By Habeeb Ibrahim
Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has recounted how 17 consecutive callers chose actress Funke Akindele over him during a joint radio interview at Cool FM while they were promoting their respective movies.
AY shared the experience while recalling the challenges he faced promoting his film, The Waiter, around the same period Akindele was promoting her blockbuster, Everybody Loves Jenifa, in December 2024.
According to the comedian, he met Akindele at Cool FM, where a presenter suggested that both entertainers appear on the programme together for an interview.
AY said he agreed to the arrangement, but things took an unexpected turn when the presenter invited listeners to call in and choose which of the two filmmakers they wanted to speak with.
He explained that the first, second, third and subsequent callers all requested to speak with Akindele, with the trend continuing until the 17th caller.
The presenter reportedly had to remind listeners that AY was also present in the studio.
Recounting one of the calls, AY said a listener greeted Akindele before asking him when he would buy a ticket for Everybody Loves Jenifa.
The comedian said the experience made him realise the level of effort Akindele puts into promoting her films.
However, the final caller brought a different experience when he requested to speak with AY and praised his contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.
According to AY, the caller commended his Guinness World Records achievement, his support for the comedy industry and his decision to feature Akindele in his film, A Trip to Jamaica.
The caller also encouraged him not to allow anyone intimidate him, describing him as an icon.
AY said the unexpected support lifted his spirits as he left the radio station.
However, the comedian later discovered that the caller was not an ordinary listener but his personal assistant, who had secretly called the programme from Ikorodu to encourage him after noticing his disappointment.
AY recalled that his assistant asked whether he was happy when they got into the car before revealing, “I was the last caller from Ikorodu.”
The Waiter, an action-comedy film directed by Toka McBaror, was released in Nigerian cinemas on December 20, 2024, while Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa arrived a week earlier, on December 13, 2024.
Both films competed for cinema audiences during the busy December holiday season.
According to FilmOne’s 2025 Nigerian Box Office Yearbook, Everybody Loves Jenifa grossed about ₦1.88 billion, while The Waiter recorded approximately ₦363.6 million in Nigerian cinemas.
Akindele’s film became one of the biggest commercial successes in Nollywood history, further highlighting the scale of the competition AY recalled.
