I couldn’t finish form 1 – Nana Ama McBrown opens up about her school dropout story

Actress and television icon Nana Ama McBrown has opened up about a deeply personal chapter of her life—dropping out of secondary school due to unpaid fees and the emotional toll it took on her.

In a candid chat on TV3’s New Day with Berla Mundi, McBrown revealed that her formal education ended before she could complete her first year in secondary school.

“I started at Prince of Peace Girls Secondary, but I couldn’t finish Form 1,” she shared. “I didn’t pay my school fees and I was so embarrassed. I just felt like, this is not me. Let me step out.”

McBrown’s voice carried both strength and vulnerability as she recalled how classmates would look at her anytime a teacher entered the room. “Everybody will turn and look at me because they know I’m going home,” she said. “That time, we were young, so we couldn’t think it would be well. I just felt like it’s a disgrace.”

Despite the setback, the United Showbiz host didn’t allow the shame to define her. She later admitted herself into the College of Business Studies just to save face—even though she knew deep down the certificate wouldn’t change much for her career.

“I enroled in College of Business Studies, Bella, knowing that I would not need that certificate for anything,” she confessed. “But people were just asking that question—‘why are you not in school?’—and I felt embarrassed.”