Kehinde Bankole (born: 27 March 1985; age: 39 years old) is a top Nigerian actress, singer, TV presenter, event host, brand influencer, entrepreneur, and culture and youth enthusiast. She is best known for her roles in movies like October 1 (2014), Super Story (2005), and Blood Sisters (2022). Kehinde is not married nor does she have children.
Kehinde’s journey into stardom is mainly as a result of her acting career. She remains one of the most versatile actors in Nigeria and her roles cut across playing different characters. Over the years, she has played recurring, side, and series regular characters. For these, she has won several awards for excellence and recognition for her movies. Here is all to know about her private life and fame.
Kehinde Bankole’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Kehinde Babatunde Bankole
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 27 March 1985
- Kehinde Bankole’s Age: 39 years old
- Ethnicity: Yoruba
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Single
- Kehinde Bankole’s Parents: Architect Babatunde Olalekan Bankole (Father), Titilayo Agnes Adufe Bankole (Mother)
- Siblings: Taiwo Bankole, Oyinlola Olarenwaju, Oluwasegun Bankole, Dotun Bankole, and Folarin Bankole
- Kehinde Bankole’s Height in Inches: 5 foot 8 inches
- Her Height in Centimetres: 175cm
- Kehinde’s Weight: Estimated as 63-70kg
- Kehinde Bankole’s Net worth: Estimated at $500,000- $1 Million
- Famous for: Acting, Modeling, and Singing
- kehinde Bankole’s Instagram: @_Kehindebankole
- Twitter: @_kehindebankole
- Facebook: Kehinde Bankole
- Education: Adeniyi Jones Primary School, Tunwase Primary School, Ikeja; Baptist Girls College in Idiaba; Abeokuta. Government College Agege, Lagos; Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye Ogun State.
Kehinde Bankole is a Native of Ogun State
Kehinde Bankole is from Egba in Abeokuta, Ogun State, but has lived most of her life in Lagos State. She was born on 27 March 1985 alongside her twin sister to a family of six. The family was initially made up of eight children but two died along the way.
Her father was Architect Babatunde Olalekan Bankole who was born on 1 April in the 1900s. Her mother was Titilayo Agnes Adufe Bankole an administrative secretary. Kehinde lost her father to the cold hands of death on January 15, 2018, and later also lost her mother.
With respect to her education, the actress attended Adeniyi Jones primary school and then later transferred to Tunwase primary school in Ikeja. Afterward, she went through Baptist Girls College in Idiaba, Abeokuta before she returned to Lagos to complete her O’level at Government College Agege.
Kehinde Bankole is a graduate of Mass Communication from Ogun State University, also known as Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. Prior to this, she had initially applied to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan, but did not secure an admission.
Who is Kehinde Bankole’s Twin?
Kehinde Bankole was born alongside her twin, Taiwo Bankole. The actress and her sister are fraternal twins but share some close features such as facial shape and diastema.
Taiwo is not as famous as her sister but had an acting career. In fact, she started acting before Kehinde and it was her who encouraged her sister to audition for a role. Kehinde’s twin played a role in Super Story where Sola Sobowale played the role of her step mother.
She later left the acting scene and is currently a successful event planner, businesswoman, and brand influencer. The event planner is the founder of the event and planning consultation firm, Strictly Events. She also founded Drink ‘r’ Us liquid icing, mobile bar cocktails and dessert, and she is also the head of Chapmanners Cocktails.
Through this career, Taiwo Bankole has worked on the set of many movies planning parties for films. She also planned the premier of Mide Martins‘ film, Abike. Through this work, she became widely known in event business.
The gap-toothed former actress also planned the events of notable Nigerians such as Moji Olaiya as well as planned the chieftaincy title installation ceremony for Chief Kesington Adebutu.
The 39 Year-Old Kehinde Bankole Started Her Rise to Fame at MBGN Pageantry
It was during her study years at the university that the actress started trying out modeling jobs while shuffling Ogun State and Lagos. She tried out for Miss Commonwealth in 2003 and made it to the top 5.
