Nigerian chef, Damilola Adeparusi, popularly known as Chef Dammy, has opened up about the challenges she faced following her sudden rise to fame during her 2023 cook-a-thon attempt.
In a recent interview, Chef Dammy admitted that she never anticipated the attention her cook-a-thon would attract.
“My interest in cooking started when I began living alone as a student. Even the cook-a-thon—I didn’t know it was going to go viral. I didn’t even tell my parents about it; they just saw me online. I was shocked to see myself trending on social media,” she said.
The young chef revealed that the experience came with overwhelming pressure and painful consequences.
According to her, the cyberbullying she endured left her emotionally drained, adding that the trauma went beyond the online attacks.
“If you had asked me this question two years ago or a year ago, I might be crying. But now I’m happy I can talk about this without crying. There was a time I was even asking God, ‘Can this wait a bit? Can I at least forget some things?’ I felt overwhelmed. The cyberbullying was just a little compared to what I experienced in real life. I was bullied, assaulted, and broken. Social media broke me,” she disclosed.
Despite the challenges, Chef Dammy has continued to pursue her passion.
In February, she began professional culinary training at the Hospitality Business School, Lagos, where she is undertaking the Professional Culinary Art Chef diploma course on a full scholarship.