Tonto Wigo Charity Dikeh-Churchill was born on 9 June 1985. Also known as Tonto Dike, she is a Nigerian actress, singer, and philanthropist. Dikeh hails from Rivers State and is of the Ikwerre tribe. Born into a family of seven, she lost her mother at the age of 3. Dikeh is the 3rd child out of her 5 siblings, and two siblings from her step-mother.
Dikeh studied Petrochemical Engineering in the prestigious Rivers State University of Science and Technology. However, it is her career in acting that has brought her fame and international recognition. In 2005, she competed against other contestants on a reality TV show called The Next Movie Star where she emerged as the first runner-up. Dikeh’s appearance on the show was as a means of getting closer to the “big time”, she says, and her start in the Nigerian movie industry came soon after.
According to her, she attained her breakthrough in the movie industry after her second movie Holy Cross, which saw more movie directors and producers, willing to cast her, which has led to her appearing in scores of movies since. Dikeh’s role in the movie Dirty Secret has generated controversy amongst Nigerians, due to the nude scenes contained in the movie. While some criticised her role for being untraditional and un-African, others said that Dikeh was merely being professional.
After enjoying acting in several movies, Dikeh decided to try her hand in music. She made her debut by releasing singles ‘Hi’ and ‘Itz Ova’ feat Snypa. While many lauded her effort, the songs were marred by controversy as critics especially questioned her vocal ability. Doubts were raised on whether her decision to try her hands on music was for the best. Nevertheless, the songs enjoyed steady airplay and massive downloads. Dikeh showed she was not a quitter with the release of a new single ‘Crazically fit’ featuring Terry G, who was also the producer, then Jeje and then some more. On 13 June 2014, Popstar D’banj, unveiled Dikeh under the artistes with his record label DB Records’ LEE family. She announced her departure from DB records in March 2015.
The prominent actress has won several awards including Best Actress at The Future Awards 2012, Best Actress in a supporting role at the BON Awards 2012, Exquisite Lady of the Year Awards 2013, Female Viewers Choice at the GIAMA AWARDS 2014, Most Fashionable Female celebrity at the Lagos fashion awards 2014, Most fashionable actress of the year at the Lagos Fashion Awards 2015, Best Actress at the Peace Ambassador Award 2016.
In August 2015 Tonto traditionally married Oladunni Churchill who is the nephew of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. In February 2016, she welcomed her first child, (Andre Omodayo Churchill).
Source: GhanaCelebrities.Com