The search for the next Miss Malaika queen has begun with the unveiling of 20 contestants. The 20 finalists were selected from over 1000 ladies who auditioned for the beauty contest after going through rigorous phases of auditions.

There will be weekly evictions for a period of seven weeks to reduce the number to 10 contestants for the grand finale at a yet-to-be-announced date.

The 20 contestants are Lilian Agyeman Sarfo, Fareeda Habib, Pristine Adzo Agbozo, Comfort Reina Amoah, Precious Nyaniba Elliam, Ellen Addai, Bridgette Glover, Christiana Bervlyn Anim, Lady Nana Yaa Nyarko and Charlotte Mawusi Gokah.

The others are Naa Adjorkor Koney; a 19-year-old student of the University of Ghana School of Law, Betty Deborah Buwi of Ghana Institute of Journalism, Freda Mawutor Denteh, Enyam Adwoa Dzandu, both of University of Ghana.

Esmeralda-Elsie Gyamera-Tawiah; a model, Kimberly Akornortey; a 22-year-old accounting student of Legon, Naa Markai, Amy-Danielle Aboa, a 19-year-old graduate of SOS HGIC. Fortune Akua Agyeman; a 22-year-old model and graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Marian Darko, a 21-year-old student of University of Ghana.

Miss Malaika Ghana is a beauty pageant, reality show which first aired in Ghana in 2003. The show is produced by Charter House Productions.

The programme is shown every Sunday on GhOne TV and Lifestyle (LS) Tv at 7pm, DGN (repeats on Wednesdays 7pm) at 8pm, Joy Prime and GTV at 8:30pm, Mx24, TV Africa and Metro TV at 9pm.

Zakiya Ahmed is the reigning Miss Malaika with other past winners being Thelma Tawiah (2013), Eirene Binabiba (2014), Kuukua Korsah (2015), Leah Brown (2016), Pearl Nyarko (2017), Mariam Owusu-Poku (2018) and Phylis Vesta Boison (2019).

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

I won’t trade my family for anything

—Naa Ashorkor

By Gifty Owusu-Amoah

Well known media personality and actress, Naa Ashorkor, is certainly living a life that many young people her age can only dream of.

Naa has a fruitful media career spanning over a decade, a reputable status as an accomplished actress and successfully running her own April Communications Company. The Perfect Picture actress portrays herself as a very ambitious woman who would work at anything to get to the highest point of her chosen field.

 Naa Ashorkor, who is in her early 30s, portrays loads of ‘can do spirit’ and seems to win at every project she embarks on. The mother of two disclosed that she always weighed her choices on the sustainability of her family.

Speaking in an interview with Graphic Showbiz last Tuesday, Naa Ashorkor, who is now the co-host on TV3 New Day show, said her family came first in any decision she took.

“I don’t think there’s ever anything that will be more valuable to me than the family God has given me—my husband and children.

“Not even all the wealth and riches are worth sacrificing the wellbeing of my family for. Everyone that knows me very well can testify that when it comes to Naa Ashorkor, it is family first.

“Yes, I am an ambitious young lady who is working very hard to get to the top of my chosen field but I can confidently say that if there comes a time that these pursuits will jeopardise my family or I would have to exchange them for whatever I’m looking at achieving, I will back out.

“Nothing, and I repeat nothing, is absolutely worth more than my family, including all the money in this world,” she said.

Naa Ashorkor and her husband, Ahuma Cabutey Adodoadji, got married in 2014. The couple welcomed their first child in 2017.

While Naa Ashorkor commends their respective families and friends for not putting pressure on them at the time, she, however cautioned people to desist from the practice of demanding children from couples right after marriage.