‘I Bore An Artificial Grudge Against Him’ – Bovi Pens Tribute To Late Kayode Peters

Nigerian comedian Bovi Ugbomma has opened up about his early encounter with the late filmmaker Kayode Peters.

Naija News reports that Kayode Peters, a popular figure in the Nigerian entertainment industry, died in June.

His funeral took place on Saturday, August 2 at the McKersie & Early House Funeral Home.

He was later buried at the Milton Evergreen Cemetery in Ontario, Canada.

Bovi, in an emotional tribute on Instagram, reflected on how much Peters’ work inspired him, especially the popular sitcom Flatmates.

He revealed that watching the show during his early days in Lagos gave him the push to create his own series, Extended Family.

Recalling their first phone conversation, Bovi admitted that their relationship did not begin smoothly.

He had reached out to Peters, asking to meet and discuss sitcom production, but the meeting never happened.

Feeling ignored, Bovi carried a sense of rejection, which he described as an “artificial grudge.”

However, he used that feeling as motivation to push forward with his own creative work.

He wrote: “Long before the internet became an endless distraction, when phones were simply for calling and texting, I’d spend my weekend afternoons watching all the sitcoms. The standout one was flatmates. I was new in Lagos, a journey I had embarked on without the permission of my parents but with the blind fate of my burning desire to be an entertainer. After enjoying flatmates, I’d watch the end credits, and that’s how I noticed Kayode Peters. Attached to his name was the title of creator and writer. But something else caught my attention. The executive producer was El-shaddai. When I’d later get to meet KP, as he was fondly called, I realised he was so humble, he refused to give himself the credit of being executive producer. Looking back now, that wasn’t humility. It was a deep heart of gratitude. Something that served as a reminder for him that it was all God. It was his way of saying thank you.

“Flatmates heavily influenced my decision and courage to start my own show, Extended family. That’s why in the extended family, I opted not to put my name as executive producer in the credits. I was so scared that I might be seen as proud because KP didn’t take his credits. Why should I?

“But our relationship had a rocky start. I had searched for KP’s number and put a call through. “My name is Bovi and I’m a fan of your show. I’m creating my own sitcom and I’d like to meet you to get some tips on how to go about it”, I had said to kp in our first ever call. “I’m on set working now. I wouldn’t have the time”. “It can be during your lunch break if you don’t mind. I promise not to take your time” I pressed. He said he’d let me know when he has the time. The time never came. I also never waited. I pushed on and created the show. At the time my only motivation for doing things was perceived offense. I had felt slighted that he turned down the request of a stranger so I bore an artificial grudge and used it as fuel!”.