After 8-year break, Genevieve Nnaji lands major role in BBC’s ‘Wahala’

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By Enitan Abdultawab

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After nearly eight years away from acting, veteran Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji is making a major return to the screen with a lead role in BBC Studios’ upcoming thriller series, Wahala.

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The celebrated actress, whose last on-screen appearance came in the 2018 movie Lionheart, will star in the six-part drama adaptation of Wahala, a novel written by BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Theresa Ikoko.

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Produced by BBC Studios through its Firebird Pictures division, the series is expected to air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.

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The production also features a star-studded cast including Adelayo Adedayo, Deborah Ayorinde, Cush Jumbo and Susan Wokoma.

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Adapted from ‘Wahala’ by author Nikki May, the thriller follows the lives of four Nigerian-British women in London as buried secrets, complicated friendships and disturbing memories begin to unravel.

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Reacting to her return to acting, Nnaji described the project as both exciting and deeply engaging.

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“I’m very happy to be joining Wahala and to be working with such a brilliant team. It’s an intriguing story, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” she said.

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Executive producer Elizabeth Kilgarriff also expressed confidence in the series, describing the cast lineup as exceptional.

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“We are so proud to be announcing our incredible cast for Wahala and can’t wait to see them breathe life into these wonderful characters,” she stated.

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Nnaji’s return is already generating excitement among fans, especially after years away from acting following her directorial debut in Lionheart, which became one of Nigeria’s most talked-about films globally.

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