Ghanaian comedian Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Funny Face, says he now considers himself a mental health ambassador following his mental health struggles between 2022 and 2024.

Speaking on Primetime on May 20, he said his personal experiences had taught him valuable lessons, which he continues to build on as he positions himself as an advocate for mental health awareness.

“Now I’m a mental health ambassador. I’ve learnt, relearned, and that’s a field I want to fully enter into. I’ve read and studied about it,” he said.

The children’s entertainer stressed that mental health issues require urgent attention, particularly among young people in Ghana, noting that some individuals resort to drug abuse as a coping mechanism. He claimed the issue is particularly prevalent among women.

“People are going through serious depression, and depression is the gateway to mental health struggles. If you add drugs to it, you’ll go to another level. This is what I’ve been through, so I want to start my Senior High School tour on mental health and ‘Say No to Drugs’. The youth are into drugs now, especially women,” he said.

He added that if mental health challenges are not addressed early, the country could face a more serious crisis in the coming years.

“If we don’t curb it now from the beginning, in the next 10 years, you’ll be shocked about the mental health cases you’ll see,” he warned.

Funny Face also addressed misconceptions about the cause of his struggles, dismissing claims that his mental health challenges began after his wife left him.

“People are misinterpreting it to look like I went crazy because my wife with big buttocks left me, but it was because of my daughters. I built my whole world around them. No human being should make something the centre of their attraction to the point they cannot survive without it. When she took my daughters away, I lost everything psychologically,” he explained.

He further reflected on difficult moments during his illness, including an incident in which he knocked down five people with his vehicle and had to shoulder their medical expenses.

“God did a miraculous job for me, because I wasn’t working at the time, but somehow I paid this huge bill. They used to go for weekly reviews,” he said.

“You can imagine catering for five people, and every week they bring hospital bills when they go for reviews. I finished paying this year.”

The comedian expressed gratitude to individuals such as former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan and actor Kwaku Manu for supporting him during his lowest moments.

“Big ups to Asamoah Gyan. He noticed something was off, but he sacrificed himself. I’m so happy for him,” he said.

He also recalled how Kwaku Manu supported him by helping him reunite with his children during his treatment.

“When I first went to Korle-Bu Psychiatric, Kwaku Manu asked what would make me okay, and I said I wanted to see my daughters. He brought them from Kumasi so I could see them,” he said.

However, he noted that some relationships deteriorated during his struggles, adding that he has since apologised to individuals he previously spoke against while unwell, including Emmanuel Adebayor, Bola Ray and Fadda Dickson.

Reflecting on his lowest moments, he also alleged mistreatment by police following a misunderstanding with an individual.

“I argued with somebody and the person reported me to the police. They came to my house and beat me up. These are people who used to come home for money and food. I thought they were friends,” he said.

With his recovery journey now behind him, Funny Face says he is focused on using his experience to inspire others and promote mental health awareness among young people.