Nigerian singer and songwriter Teniola Apata, popularly known as Teni Entertainer or simply Teni has revealed she battled with COVID-19 twice in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
The ‘Malaika’ crooner disclosed this while featuring on the latest episode of Zero Conditions Podcast, on Monday.
Teni explained that she went through a “strict diet” to achieve her new body figure after surviving COVID-19 twice.
“I made the decision to lose weight after I had survived life-threatening COVID-19. I had COVID-19 twice; 2020 and 2021. So, in January 2022, after the COVID-19, I just said, ‘Omo, it’s time [to lose weight].”
She also clarified that her weight loss was not through surgical treatment, as speculated.
“I went through a lot. I went through a lot of changes. I lost weight, and some unfortunate fellows said I did surgery,” she said.
“If I did surgery, my stomach will be flat. I wish, but I was scared. Surgery is not easy. It’s life-threatening. It’s not easy to go under the knife. I was on a strict diet. Ask my managers. No carbs. I was on a strict diet for two months,” she added.
The singer further said the weight loss journey also taught her discipline, even though it was not an easy one.
“But it taught me discipline. The mind is also a muscle. The way you flex your arms, discipline helps you flex your mind. It was not easy. Do you know what it means for me to take people out on dinner and I can’t eat what they are eating?”
Teni recently released her sophomore album, ‘Tears of the Sun,’ under her new record label, ‘Sugar Mummy Records.’
The 16-track album was released on Friday, November 17, 2023.
‘Tears Of The Sun’ has just three guest appearances from Nigerian stars, Made Kuti, ODUMODUBLVCK and French-Cameroonian singer TayC.
This album comes two years after her debut album “Wondaland.”