{"id":151533,"date":"2025-09-21T17:06:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T17:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/151533\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T17:06:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T17:06:12","slug":"former-celebrity-lives-of-lost-tribe-leaders-living-in-uk-woods-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/151533\/","title":{"rendered":"Former celebrity lives of &#8216;lost tribe&#8217; leaders living in UK woods revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A married couple running a self-styled &#8216;African tribe&#8217; in Scotland were former celebrities who tried to break into the UK showbiz industry while posing with celebs<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Eviction-Notice-To-Be-Served-On-Self-styled-King-Atehene-And-Entourage-Camped-In-The-Scottish-Bord.jpeg\" alt=\"Kofi Offeh chewing on a twig\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Kofi Offeh previously tried to break into the UK showbiz industry but is now known as King Atehene(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">A former celebrity has swapped the glitz and glam for life in a &#8220;lost <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/remote-tribes\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">tribe<\/a>&#8221; living in the woods in the UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">A self-styled &#8220;African tribe&#8221; living in the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/scotland\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scottish<\/a> woodlands shocked the public after it was revealed a <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/missing-waitress-found-living-scottish-35870517\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">missing American waitress<\/a> fled Texas to join the &#8220;Kingdom of Kubala&#8221; with her one-year-old daughter. The &#8220;tribe&#8221; say they are from an African royal dynasty who set out to reclaim land &#8220;stolen&#8221; from their ancestors. The group is led by married couple <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/chief-uk-african-tribe-gives-35894689\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Kofi Offeh<\/a> and Jean Gasho &#8211; who call themselves King Atehene and Queen Nandi &#8211; but the pair once led very different lives.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Former-celebrity-lives-of-lost-tribe-leaders-living-in-UK-woods-revealed.jpg\" alt=\"Kofi Offeh pictured with TV chef Ainsley Harriott\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Kofi Offeh pictured with TV chef Ainsley Harriott(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Before claiming to be the true rulers of <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/scotland\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scotland<\/a>, Offeh and Gasho tried to make a name for themselves in the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">world<\/a> of UK showbiz. Offeh, a opera tenor, shared pictures of him meeting famous TV chef <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/ainsley-harriott\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ainsley Harriott<\/a> and singer Beverley Knight. The singer even took pictures of himself meeting former <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/chelsea-fc\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Chelsea<\/a> and Real Madrid footballer Michael Essien.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Gasho, from Zimbabwe, was a nurse and published a book about a teenage boy living in Scotland after his mum died. The couple, in 2017, had organised a black-tie awards ceremony in London.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1_Former-celebrity-lives-of-lost-tribe-leaders-living-in-UK-woods-revealed.jpg\" alt=\"Kofi Offeh pictured with singer Beverley Knight\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Kofi Offeh pictured with singer Beverley Knight(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">In 2014, Offeh was seen performing Puccini\u2019s Nessun Dorma at the Black Entertainment, Film, Fashion, Television and Sports Awards. <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/queen-lost-tribe-living-uk-35826691\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Gasho<\/a> recalled how she felt hearing his performance that evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">She said: &#8220;As I entered the auditorium, behold a beautiful dark-skinned man with a voice of an angel started to sing. My eyes started to well up because I had never heard such a healing voice. I cried as he sang. I cried because his voice spoke to me. Like he was singing just for ME.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">The pair became a couple just a few months after that performance and continued their attempts to break into the world of entertainment.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Meet-the-King-of-a-tribal-community-in-Scotland-who-claims-to-be-the-Messiah.jpg\" alt=\"King Atehehe being offered Irn Bru and Shortbread\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>An &#8216;African tribe&#8217; was set up in the woods in Scotland(Image: Katielee Arrowsmith \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">The couple appeared to leave their <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/3am\/\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">showbiz<\/a> dreams behind as it was revealed last month they moved to Scotland to run an &#8220;African tribe&#8221;. Their space has faced troubles recently after a court order said their encampment should be removed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Offeh, after the order was issued at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, said: &#8220;The creator of the heavens and the Earth is the one with us. And we are not afraid of whatever the court \u2013 the so-called court \u2013 has granted.&#8221; The &#8220;tribe&#8221; has since been served with another eviction notice after they moved to a new site in the Scottish Borders.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Kingdom-of-Kubala-court-case.jpg\" alt=\"Members of the tribe\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>The self-styled &#8216;African tribe&#8217; has faced eviction notices(Image: PA)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">Offeh previously said he was &#8220;not afraid&#8221; of the warrant for their eviction, adding: &#8220;Let them do their worst.&#8221; Gasho had said the group are unafraid of jail, saying: &#8220;We\u2019ve already been to jail for loving our children, do you think chains frighten us?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\" publication=\"mirror\">The &#8220;King&#8221; these days is seen chewing on twigs while being attended to by his female companions in the &#8220;tribe&#8221;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A married couple running a self-styled &#8216;African tribe&#8217; in Scotland were former celebrities who tried to break into&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":151534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[6491,96,69565,200,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-151533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-remote-tribes","tag-scotland","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}