This archive report was first published on 26 June 2020.
Comedian JB Masanduku Opens Up About Losing BBC Radio Job ¶
Comedian JB Masanduku has spoken out about losing his lucrative radio host job at BBC in 2017 due to his struggles with alcoholism.
Speaking in the second episode of his show 'Jack in the Box' hosted with his wife Jackie Karanja, a karaoke host, Masanduku revealed that he was unable to keep his radio job at the station as he was struggling with the bottle.
According to Masanduku, he was making up to Kshs. 300,000 per hour at the job, but his struggles with alcoholism led to him missing shows and eventually losing his job.
He narrated that one day, he was supposed to host Njugush, but instead of going to work, he had one drink, and then the next and before he knew it, he had missed the show.
Despite his attempts to salvage his job, Masanduku devised a plan to get a medical doctor to give him a leg cast which would demonstrate a supposed injury to the leg. However, his plan was foiled when he was still sent packing.
He joked that even if he came to work in an ambulance, he would not be taken seriously, and that his drinking would be the end of him.
Masanduku has had a 3-year long battle with alcoholism that ended up costing him his marriage to Tina Kaggia, his finances and the lucrative job at BBC.
He admitted that he later went to BBC and admitted that he was inebriated, which is why he couldn't show up to work.
He concluded by saying that if he could get another opportunity like that, he would.
