Helen Paul (Born on May 1, 1983) is a 40 year-old Nigerian comedian, actor, On-Air Personality, singer, entertainer, entrepreneur, and academician with a net worth of $1 million.
Helen is one of Nigeria’s impeccable personalities and arguably the best comedian. She embodies beauty and when you hear her speak, you could tell that she personifies humor. For over a decade, Helen has been dazzling Nigerians with hilarious jokes but she is best known for co-presenting ‘Jara’ on DSTV’s African Magic channel and playing the radio character, Tatafo.
Summary of Helen Paul’s Bio
- Full name: Helen Eniola Omonitan Paul – Bamisile
- Nickname: Tatafo
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 1 May 1983
- Helen Paul’s Age: 40 years old
- Ethnicity: Yoruba
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Helen Paul’s Husband: Femi Bamisile
- Helen Paul’s Children: 4 (3 boys and 1 girl)
- Helen Paul’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 4 inches
- Helen Paul’s Net worth: $1 million
- Famous for: MTV’s Jara Show
- Helen Paul’s Instagram: @itshelenpaul
- Twitter: @itshelenpaul
- Facebook: Helen Paul
What is Helen Paul’s State of Origin?
Born on January 29, 1978, in the city of Lagos, Helen Eniola Omonitan Paul – Bamisile hails from Edo State. She is one of the many celebrities like Waje, Rema, and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who originates from the Southern Nigerian state. She was raised in Iju-Ishaga and Fadeyi in Lagos, by her mother and grandmother both of whom she described as disciplinarians.
At an early stage, Helen began her education, attending both primary and secondary schools in Lagos Nigeria. Immediately after finishing secondary school, the comedienne got admission to study Performing Arts at the University of Ilorin.
After obtaining her first degree, she went on to have three master’s degrees – a Master’s in Performing Arts from the University of Lagos, an MBA, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo State. Paul obtained her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate in Theatre Arts in 2010, 2012, and 2019 respectively.
As one who loves knowledge, and would stop at nothing to get it, Helen ensures she gains knowledge and possibly, qualifications on nearly everything that catches her interest. Added to her list of qualifications is a certification she obtained in Media Enterprise from the School of Media and Communications, Pan-African University; and a Basic Presentation Certificate from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.
Indeed, her sheer determination, resilience, and hard work have been her source of inspiration for academic success even when her dream of going to school was almost truncated.
Summary of Helen Paul’s Academic Qualifications
- BA degree in Theatre Arts (2010)
- Master’s in Theatre Arts (2012)
- PhD in Theatre (2019)
- Master’s in Business Administration (MBA)
- Master’s in Public Administration (MPA)
- Certification in Media Enterprise
- Basic Presentation certificate from Nigeria’s Federal Radio Corporation.
Helen Paul Started her Career in Several Media Houses
For someone with dreams of becoming a star since her childhood, Helen grew up willing to try her hands at any work that could possibly help her achieve her dreams. She had her first job as a receptionist at the Eko Reelmix Studio. She also was a backup singer and voice-over artist for several music projects with professional artists and music groups like Yinka Davies, Infinity, Olufunmi, and even P-Square.
As a matter of fact, Helen Paul had her first major breakthrough with P-Square’s Tell us a Story where she did an intro for the song. This, according to her, aided her emergence into the Nigerian music industry and even offered her more juicy jobs like recording radio jingles for companies and brands like Bank PHB, Indomie Noodles, Cowbell, Peak Milk, etc.
Joining the media sector, Helen started off as a freelance and full-time presenter at several media houses in Nigeria. She worked at Lagos Television (LTV 8), Continental Broadcasting Service (CBS), and M-Net (where she currently co-presents JARA on Africa Magic). Moreover, her comic role as Tatafo on Radio Continental 102.3FM, Wetin Dey brought her further to the limelight.
Her Foray into Comedy
Helen may not have known how well she could make people laugh and be paid well enough for it until she coincidentally found herself in the business. In the year she gained admission into the University of Lagos, she went for a show with her friends and when the MC did not show up, her friends who saw her as a funny character encouraged her to take the chance.
