We found LOVE in an unexpected place — Iykeresa

Theresa Ifeoma Ugorji and Ikenna Nnama, better known as Iykeresa, were first runner ups in the first season of Ultimate Love. Since then, the lovebirds have stuck together to discover the future after the show. ROTIMI IGE caught up with them recently and presents excerpts of their interaction.

Theresa: I grew up in a small family of five. I’m the first child with two siblings. We were raised with the knowledge that as a family, we have an unbreakable bond and we come first before anyone else. In my family, we strongly believe in education. My mother is a teacher and my father, a public servant. My parents trained us to always be the best in whatever we do and they instilled morals in us.  I remember when my mother would emphasise to us to always strive to be the best.

Tell us about your earliest memories of family life

Iyke: I come from a family of seven. I’m the first son out of five children, so I have my fair share of responsibilities. For me, charity begins at home. Most of what I know about handling situations, I learnt from home. At some point, my mother quit her job just to raise us better, after she found out that we were neglected by our caretakers (nannies). She still says that was one of the best decisions she ever made because she raised us the best way she knew how to.

She is a devout Catholic and a pillar in the church. So, we had a lot of moral upbringing in my family. My father is a business man. I remember he always bought us stuff whenever he came back from work every day. In fact, we always looked forward to that.

Influences and mentors?

Our parents play a big influencing role in our lives. Godfathers and powerful women like Chimamanda Adichie, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, to mention but a few and men like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Larry King, Barrack Obama etc.

How would you define Aunty In and outside the house please?

We would describe Aunty as a guidance counselor who helped us to find and place our focus in the path of love without necessarily choosing for us.

What do you think young couples must know to have a good relationship?

A lot of us know the concept of love but are not taught how to love. Love is a skill and it needs to be learnt. There are different love languages and for you to be able to love better, you must have learnt the different love languages and how it applies to your partner. Making a conscious effort to be a loving partner, learning good habits and unlearning bad habits are all parts of the process.

Will you still pursue a career now that you are famous or do you have other plans?

Of course, we will pursue different careers regardless of fame. Fame is just a door that opens other doors, but we’ll still put our education to good measure. We even plan to go back to school to bag more degrees in the nearest future.

There’s this news that you are N5m richer, is it an endorsement?

No, it was actually a gift from the priceless geng which is the name of our fan base. They are represented by diamonds because they are priceless.

There were conspiracies and conspirators in the house. PreshDavid were one and were alleged to have fuelled your couples spat with #Bolar and #Roskie. Do you both feel that given another opportunity, you would have done anything differently?

Okay, we just have to put up the disclaimer that PreshDavid did not fuel any couples spat with #Bolar and #Roksie. Nominations were a necessary process in the love pad and all love guests had to partake in it with no hard feelings. The nominations we made did not come from hate or spite but because it was necessary for continuity in the show.

What’s next for Iykeresa?

Together as Iykeresa, we plan on solidifying our brands plan, making the most out of it, run our businesses, pursue our individual careers and philosophies.

Wedding bells perhaps?

Of course! There will be wedding bells soon. We will announce here when it is time.

You must have many male and females fans now who may desire to pursue a relationship. How have you coped, especially if you have decided to remain a couple?

We made a decision to be together regardless of what comes our way, so we thwart advances from fans or fanmily ( as we love to call them) of the opposite sex who may want to pursue a romantic relationship.  As far we are concerned, we are only focused on one another and what’s best for us.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you?

Just like everyone else, it has slowed down a lot of things for us. We have had to be attentive to our health and that of our loved ones but we haven’t allowed it to entirely affect our brand or our journey because we are still working really hard. It could have been different if there was no pandemic but regardless, we are thankful that the brand is still growing.

What life lessons did you learn in the house?

We have learnt to be very intentional about whatever or whoever one wants in life. Minding your own space and business gives you an edge over everyone else as you are more concerned about your growth. Also, being prayerful is a physical and spiritual weapon. We have also come to realise that love can happen anywhere and any time.

Who did you consider the weakest couples in the house and why?

The Butlers! This is because they weren’t together. (General laughter)

Does the Iykeresa brand have people you look up to for guidance?

Yes, we have people who have passed through the same journey like we look up to. We have mentors, godfathers, godmothers and so on that keep us in check and always check up on us regularly. Also, we also have a team that ensures the smooth running of our affairs.

You always seem joined at the hip. Are you ever apart?

Theresa: Iyke loves holding my waist most times. Sometimes, we are not together, especially when we are working separately.

Iyke: Honestly, at this point we don’t know what it will feel like being apart and we’ve gotten used to being in the same space. We don’t even what to know what it will feel like being apart.

What is the KetchingUpWithIykeresa YouTube channel about?

Our YouTube channel which is KetchingUpWithIykeresa is a platform we opened to keep the fans up to date with us and as well as keep them entertained.

What should we expect from the ‘priceless merchandise’?

A lot of good stuff from us obviously. We have a lot of things in the pipeline, but we can’t talk about it till the official release date.

You are the first Nigerian celebrity couple to create a podcast. what prompted you to create one?

We have always wanted a space where we can teach about relationships, love and marriage and we decided to start a podcast. It currently has a lot of audience and they all learn a lot from what we teach.

How do you manage elderly and mature fans who feel like they must tell you what and how to live in your relationship?

We don’t talk to a lot of people personally and we try not to divulge any personal things to anyone except our parents. So, no one actually has the opportunity to tell us how to act in our relationship.

Do you feel pressured when fans give you gifts to behave in a certain way to please them especially when they make requests?

Yes, sometimes. But we try not to give people the leverage to put us under any form of pressure, While we are still very grateful to everyone that continually support us or that have invested in us one way or the other.

What does the diamond symbol represent in your fan base?

We are priceless and diamonds are priceless. The fans picked the diamond logo even before we came out of the house and we loved it. The logo announces our presence and that’s what we are going to keep working with.

Do you think there’s animosity between your fans and other fan bases?

There have always been fan wars even before us but we try as much as possible to make people understand that we preach love only and whatever animosity they have, we try to stay out of it. We only appreciate fans that always come to our defence.

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