She is married to Patrick Doyle, also an actor and producer and is the proud mother of five children. Now in her mid-40s, Ireti is glowing and says she is comfortable with where she is. She shares intimate details of her career, family, children and experience as a mother in this exclusive interview with BellaNaija’s Adeola Adeyemo.

Return to the Big Screen
We’d be seeing you on the big screen soon in “Lotanna” after a long break from movies. What endeared you to this project and why did you decide to be a part of it?
Simply put, the Producer of the movie, Ifan, refused to take no for an answer. A less resolute individual would probably not have me on his cast but he just refused to take no for an answer.

Tell me about the movie and your role in it?
Lotanna is in a nutshell, a young boy’s coming of age story; how he travels through life, the decisions he makes, and how his parents try to mould and shape his destiny using the best methods they know. My character is the young boy’s mother. It might be the first time I’m being consciously, in looks and carriage, cast as a middle aged woman. I actually look like my mother in the film.

TV & Nollywood
As a talented actress, you haven’t featured in as much movies as most of your fans would love to see you in. Why do you tend to tilt more towards TV series?
My career has been shaped differently from others. It wasn’t something I said I would do in the beginning. I’ve come to a place of understanding that the one who shapes everyone’s destiny shaped my career like that so most of my credits are on TV and stage. But prior to shooting Lotanna, I shot two films last year. I suspect that they might be released simultaneously before the end of the second quarter of the year. Torn is one that I would really like people to look out for because it was produced and directed by another very creative mind. People would get to see me in a different light.

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Chika arrived the venue of our interview looking every bit like a movie star. With minimal but flawless makeup, she was smartly dressed and ready to chat. Before the interview began, we had a small talk and our conversation veered into how almost everything she does makes the news and the controversy that often trails it. She explained that it came with the career and wasn’t averse to answering such questions. By the time we were ready to start the interview, she was ready to start with the controversial questions.

Trending Topics
During the Christmas period, pictures of you holidaying in Dubai surfaced on the internet. How was your vacation?
It was fabulous. It was a well-deserved vacation and I had fun. I’ve traveled to Dubai and America severally but this trip made me discover Dubai, Miami and Washington DC. I had a tour guide take me to a lot of tourist attractions in the place. It was really wonderful.

Did you go on the trip alone?
I went with my manager for my Dubai trip but for my Miami trip, I went with my sister.

You made the news some time ago when Kim Kardashian retweeted and replied one of your tweets. Was this a big deal for you?
I think she knows me (smiling and batting eyelids). I think she knows Chika Ike as a Nigerian actress. Honestly, when I got the reply from Kim I was wowed. Kim is someone I like very much. I like her fashion sense, her business sense, and the way she handles her fans. She is someone I can relate to in the entertainment industry because she understands being out there, being in the public eye. A lot of us don’t understand it but she understands how to handle things. When she retweeted at me, I was like “Wow!” I was hoping the tweet didn’t come from a fake account but I checked and it was a verified account and I was really happy.

Read the rest of this interview on BellaNaija