In Nigeria’s entertainment industry, we celebrate our stars when they are ‘hot’. We sing their songs, talk about their movies, and some fans would go to the length of pasting their faces in their homes, setting them as phone wallpapers, tattooing their faces on their bodies, and more. But what happens when all of the fame fades?

Remember when their names were on every lip? When every show wanted them, every brand chased after them, and money flowed like water? Those were the golden years when being fame felt like it would last forever.

So many entertainers that spend their years of fame ‘living large’, wearing Designer clothes, driving expensive cars, throwing elaborate parties, living luxurious lifestyles, and spending recklessly. They believe the money would keep coming from different gigs they get, but the Entertainment industry comes with different twists, changing trends, new new faces, and the attention starts to reduce.

The reality for most entertainers is tough; unlike regular jobs with pension and retirement benefits, entertainers have nothing to fall back on when the years of fame end, the income stops, the brand endorsement deals reduce, and the event organizers stop calling.

It is common to see veteran actors who once ruled Nollywood screens struggle to survive when the fame ends; musicians whose songs got massive airplay struggling to cover medical expenses when the fame ends; comedians who filled stadiums, now performing at small venues for little survival.

We have also heard stories online of actors who beg on social media to pay hospital bills, musicians appealing to their loyal fans for financial support, and influencers whose brands have collapsed resorting to menial jobs to keep body and soul together. We have seen examples like:

I. Hanks Anuku who was famous for his villain and action roles. After health and personal struggles, he was spotted looking mentally derailed on the street, and this sparked strong debates on social media. His presence in Nollywood significantly declined, and he is now rarely cast in new productions.

II. Victor Olaotan was a Nigerian actor best known for his leading role in the soap opera Tinsel in the year 2013. He struggled with medical bills after his accident.

III. Babatunde Omidina was a Nigerian actor and comedian popularly known as Baba Suwe. He also fought a public battle with illness and financial difficulties before his death.

We also have some Nigerian artistes who are no longer in the limelight or who are struggling to remain in our faces:

I. Akinmayokun Awodumila, known as May D, formerly with Square Records; May D had big hits like “Soundtrack” and “Ile Ijo”. After leaving the label linked to P-Square, his momentum dropped and he hasn’t regained his earlier dominance.

II. Yaqub Jubril known as YQ was popular around 2010–2012 with songs like “I Like Girls”. He had club bangers but slowly disappeared from mainstream playlists as new Afrobeats acts emerged.

III. Morihanfen Oluwaseun Oluwabamidele, known by his stage name as Sean Tizzle, dropped massive hits like “Sho Lee” and “Mama Eh”. After leaving his label, his visibility reduced and newer artists overtook the scene.

IV. Sauce Kid aka Sinzu was a respected rapper in the late 2000s. Legal troubles and relocation abroad slowed his career, and he never fully returned to mainstream dominance.

But not every story is sad, some of these entertainers anticipated evolution in the creative industry and they prepared for it.

Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) is an old actor who has managed to stay relevant, still thriving, having smartly maintained his brand and adapt his presence in the industry.

Funke Akindele didn’t just act movies she became a producer and built a business empire.

Banky W transitioned into politics and business.

Don Jazzy evolved from being just an artist to record label mogul.

The truth remains that entertainment is unpredictable. It is instructive for current entertainers to try to plan for the future, invest wisely, and live within reasonable means. Famous artistes must understand that impressing people who do not care about their future will leave them helpless in the end.

Entertainers must build backups while they still can. Fame is fleeting and there will always be a time when a former ‘hot’ artiste becomes an ‘old taker’, the income stops flowing, and life starts to ask very difficult questions.