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Media Personality Evelyn Obahor set a search for a UK based TV presenter of African Descent. Our interview with her gives us an insight about this new reality tv show called The Big Search.
Can you tell us briefly about your self?: I am a young woman from Croydon in the UK, who has a passion for the entertainment industry. I’ve done this all my life and i enjoy inspiring people throughout the work that I do.
How long have you been in the entertainment industry and what companies have you worked for?: Over 27 years, if we are to exclude my secondary school days.
You have a number of shows with your company FloodLight Broadcasting Network Ltd, can you briefly tell us a little about them?
There is the Justeve Show where i Interview celebrities and inspirational people , then there is Hey Lets Talk which is a talk show where we talk about relationship issues such as why men cheat, and why men can’t handle successful women, you know, those highly controversial relationship issues. Then of course there is The Big Search (The next African tv face) where i’m in search of a tv presenter of African Descent here in the UK.
Tell us more about THE BIG SEARCH reality show, and how you came up with the idea: Like i said, the Big Search is a reality show where I’m in search of a tv presenter of African Descent here in the UK. We hold auditions where the judges pick 12 finalist and send them into a house for a month to drill them in different areas of tv presenting. We task them in different areas of tv presenting such as News reading, Reporting and Talk-show hosting among others.
The winner gets to have his or her own show, a weekend away to an exotic resort as well as £1000 in cash. The idea came to me while watching one of the mainstream breakfast show some time ago. Without mentioning names, all the presenter did was sit and laugh her way through the whole show, which was annoying. Being a presenter myself, I thought she did a poor job and I thought to my self,our people have the talent and the flair to do these and ever better, but they are not give the chance, so i decided there and then to come up with a show where the mainstream media can use us as a reference. And i want to prove a point that we do have the presenters and we are just as good.
Having introduced this show in Nigeria, how successful was it? The show hasn’t been to Nigeria yet. it was first done here in the UK in 2000. We intend to make it a brand of its own and have plans to do the Canadian, America, Irish and Scottish Version as well as the Nigerian and African Version.
Introducing the big search in London, what do you hope to achieve? We are looking for a tv presenter that stands out,one we can show to the mainstream to prove that we have got what it takes because I know it is very difficult for Africans to break into the mainstream media and the media as a whole for that matter.
Every production has its up and down, what challenges are you expecting while shooting the big search: The first challenge is always funding, with money you can do a lot of things, apart from that are the regular filming challenges and we are able to overcome them.
How will you be rating contestants here in the UK and what is it for the winner: First and four most they must be themselves, they must have the passion and the flair for the job and of course the potential. We will then groom them from there. The winner get to present his or her own show, have a weekend away at a resort and £1000 prize money.
What are you aiming to achieve with the big search reality show this year?: Let young people have a platform to showcase their talent. From the last show, we discovered radio presenters, actors, directors and build the confidence of those who were lacking in confidence. One of our finalist is a presenter on Kakaki, the Breakfast show on AIT (African Independent Television), another one is now a film director, while the other contestant now work on a radio station.
What advice would you like to give all future applicants out there?: There is noting impossible, if you want to do it just go out there and do it, you will get turned down but that doesn’t mean you are not good enough. THE BIG SEARCH is like a school. Contestants will get to learn so much more.
Interview by Noellin Imoh
Photos by Evelyn Obahor
A MONTH in a house and the winner gets £1000? The losers get nothing. Is this a very late April Fool joke?
It’s such a great dream you got, i feel the same too, because Africans need to stand out in all our endeavor. God bless you for helping us.
£1000 & an exotic resort. Really????
I’d be happy with just the £1000 as a former winner of the big search.