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Veteran actor Bob-Manuel Udokwu confirmed he is alive, debunking a viral death hoax involving photoshopped hospital images. During a “With Chude” interview on February 15, 2026, he also denied insulting Pete Edochie. Udokwu clarified that his previous comments aimed to distinguish the origins of Nollywood from earlier television eras.
Bob-Manuel Udokwu expressed deep respect for Pete Edochie during his appearance on the “With Chude” show on February 15, 2026. The actor explained that he never intended to insult the veteran but felt a need to set the historical record straight. He noted that a recent interview was edited by bloggers to create a false narrative of a rift between them.
The actor emphasized his status as a titled chief and elder, stating that derogatory remarks would be out of character. He explained that his original point focused on the technical definition of the Nigerian film industry. Similar to how Elozonam rejected marriage pressure after his friends’ divorces, Udokwu felt compelled to speak out when public perception began to warp the truth of his words.
”I mean Pete Edochie is a man I respect a lot in terms of his age in terms of his art history in terms of what he stands for and as on like myself yes a multiple titled chief and an elder I cannot say such derogatory thing about him but sometimes you need to keep some record straight right you know it gave concern to a lot of people really in the east,” the actor said.
Setting the Nollywood record straight
Udokwu addressed the debate regarding who pioneered the modern Nollywood era. He clarified that while Pete Edochie and others were active in television and theater earlier, the specific “Nollywood” film industry began later. He noted that he was part of the transition from NTA’s Checkmate to the groundbreaking film Living in Bondage.
The actor recalled a time when NTA was the only station available to Nigerians. He described the desertion of Lagos streets during Checkmate airings at 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. This historical context, he argued, was missing from the sensationalized clips shared by bloggers. Much like the case where Yemi Pratt cleared the air about her marriage and career, Udokwu used the platform to reclaim his narrative from online gossip.
”I made that clarity in that podcast and I said for instance myself I’m lucky that I became part of Nollywood the beginning of Nollywood but then I was ahead because I was doing Checkmate when Checkmate started there was no Nollywood,” he declared.
Confronting the death hoax
The interview also touched on a disturbing viral trend where Udokwu was reported dead. He described the experience as “terrible” and detailed how his children were the first to alert him. Scammers had reportedly photoshopped his head onto a body in a hospital bed to create a convincing but fake image.
Udokwu shared that his children, who grew up with his fame, were resilient in the face of the rumors. He credited their upbringing in public schools for their ability to handle the “undue attention” of celebrity life. Despite his initial anger and desire to involve the DSS or police, his children advised him to remain calm and ignore the falsehoods.
”What they did was go somewhere take my head and and put the neck on a on a on a on a a body in a hospital bed wow cut a different picture myself put there put there and wrote that thing,” the star noted.