Helen heeded her friends’ advice and it was awesome. From there, she started receiving calls for shows. Her decision to stick to the business helped her meet the bigwigs in the comedy industry -the likes of Ali Baba and Basorge Tariah Jnr. who now enlightened her on the business part of the job. As a comedian, she is best known for mimicking people, satire and addressing serious societal issues.
Some of the notable events where Helen Paul has Performed include
- Performed at Julius Agwu’s Golden Jubilee Edition of “Break Ya Ribs” in London (2010) •
- Performed “Around evening time of 1000 and 1010 Laughs and Music” in Ghana (2009, 2010)
- Performed at the Nigerian Reunion in Orlando Florida, USA (2012 and 2011)
- Performed at the Lebara Mobile-supported Nigerian Comedy Show in the UK (2011)
- Performed at 1012 Laughs and Music” in Ghana (2012)
- Performs routinely at “AY Live”, a comedy and music show
- Performed at Night of a Thousand Laughs in Lagos, Abuja, and Calabar (2009)
- Performed at Night of 1000 Laughs (2013, 2014)
Helen Paul’s Career as a Singer and Actress
While it is not clear how Helen Paul found her way into the movie industry, her reasons may not be far-fetched as her career centers around the arts. The comedian has appeared in a number of films, including A Wish – a 2012 film where she took the lead role of a woman who battles cancer. She also played a supporting role in Alakada 2 (2014), and Akii The Blind (2014), but her appearance as Tunrayo in The Return of Jenifa (2011), could be her first film role.
Helen Paul’s Movies include
- The Return of Jenifa (2011)
- Damage – cameo role (2011)
- The Place, 2012
- The Place: Chronicle of the Book (2012)
- A Wish (2012)
- Osas (Omoge Benin) (2012)
- Igboya (2012)
- Alakada2 (2014)
- Abiodun Kogberebe, (2014)
- When Love Hapens (2014)
- Akii The Blind (2014)
- Mama Put
- Life Burial, 2015
- Alakada reloaded, in 2017
As a singer, Helen Paul released her debut album Welcome Party in 2012. Her music album contains Afro-Pop songs such as “Boju Boju”, “Vernacular”, “Gbedu”, and “God Forbid”, and an Afro RnB song she titled “Children of the World”. Added to her list of songs is “Use Calculator”, an enlightenment song about the menace of the HIV-AIDs epidemic.
Following the success of her album, Helen released some singles that include “Take It Back”. In 2018, she released the audio and visuals of her single titled “Never Knew”, an inspiring song about her developmental years and career progress.
Helen Paul’s Songs include:
- Boju Boju, 2012
- God Forbid, 2012
- Children of the World, 2012
- Use Calculator, 2012
- Gbedu, 2012
- Vernacular, 2012
- Take it Back, 2016
- Never Knew, 2018
Awards and Recognitions
Her success in the various career paths she has taken has helped her win a number of prestigious awards. The ace comedienne was recently honored with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement award in the United States of America (USA). She is also recognized as a professor at the Heart Bible International University (HBIU). This was an honor she received from the US-based university in 2022.
Other awards and honors are:
- City People Entertainment Magazine Award for New Female Comedian of the Year (2009)
- Life Changers Award (UK) as Best Comedian of the Year (2010)
- Rotaract Club Award • Outstanding Female Comedian of the Year (2011)
- City People Entertainment Magazine Award for Female Comedian of the Year (2011)
- Effizie Style and Effects Awards (Effizzie Magazine) for Comedienne of the Year (2012)
- Sacramento Productions for Children’s Entertainer of the Year (2012)
- Doyen – Naija Growing Green Media Dinner Award Recognition Award as Advocate/Ambassador of Peace and Unity for a Better and Greener Nigeria (2012)
- African Film Awards (Afro-Hollywood, UK) as Comedienne of the Year (2012)
- Exquisite Lady of the Year Award (Exquisite Magazine) as Female TV Presenter of the Year (2012)
- National Institute for Cultural Orientation Merit Award in Recognition of Support for Children’s Initiative (2012)
- Exquisite Lady of the Year Award (Nominated) for TV Presenter of the Year category (Jare, Africa Magic) (2014)
- Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards (NBMA) for Outstanding TV moderator (Female) (Entertainment/Talk Show) (2014)
- Exquisite Lady of the Year Award (Exquisite Magazine) for Female Comedian of the Year (2014)
- Nigerian International Songs Festival (NISOFES) Award as Best Gospel Singer of the Year
What is Helen Paul’s Net Worth?
