Hermes Chibueze Iyele, a former contestant on Big Brother Naija, has opened up about the impact of his mother’s absence during his upbringing and how it affected his adult life.
During an appearance on The Nancy Isime Show alongside fellow reality star Phyna, Hermes shared that his father single-handedly raised him and his siblings but always emphasized that they should never harbor hatred towards their mother.
The reality star revealed that not having his mother around had a significant impact on him. He expressed how heartbroken he felt when he saw other students’ mothers attending parent-teacher association meetings while his own mother was absent.
Hermes shared, “One significant thing I think affected me a lot was not having my mum around. Many people assume that because of the love I showed in searching for my mum when she went missing from a psychiatric center, she was present in my life. But no, she was absent throughout my entire life.”
He described how he longed for his mother’s presence, especially during school events when he saw other children with their mothers. He believed that if his mother had been present, he would have had more friends and a different experience. However, that was not the reality he faced.
Despite this, Hermes acknowledged the silver lining in his life, which was his father. He credited his father for raising him and his siblings exceptionally well. He shared the story of how his father, despite the challenges, took care of the family and worked hard to ensure their education.
Hermes expressed that he felt attacked during a discussion in the Big Brother house when someone claimed that men could not take care of children as well as women. He strongly disagreed, as his father’s dedication and sacrifices were a testament to the fact that men could be outstanding caregivers.