Nana Konadu speaks the ‘Hard Truth’
She has always wanted to do something that will impact society positively and today, Nana Akosua Asare Konadu presents The Hard Truth on Viasat 1.
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The Hard Truth, which is a 30-minutes programme airs on Fridays at 8pm. It has been on air for the past three years with ten seasons and 130 episodes. The show has given her the platform to talk with political leaders, Ministers of State and CEOs and it seeks to make leaders accountable to the people.
The story of how the whole show started is quite an interesting one as Nana Konadu narrated to Showbiz. “My late mum sent me to the bank to cash some money for her, I got there at 8.15 a.m. and after waiting for about five hours, a very rude lady came and said the machines were not working. She could have gone about it in a nice way because there were old folks who had come for their pension,” she said.
According to Nana Konadu, she did some thinking that same night and wanted to be a mouthpiece and the voice for the voiceless. She then came up with the idea for the programme and three years down the line, The Hard Truth has come to stay.
The show, which is to hold our leaders in check has had guests such as Albert Essien, former Group CEO, Ecobank Transnational, Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah, General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Armah Kofi Buah, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mr Smith Graham, Mrs Sheila Naa Boamah, Mr Franklin Cudjoe, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Mr Kweku Andoh-Awotwi, Rev Kwabena Opuni Frimpong and a host of others.
Feedback for The Hard Truth, Nana Konadu says, has been positive.
“Initially, people thought I was being too rude and too hard on my guests but with time, people have come to appreciate it and it’s been a very positive response so far,” she stated.
Touching on some of the challenges she goes through as host and producer of the programme, Nana Konadu said, “people wouldn’t want to associate themselves with a brand that tells the truth so getting sponsorship is a major challenge but thankfully, we have Ecobank as our main sponsors. Again, getting guests to appear on the show is also very challenging.”
As to what keeps her going as producer and presenter, Nana Konadu said, “it’s Ghana, I hope that we will wake up one day and everything will be in place, I will be one happy person.”
She disclosed that she has always wanted to be on TV, not for the fame but to positively impact society. For now, she believes the programme has come to stay and she would like to see it go international in the near future.
“I would like to see the show go international where I am going to talk to international guests. The show will impact the world, I hope our leaders give us answers so that we can take it to sub-Saharan Africa and the world at large. The future looks very bright,” she said.
Nana Konadu is the fourth of seven children born to Rev Samuel Asare Konadu, a Reverend Minister of the Church of Pentecost and the late Mrs Esther Asare Konadu.
She attended Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School in Kumasi, Pentecost University College where she acquired a degree in Human Resource Management and the Pinewood Studios in the UK for training in presenting.
She loves watching action movies and series and says she is the biggest fan of Bruno Mars when it comes to music. She got married to her sweetheart last weekend and describes him as gentle, calm and a very intelligent person.
Nana Konadu used the opportunity to thank her fans for watching The Hard Truth. “Thanks for your loyalty and support, I pray our leaders are accountable to the people, I want Ghana to be a better place. We are in an election year, we should try and have a violent-free elections. Finally, I pray that other corporate bodies will come and support The Hard Truth.”