EX-MR NIGERIA,BRYAN OKPARA IN HOT ROMANCE WITH TOP MODEL, BUNMI ADEMOKOYA; THEIR LOVE STORY

Bryan Okpara came into limelight in 2007 when he won the coveted crown at the maiden edition of Mr. Nigeria competition organized by the Ben Bruce led Silverbird Group. Since then, his profile has been on the rise. He moved to South Africa 2 years ago to continue his modeling career. He was one of the lucky few who cleaned out big time in South Africa as he got a lot of mouth watery deal. Towards the end of last year however, Bryan has been more regularly in Nigeria as he is putting finishing touches to a project in the country that promises to be of great benefit to the youths. Apart from his modeling career which is still flourishing, another part of his life that also gladdens his heart, bringing so much happiness to him right now is love life. A couple of years back, Bryan was romantically linked to model turned presenter, Titi Adelakun popularly known as Titi Fanta , with whom he has since parted ways. Bryan is presently in Former Mr Nigeria is in sizzling romance with Bunmi Ademokoya, a top model and Best Model of the World (2007) and this is authoritative. And we can also tell you that they are happy together, and they are both hopeful that it will lead to marriage soon. The two of them have been together for over a year now, hiding their affair from the public. Though they are both in the limelight because of the choice of their career, they prefer to keep their love life in the background. They both, in the course of their modeling career, were signed on to the same modeling Agency in South Africa, Isis Model, owned by Joan Okorodudu. They started as friends before they discovered that what they are feeling for each other is not superficial, that it’s deep. The interesting thing about these lovebirds is that they hardly step out together, part of keeping their relationship very secret. Most time, when they get invitations to attend the same event, they don’t step in together; they don’t have a regular place where they hang out. The only times they actually showed affection for each other openly is when they are traveling outside the country or far away in South Africa, that is when they let their guard down. Recently, Bryan and Bunmi were in an intimate photo- shoot and this has kept tongues wagging ever since, though most people assumed they took the pictures for their modeling career, others believe it is more to it than that. BOLA AKINBOADE met with Bryan recently who opens up his romance and why he might be settling down very soon. He also spoke on his upcoming project.

You are around more in the country these days, unlike before when you took a leave from the scene, what have you been up to lately?
I have pretty much done everything that my power, career, my personality, allowed me to do. I have ventured into acting; I shot a movie last year, in South Africa. Well, the career you know the most, modeling, then I have to drop my TV career first, you know when you are in another man’s country, your language, your pronunciation, culture, so I had to put all that into consideration that is why I have to put that down for a while. But basically, I m better than I used to be, I put myself in a lot of places, and I am a better person now.

You were one of the lucky few who really cleaned out in South Africa, as regards your modeling career, how were you able to achieve that?
That’s God for you working, working in a mysterious way. I mean, am the same person who will do one billboard, and I will be waiting to be called to do another one. You know when they pay you for one billboard in Nigeria; it’s like 2 years before you can get another one because nobody wants to use you again. So I went from that to a brand, a popular brand could reckon with you for about a year. So that was a great success for me and ISIS models, I mean ISIS model was also new in the country and it did better than other agencies. I still don’t know how that has happened, I’m just thanking God for His mercy that has made all these possible.

A lot of people also believe that you are one of the highest paid Nigerian models in South Africa, how far is that true?
I think modeling is not something you can hide, if you say, oh, they are not paying me, then your Guinness advert comes up on Super sport. And you know Super Sport is not a local channel. It’s all over the world. So if you appear on an international channel, you know, that is not a small thing. Then you on Algeria Adrenel, you appear on Audi, then you appear on Fashion Weeks, yes, I can’t deny it. I won’t want to say I am, but at one time, I was one of the highest paid models in South Africa.

While you were in Nigeria, you were Mr. Nigeria, and it didn’t really take you that far……
Can you imagine (Laughs). They say a prophet is not really appreciated in his hometown, in his house. I think that is what basically happened. However, the whole Silverbird Group thing was a very fantastic idea, but it was restricting, because Mr. Nigeria is like a big name, big title and people see you as been too expensive to do even the least modeling job for them. I think what they lack was proper marketing; they didn’t market the brand, and make people understand that we are also here to do business. If they had done that, I believe my career today as Mr. Nigeria would have been better. But, we thank God, the things went well.

