Reactions to My Cook-a-Thon Challenge Broke Me,. Confesses Chef Dammy

Nigerian chef Damilola Adeparusi, widely known as Chef Dammy, has opened up about the deep emotional scars left by her widely publicised cook-a-thon challenge, admitting that the overwhelming reactions she faced at the time nearly broke her.

In a candid conversation, Chef Dammy said the online backlash and bullying that trailed her 2023 cook-a-thon attempt left her traumatized. “If you had asked me this question two years ago or a year ago, I might be crying. But now I’m happy I can talk about this without crying,” she recalled. “I was bullied, I was assaulted. I was broken. Social media broke me.”

The Ekiti-born chef explained that the intensity of the public reactions caught her off guard, as she never expected the challenge to gain so much attention.

According to her, the pressure reached a point where she questioned her faith. “There was a time in my life I was even telling God, ‘Can this wait a bit? Can I at least forget some things?’ I felt overwhelmed,” she said.

Chef Dammy also revealed that her participation in the challenge was so sudden that even her parents were unaware until it went viral online. “I didn’t even tell my parents about it; they just saw me. I was shocked to see myself on social media,” she added.

Despite the negativity she endured, Chef Dammy is now choosing to focus on healing and rebuilding. She has since enrolled at the Hospitality Business School in Lagos, where she is undergoing formal culinary training to sharpen her skills and redefine her career path.

Her story, which began as a bold attempt to enter the record books, has become a reflection of both the power and peril of internet fame. From enduring cyberbullying to rediscovering her strength, Chef Dammy now hopes her experience can serve as a lesson on resilience in the face of online hostility.