Emanuella protected from ‘cyberbullying’

The Mark Angel productions introduced Emanuella to the entertainment industry, but her contagious personality is what keeps the young apprentice at the forefront. Along with Mark Angel and Denilson Igwe, the seven-year-old comedian is part of Nigeria’s arguably best comic trio.  

Emanuella was previously under the guidance of Mark Angel (affectionately called 'Uncle Mark' by the young star) who was named an official guardian when her career began at the age of five.

However, due to regulations in Nigeria, when a child starts to receive public attention, they must be returned to their biological parents for supervision. As such, Emanuella has to travel from her hometown to Port Harcourt to film, which is about 52 miles by air transportation.  

Some scenarios in the online comedy series by Mark Angel Productions are planned, others are impromptu but all characters are real. The topics are trending as well as significant, relating to matters such as communication, image, education and just pure innocent entertainment.

Though Emanuella does not see her new found career as a problem, her guardians feel differently. “Travelling with Emanuella can be a challenge, you have to be her parents, her uncle and a friend,” said Mark Angel. “She also does not like to wake on time,” he added.”

But punctuality and parental responsibilities are the least of their concerns. As soon as one rises to stardom, rumours tend to circulate and the team has had to protect Emanuella from ‘cyberbullying’. They do so by being forward-thinking and try to dispel rumours posted online.

In particular, one online blogger decided to post false news that Emanuella was pregnant.

“We have done our best to control what Emanuella sees in the media. As for that rumour, it is still a secret from her,” shared Angel. “We have bloggers that we contact to assist us to write stories on the truth,” he continued.

The production team has been successful in creating a campaign against bullying. They have utilised the film medium to criticise the actions of 'cyberbullies' and bring real life issues to the forefront.

Filming the series and pursuing the career path, takes time, especially since a lot of travelling is involved. And since their rise in popularity, the three comedians have performed in Australia, Gambia, and Ghana among other African countries.

After the Laugh Out Loud comedy tour in Jamaica, the team will go on to Canada and the United States to perform.