"God said He would take me back, clean me up, and place me on altars to preach His gospel," Tonto Dikeh says.

The Nigerian actress turned evangelist, Tonto Dikeh, said she "joined a cult" and once "worked with demons." She said this in Tanzania while speaking about her past.

The Nollywood actress spoke at the Women of Fire Prayer Conference hosted by Rose Shaboka. The event featured other prominent clerics, including Jerry Eze, Funke Adejumo, and Halida Allice, and drew a large congregation of worshippers from across the region.

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Ms Dikeh, who rose to fame in 2006 after she emerged from the reality television show 'The Next Movie Star', said that her life was characterised by darkness. "I dipped my hands in filth," she said.

Addressing the congregation, Ms Dikeh did not shy away from describing the depth of her past struggles.

"While trying to find my way in what I now see as a wicked world, I got deeply entangled in darkness, I joined a cult and worked closely with demons," she said.

According to her, those experiences shaped her understanding of spiritual warfare and ultimately pushed her towards a turning point.

Turning point

In December 2025, the 40-year-old actress said she had turned a new leaf after a viral testimony at Jerry Eze's Stream of Joy church.

She has since engaged in social media preachings and prayers and even conducted outdoor "deliverance sessions."

Before now, and aside from acting, the actress ventured into philanthropy and politics, including her role as a deputy governorship candidate in Rivers State in 2023.

In her recent sermon in Tanzania, Ms Dikeh told worshippers that her life changed following what she described as a divine encounter that redirected her path.

She added that she believes God restored her and gave her a new purpose.

"God said He would take me back, clean me up, and place me on altars to preach His gospel," she said.