LAGOS, Nigeria — Chude Jideonwo, the host of the talk show #WithChude and chair of the Fourthmainland Creator Fund, has said that a period of intense criticism on social media in 2017 became the foundation for his later work in media and mental health advocacy, according to his new memoir, How Depression Saved My Life.
In the book, which was released in January and is now listed among Amazon’s Top 100 bestsellers, Jideonwo recounts how he spent three consecutive days trending on Twitter, now known as X, following criticism linked to his involvement in Nigeria’s 2015 elections.
He describes the episode as a turning point that reshaped his professional direction.
A Period of Public Criticism
Jideonwo writes that he awoke one morning in 2017 to find himself at the centre of widespread online attacks.
The criticism, he says, intensified after he wrote an article for an international publication analysing why African youth supported older political leaders, which was later misinterpreted on social media.
In the memoir, he recalls attempting to respond to critics online, despite later advising against such actions.
“The more I tweeted, the more the backlash,” he writes.
By the third day of sustained criticism, he says, the emotional strain became overwhelming.
“I lost it. I broke down in tears,” he writes.
Turning to New Perspectives
Jideonwo says that during that period, he came across a YouTube interview featuring the researcher Brené Brown, who spoke about criticism, courage and vulnerability.
That experience, he writes, marked a shift in how he understood public scrutiny and personal resilience.
“That moment,” he says, “completely changed my life.”
He adds that it helped him develop a deeper appreciation for empathy, emotional honesty and openness.
The Birth of #WithChude
In the memoir, Jideonwo writes that the encounter inspired him to create a platform that could offer comfort and perspective to others facing personal challenges.
He describes making a promise to himself to build a space where people could feel supported during difficult periods in their lives. That commitment later became #WithChude, a talk show known for personal and reflective interviews.
As he writes in the book: “One day, someone will go on the internet to find comfort when all is falling apart around them… and they will know they are not alone.”
The programme has since become one of the most widely watched talk shows in Africa, focusing on conversations about personal struggles, healing and mental health.
Book Release and Launch Events
How Depression Saved My Life traces how Jideonwo’s experience of public rejection redirected his work toward promoting emotional wellbeing and personal growth.
The book is available in bookstores nationwide, on Amazon and on Kindle, according to the publisher. It is also accessible through the website book.withchude.com.
The second part of the book’s two-part launch is scheduled to hold in Lagos on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, organisers said, continuing a series of events marking the publication.
Jideonwo’s memoir connects his experience of online criticism in 2017 with his later efforts to create platforms focused on empathy, vulnerability and mental health, themes that remain central to his work today.
