Exclusive Interview : Omotola Ekeinde reveals how she got married on a plane

Omotola Ekeinde recently had an interview with BBC journalist Matthew Bannister on BBC Outlook.

Here is what was written on BBC’s website; here are some highlights from the 12minutes plus interview.

Matthew Bannister: I’ve got to ask you this; how did you get this nickname Omosexy. Whose idea was that?
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde: My husband’s (Laughs). That’s what he calls me. That’s my pet name.

MB: And didn’t he give you a car with the registration number?
OJE: Yes he did (Laughs). That’s so true.

MB: And you don’t mind it?
OJE: No I don’t. Initially I did. I thought it was bit cocky you know but then everybody caught up on it, and everybody actually prefers to call me Omosexy than Omotola, which is my real name. So I said okay, I’ll take it.

MB: Now, you got married when you were just eighteen (18) to an airline pilot. Who you met, I think a couple of years earlier when you were 16

OJE: I met him when I was 16.

MB: And didn’t you get married on board a plane?
OJE: Yes I did

MB: Tell me about that, what was the idea behind that? He wasn’t flying it at the time, was he?
OJE: No he wasn’t flying (They both laugh). But he did. He actually flew for like 10 minutes.

MB: It was a big airline, wasn’t it?
OJE: Yeah, it was a big airline

MB: And you had lots of guests?
OJE: Yes. It was a Dash 7, I think a Dash 7. He went to his company, he was working with at that time. And told them about the idea.

And they said nobody has ever done that, I don’t even think you will get clearance for that. But just like myself, my husband is determined, he’s that, he never takes no for answer. And so he went to the aviation minster, he sent in the letters and everything, and it took a while.

And everybody thought he was crazy, but they said okay we just want to give you a chance but we think you won’t do it. But we will just give you an opportunity to pursue it and we surprised everyone, we did, we got everybody on board.

There was insurance for everybody and we flew.

MB: Who performed the ceremony, what happened?
OJE: They actually had a priest on board. You know they said we should fly, they will coordinate from the tarmac

MB: He was going to try to do the service from the tarmac (Laughs)?
OJE: Yeah. They said just go we will bless you guys, but he (her husband) said no, you are coming on board

MB: It must have really been memorable
OJE: Yes, it was.

MB: You were voted one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. How did it feel to get that?
OJE: Great, great. I do a lot of humanitarian work.I felt that was an endorsement, I felt it was some sort of nod, you know to say we know what you do, we know your life is very glamorous, we know you are an artiste but I was under the icon category, not under the artiste category and that was more gratification for me.

MB: And I saw a photograph on your Twitter site, of you sitting between Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis
OJE: Yeah (Laughs)

MB: And what did Steven Speilberg say to you, did he say come and join my latest movie?
OJE: He said you know, I’ll be in touch (Both Laugh). So I am still waiting

MB: Must have been a good meeting him?
OJE: Yes it was. We were quite friendly and he is a nice gentleman. I also met Daniel Day Lewis.  He is British isn’t he?