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Kenyan comedian Eric Omondi.
Popular comedian Eric Omondi has lifted the curtain on one of the darkest chapters of his career; the day he was auctioned to pay for his debts after he went broke following a flop of his promising stand-up comedy show.
When Churchill Show went on an announced two-year hiatus, it left a big void in a country that had become accustomed to weekly stand-up weekend laughter. In that silence, Eric’s star was already blazing and his brand had become huge thanks to his magnificent performance on the Churchill Show. Broadcasters came knocking.
Comedian Eric Omondi.
“I had become so big and famous with the Churchill show, and so naturally my phone started ringing. I got calls from all the TV stations that wanted me to produce an exact show similar to Churchill Show. The reason I ended up signing a deal with KTN was that they offered a better deal. The deal was so good. I was paid to produce my comedy show for half a season, which was essentially six episodes,” Eric says.
But the promise of the ambitious “Hawayuni” show dissolved almost instantly. It flopped spectacularly, forcing KTN to take it off the air and cancel the deal after only two episodes.
“Churchill had cautioned me not to do production and instead hire an agency to do production while I handle content. But because I was greedy, I didn't listen and opted to do everything by myself. I just thought of the money, and that ended up becoming the worst show ever. I did everything, and with the pressure from the TV station, I wasn't able to deliver quality work. Everything about the production was bad. If the first episode was bad, the second was worse. Had I listened to Churchill, the show would have been successful because I had amazing materials to work with,” he confesses.
The fallout was swift and brutal. His once-reliable brand lost its shine, and the phones that used to buzz nonstop fell silent. Eric Omondi now found himself struggling to attract brand deals or even emceeing gigs that he had become so accustomed to.
Comedian Eric Omondi. Photo/DENNIS ONYANGO
“Life became so difficult to the extent that I was auctioned to pay for my debts. I remember asking the auctioneers to come on the night for the household items that were attached, just to save me the embarrassment, because my name was still big.”
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