Cross Okonkwo cried as his bride walked down the aisle, and the moment went out live on television. The Big Brother Naija star married Chinonso in Abuja on 25 April 2026, in a white wedding broadcast on the DStv Wedding Channel, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar among the guests.
Third time lucky
Cross, born Ikechukwu Sunday Okonkwo and from Oba in Anambra State, made the top six of Big Brother Naija’s sixth season, Shine Ya Eye, in 2021. Chinonso, née Onyebuchi, is a digital creator and fashion entrepreneur who has worked as a fintech consultant.
“We met as friends. We tried, but it didn’t work,” Cross told The Will Downtown. They tried again, and “for the third time, it worked.” His friend and fellow housemate Pere Egbi later wrote that Cross had told him from the start that he would marry her.
Proposal, isi agu and Ikoyi
Cross proposed on the evening of 30 September 2025. Liquorose was there and shared the clips, and Erica Nlewedim joined on FaceTime. Their Igbo traditional wedding followed in December, with the couple first in isi agu and later in purple and lilac.
On 23 February 2026 they held their civil wedding at the Ikoyi Registry in Lagos. Cross described the feeling after the traditional wedding as “finally, at last”, and called Chinonso “my best friend”.
A white wedding on TV
The final ceremony took place on 25 April 2026 at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Durumi, Abuja, followed by a reception in the city. Atiku Abubakar, who calls Cross his godson, came straight from an opposition summit in Ibadan.
BBNaija stars including Mercy Eke, Erica Nlewedim, Liquorose, Neo Akpofure, Saga, Ilebaye and Sheggz filled the guest list, and a video of Cross in tears at the altar trended for days.