As you are reading this, popular comedian, Basketmouth, who got married to his beautiful wife, Elsie, at an elaborate wedding in Lagos last Saturday, is now in Dubai on honeymoon.

NFC gathered that the top comedian left Nigeria on Monday for Dubai on a three-week honeymoon to Dubai.

It was also gathered that the newly married couple may also go to London as part of the honeymoon rendezvous before coming back home.

The wedding, which was a four-big event, was witnessed by top celebrities like Ali Baba, Bovi, Julius Agwu, Tee A, Teju Babyface, Pastor Tony Rapu, Dele Momodu, Jay Jay Okocha, Mudi, Basorge Tariah, Gbenga Adeyinka 1st, Genevieve, Kayode Peters, Yaw, Ay, Jedi, Opa Williams, Frank Edoho and many others.


Interview


Minutes after walking down the aisle, one of Nigeria’s former hottest bachelors, Bright Okpocha, a.k.a. Basket Mouth, spoke with us on why he decided to marry the mother of his son and the tough life of a successful comedian.

Where did you meet your wife?

I met her in UNILAG I met her in Unilag randomly

Will you say you are fulfilled man now?

I’ve always been fulfilled. This is just different as it is official. With God’s blessings,with her dad’s blessing and the blessings from my own family, although I’ll say for sure, it feels different from dating,very different. I started seeing the difference since the wedding

Your wedding was very expensive, was that how you planned it?

It was pretty expensive, not what I wanted, but the cost was unavoidable, I wanted her to be happy after waiting so long, so I went the extra mile

How long have you dated

We’ve been dating for over seven years

Basket man the married man,

Well it’s a good thing to be married. I have been looking forward to the day I will marry the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Thank God the day has come and gone. I give God the glory.

Marrying Baby Mama, was it love or necessity?

Love really. I’ve known her for like six years and apart from the fact that she’s the mother of my son, we are also friends and it’s easier to live a happily married life with someone who understands you and someone that you really have a good communication with. Mainly, I’m not particular about love itself. I’m particular about communication, friendship, and understanding which is what we have. I can’t start a new relationship dealing with anybody else.

How do you plan to keep up the essential Basket Mouth now that you are married?

I think I am still doing the same thing. It’s still the same hustle and bustle but you know that there is always a time that it pays-off. You know those who work expect to get paid at the end of the month. So, let’s just say all the struggle I was putting into my career paid-off at the end of the day. Although I am still hustling, but maybe in another two or three months, it will pay off again. Nothing has changed, I am still hungry. The same hunger I experienced then is still there, and I do all I can no matter what happens to stay hungry.

How has the road to the top been?

More or less respect and acknowledgements are the things I actually quantify as paying my dues. You know, there are sometimes I walk into a company or an organization and the way they relate with me now tends to be different from the way they related with me years back. These are the things I see that make me conclude that I have paid my dues. That money is coming in, though more now, is not because I am funnier, but because of the professionalism I have added to my own style and because of the worth of the brand. We have built the brand to the point that we can say that this is the value of Basket Mouth. I have paid my dues in so many ways.

When I walk on the streets of Lagos and people show me love, that is payment for me. Going to the bank and I don’t get to queue is payment for me. When I am boarding a flight and for no particular reason, I am being upgraded from Economy Class to First Class is payment for me too. So, that’s how I derive my own payment. When I look back, I see it all more or less like a journey. I know where I was, where I am now and where I am going to. It’s more or less like growth for me. So, when I look back, I value more the love people have shown to me than the financial returns.

How did you leave Benin City for Lagos?

I was done with school. Aside that, there were more opportunities in Lagos. I was born in Lagos, Ajegunle to be precise and as at the time I finished school, my parents were in Isolo. So, when Isolo became too far for me I started staying with a friend of mine at Ebute Metta , because it was close to the Island and Surulere . In fact, in the course of the struggle, I also stayed with Dare Art Alade. He put me in his crib for a couple of months.

What’s your relationship with Julius Agwu like?

People have said a lot about what happened between me and Julius. Julius and I are still friends. Unfortunately, a lot of events have happened that made people believe we are fighting. When he did his wedding, I was doing my event and I had booked my event three or four months before that time. I didn’t know he was going to have a wedding at that time. When he was doing another show was when I was celebrating my son’s birthday, so all these things clashed and people say, I intentionally fixed those programmes on those days but I and Julius are still friends, we talk when we see. But to show you that we are very good friends, everyone can see that he attended my wedding.

But, you know, you cannot be too close to everybody because you are hustling, I am on the road. I run an events management company and I have a couple of clients who are very demanding. So, aside the fact that I am a comedian, I also work as a staff member for my company. I am always busy.

How do you feel when it is said that in the world of stand up comedy, you are Number two after Ali Baba

I disagree. Even if I am being labelled the next king after Ali Baba I will take it as a compliment but I cannot say that with my mouth. I appreciate the fact that people see me as such but I know I am not the funniest comedian. I know I am not the most creative. There is Gandoki, Seyi Law, Buchi, Bovi, Okey Bakassi, that’s one comedian I learn from, so when people say such things about me I ask: what about all these other talented comedians?

When asked about his expensive wedding . . .

It was pretty expensive, not what I wanted, but the cost was unavoidable, I wanted her to be happy after waiting so long, so I went the extra mile.

Nice! 

straight talking.
nice one!!

How long have you dated

We’ve been dating for over seven years

I withdraw all my previous comments this is some serious love. I wish them all the best. Hopefully she will never het bore.
Her husband is one funny man.

He tried

Proud of you man. That's how it should be.

Enjoy your honeymoon

i wish he could smile occasionally for the camera like the wife is doing.

anyway, congrats to the couple.

Gud one, never knew der were rumours of "beef" btw him n julius