Comedian Flaqo opens up on fame and mental health battles

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

Behind the laughter and a huge following on social media, comedian Erastus Ayieko Otieno, commonly known as Flaqo, was once quietly battling one of the darkest periods of his life. The content creator behind the viral multi‑character skits featuring Mama Otis, Baba Otis, Otis, Akoth, and Bakari, has opened up about the pressures of fame, an overwhelming workload and the end of his four-year relationship. In an interview with Nation Lifestyle, Flaqo says a breakup left him emotionally drained, forcing him to step back and confront his mental health.

You were among the first to build a career on social media, how has it really been like?

Digital media is still very new. We are literally the pioneers of whatever is happening. There is no book or manual telling people how to navigate this industry. We are the ones creating those manuals through our experiences. If there are books people will read in future about navigating the digital space, it is we who will write them because of what we are experiencing today. A lot of things catch you off guard. You make many decisions and many mistakes. The successful creators you see are learning through experience every single day.

How long has it taken you to understand the industry?

Over six years because everyone deals with things differently. I had to learn how to balance creativity and understand when to slow down and when to push harder. There is also the business side of content creation: financial mistakes, investments and many other lessons you only learn by going through them. It is not something anyone teaches you. You figure it out as you grow.

You sometimes disappear from social media. Is that intentional?

It is very intentional. But I don’t stop working. I still create content behind the scenes, and my YouTube still performs well. I step away because I need to take care of my mental health, work on my physical fitness and achieve personal goals. Real life and social media are completely different. There are things you have to take care of away from the cameras and away from the public. People become addicted to your fame and expect you to always be available, but that can become very dangerous if you don't create boundaries.

How do you know it's time to take a break?

You begin noticing changes. Your friendships change. The way people treat you changes. Your relatives start looking at you differently. You also attract people with bad intentions because of your success. If you are observant enough, you will notice there’s a lot of fake energy around you. You also realise you can’t maintain the same pace forever. The energy I had in 2020 isn't the same energy I have today. At some point, you have to slow down, reflect and grow.

There are also changes in the kind of brands you work with, your team, your manager, financial responsibilities and expectations from both family and the public.

The pressure becomes overwhelming before you learn how to manage it.

What’s the hidden emotional cost of fame?

To be honest, fame is a cloud of loneliness. It is a really cold space because very few people truly understand you. People see the fame, but they don’t understand what goes on inside your mind. They don’t take the time to understand what you are going through at each stage of your creativity.

Your characters [he does multi‑character skits like Mama Otis, Baba Otis, Otis, Akoth, and Bakari] are loved by many. Does the switching roles and playing many personalities affect you or challenge your mind?

The characters I play live inside me. There are Mama Otis, Mzee Bakari and many others. Each character has to grow and evolve.

Each character needs to be fed mentally. Sometimes, there is conflict between all these characters because they all demand attention.

It is like having different minds inside one body. If you don't balance them well, it becomes mentally exhausting. The character that isn't getting enough attention starts stressing you.

Are there points where this creative work became too overwhelming?

There was a time I was filming Baze for Safaricom. I was working very intensely.

I had to switch from one character to another within minutes while spending very long hours on set. Constantly changing personalities, emotions and moods eventually became depressing. It reached a point where I felt like I had completely lost myself.

You’ve grown into some of the creative industry’s success stories, does money truly bring happiness?

Not at all. People think once you have money, you can travel, enjoy financial freedom and solve all your problems. But whatever you're running away from eventually catches up with you.

At that point [at his lowest moment], I had already made money. I had completed the season. Financially, I was okay. But I was still extremely stressed because I had nobody I could talk to. That was the hardest part. Nobody understood me.

Did you seek help?

I tried many times to even reach out for help from famous people from other countries. I even reached out to Hollywood. I used to text Tyler Perry almost every day. I also texted Marlon Wayans, and he eventually replied in 2025. He told me to keep doing what I am doing and that I am doing well. That message gave me some energy when I felt like I was not doing it well.

What helped you recover?

Eventually, I had to figure things out on my own. Prayer helped, I think, because my mother prays for me. I tried going to peaceful environments, and that also helped. Talking to my dad helped.

Until today, that's one of the reasons I disappear online every once in a while.

I have experienced depression, so when people talk about mental health, I understand exactly what they are talking about.

Do romantic relationships affect your mental health?

I would say yes, especially when things went south with my ex-girlfriend and everyone was talking about us online. People could not understand why I had broken up with her. But I ended the relationship because our energy could no longer match. Trying to rebuild myself after that breakup also took a toll on me.

Was work partly responsible for the breakup?

Absolutely. My schedule is extremely busy, and I feel like I could not give the relationship enough time. I write, I act, and I handle post-production. I manage multiple social media platforms. Balancing all that with a relationship became very difficult. When I moved to Kisumu for five months to shoot a series that will air in 2027, we were apart the entire time. Looking back, I think the distance played a role. When I am working, I also prefer not having my partner around because my focus is entirely on work. That is why we were apart for five months.

My purpose is my biggest priority, and thus, I had to end the relationship. If I had to choose between my purpose and a relationship, I would choose my purpose every single time.

Are you single today?

I am single, and it’s because my schedule is packed.

When I am in a relationship, I like giving my partner my all, which is quite impossible now. I don't want to give someone breadcrumbs.

So, until I can fully commit, I have decided that I would rather stay single.

What message would you share with content creators battling mental health struggles?

It's okay not to be okay. If you can, talk to someone.

In my case, I felt like nobody understood me, so I had to find my own way through it.

One day, I would like to write a book so that someone going through what I experienced doesn't feel alone.

Men suffer silently because they are afraid of looking weak.

I am glad mental health conversations are finally happening openly. In the past, many people suffered in silence and ended up in very dark places. Now, at least, we are bringing those conversations into the light.

Reporting originally appeared via Nation Africa. Read the full source for additional context.