‘Once they cook for me, the relationship is over’ — Jim Iyke opens up about his campus dating lifestyle

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
Publication Date: August 21, 2026

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has offered a candid and humorous account of his dating life during his university years, revealing how his inability to cook became an unexpected factor in the relationships he had while on campus.

The veteran Nigerian actor said that during his university days, he relied heavily on women he was dating to prepare meals for him because he did not know how to cook.

According to Jim Iyke, however, there was a particular pattern to his campus relationships: once a woman learned how to cook for him, he would eventually end the relationship and move on to another partner.

His comments have attracted attention because of the unconventional way he described navigating relationships as a young student, while also acknowledging that his lifestyle was largely driven by his need for food.

GhanaWeb reported the actor’s remarks in an entertainment story published on Friday, August 21, 2026.

‘I didn’t know how to cook’

Reflecting on his university experience, Jim Iyke explained that cooking was one of the practical skills he lacked as a young man.

Rather than learning how to prepare his own meals, he said he found an alternative solution through his relationships.

His approach, as he described it, was simple: find someone who could cook.

The actor’s recollection presents a humorous picture of his campus lifestyle, but it also illustrates how young people can sometimes allow practical needs and convenience to influence their romantic relationships.

For Jim Iyke, food became an important part of the equation.

His unusual relationship strategy

The actor said his relationships often followed a predictable pattern.

Once a woman began preparing meals for him, he would enjoy the benefit of having someone cook for him. But, according to his own account, the relationship would eventually come to an end.

This is the basis for his striking statement:

“Once they cook for me, the relationship is over.”

The comment has generated reactions because of the bluntness with which he described his approach.

Rather than presenting his campus dating life as a series of serious long-term relationships, Jim Iyke’s account suggests that some of his relationships were relatively short-lived and influenced by his circumstances as a student.

‘I had different girlfriends’

Jim Iyke also acknowledged that he had multiple girlfriends during his university years.

His explanation was connected largely to his inability to cook and the practical realities of living as a student.

According to the actor, maintaining relationships with different women meant that he could move between partners and continue receiving help with meals.

The revelation has prompted discussion about the difference between youthful dating experiences and the expectations that come with mature relationships.

While Jim Iyke presented the story humorously, his comments also offer a glimpse into a period of his life before he became one of Nollywood’s most recognisable actors.

From campus life to Nollywood stardom

Jim Iyke has since built a long and successful career in the Nigerian film industry.

Known for his roles in numerous Nollywood productions, he has become one of the industry’s most recognisable actors and has developed a reputation for playing strong, complicated and often romantic characters.

His career has extended beyond acting into film production, entrepreneurship and other entertainment ventures.

The contrast between his current status as an established entertainer and the campus experience he described makes the story particularly interesting.

It offers fans an informal glimpse into the life of the actor before fame and commercial success transformed his circumstances.

A humorous reflection on youth

Jim Iyke’s account appears to have been shared largely in a light-hearted manner, allowing him to reflect on some of the unconventional choices he made as a young man.

Stories about university life often reveal a period when individuals are learning to become independent while simultaneously dealing with relationships, finances, education and everyday responsibilities.

In Jim Iyke’s case, cooking was one area where he admitted he had not developed the necessary independence.

Instead of viewing the situation purely as a problem, he found a way around it through his relationships.

His admission that he would end relationships once the women had cooked for him has consequently become the most memorable part of his recollection.

The relationship lesson behind the joke

Although the actor’s comments were delivered humorously, they also raise questions about the nature of relationships and expectations between partners.

A healthy relationship generally involves mutual care, responsibility and emotional investment rather than one person primarily benefiting from the other.

Jim Iyke was speaking about his younger years, however, and his comments should therefore be understood in the context of the lifestyle he says he lived as a university student.

The actor’s willingness to speak openly about that period has nevertheless given audiences an unusual look at the experiences that shaped him before he became a household name.

Jim Iyke looks back on a different chapter

For many fans, the story is less about the food itself and more about the contrast between Jim Iyke’s youthful campus lifestyle and his present-day position in the entertainment industry.

The actor has spent years in the public eye, with audiences becoming familiar with his professional achievements and on-screen persona.

His latest recollection provides a more personal and humorous glimpse into the man behind the celebrity image.

It also demonstrates how some of the experiences people have during their formative years can later become entertaining stories to share once they have moved into different stages of life.

For Jim Iyke, what began as a practical problem — not knowing how to cook — apparently became an unusual strategy for navigating campus relationships.

And judging by his own account, once the cooking started, the relationship clock was already ticking.

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