‘Aunty Joke was one of the reasons I schooled at the University of Lagos’ – Helen Paul

In a chat with Punch, Helen said: “I’ve always known and admired them, though as a screen couple that I love, admire, and respect so much. I never expected that I would get to meet them in person one day. Funnily enough, Aunty Joke was one of the reasons I schooled at the University of Lagos. You know she speaks so eloquently. Her diction fascinated me as a much younger person back then and I told myself that I had to attend the school she graduated from. She is an inspiration to me.

“Aunty and Uncle Jacobs are wonderful people who are mentors to me. Their lives as individuals and as a couple are exemplary. I’ve met them at some events before and I’m amazed by how they carry on as a couple. I’ve observed that marriage is not a hindrance to their work. It is rather an icing on the cake for their careers. Sometimes, you see both of them in a movie and sometimes you don’t. It must simply mean that they have no set rules about marriage.

“There are some couples who believe that if one gets a role in a movie, the other also should since they’re both seasoned actors. So, when they’re together in a movie, they interpret their roles the way a professional should and when they’re not together, the other person is either holding the home-front or on the set of another movie. And they’ve carried on like this for many years without any squabbles.”