based organisation in Kibera where I teach young single mothers to make jewellery and skills that they can monetize. I am working on my TV talk show and still doing a pilot shoot. Hopefully, I will find TV stations where it will air," she concluded.
