Toke Makinwa is a name that resonates with fans of reality television, especially as the vibrant host of “The Buzz.” With her infectious energy and sharp commentary, she has a knack for dissecting the latest happenings on “Big Brother Naija,” making her a beloved figure among viewers. In her recent interview with Marie Claire Nigeria, Toke opens up about what it’s like to host a show that thrives on drama and excitement.
From navigating the unpredictable nature of live television to curating engaging conversations with celebrity guests, Toke shares the behind-the-scenes insights that make “The Buzz” a must-watch. She reflects on the challenges and rewards of her role, providing a candid look at the preparation and passion that go into each episode, as well as the realities of a woman in showbiz.
What’s the most exciting thing about “Big Brother Naija” right now?
The conversations, watching the stan accounts literally form an army, watching the supporters and fans ride hard for the show. I also love seeing how the housemates give us new things to talk about each week and observing the social behaviour of the fans and the lovers of the show itself. Big Brother Naija and The Buzz always seem so well-curated and perfect.
What’s one behind-the-scenes moment that showed you the importance of just being yourself?
I think it would definitely be the interviews. Sometimes, you have to rely on your wits and charm because people are coming to sit with you, and some of them might be slightly shy at first. This season, we introduced games to get everybody to relax. I love being in one take, one dash, signing off in one take.
Just keeping the energy in the studio alive, fun, and energetic helps keep the flow of the show. What people see is a well-curated show that’s driven by people who are literally dedicated to working hand-in-hand. We all work together. The cameraman and I have a great relationship; the content team and I go back and forth on things that either of us caught that week, which makes sense to talk about. It’s such a beautiful development process, and if the cameras could capture all of this, it would make for a show in itself.
You’ve probably had to think on your feet countless times while you’re live. Can you share moments when a live situation didn’t go as planned on the show?
Well, that happens a lot. Sometimes, it’s the teleprompter freezing or the camera movements being delayed. But the key thing is, as I said, we have such a close bond on the team, and with the rehearsals before we roll, we already know the camera placements. So even if one isn’t working, you’ve got to move on. This happened during the last eviction, at the season finale at the viewing centre. Ebuka and I went back and forth, but we had to practise the placements beforehand because, as much as you plan, technology does what it does. Maybe a camera is down, or the crossover is delayed, and the camera is on you, so you have to just go. You rely on your wits and your years of experience, and it works.
What would it be if you could return to any moment in your career and offer your younger self advice on staying true to yourself?
I would say the first time I had to host The Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN), it was a shitshow, for lack of a better word. And the comments that came from it — because it was a live show and people were constantly tweeting — was enough to just make me pray for the ground to open and swallow me. But you know what? With each opportunity to host shows, I got better at the craft, more comfortable, more at ease, and more confident in who I am. So I tell people, even the no’s you get at auditions, don’t despise them because they’re helping you build your character and your resilience.
And when you get that one yes, you will find that all the years of practice that came with the no’s work together. So to my younger self, take it easy, breathe, and also just rely on your wits. You are confident; you were assigned this task because you can do it. And you know, it’s in you. Study hard and rehearse when you can, but remember that your personality always has to shine through in everything you do.
What kind of preparation goes into each episode of “The Buzz”? Do you have any rituals or routines before going live?
Apart from studying my scripts back to back and watching the show, I think it kind of helps to set the tone for how the show would go. How do I relax? I do like a glass of lemonade in the morning, the days that I’m filming. There has to be some zen in my green room, just where there’s a quiet moment, and I can go by the show fluid in my head. Once the light comes on, I know it’s a good time, and I just roll to the end.
What’s something about the making of “The Buzz” that would surprise the audience?
I guess we get to see never-before-seen clips before they get to see it. And we get to talk about it, and we get to share it. So we are ahead of, you know, the viewers of the show.
When the cameras are off, and the spotlight fades after a day on “The Buzz,” what does a typical day look like for you? How do you find fulfilment in the quieter moments?
