Performance artist and former Big Brother Naija housemate, Hermes Iyele, has opened up about a deeply personal chapter of his childhood, revealing how his family’s fortunes crumbled and how his mother walked out on them during their most difficult times, only to return seven years later.
In a new interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, published on Wednesday via YouTube, Hermes recounted how his once-comfortable upbringing dramatically collapsed after his father, a former United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) employee, lost everything and ended up as a commercial bus driver.
“My father worked with the United Nations Children’s Fund and travelled the world, but ended up being a bus driver,” Hermes said during the interview.
Although he said he was unclear on the full details of what led to the downfall, he suspected financial mismanagement may have been the cause.
“I don’t know why he went broke, probably mismanagement of funds, but I don’t know the full story, and that’s what led to my mum leaving.”
The reality TV star recalled how his family had to relocate to an uncompleted building when their financial situation worsened — a turning point that forced his mother to leave.
“They had to move into an uncompleted building, but my mum said she couldn’t move in with us, so she left that night and didn’t come back until seven years later,” he revealed. “We were pretty young when she left because things got hard, and she couldn’t cope.”
Despite the emotional scars, Hermes said he bears no grudge against his mother, acknowledging the complexity of her decision and the struggles within their home.
“My parents didn’t have a happy marriage, so she probably made the decision that was best for her. I can’t fault her for that.”
The performer praised his father for raising him and his siblings with love and dignity despite the hardship.
“My father raised us with so much love and did it quite well. The thing about love, and how my father taught us to love, is the reason I still have so much love for my mum, regardless.”
Hermes had spoken about his mother’s absence in previous interviews and disclosed that she passed away in November 2024.
