Govi, a stage name for Malik Lemuel, has discussed his biggest regret from his time on the Citizen TV series Machachari, which was canceled in 2019.
On Wednesday, February 3, he said in an interview that one of the worst mistakes he had made was to pass up other opportunities in favor of the Citizen TV show.
“I thought that by staying in Machachari I would make it big. I would get calls from Belgium, South Africa and even the UK, but I would decline. I regret that,” he intimated.
He would have wished to make Ksh 500,000 a month while playing Govi in Machachari, but that was not possible and hence left.
“It was hard to negotiate that amount because the show had other cast and crew members to pay and that’s why I came to a conclusion to leave,” the actor added.
Alongside Kamau Mbaya (Baha), Nungari Kang’ethe (Almasi), and others, the child stars were on the biggest TV show at the time.
Govi recalled how he suffered from anxiety after he left the show, with uncertainty enveloping his future as an actor.
“The fame I enjoyed had altered my perception about my life. Whenever I went out of the house people on the streets would ask me what had happened to the show and it would bother me,” he stated.
He added that his close friend Baha had at some point contemplated returning to the show.
The young actor stated that being a child star had made people stereotype them such that even at 21 years old, many of his fans still associate him with his child role.
Govi, who received his first TV paycheque at below five years in an advert, has begun his return to the screens with his first appearance in Kina show which aired in Maisha Magic on Tuesday, February 2.
