"My Mom Cried at the Hospital When She Saw My Skin Color" — Veteran Actor Elesho Shares Touching Birth Story

Veteran Yoruba actor Adeoye Adewale, popularly known as Elesho, has shared an emotional and surprising story about his birth and upbringing.

In an interview posted on Lagelu FM 96.7’s official YouTube channel, Elesho revealed that his mother broke into tears after giving birth to him. The reason was his light skin color, which caused her to fear that people might think a white man fathered him. According to him, his mother often bought dishes from white men, and this added to her confusion. However, to her surprise, Elesho’s father was overjoyed when he saw his newborn son and even carried him while singing happily.

Elesho also spoke about his childhood in Oke-Ara, under Ile Ife in Osun State. His father was the Baale (village head) of the community, which now has a king called the Alara of Oke-Ara. Elesho grew up in a large family with eight wives and many siblings. He described his childhood as fun and filled with unity, despite coming from a polygamous home. His parents taught him to fear God, be content, and always tell the truth.

When asked if he was a quiet or troublesome child, Elesho admitted he was quite stubborn. He shared a story from his primary school days when he ran out of class to retrieve money he had hidden in a cocoa sack, fearing it would be stolen. Though he was punished for leaving class, he was happy to have recovered his hard-earned money.

Another memorable incident was during a school play based on the parable of the prodigal son. Elesho was chosen to play the prodigal son, which required acting out a scene where he would eat from a dirty bucket like a pig. He refused because his father, the ruler of the town, would be watching from the front row. He felt it would bring shame to his family. The teacher beat him for three days but eventually changed the play to the story of Adam and Eve, assigning Elesho the role of God — a part he gladly accepted. His father was so proud during the play and boasted about his son’s performance.

Elesho also recalled being one of the best pupils in school, never falling below third place in class. He concluded that he was a bit stubborn but always had strong values instilled by his parents.