But you on your own celebrated the modeling aspect of you, rather than the Mr. Nigeria pageantry
Yes, because before I was Mr Nigeria, I was actually a model, and a TV presenter. The Mr Nigeria part, as an Ambassador, it really propelled me to do things I wouldn’t have originally done as a model. But at the same time, I still needed to have a career, to be able to go with my daily activities. My modeling career, outside the country, a lot of people really appreciated that I was Mr. Nigeria, so I was able to do a lot of campaigns, and excel in my career. So from time to time, I was more in the modeling field, that is why I celebrated my modeling career more, but people here don’t really recognize me as a model, they recognize me as Mr. Nigeria. So it’s like a best of both world kind of thing.

So how much do you worth now? What is the minimum amount of money you can collect?
Well, I can pop champagne now (Laughs). I think God has blessed me now. Well I was paid for a clothing line; I was paid about a million for a clothing line. And this is not minus agency fee, it is with agency, so minus agency fee, which is 30%, I get like N700,000.

Are you now finally back in Nigeria, or you are still going back to South Africa?
Well, I still have my work permit, so I m one leg in, one leg out. But what brought me back here is because, even before now , I had things in my mind, I had a passion to actually do something, to come up with a project, that will benefit the society and the youths of today. So I am hoping to start something before its too late. Before I get so pulled into the system and I can’t come out, so I just said, give me a break, I really need to do something. Right now, I am actually trying to put one or two things together, and when it start rolling, then I leave , then come back. But more frequent than before, because before, I wasn’t even coming at all.

What is the project you were working on now?
The project is really big, its magnimous. It’s going to be something that will involve the whole of Nigeria. Every single state has to be in. One of them is mobilizing the boy scout of Nigeria. I’m planning of coming in as a face, sending out my proposals, building annexes, then mobilizing the scout to different parts of African country where we can learn, our differences and culture, and then exchange, and this also open the mind of the young people into education, they get more broader and stuff like that. It’s huge.

What about your love, because now, you have made the money. And I clearly remember that you were in a relationship with Titi Fanta, before you won the Mr. Nigeria stuff .What happened?
We are such great friends, it’s unbelievable. We pretty much hang out, we do everything together, even while I was in S/A, we discussed stuff; we are still part of project together. We advice ourselves, we are very close. So it’s like we never really left. But I believe that at the end of the day, I think what is more important in any relationship is the love, affiliation that you shared with the person, I think the friendship part is the best thing you can get out of it, because if you are lovers and you are not friend, how will that work, I think we are pretty much still on the same level, but in a different way

What really happened? A lot has been said about why you parted ways.
I will like to like to remain anonymous because even if I say something, people will still find another way to say, oh, he is just trying to cover up the truth. So it just happened. Sometimes you really cannot control the situation of things, thing have a way of occuring, so that is what happened. We had direction changes.

The latest gist in town now is that you are in a sizzling romance with top model , Bunmi Ademokoya
Well, what can I say? She is the love of your life? She is amazing, she is gorgeous, she is black, she is beautiful, she is a friend, she is a colleague, she cooks, she clean, she is God fearing, she is somebody you want to meet anyday anytime.

How did you meet and fell in love with her?
We met sometimes some years ago. But it’s really a long story. But we met and we became friends, and there is a way, they say opposite attract, and we are kind of opposite, she is like the introvert, I am an extrovert, we kind of clicked, and since then, its been like that. I believe it’s a very vital point for you to be settled because if you are always out there looking and looking, you never know what you are going to find. The earlier you find someone you can trust and relate with, the better.

You know your brand, you are more feminine-like, have you ever misjudged, where people say, oh he is gay and all that.
Men, all the time. People say all kind of stuffs and I just keep quite and say, well, you are left to your own opinion. I’m not trying to change your mind, I m not trying to tell you who I am . I’m not trying to show anything, so it’s all good. You know people come up and say, this guy is too fine, are you sure he is not gay. And I’m like; you are left to your opinion. So I get a lot of people think I m gay, people think I m not, people think I’m bi- sexual, but people will always say no matter what who you are

So are you gay?
What! I mean, I have a love life.

But you could be bisexual
(Laughs) its not just possible. There is a girl for every guy, there is a guy for every girl, that is my believe and I m sticking to it. It’s not in my line of capacity.

• Author
• Recent Posts

bebeakinboade

BEBEAKINBOADE is the fresh voice of African style, offering an informative, inspiring and entertaining mix of fashion,beauty ,entertainment,events ,place, inspirational and much more

Latest posts by bebeakinboade (see all)

• HOW TO DRESS LIKE PARISIAN WOMEN: ACHIEVING EFFORTLESS CHIC - August 14, 2024
• THE BRAVE ADVENTURE OF JOSH THE GREAT: A FAITH-FILLED JOURNEY OF COURAGE AND FORGIVENESS - August 14, 2024
• FASHION AND BEAUTY ICONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD - July 28, 2024