By Francesca Hangeior
Nigerian comedian, Bayegun Oluwatoyin, also known as Woli Arole, has shared why he still gets invites to church programmes despite being a comedian.
Woli Arole who said some religious individuals find it difficult to invite humorists to their programmes because some comedians are not discreet enough to detour some jokes or know which not to crack, added that all faiths are scared.
While speaking on Monday on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief ‘, the actor added that he prays before performing at churches even as a comedian.
He said, “I think the grace is that when I started, I don’t do mockery, you can check all my content, I don’t blaspheme. God is sacred, our faith is sacred. In fact, I feel all faiths are scared, Islamists, traditionalists, so there are boundaries you must not cross.
“So, while I was active as a comedian, my content all I talk about is positive vibes. In fact, before I go to perform at a church I pray. There are things I must never say, there are some jokes you must not crack.
“These things are sacred, and I think that is where faith people have issues with people that are content creators and are coming to the church.”
Woli Arole said some of his fans find it difficult to understand the synergy between ministry and comedy.
“It’s been in me. It started by just praying for my friends, two, or three friends. So, I switched on my phone, IG live and God spoke to me, ‘son the time is now’, so I started taking people to the mountain and all of that. It started moving and some of my fans thought it was a joke before they realised ‘Oh this guy is not joking again; he is now real.”
In 2022, Woli Arole said he has seen more wickedness in some fans than in celebrities.
As a guest on rapper, JahBless, ‘Original Intelligence’ podcast, Arole said, “One of the problems we have is not our leaders; it is the mind of a Nigerian. I have seen wickedness in places I did not expect to see it. I have seen wickedness in more fans than in celebrities. I have seen fans that are more rude than stars. When a celeb gets somewhere, some people would expect them to greet us.
“The likes of Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Ckay blew up from the outside. It was when the international market started noticing them that some people here started placing a premium on them.”
In 2018, the graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, disclosed he owed his rise to the limelight to his luxuriant beard.
“My beard is my trademark. It is the first thing that my fans notice when they meet me for the first time,” he said.
Arole also said he doubted if he could shave the beard even for love.
Woli Arole said, “For me to shave my beard, it would cost a lot. Since I am going back into the world of make-believe, I would be featured in several roles and one might include shaving off my beard. But the producer would have to pay me heavily to do that. If they pay me millions of pounds, then I would shave it off. I have been keeping this beard for over three years. I cannot even shave this beard for any woman I love. I cannot shave my beard for my wife. Even my mother plays with my beard. The beard is now a part of me that most of my fans recognise me through the beard.”