Adelle Onyango opens up on toxic work environment, warnings against getting pregnant

Celebrated media personality Adelle Onyango has been in the limelight for more than 10 years. Despite the laughs shared with listeners on Kiss FM with her former co-presenter Shaffie Weru, the situation was far from perfect.

From being warned against getting pregnant to being shouted at, Adelle had no choice but to eventually quit the job.

“I remember my first radio show I initially had a producer who once walked into the studio –in front of the guest I was interviewing – threw a few F-words at me, telling me how bad I was. I continued the show in tears,” said the former Kiss FM presenter.

Adelle called her mother while sobbing afterwards and was advised it was just a job that should not define her. On the day her mother passed away, Adelle was threatened with a warning letter. 

This is because she had failed to brief the presenter filling in for her about a certain commercial campaign. With the death of a parent the same day, that trivial detail would be the last thing on everybody’s mind.

“I watched over the 10 years colleagues getting treated cruelly, women being WARNED against getting pregnant (happened to me right before my wedding because how will you be kept relevant during maternity leave?)” said the Legally Clueless podcaster.

According to Adelle, some colleagues coped with alcohol while others became suicidal. The pressure started mounting and Adelle constantly fell ill.

“You’d be made to feel so guilty for being sick that you’d come back to work without fully healing. Once I had a scratchy voice for a month, my doctor told me my voice box was scarred as it wasn’t getting a chance to heal," revealed the media personality. 

Adelle started believing she had low immunity because she was always sick. Towards the end of her time in traditional media, Adelle’s anxiety was so bad that she started getting panic attacks.

She was constantly being told, “If you don’t do ABCD you will get fired”.

However, after quitting her job and starting the Legally Clueless Podcast, she has never had a common cold in a year. Moreover, she has only lost her voice once. 

“I’m the most alive I have felt in a long time and the universe rewarded my courage with its CHWEST” the award-winning radio presenter happily reveals.

Despite the advantages of starting the Legally Clueless podcast, Adelle reveals that it’s not all rosy.

However, the peace of mind and happiness is much better than struggling under the pressure of constant threats in the highly toxic work environment