UK: Inside Munya Chawawa’s rise to stardom after being bullied as a child and growing up in Zimbabwe

By Daily Mail  UK

LONDON: Munya Chawawa showcased his baking skills at the Celebrity Bake Off tent on March 17 for the Stand Up To Cancer special.

Presenters Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding welcomed 20 stars to the tent for the Stand Up To Cancer special, where their efforts will be judged by Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue Leith.

Munya, who was competing with Mel B, Oti Mabuse, Rhod Gilbert and Danny Dyer for the coveted baker title, has had a long road to stardom.

From his childhood during the unrest in Zimbabwe to his cruel taunts at school, his journey to internet stardom was a very special one.

Munya Chawawa was born in the chilly East Midlands town of Derby and welcomed into the world on December 29, 1992.

He is best known for his viral comedy sketches in which he pokes fun at both celebrities and politicians.

As a child, Munya imagined entire worlds and battle scenes every morning, inspired by the toys hanging from his ceiling.

His performing career began early, as the comedian regularly put on three-hour performances full of ventriloquism, breakdancing and singing for his grandparents and parents.

Munya jokingly described himself as a “triple threat” and told the Guardian: “I owe my journey as an entertainer 100% to my uncle and my grandfather.”

“We went to my grandparents’ house on a Friday and my Uncle Doug came with a barrage of jokes.”

But at the tender age of four, Munya was uprooted when his family returned to Zimbabwe.

But thanks to his sporting and academic nature – and what he describes as the “shiny newness” of British childhood – Munya was very popular at his new school.

With extremely strict parents at home, the comedy rapper felt like he was leading a double life as a squeaky-clean head boy and class joker.

In a conversation with Patta in 2020, Munya said: “I tell people I’m Zimbabwean because, you know, when you just connect so deeply with a place?”

“Growing up in Zimbabwe, the people are so positive and so happy that you really believe you can do anything.”

When did Munya Chawawa return to England?

But the actor’s happy school life soon collapsed when he was forced to return to England due to the political unrest sparked by authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe.

Munya recalled the “culture shock” of moving to the Norfolk village of Framingham Pigot, explaining that while being smart was a sign of popularity in Zimbabwe, it upset his British classmates.

Unfortunately, the comedian explained that he is often reprimanded by other students for being willing to answer questions and is labelled a “boffin.”

He added: “I didn’t even know what ‘Boffin’ meant. It sounded like something you could catch at a Quidditch match.’

Although the bullies did not physically harm the young actor, they slowly weakened his confidence and self-esteem.

As an example of how they would get into his psyche, Munya recalled: “I had to have surgery to remove my appendix and while I was in the hospital we had a substitute teacher who asked why I wasn’t in school, and this.” Boys in my class said, “Munya smokes weed; he is a trader.’

The comedian detailed how he was punished by his colleagues for being a go-getter who was proud of his heritage, recounting an incident where the bullies even soaked a wooden hippopotamus – which he had made to protect him to remember his country – in glue.

Through his pain, he found creativity by writing poetry and rap verses about his struggles – and eventually speaking publicly.

As head boy, Munya found his rhythm again, hosting breakdancing competitions during lunch breaks and fist-bumping seventh-grade students on the way to class.

What did Munya Chawawa do?

According to The Sun, the comedian is now worth an estimated £1million and his fame is a far cry from his difficult school life.

The former Sheffield University psychology student shot to fame after making fun of a video of Jamie Oliver making jerk rice.

After Munya uploaded the parody video titled “Jonny Oliver,” he gained over a hundred new followers.

To get the attention of TV agents, the comedian was determined to reach 30,000 on Instagram and regularly posted two skits a week.

Munya quickly had well over 30,000 – and then more followers than all the presenters at 4Music – and secured a job.

The new role was short-lived as the channel changed and he was fired after just a week.

Despite the setbacks, Munya created parody drill rapper Unknown P and experienced astronomical success during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

He described the posh drill rapper character as “a nod to the appropriation and misappropriation of black culture that often occurs in Western societies.”

After his 2019 freestyle “Fire in The Booth” and a barrage of parodic news skits, Munya signed with Atlantic Records and later released his debut single Piers Morgan.

His second single “Pain Au Chocolat” and his “Daily Duppy” freestyle earned him numerous views.

Munya has previously worked with fellow comics such as Mo Gilligan and Michael Dapaah and secured brand deals with companies such as Netflix and GiffGaff.

Beyond comedy, Munya has appeared in Celebrity MasterChef 2021 and as Choronzon in the Netflix series The Sandman.

However, the comedian felt he had truly made it when he faced none other than Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

“Sitting across from The Rock, it was definitely a sweaty moment for me because this is a guy I’ve watched my whole childhood,” he told the BBC.

“So many times I watched this man’s elbow land that I sat across from him and made a sketch on it.” [is incredible].’

He recently decided to explore his Zimbabwean origins in the BBC documentary Munya Chawawa: How To Survive A Dictator.

The actor explained why he took on the challenge, saying he wanted to get “some closure” about why he “had to go to a place that felt like paradise.”

Munya brought his own twist to the hard-hitting documentary, saying it was the first show in history “to explain dictatorships with R&B.”

Munya will appear alongside a host of stars on The Great Celebrity Bake Off: Stand Up To Cancer special on March 17.