How the 'White Princess' conquered 'Nollywood': Former air hostess from Winchester becomes unlikely star of Nigeria's film industry because she speaks pidgin English in an African accent
- Privately-educated Hampshire girl travelled to Nigeria as an air hostess
- She 'fell in love' with the country and taught herself pidgin English
- After top director heard her speak, she's acted in hit romantic comedy
A British former air hostess has become a star of Nigeria's 'Nollywood' film industry after mastering pidgin English.
Claire Edun, from Winchester, Hampshire, became interested in the language - a version of English spoken in West Africa - after visiting the country through work.
Her almost-flawless use of the dialect led to her being scouted by one of Nigeria's top directors and she has now become a hit in the country's flourishing film industry.
The 31-year-old's new movie has become such a success that she is now famous with cinema-goers in the African state and has been nicknamed Oyinbo Princess - meaning 'White Princess'.
Claire Edun has become a huge star in Nigeria after a top film director heard her speaking pidgin English
The former air hostess taught herself the language after visiting while flying into the West African Nigeria
She admits that tredding the red carpets of Lagos is a million miles from the village pantos and school plays which she first acted in, but she has grown a love for Nigeria, which she now considers a home from home.
She told MailOnline: 'It's very weird. I still have to pinch myself sometimes and remind myself that this is actually happening.
'When I am in Nigeria, people often recognise me and stop me for selfies. Even in London the other day, I was stopped by a Nigerian in Woolwich and asked for a photo.
'One of my first memories of acting was of me on a stage in a panto in a community hall in Titchfield, a small village in Hampshire, so I've come a long way since that.
Claire, whose family has no connection to Africa, went to private school and then college in the UK and has always had a passion for acting and drama.
After working in Greece, she got a job as an air hostess and says she 'fell in love' with Africa while stopping there overnight between flights.
She says she starting swapping routes with other stewardesses so that she could visit Nigeria as much as possible and became interested in its films and music.
She has been dubbed Oyinbo Princess, meaning 'White Princess', in Nigeria and is loved by cinema-goers
She says she hopes to build bridges between the two countries and show that Nigeria isn't 'all Boko Haram'
Claire said: 'I lived in Peckham [south London] which is like little Africa and got to know pidgin by watching subtitled Nigerian films and listening to songs.
'I was so impressed with Africa because I had always been told that it was this dangerous place where everyone was starving and I guess I just believed that.
'But when I started visiting I discovered it was the most amazing place, people are so friendly. You have to be careful about your security, but it's not all Boko Haram like we hear in Britain.'
She posted a video of herself speaking pidgin on Facebook which was shared by a friend and seen by a top director in Nigeria, Lancelot Imasuen, who was hugely impressed with how she spoke.
He got in touch with her and made her the star of a hit romantic comedy, ATM, alongside one of Nigeria's most famous actors, Alexx Ekubo.
The film is about a Nigerian man who plans to use an English girl as a route out of the country, but learns to love his homeland through the eyes of his new wife.
The 31-year-old grew up in Hampshire, performing in village pantos, but is now on billboards around Africa
She has been attending premieres of her hit romantic comedy, which will now be shown in Britain
Despite having no African heritage, she has completely mastered pidgin, which she speaks in the film
She said: 'It's about a British girl who comes to Nigeria and marries a Nigerian man who wants to live in Britain.
'It's got some good messages in it, like having pride in where you come from rather than thinking the grass is always greener elsewhere.'
Claire is herself married to a Nigerian man, Richard Edun. The couple tied to knot four years ago with photos showing the bride wearing both a traditional white gown and African wedding robes.
The actress now divides her time between her home in Portsmouth and Lagos, where she attends film premieres and has become a hit with the country's media.
She added: 'My parents are obviously really worried about me every time I come over here. My dad especially, he's always looking at the Foreign Office advice online and telling me which areas I can and can't go.
'But they know I'm following my dream and so understand.'
Her film has become such a hit that a UK premiere is planned for the Nigerian community in London.
Claire and her husband Richard wore both British and African outfits for their wedding four years ago
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