Kayode Damali

Kayode Damali, BSc, MPSA (born 27th March 1992) is a British Media Personality, Professional Speaker and Entrepreneur best known for starring on BBC One's flagship Programme, The Apprentice (2018), where he won the Favourite Reality TV Star of the Year at the 14th Annual Screen Nation Film & Television Awards in Mayfair, London (2019).
== Early life ==
Kayode was born on 27th March 1992 to British parents of Barbadian and Trinidadian descent, both of whom a Educational Psychologists. He was raised in Catford, Lewisham, South London and is the oldest of four siblings.
An avid Footballer growing up, Kayode played at Semi-Pro, District and County Levels whilst attending Forest Hill School (Forest Hill, London), which has bred many talented Footballers, such as Premier League and Champions League Winner, Joe Gomez (Professional Footballer for Liverpool Football Club).
== Education ==
Attending Shooters Hill Sixth Form College after Secondary School in 2008, Kayode got unsatisfactory results in his A-Levels and did not get into University.
Though after going through the UCAS Clearing Process, Kayode attended Manchester Metropolitan University in 2010, where he studied BSc (Hons) Psychology of Sport and Exercise. He attained a First Class Honours degree in 2013, achieving some of the highest marks the University had ever seen, despite him failing College three years prior.
Kayode was then invited to present his research at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) (2014), where he impressed academics from around the world and was then subsequently published in the Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research. He was then invited to the Conference the following year, in 2015, as their opening Keynote Speaker.
== Career ==
=== Vice president and governor ===
During his final year at University, Kayode ran in his Student Union Elections where he was victorious and won the position on Vice President of the Students' Union. He was responsible for organising the union activity in terms of the community, education, employability, sustainability, welfare, and other aspects of the student experience. This role also made him Deputy President, Trustee as well as Governor of Manchester Metropolitan University and was a Full-time position he undertook for a year.
=== Director ===
In addition to his position locally at University, Kayode was elected nationally at the National Union of Students Conference as a Director. In this role, he ensured the financial stability of the NUS, giving firm strategic direction to the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team, setting internal budgets, management goals and setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets. Further to his role as NUS Director, Kayode was elected by the board to also sit on the Nominations Committee, providing good governance in the recruitment for all Boards of the NUS Group.
=== Entrepreneur and host/presenter ===
After finishing both his positions in Office and following a stint of travelling, Kayode began his career as an Entrepreneur, where he achieved the accolade of being listed, entering straight into the Top 10 of the Richtopia "Top 100 Most Powerful Young Entrepreneurs in the World". Still continuing his Entrepreneurial ventures, Kayode is also a Professional Speaker, Host/Presenter and Media Personality.
== Media career ==
=== BBC generation 2015 ===
Kayode was chosen to be part of BBC Generation 2015, a cohort of 200 young voters (18 to 24 years old), drawn from across the UK, to contribute to national and regional BBC programming in the run-up to the General Election. Kayode appeared on live on national BBC television and radio stations across the UK.
=== BBC generation 2016 ===
Following the announcement of the 2016 EU Referendum by David Cameron, Kayode was invited back by the BBC to be part of Generation 2016. Kayode debated alongside many politicians, such as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, on various TV and Radio Stations. In a live television debate on BBC One in Glasgow, Kayode went viral, being described in the Press as the "smoothest talker on TV" after he invited Victoria Derbyshire to join him on a holiday to Europe, to which she politely declined.
=== Come Dine With Me 2017 ===
Kayode was approached to be on Come Dine With Me, where he finished last after clashing with a contestant for disrespecting his carrots.
=== BBC The Apprentice 2018 ===
==== BBC The Apprentice: You're Fired 2018 ====
==== BBC The Apprentice: Best Bits 2020 ====
Due to COVID-19, the usual BBC The Apprentice will not be taking place. However, Kayode has been rumoured to appear on a spin-off series called BBC The Apprentice: Best Bits.
=== Other ===
==== Good Morning Britain (2018) ====
On December 19th, 2019, Kayode appeared as a Celebrity Panellist on Good Morning Britain debating called "Has Militant Veganism Gone Too far?", where he clashed with Piers Morgan.
==== BBC Radio 5 Live: Twenties Takeover (2019) ====
After numerous Guest Appearance on the BBC Radio 5 Live, and in partnership with Huffington Post UK, Kayode was invited as a special guest presenter to host the show. He since then now been called a "Friend of the Show" by the regular BBC Radio 5 Live "Wake Up to Money" Presenter Sean Farrington.
====BBC Bitesize: Short Film (2019)====
Alongside other Social Media Influencers and YouTubers, such as Caspar Lee and Oli White, Kayode featured in short BBC Bitesize piece to help young people with CVs and Entrepreneurism.
==== BBC Bitesize: Motivation Monday (2020) ====
With COVID-19 shutting down schools, Kayode was brought in by BBC Bitesize, to create an online series called Motivation Monday, to help children and young people stay motivated.
== Personal life ==
Kayode is a Vegan. In December 2019, Kayode appeared on Good Morning Britain, where he clashed with Piers Morgan debating the subject, with Piers yelling at him "it's not your show!".
== Awards and honours ==
* 2013: Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Professional Passport
* 2017: Top 100 Most Powerful Young Entrepreneur in the World
* 2019: Member of the Global Speaking Federation (GSF)
* 2019: Professional Member of the Professional Speaking Association (PSA)
* 2019: Favourite Reality TV Star, at the 14th Annual Screen Nation Film & Television Awards, in Mayfair, London
== Publications ==
* Effects of a Motivational Video on Self-efficacy and Muscular Endurance (November 2014)
* Got a Minute? The Success Mixtape Vol. 1: Lyrics and Workbook (January 2018)
== Filmography ==
Year	Title 	Role
2015	BBC Generation 2015	Contestant
2016	BBC Generation 2016	Contestant
2017	Come Dine With Me 	Contestant
2018	BBC The Apprentice 	Contestant
==In the media==
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== References ==
==External links==
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* Kayode Damali on linkedin
* The Apprentice, Series 13 - Kayode Damali - BBC One
* The Apprentice candidates 2018 | Who is Kayode Damali
* Kayode Damali Speaker | Teen Speakers & Enterprise
* Kayode Damali BSc (Hons), MPSA Speaker Bio
Category:1992 births
Category:British media personalities
Category:British businesspeople
Category:British Entrepreneur
Category:British people
Category:Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University
Category:Bachelor's degrees