Entertainment

Guinness World Records Certifies Hilda Baci’s Longest Cooking Marathon Record

Published

3 months ago

June 13, 2023

Following a thorough review of all the evidence, Guinness World Records can now confirm that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, has officially broken the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes.

The 26-year-old Nigerian chef began on Thursday 11 May and continued through to Monday 15 May, cooking over 100 pots of food during her four-day kitchen stint.

Hilda attempted to set a record of 100 hours, however, almost seven hours were deducted from her final total because she mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt.

As with all ‘longest marathon’ records, the participant is permitted a five-minute rest break for every continuous hour of activity. These rest breaks can be accumulated if not taken. They were the only times Hilda could use the bathroom or sleep during the attempt.

The previous record of 87 hours 45 minutes was set by Lata Tondon (India) in 2019.

Hilda attempted this record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “to inspire young African women to chase their dreams.”

“I also decided to break this record to truly push my limits and test my abilities,” she added.

Hilda prepared for the event by creating a 35-item menu “as a guide” for every meal that she would cook.

She ensured that she had the necessary ingredients to make each recipe, with her team procuring further food items while the cook-a-thon was underway “based on what was needed to be topped up.”

Hilda’s record attempt took the world of social media by storm, with millions in Nigeria and beyond following her progress via an Instagram live stream.

Hilda’s cook-a-thon was in fact so popular that our website crashed for two days due to the immense volume of traffic we received from her legion of loyal fans.

Several high-profile Nigerian figures visited Hilda to support her during her record attempt, such as the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; and award-winning singer Tiwa Savage.

Hilda was required to abide by several rules during her record-breaking cook-a-thon:

There must be at least two items being prepared or cooked at any time

A sous-chef is permitted to assist in prep work, washing up, and cleaning the kitchen area, but all the cooking must be done by the individual attempting the record.

One of the most important rules of our food-related record attempts is that all items must be consumed after cooking. To this end, Hilda invited any and all members of the Nigerian public to come and eat her freshly made meals. All leftover food was donated to the Festus Fajemilo Foundation.

“My team’s and my goal for this event was to make it free to all and to feed the less privileged,” Hilda said.

According to Hilda, each pot of food she cooked was big enough to serve 30-35 people, and “appropriate stock control was conducted” to avoid any wastage of food.

After graduating from Madonna University, Nigeria, with a degree in sociology, Hilda decided to embark on her culinary career. She was inspired by her mother, Lynda Ndukwe, who is also a chef.

Hilda went from success to success, hosting television show Dine on a Budget in 2020, before winning the Jollof Face-off competition in 2021. Representing her native Nigeria, Hilda beat Ghana’s Leslie Kumordzie to claim the victory.

Now, in 2023, she is officially a Guinness World Records title holder. Congratulations, Hilda!

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Entertainment

“The Real Housewives of Lagos”, season 2, showcases in Lagos

Published

1 day ago

September 24, 2023

Olakunle Adeniyi

Showmax, a streaming platform, on Saturday in Lagos held the screening party of its original series, “The Real Housewives of Lagos”, season two, ahead of its launch on Sept. 29.

The show looks into the lives of some Lagos most affluent and influential housewives, revealing their ambitions and personal triumphs.

Set against the backdrop of the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Lagos, the show also reveals the housewives’ extravagant lifestyle while navigating the intricacies of their high society circles.

Speaking during the event, Dr Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content, West Africa, MultiChoice Nigeria, said the season two would be launched exclusively on Showmax on Friday, Sept. 29, with new episodes released every Friday.

Tejumola said that the show would continue to showcase turbulence, drama, fashion, friendship, culture, lifestyle and conversations that would keep the audience glued to their screens.

“Beyond the show’s entertainment value, the real housewives of Lagos cultural impact cannot be ignored.

“The show has put one of Africa’s most important city and its vibrant culture on the map. We are open to doing it again, even bigger and better.

“We are excited to introduce to you the cast for the season, Faith Morey, a model and an entrepreneur; Tania Omotayo, an entrepreneur, model, actress and an author; Iyabo Ojo, Toyin Lawani, Chioma Ikokwu, Laura Ikeji-Kanu and Mariam Timmer,” she said.

Tejumola noted that MultiChoice was encouraged over the success of the first season of the show which had spurred the release of the second season.

According to her, the first episode of The Real Housewives of Lagos, season one, broke the first day streaming record on Showmax Nigeria.

She said the show was the only African title on the top ten most watched shows in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

She said that the season one won the award for the best costume designer in 2022 at the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA).

