Entertainment
‘I’m Now Grace-Charis Bassey, No Longer Bellinda Effah’
Award winning Nigeria actress and global brand, Belinda Effah on Monday 26th of April officially announced her name change in a press conference that took place at The Ethnic Hub.
The actress disclosed that her brother renamed her and her sisters because he felt they needed an English name.
She claimed that she bore the name without knowing it meant pretty serpent. Belinda explained that she researched about her name at a time when people started asking what her name meant.
Having discovered the meaning, she took steps to change her name 3 years ago but she backed out because she couldn’t withstand the tedious process.
According to her she had a divine encounter with God last year 15th of August to change her name.
“A couple of years ago I wanted to change my name when I found out that I could not really grasps the meaning of my name. Some people said it meant ‘beauty’ some other people said it meant ‘beautiful serpent’. So I was cut in between not knowing what the right meaning is. Linda seemed to have diverse meaning and I wasn’t quite comfortable with that.
“Also with the fact that Belinda was not the first name that my parents gave to me.
“My birth name is Uyu.
I came across Belinda in secondary school, one day my brother came up with the idea of changing my name and my sister’s name because we were all bearing native names. He came up with different names and asked us to pick. Funny enough I picked Melinda but I didn’t like the name because people started calling me Mirinda in school. So I decided to just go on with Belinda because they could not twist it to something funny like Mirinda.
“I should have known not to pick Belinda because my brother actually picked it for my sister but she said she wanted Fiona. She checked the meaning and it was cool and she went on with it. I didn’t check I just got carried away with Belinda because it sounded cool, it sounded hip, and that’s what I get all the time when people hear my name. they say oh, I like that name.”
“On the 15th of August 2020. I had a divine encounter with God to change my name to Grace.
“Nobody changed my name to Grace, God did.
So after my encounter with God, I called my parents and told them not to call me Belinda anymore, and my mom said wow… congratulations. The interesting part is that my mom said she named me Grace at birth.
“She said, she had a friend who bears Grace and she went through all the troubles with her during the Labour of my delivery. So she decided to honor her friend by naming me after her so she named me Grace. Since my father has the final say as to what name I bear, he insisted that I bear Uyu”.
Former Belinda adviced the world to bear names with good meaning as your name represents you.
“I believe that name should not be about how it sounds or how hip or cool it is but about the meaning, because name is about representation. When you are being identified by a name it represents you”.
Having narrated the aforesaid, she officially announced her new name and unveiled her new business name.
“So… dear world, ladies and gentlemen of the press, dear family and friends.
“I will like to be recognised and identified as Grace-Charis Bassey henceforth, and not as Belinda Effah anymore.
“I know it’s going to take a while for people to adopt to this, people may make mistakes and still call me Belinda. It’s ok, I’m giving you guys six months to get use to it.
“I’m Grace-Charis Bassey and I want to unveil my new logo for my business. From House Of Belinda to Grace-Charis Bassey empire. So this is my representation now. A couple of people have asked me what Charis means. Charis means Grace, so I’m double dose of grace,” she concluded.
Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has said she is no longer interested in getting married again following her separation from her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, but remains determined to have a daughter.
The actress made the remarks during a livestream session with TikToker Jarvis at her Children’s Day carnival held in Asaba, Delta State.
Speaking on her current outlook on relationships and motherhood, Daniels said she has mentally moved away from the idea of marriage.
“But for some reason, I’ve checked my mind out of getting married. I’m yet to have a girl. And I must have a girl,” she said.
The mother of two explained that her desire for a daughter comes from what she described as the unique emotional bond between mothers and female children.
“I feel like motherhood starts better. Like you would understand motherhood when you have a girl child,” she said.
“So, having boys is easy because at least you can groom them to have a role model in a father figure. But for your girl child, you have to be that role model for them to emulate.”
Daniels also revealed that she initially never wanted a daughter before becoming a mother.
“Before I had my first son, I said no, never. I will never have a girl child. Never, ever. But after my first, after my second, I remember, for some reason, it’s female kids that remember,” she added.
Reflecting further on family dynamics, the actress said women tend to maintain stronger emotional ties to their homes than men.
“Men will grow, get married and focus more on building family. But for women, she will always remember home,” she said.
Daniels married Nwoko in 2019, a union that drew widespread attention because of their age difference. The couple share two sons.
Their relationship later became publicly strained in 2025 following allegations by Nwoko that the actress was battling substance abuse and required rehabilitation.
Daniels denied the claims and accused the senator of manipulation, psychological control and abuse before eventually leaving the marriage and moving into her own residence.
Organisers of Big Brother Naija have announced the opening of auditions for the show’s 11th season, unveiling registration details and requirements for prospective housemates.
In a statement on Saturday, the organisers said, “It’s time! #BBNaija Season 11 auditions registration is here,” noting that registration will run from May 16 to 20 for candidates seeking to qualify for the physical audition stage.
They explained that applicants must register via africamagic.tv/bigbrother, fill in personal details, and select preferred audition dates, locations and times, with physical auditions scheduled to hold between May 22 and 24 in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu.
According to the organisers, “AUDITION IS FREE”, and only persons aged 21 and above with valid identification documents are eligible to participate. They also warned that the registration portal will close once capacity is reached.
The statement further cautioned applicants on data usage and participation rules, noting that by submitting entries, participants grant the organisers permission to use audition materials in perpetuity and across global platforms. It also warned that multiple registrations could lead to disqualification.
The announcement comes months after the conclusion of Season 10, which returned to screens on July 26, 2025, featuring 29 housemates competing for a N150 million grand prize.
Imisi Ayanwale emerged as the winner of the season after securing 42.8 per cent of the total votes, ahead of finalists including Dede, Koyin, Sultana, Kola, Jason Jae, Mensan, Isabella and Kaybobo.
Past winners of the reality show include Mercy Eke, Laycon, Whitemoney, Kellyrae, Phyna and Ilebaye, with anticipation now building for Season 11 as viewers await possible new twists and format changes.
Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Genevieve Nnaji, is making her return to television in “Wahala”, a new six-part drama produced by BBC Studios.
The series is based on the novel “Wahala” by Nikki May and will air on BBC One, with episodes also available on BBC iPlayer.
It is adapted for television by BAFTA-nominated writer, Theresa Ikoko.
BBC confirmed the cast on Tuesday, announcing a female-led ensemble that includes Adelayo Adedayo, Deborah Ayorinde, Cush Jumbo, and Susan Wokoma, alongside Nnaji.
Set in London, Wahala follows four Nigerian-British women whose close friendship is tested as they navigate work, relationships, and family life. Their lives begin to shift when hidden secrets from the past resurface, bringing betrayal and tension to the surface.
Speaking about the project, Nnaji said: “I’m very happy to be joining Wahala and to be working with such a brilliant team. It’s an intriguing story, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