In 2004 when the actress was about 19 years of age, she contested at Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria pageantry. In the competition, she finished as one of the top 10 beautiful women.
She Made Her Acting Debut in Wale Adenuga’s This Life Series
Kehinde got rooted as a model but after a while, she got to know about a Wale Adenuga’s production drama series This Life audition from her twin. She then decided to audition and interestingly, she got accepted for a role in the drama series. This marked the beginning of of her career in acting.
At the earliest phase of her career, the Ogun State native played minor roles in films and TV series. The on-screen diva also took the path of stage acting. In 2012, she worked on Wole Oguntokun’s Yoruba play called Itan Oginintin which took place at the London Globe to Globe Shakespeare Festival 2012. She played the role of Oya.
For her role in the play and also to ensure that she succeeds in her career, she had to learn the art of improving her singing, dancing, and her drumming skills from the National Theatre. She learned the art under a tutor named Ayanbola so that she will be fitting into roles involving aerobics.
Other plays she has been in are Iyolade of Eti which has been named one of the best stage acts in Africa. The play was a Utopia Threatre play where she played the lead role on its UK tour.
Some of Kehinde’s Movies and TV Series That Have Contributed to Her Fame
Kehinde Bankole acted the role of a villain called Caro in the series titled One Bad Apple in 2005 in one of Nigeria’s most famous TV series, Super Story. She played the role alongside other casts like Wale Adebayo and Grace Amah. The soap series caught the attention of many and drew Kehinde straight into the fast-rising actress’ league.
While she may have played several other roles along the line, one of the most notable films is October 1 (2014). The widely acclaimed psychological thriller movie produced by Kunle Afolayan featured Kehinde Bankole as village teacher ‘Miss Tawa’. She received an award for Best Actress (drama) for her role in October 1 at the 2015 Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards (AMVCA).
More into some of her best roles, the actress announced one of her biggest career moves in the industry in 2021. She was to play a lead role in the biopic of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti.
Kehinde Bankole’s role encompassed her character as the matriarch of the Kuti dynasty and mother of Afrobeat Legend Fela Kuti. Furthermore, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was as well an educator, women’s rights activist, and Nigeria’s first female political leader.
The movie co-stars the likes of Joke Silva playing Funmillayo Kuti in her old age together with Keppy Ekpenyong, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami, Ibrahim Suleiman, Omowunmi Dada, Bukky Ogunote and Dele Odule amongst others. The movie was filmed in Kehinde’s hometown, Egba in Abeokuta Ogun State, and directed by Bolanle Austen Peters.
List of Kehinde Bankole’s Movies and TV Series
- Rebirth (2022)
- Finding Hubby (2022)
- The Set Up (2022)
- Sista (2022)
- Blood Sisters (2022)
- Country Hard (2021)
- Love Castle (2021)
- Prophetess (2021)
- The Cleanser (2021)
- Listening Ears (2021)
- Lugard (2021)
- Crossroads (2020)
- Abeke (2020)
- Mama Drama (2020)
- The New Normal (2020)
- Tainted Canvas (2020)
- Dear Affy (2020)
- Midnight (2019)
- Ojo Atisun (2019)
- No Budget (2018)
- Wives on Strike (2018)
- Bachelor’s Eve (2018)
- A Taste of Phobia (2018)
- Dance to my Beat (2017)
- Dream House (2017)
- Alakada Reloaded (2017)
- Lasgidi Cops (2016)
- Wives on strike (2016)
- Dinner (2016)
- Beyond Blood (2015)
- Desperate Housewives Africa (2015)
- Render to Caesar 2014
- The Awakening (2013)
- The Meeting (2013)
- Two Brides and a Baby (2011)
- Elerin Eye (2009)
- Tales of Eve: Girls Only (2012)
- 8Bars and a Clef (2015)
Kehinde Bankole’s Awards and Nominations
- Exquisite lady of the year award ELOY 2014 as tv actress of the year
- Bes t Actress English Category at City People Awards 2021
- AMVCA Nomination Best Actress in a Drama for Dear Affy 2022
- Best of the year NMBA 2014
- Nigerian Entertainment Award actress of the year 2015
- NEA Nominees Supporting Actress in the film- Wives on Strike
- Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/drama series 2017
- The revelation of the Year for Best of Nollywood Award for Elerin Eye (2009)
Kehinde Bankole is Also Into Music and Has Produced a Soundtrack For Papa Ajasco
Kehinde Bankole is into music. She belongs to a group called Rave which consists of her and a group member called Jazmyn. In 2015, they released an RnB gospel song called Other Side.
