"I prefer to have an ugly face and brains..." - Afia Schwarzenegger

Radio and TV personality,

A few weeks ago, an old photograph of Afia -- not as refined and attractive as her current looks -- surfaced on social media and immediately went viral, attracting a lot of uncomplimentary comments about her not-so-appealing past and her contrasting manicured new look.

“I’m not pretty but very proud of who I am. I’m not Miss Ghana to have good looks; I am a comedian for crying out loud and I am proud of what I have achieved with my ugly face,” Afia responded sarcastically to her critics during an interview with Graphic Showbiz on Tuesday (July 21).

Nonetheless, the original star of the popular Afia Schwarzenegger TV series is unperturbed by the derogatory remarks about her looks, but rather speaks of the joy and fulfilment she draws from being “happily married with lovely kids plus a lucrative job that pays well.

“I prefer to have an ugly face and brains than to have a pretty face with no brains. I know a lot of pretty young ladies who sleep with men for money because they don’t use their God-given brains to work, but I am blessed to have a sharp brain.

“At my age and considering what I have achieved, am I now going to worry about my looks?” she asked.

To Afia Schwarzenegger real name Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, good looks appeal more to young ladies who are desperate to get married but not very essential for a mature and ambitious person such as her.

Throwing more light about her old, derided photograph that went viral last month, the radio presenter admitted uploading the picture herself in appreciation of how far God had brought her from relative obscurity to a life of fame and influence.

“I posted the picture because I wanted the whole world to know how far God has brought me. This is a woman who nearly committed suicide and I am here today making it big,” she said with pride.

This year alone, she had made three major career moves, quitting Ayekoo, her drive time programme at Happy FM in March for a new role as host of Kokooko, a popular 30-minute evening talk show with a large following on UTV where she engages her viewers on a wide range of social issues.

Barely three months ago, she made another big move to Kasapa FM where she hosts a mid-morning programme, "Aben Wo Ha".

Despite her relative successes at Happy FM and UTV, Afia admits her new experience at Kasapa FM, is challenging because people expect a lot from her and she always has to deal with the pressure to succeed and exceed the expectation of her loyal listeners.

Afia says she expects to return to the screens of UTV very soon with a repackaged "Kokooko".

Beyond her work in the media, the actress is nursing an ambition to pursue a Degree in Law at GIMPA very soon to complement her Degree in Aviation she was awarded at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.