Helen Paul’s net worth is estimated at $1 million. Helen is indeed a bundle of talent. Her love for the arts goes beyond standup comedy. She is an actress, presenter, academic, columnist, and entrepreneur and her net worth is, no doubt, generated from her various career engagements.
In summary, Helen Paul generated her net worth from career endeavors that include
- Radio/TV Presenter,
- Acting Career,
- Comedy
- Music,
- Show hosting
- Endorsement Deals
- Personal Businesses
How Much Did Helen Paul Make as a Presenter?
Being a presenter is one of the well-sought-after jobs almost in every modern society and Helen’s talent has seen her work in most of the well-known radio and TV stations in Nigeria. Although the comedienne is yet to reveal how much she earned while working with stations like LTV 8, CBS, and M-Net, her popular comic role as Tatafo on Radio Continental 102.3FM I believed to have earned her an enviable income.
Helen is also believed to have a huge amount of money from presenting shows like Jara- an M-net series. Further income should come from other similar jobs like MC and important shows for popular companies in Nigeria. Presenters like her are paid not lesser than N1 million. This amount is huge enough to help build her current net worth of $1 million.
How Much is Helen Paul Paid per Show as a Standup Comedienne?
Helen Paul has not given details of how much she receives as a standup comedian, but online sources mention her as among the highest-paid comedians in Nigeria. The likes of Ali Baba and AY who are largely considered the richest comedians in Nigeria charge between 1.5 to 2 million per show but Helen, like Basket mouth and Bovi, is believed to charge around $1 million per show. This is of course a huge plus to her financial income.
One of Helen’s most recent appearances as a comedian was at the Rhythm n Laughter with Jedi & friends which was held in the city of Laurel in Mississippi, USA. She was also in Los Angeles for a comedy special with Jedi. In 2022 also, she toured most of the UK cities
Music Also Contributes to Helen Paul’s Net Worth
Though not a full-blown musician, Helen Paul has not relented in showing off her talent as a musician and like the rest in the business of music-making, she makes money from online music streaming services like Boomplay, Deezer, and Apple music. These platforms pay a proportionate share of subscription revenue per month.
In 2021, the comedian released a new music video titled Aye Ole. The song which has its lyrics composed with a combination of English and Yoruba garnered over 32k views on her Youtube platform.
Her brand Endorsements
As one of the richest comedians in Nigeria, Helen also groomed her net worth through ambassadorial deals. Helen is one of the celebrities with many ambassadorial deals. She is well-known for Glo Nigeria – the country’s second-largest multinational telecommunications company. She signed a deal with the telecommunication company in 2014 and it yielded massive income for her.
Today, she has signed dozens of deals with companies in the country. In 2015, she was endorsed by Harpic. Subsequently, she became an ambassador to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the March 28, 2015, general elections. Also, she is an ambassador to Ajinomoto seasoning and GoTV.
Businesses Owned by Helen Paul
Helen Paul is not only a successful entertainer but also a successful entrepreneur who serves as a motivation and inspires young ladies all over the world. The entertainer has several businesses that help to build her net worth.
One of her many businesses is Massive Fabrics and Bridals, a wedding and fabric business she opened in Lagos, in 2012. The business has now grown into three additional boutiques in various regions of Lagos. One of her major fabric businesses is located at Davies Street, close to her alma mater, Unilag.
Helen Paul also owns a Theater and Film Academy, which she founded in 2014. The multi-million naira project is a dream come true for the comedienne having nurtured the ambition since childhood. Through it, Helen hopes to contribute her own quota to the development of the entertainment sector, and education in general.
Courses that will be offered in the institution include Cinematography, Acting, Video Editing, Photography, Dance, Basic Presentation, Costuming & Sewing, Hair Styling, Sound Engineering, and Graphics Design.
Also included in her complex is a dance studio, a makeup studio, a recording studio, a rehearsal studio, a photo studio, a mostly digital library, an editing studio, and a student hostel.