Profile Page 5 of 9
In-depth profiles of the entertainers, entrepreneurs, creatives and personalities making headlines — who they are and how they got here.
Celebrity Buzz They called him the Bison: Michael Essien’s move to Chelsea made him Africa’s most expensive footballer
Michael Essien joined Chelsea from Lyon in 2005 for a fee that made him the most expensive African footballer at the time. The Ghanaian midfielder won two Premier League titles and became one of the best box-to-box players of his generation.
Entertainment A Peckham estate, a UK number one and two Brit Awards: Tinie Tempah’s “Pass Out” moment
Tinie Tempah, born Patrick Okogwu in London to Nigerian parents, topped the UK Singles Chart in 2010 with "Pass Out". His debut album Disc-Overy went to number one and he won two Brit Awards in 2011.
Movies & TV Gugu Mbatha-Raw played a real 18th-century heiress in Belle. Her own story starts in Oxford and Johannesburg
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, born in Oxford to a South African father and an English mother, broke through as Dido Elizabeth Belle in the 2013 film Belle. She went on to star in Black Mirror's San Junipero and Marvel's Loki.
Celebrity Buzz “Locked Up”, “Smack That” and solar lamps: the two careers of Akon
Akon, raised between Senegal and the United States, became one of the biggest pop and R&B stars of the 2000s. He later co-founded Akon Lighting Africa in 2014 to bring solar power to African communities, and announced a futuristic city in Senegal.
Movies & TV Her Nigerian parents wanted a doctor. Yvonne Orji got a public health degree and then an Emmy nomination for Insecure
Yvonne Orji was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in Maryland. She earned a master's in public health before turning to comedy. Her role as Molly in HBO's Insecure brought an Emmy nomination in 2020.
Celebrity Buzz 90,000 at Wembley, a shock loss in New York, a rematch in the desert: Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight journey
Anthony Joshua, born in Watford to Nigerian parents, won Olympic gold in 2012 and became unified heavyweight champion. His career has included a famous win over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley and a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr.
Celebrity Buzz He played volleyball in Yaoundé until he was 15. Joel Embiid became an NBA MVP and an Olympic champion
Joel Embiid, born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, took up basketball in his mid-teens and was discovered at a camp run by Luc Mbah a Moute. Injuries delayed his NBA career, but he won the MVP award in 2023 and an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 2024.
Celebrity Buzz The finger wag, four Defensive Player of the Year awards and a hospital in Kinshasa: Dikembe Mutombo’s life
Dikembe Mutombo went to Georgetown from Kinshasa intending to study medicine and became one of the greatest shot blockers in NBA history. He built a hospital in Kinshasa named after his mother and died in September 2024.
Celebrity Buzz Born in Ibadan, raised in Essex: Sade Adu and the quiet voice that outlasted the 1980s
Helen Folasade Adu was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1959 to a Nigerian father and an English mother. As the voice of the band Sade, she sold tens of millions of records with songs such as "Smooth Operator" and "No Ordinary Love", while giving almost no interviews.
Celebrity Buzz Two trebles in a row with two different clubs: Samuel Eto’o’s run at Barcelona and Inter
Samuel Eto'o won the treble with Barcelona in 2009 and again with Inter Milan in 2010, becoming the first player to win back-to-back continental trebles with different clubs. He was African Footballer of the Year four times and later became president of Cameroon's football federation.