I like to sleep because I don’t get enough sleep these days. I’m always from one set to the other. Currently, from “The Buzz,” I’m filming two movies back to back and travelling a lot. So once the cameras are out, I don’t like to go out. I just like to just stay in bed, pull the duvets over my head, and just sleep. It’s difficult sometimes to find sleep because I’ve had some energy drinks to get me through the show. But yeah, I just keep tossing and turning till I fall asleep.
We often see the glamorous side of your life, but what’s one guilty pleasure or secret hobby that brings you joy away from the public eye?
If I share it, then the public knows about it, right? So can I keep this one to myself? But I would say it’s rewarding. It definitely keeps me close to humanity, and I feel really grateful and blessed to be able to even do it. So yeah, I’m just gonna keep that one.
Okay, success is often measured by fame and fortune, which is something you encounter daily on “Big Brother Naija” and “The Buzz”. How would you define success on a personal level? What gives you the most satisfaction?
The lives that you touch. Sometimes it might be like a conversation with the gateman. These are people we walk past a lot of times, and we sometimes just walk past them as they’re doing their jobs. But I’ve found enough joy sometimes in speaking to artists and just literally finding out what it’s like to be them. It keeps me humbled.
It also just keeps me in touch with humanity. For a long time, I have stopped thinking about success as the number of bags I have, the jewellery I wear, or the material things. I feel like the true friendships in my life, the family that I have, and just the true people that God has blessed me with fulfil me in ways that I cannot explain.
What is the constant buzz, pun intended, of “Big Brother Naija” No Loose Guard and “The Buzz”? How do you navigate the pressure to constantly achieve more to remind yourself that success isn’t just about external accolades?
I think I stopped pressuring myself the moment I realised that you’re only as good as your last work and it’s okay to take breaks because as long as you keep working hard and you keep working hard on your terms and you stay true to yourself, it will always pay off. There’s absolutely nothing you invest in your career that you don’t get back.
Absolutely nothing. It might seem slow. It might seem like it’s not moving at the pace that you want. But just when you think about that, it rewards you in the future. So there is a reward for hard work. Without the pressure, you can’t look at somebody else’s time to check your watch; you are at your own pace and in your own lane, and staying in your own lane teaches you character development. It teaches you patience, it teaches you resilience and it will always pay off.
Can you share an experience where choosing personal fulfilment over a lucrative opportunity was the best decision for you?
As a businessperson, I always preached that not everyone is your customer. You know, there are some people that the moment they start talking to you about, you know, wanting to acquire certain things or work with you, you can sense the energy and I would pick a great environment to work in and an energy that is, you know, conducive over any amount of money you wanna pay me. So for me, once those conversations begin, I can sense it. I just bow out. I would rather work where I have peace of mind and where everybody’s, you know, happy, and, you know, they want to be around that sort of environment because it’s encouraging. So I run away from people with whom everywhere is frantic just at the slightest chance they get.
I don’t care how much money you pay me. If your attitude is wrong, if the way you come at me is wrong, I’m just not going to do it.
As someone who closely observes the show, how do you think Big Brother Nigeria can continue to evolve in a way that positively influences society, particularly concerning the empowerment of women?
I feel like Big Brother is such a social experiment. It depicts who we are as a people and definitely showcases where we are as a society, like it or not. If you follow the way people build this, you know, fan following, the things they say, how they engage on Twitter, you can tell that it’s in them. The people in the house are doing nothing but living their lives.
The cameras are there, but after a week or two, you forget, and you can’t pretend for so long. I definitely think it’s empowered a lot of women because it’s giving them a platform to literally come out there and start, you know, not at the bottom, but giving them a platform where they can begin to build on. We’ve had people like Bisola who have, you know, gone on to become one of the best actors in Nollywood.
We have Ebuka, who was also one of her housemates and has built a phenomenal career. There’s Uti, you know; there are so many people who’ve done amazing things from this platform that has been given to them. There are so many women who have come from Big Brother, but, you know, you even forget that that was where they started from because they’re level-headed, they could shine through their personalities and their craft, and they’ve gone on to literally create an amazing career from there.
