Actor Femi Branch has criticised an interviewer following a viral video involving his colleague, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, at a recent event in Lagos.
The incident took place during the Miss Nigeria Patrons and Board Dinner held on Sunday, March 22. While several dignitaries attended the gala, a video emerged showing an interviewer approaching the actress during a live segment.
During the exchange, the presenter asked the actress to introduce herself, saying, “Alright, welcome to 2026 Miss Nigeria dinner. I am currently live with…?” Omotola appeared surprised by the request and initially responded, “You are not ready.”
The interviewer attempted to clarify that he was aware of her identity but wanted her to state it for the audience. “I know you, Omotola Jalade, I just want fans to know who I am with,” he said. The actress remained unimpressed as she walked out.
Femi Branch shared his thoughts on the exchange on Instagram, describing such situations as a sign of poor preparation in the media industry.
“This freaks me out every time 🙄,” he wrote. “Why interviewing someone u don’t know? That makes sense to u? This happens a lot, especially on red carets and it speaks to unprofessionalism as much as unpreparedness.”
He further advised media personalities to do their research before approaching guests at high-profile events.
“It is not a crime not to know someone but if the person is popular and you wish to interview the person but don’t know who they are, than ask someone before engaging them to avoid this kind of awkwardness, simple.”
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has been a prominent figure in the Nigerian film industry for over two decades. She was named one of the most influential people in the world by TIME magazine in 2013.
