Loose Woman Chizzy’s fascination with serial killers kept her awake at night

Actress Chizzy Akudolu, 46, plays Holby City’s surgeon Mo Effanga and is a regular Loose Women panellist. Back on telly in a new panel show this week, here she tells us in her own words about regrets and reinvention:

My motto in life is live for today, save for tomorrow.

It’s definitely had a strong significance during this pandemic. None of us could have expected what we’ve had to go through. I was working on a play and it got cut short by nine weeks.

Oh my gosh, I had no money coming in. So the motto works in a literal sense, but also figuratively. I believe in having fun and living in the moment, but holding a bit back to enjoy the next day. Don’t go to extremes. It’s how I’ve always lived my life.

The best piece of advice I’ve been given is not to worry about what the size is on the label.

When I was in Holby City there was a wonderful costume designer called Helen Ashley. I’d obsess over what size things were before trying them on and she’d cut the labels out before I could see.

She’d say it’s all about how it fits or looks. And she’s right. I love playing around with style. I love colour – I sometimes have purple braids in my hair – and I’m a big fan of a kimono. I have 15 in my wardrobe.

Life’s too short to get hung up on things like your body shape.

I have good days and bad weeks. I definitely feel more comfortable about my shape as I get older. Tight clothes aren’t for me and I’m fine with that. Is it that I’m more body confident? I think I’m actually in the ‘fake it to make it’ camp.

I gave up on things too easily when I was younger.

I played a lot of ice hockey at school, which I loved. But as soon as I finished, I just became lazy. I picked up karate in my early 20s and managed to get a brown belt. But then I stopped doing that, as well. Just because you aren’t the very best at something, doesn’t mean that you should quit.

But that was pretty much how I felt growing up. It changed when I started acting and found something I truly loved. I realised there would always be somebody better, and just got on with it.

I believe that you choose your own journey in life.

I guess I have some regrets when it comes to men – like every woman. I stayed in some relationships too long. I’m not blameless, of course. If you keep giving a guy a pass, he’ll take it. I’m happy enough living on my own now.

As a kid, I was naughty, naughty, naughty!

My uncle used to called me Dizzy Chizzy because I was so energetic, I’d run around the whole time. My full name is actually Chizoba, which means ‘God protect us’, but once he called me Chizzy, it just stuck.

I was basically the class clown, which I thought was great. When my mum read it in one of my school reports, she went nuts! My parents paid for me to go to private school.

She made it clear she didn’t work hard doing two jobs to pay for me to be the class clown. I’m still a bit naughty now.

I never thought I’d be an actor, I wanted to work in the FBI and catch serial killers.

I have such a fascination with people who commit murder and what makes them tick. I did a degree in criminology and would work on my dissertation at night, but would fill my head with crazy serial killers and not sleep properly! It probably wasn’t the best career for me.

My greatest love – or loves – in my life are my nieces.

I have to say that or they’ll kill me. I don’t have children of my own, so I adore all five of them. We hang out, dance and they teach me the latest street slang kids are using.

I never realised you could love so many different human beings at one time. Everything about them is so perfect – even their perfectly formed finger nails. It’s ridiculous.

My parents worked very hard to give me and my brothers and sisters everything we needed.

They also instilled respect in us – for them and our elders. They turned us all into decent human beings. Although I didn’t like the discipline growing up, I realise now they were looking out for us.

They divorced when I was 10, which was a difficult time. But they made a point of staying together in our home, under the same roof. It was important that we grew up together and stayed close. We weren’t the richest family but we were never short of love and food.

The secret behind my snapshot

I was inStrictly very, very briefly!

I was so gutted to get voted out of the show first. Pasha (Kovalev), my dance partner was amazing. When you get asked to go on a show like that, it’s like winning a golden ticket.

It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life, you just have to do it. I thought I was going to get really fit and slim – but that didn’t happen! I absolutely loved it. It was a shame afterwards, I struggled with a bout of depression. I have periods where I get down.

But I’m not afraid to talk about it. It happened again this year with the death of George Floyd. It sent me on a downward spiral and I had to come off social media for a month.

I couldn’t take what I was seeing and reading. It was horrific. I take antidepressants and have therapy still, and that helps keep me on an even keel.

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