Additionally, the actress produces soundtracks. She has produced and sang for Yoruba movies like Basiratu Baseje produced by Becky Adeoye, and the popular home comedy, Papa Ajasco where she also played the role of Miss Pepeye.
She sang other drama series soundtracks like Binta & Friends and Super Story.
She is Also an Events Host
Basking in the fast rise of her career, Kehinde Bankole has hosted a chain of events and has now becomes a frequent call-up for events hosting. Some of her earliest hosting gigs were on Television shows like The African Kitchen Cooking Show, and The Soul Sisters Show which is a family talk show that she produced.
Among many, she has anchored shows for Goldberg Nigeria and launched an event for Infinix Nigeria as well as Nissan Nigeria. In 2009, she signed an ambassadorship deal as the face of Lux Beauty in Nigeria alongside two others after Genevieve Nnaji’s reign as the face of Lux. Furthermore, she was also involved in voicing the Lux theme song with Cobhams Asuquo.
The Actress is An Entrepreneur
As an entrepreneur, she is in partnership with an unnamed company to import clothes and hair for sale in Nigeria.
It may come as a shock to many that Kehinde Bankole is also into agriculture and plantation farming. She is a pineapple farmer and usually acquires land in partnership with an interested party. She then cultivate and sell the farm produce, andshares the gain with her partners.
She Owns a Jewelry Line
In May 2019, Kehinde Bankole announced that her jewelry line, The Kenny Bank Collection was to be launched. The brand is working in partnership with Gbenga Artsmith, a handcraft jeweler in Lagos whose products have been featured in movies like The Wedding Party, a 2016 movie directed by Kemi Adetiba.
Who is Kehinde Bankole Dating and Does She Have a Child?
39 years old Kehinde has never gotten married and does not have a child. Despite this, the actress is still linked to a number of people and colleagues in the industry.
A lot of speculation has come up as to who the man in her life is at one point or another. Here’s a list and other details to know about the men she has been linked to.
She was Rumoured to Have Dated Wole Ojo
Her alleged relationship with Wole Ojo is the most popular among her supposed romance circle with her colleagues. Fueling the situation further, Wole Ojo has severally used endearments to refer to her on his Instagram posts.
The supposed couple has also kept silent about the truth of the relationship. When asked about it, Kehinde Bankole gave the standard no-comment response.
The supposed couple has acted in a number of movies as Abeke (2020), Midnight (2019), and Bachelor’s Eve (2018).
Kehinde Bankole Reportedly Had a “Sex for Role” Relationship with Kunle Afolayan
In association with October 1, Kehinde has been accused of sleeping with producers and directors such as Kunle Afolayan for movie roles.
To this, both actors publicly came out to refute the harsh claims. Kunle further claims to have not encountered any actress that offered to sleep with him for any role.
She Allegedly Had an Affair With Actor Enyinna Nwigwe
After the 2021 movie Dear Affy featured Kehinde Bankole and Enyinna Nwigwe as a couple, rumors that they were in a relationship began to make the rounds.
Despite the rumor surrounding them, both stars went about posting intimate pictures that seemed to further fuel the speculation. They have, however, chosen not to make any comments about the rumors.
There Were Rumors of a Wedding Between Kehinde and Tope Tedela
Tope Tedela is one of the oldest actors she has been associated with. The rumor mill over their relationship started as far back as around 2015 when the duo walked on stage with locked hands to present an award at the AMVCA in 2015.
They further cracked marriage jokes that got the crowd abuzz to a possible impending union between the colleagues. Kehinde and Tope have come out to refute all speculation going around over a possible relationship claiming they are only colleagues and nothing more.