Charmaine Ayoku (born 11 April 2002), also known as Dexter in the Newsagent (stylized in all lowercase), is an English singer-songwriter. She became known through the EPs I Do Love a Good Sandwich (2021) and Fortune Cookie (2022) and released the mixtape Time Flies in 2025.
Early life Charmaine Ayoku was born on 11 April 2002, in South West London, England, and is of Nigerian descent. Her parents met in Nigeria, and her mother moved to London, but her father was unable to accompany her due to visa issues. Thus, the family frequently flew out of the country to visit her father on his farm in Lagos. Ayoku attended a majority-white private school on a bursary.
Career After being inspired by a Rex Orange County concert at the Koko, Ayoku began taking making music seriously during the COVID-19 pandemic and began uploading covers to SoundCloud of musicians such as Beabadobee and Joji. The music she put out then was entirely self-created on her phone. The name "Dexter", a name she found funny, came from a desire to hide the project from her family—they only found out after her song "Blue Sky" aired on BBC Radio 1. "In the Newsagent" was added later to distinguish her from the TV series Dexter. Ayoku released her debut project, the EP I Do Love A Good Sandwich, on 4 August 2021, and followed it up with Fortune Cookie the following year, which leaned more into dance-pop. She was initially meant to pursue a degree in art history at the University of Manchester, but, as her popularity grew, she pulled out three days before classes started.
In July 2025, Ayoku collaborated with Jim Legxacy on "Dexters Phone Call", a song from the latter's mixtape Black British Music (2025). She opened for him and also Blood Orange later that year. On 7 November, she released the mixtape Time Flies. It was written in the period after her father's death and contained themes of introspection and hope for the future.
Influences and artistry Ayoku is influenced by Rex Orange County, Solange Knowles, Clairo, early PinkPanthress, Imogen Heap, SZA, Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator. Ayoku had initially wanted to make UK garage music, but her bedroom pop sound developed after collaboration with her producer.
Discography Mixtapes Title Details Time Flies Released: 7 November 2025 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download
Extended plays Title Details I Do Love a Good Sandwich Released: 4 August 2021 Label: Common Knowledge Formats: Digital download Fortune Cookie Released: 30 September 2022 Label: AWAL, Rules the World Records Formats: Digital download
Singles Title Year Album "Good Time" 2020 rowspan="5" "In the Dark" "Same Way" "For U" "Maybe the Problem Is Me" 2021 "Blue Skies" I Do Love a Good Sandwich "Paper Cup/Different" 2022 rowspan="1" "Pressure" Fortune Cookie "Closing the Door on Us" 2023 rowspan="4" "The Way/A While Now" "More to me" "Someone to you" 2024 "With u" 2025 Time Flies "Special" "Eighteen" "I told ya" "Fantasy" 2026 rowspan="1"
Guest appearances + List of guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Other performer(s) Album "trespass coat" 2024 Niko B Dog Eat Dog Food World "dexter's phone call" 2025 Jim Legxacy Black British Music (2025)
References