Nigerian TV host and actress, Nancy Isime has recounted how she lost her mother at five and later attempted suicide as a child.

The Nollywood actress, 29, spoke in a chat with BBC Pidgin where she revealed her struggles as a teenage girl.

“I lost my mum at five. I didn’t really have a smooth childhood. I suffered from depression and attempted my first suicide in childhood. It was actually the only but I was able to go through all that and I’m still here today,” she recounted.

“Some people had time to grow through life but I had to mature in time. Losing your mum at the age of five, you’re exposed to a lot of things you’re not supposed to experience. I started working at the age of 17.

“I worked as an usher at events. From there, I started modeling. Some of the things I did, I didn’t expect would get me to where I’m today, I was trying to save money here and there to exit the country and start working abroad.”

Speaking further on mental health, Isime said she sometimes gets discouraged by the state of affairs in Nigeria.

“As much as Nigeria is, there are still opportunities. Sometimes I get tired of seeing what is going on with the government. I call myself mental health advocate because I preach it,” the actress-cum-TV host added.

“I’m a staunch believer in meditation, I work out as much as I can and I go for therapy, which I just began not long ago. For someone like me who acts, hosts events, it takes a lot out of me. I act in series, TV, and cinema.”