Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has revealed that he always seeks explicit consent from his female colleagues before performing romantic scenes, particularly when the actresses are married.

The actor explained that setting clear professional boundaries helps ensure mutual respect and prevents discomfort on set.

His comments come amid rumours linking him romantically with actress and reality television star Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, popularly known as BamBam, following their roles in the film Love in Every Word.

Arukwe dismissed the speculation as baseless, stressing that their relationship was strictly professional.

The actor noted that he met BamBam for the first time while filming the movie, although he had previously known her from her time on the reality show Big Brother Naija.

“Shooting part one of ‘Love in Every Word’ was the first time I was seeing BamBam. Of course, I watched her during her BBN days,” he told BBC News Igbo.

He explained that before filming any intimate scene, he usually discusses boundaries with his female co-stars to ensure that no one feels uncomfortable.

“What I often do before filming starts is meet my female colleague and ask, ‘How far is too far for you? If I touch you in certain places, would your husband be angry?’ I ask this because I do not want to go beyond the bounds of decency,” Arukwe said.

Addressing the rumours of a romantic relationship with BamBam, the actor insisted that the claims were entirely false and were merely a by-product of their convincing on-screen chemistry.

“That movie was the first time I had ever met her. But people started saying we slept together and were dating, which was completely false,” he added.

The speculation intensified shortly after the release of the film produced by actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli, where Arukwe and BamBam played romantic leads and earned the on-screen nicknames “Odogwu” and “Achalugo”.

Arukwe also expressed concern about a more serious rumour which alleged that he had impregnated the actress. According to him, the claim prompted him to publicly debunk the story because of its potential impact on BamBam’s marriage to singer and reality star Tope Adenibuyan, popularly known as Teddy A.

“This is not my first time acting in romantic movies, but the one that got to me was when they said I impregnated a lady. That was when I came out to debunk it because the person was spreading a false narrative.

“It was not really a matter of concern to me because all those claims were lies. I was worried for BamBam and Teddy A, actually, but I knew they would eventually grow past it,” he said.

The actor added that this was not the first time he had been romantically linked to a co-star, recalling that similar rumours once circulated about him and actress Bimbo Ademoye.

Despite the recurring speculation, Arukwe said such rumours would never deter him from delivering convincing performances on screen.

“It is just work, and we have to do what we have to do. If you give me Aunty Shaffy (Shaffy Bello) now or Mo Abudu, my job is to make sure it is believable,” he said.

The actor further emphasised that his approach is guided by professionalism and respect, noting that clear communication helps maintain trust among cast members while ensuring that boundaries are not crossed. (Channels)