“We decided to come up with this season following the massive success of the first season in 2022.

“Season one trended on X, formerly twitter, and remains on the trend list for the 14 weeks duration of the show.

The season also trended as number one on X in South Africa and featured on the trend list in the United Kingdom.

“The Real Housewives of Lagos was the first West African installment of the global Real Housewives franchise which is distributed internationally by NBC univeral format,” she said.

Earlier, Morey expressed her excitement over being enrolled as a cast for the season two.

She said “the city of Lagos means a lot to me, in spite being born and raised in Port Harcourt.”

According to her, Lagos remains the city where she began her modelling career and became successful.

She said, “The Real Housewives of Lagos is a huge franchise, when I received the call to come on board, I was so excited. I am so glad I got that call.”

For Omotayo, the city of Lagos continues to inspire her as she described it as an amazing city where no hardworking individual remains poor.

“I was born and raised in Isale Eko; Lagos is an amazing city; it inspires me alot; it pushes me to do more,” she said.

Ikokwu said, “The tenacity and hardwork in Lagos is what I admire most.”

Also Opeoluwa Filani, General Manager, Showmax Nigeria, said “As Africa’s original streaming service, we are committed to telling great local stories, working closely with local talents and expertise.

“We can’t wait to unveil our slate of exciting Showmax original in the coming months. We are going to blow your minds.”

Entertainment

2023 Miss Nigeria USA Pageant holds in Texas Sept. 3

Published

1 month ago

August 26, 2023

Ifunaya Emeka

2023 Miss Nigeria USA Pageant holds in Texas Sept. 3

The Miss Nigeria USA Organisation has called on the Nigerians in the Disapora to participate in the forthcoming 2023 edition of the beauty pageant slated for Sept. 3, at Houston in Texas, U,S.

The President of the organisation, Joy Fakhoury, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York said that the event would showcase beauty, talent and purpose.

“The upcoming Miss Nigeria USA 2023 Pageant is poised to be an enchanting and empowering event, spotlighting grace, beauty, and talent while promoting humanitarian endeavors.

“The pageant which will be held at the prestigious Match Theater, Houston, promises to transcend traditional notions of beauty contests by emphasising character, intelligence, compassion, and charisma in addition to physical appearance,’’ Fakhoury said.

Themed “BEAUTY WITH A PURPOSE,” the Miss Nigeria USA 2023 Pageant underscores the significance of inclusion and the individual narratives that define each contestant’s shine.

Participants from different states will not only showcase their extraordinary qualities and aspirations but also the depths of their personalities and commitment to excellence.

The US-based contestants will represent their Nigerian states while enhancing their native country’s knowledge and promoting their cultural values, creating a breed of leaders and goal-oriented individuals.

“The contestants will be provided with the opportunity to improve their social skills, improve confidence level, poise, communication skills, personality development, goal setting, career planning, health and fitness.

“They will also participate in cultural celebrations, parades and fashion shows throughout their pageant experience.

“The title is earned through hard work and dedication, demonstration of self-confidence, intelligence, beauty and elegance,’’ Fakhoury said.

Currently, five contestants have won the title since the inception of the pageant; Frances Udukwu (2014), Olutosin Araromi (2015), Lola Adeoye (2016), Idara Inokon (2017), Funmike Lagoke (2019)

The event will hold in the city of Houston in Texas after four years break of Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, she said beyond the glamour, participants in the Miss Nigeria USA 2023 Pageant would engage in philanthropic initiatives through the non-profit organisation “Miss Nigeria USA (MNUSA) Cares.”

“Contestants will partake in charitable activities in Nigeria and beyond, volunteering, engaging with communities, and undergoing skill training.

“Tickets for the Miss Nigeria USA 2023 Pageant are now available, offering a chance for people from all backgrounds to participate in the celebration of culture, talent, and beauty,” she said.

To secure a spot at this prestigious event, she urged interested people to visit http://Mnusa2023.eventbrite.com.

Founded in 2014, the Miss Nigeria USA was established with the aim of celebrating the Nigerian woman while appreciating the beauty, talent, skills and other unique attributes and goals she exhibits.

The organiser plans to achieve its goal through the Miss Nigeria USA Pageant Event where contestants will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their physical, cultural and intellectual attributes.

The Miss Nigeria USA Pageant is also a humanitarian pageant providing a unique opportunity for these beauty queens to not just showcase their beauty to the world but also make a positive impact in their communities by supporting causes and platforms that they are passionate about.