Bridget will soon host a seminar titled, “How to be a one-take wonder” to help aspiring TV stars reach their full potential. Find out what she had to say about life in the spotlight…
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, do you have to beautiful to be on TV?
(Laughs) Well, I think you need to be presentable beauty ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder – what I find beautiful isn’t something you’d necessarily find beautiful. I myself have never considered myself to be anything spectacular; I think I get a lot of help from my available glam squad. I don’t think it’s vitally important to be beautiful. What’s important is your personality and drive and if you’re able to articulate yourself in such a manner that’s suitable to the particular show you’re presenting. A pretty face will only get you that far so you definitely need something substantial to have a long lasting presenting career.
How crucial is it to be confident and brave as a presenter?
It’s extremely crucial for young kids or youth to believe in themselves and have some sort of bravery in this industry because there are many challenges that can test your self-confidence. You need all of those things because this is truly an industry where nothing is guaranteed – the pie has only five slices and there’s 20 of you who want the slice of that pie so you definitely need to have the guts to go for what you want and believe that you deserve it! At the seminar we’ll definitely be discussing the importance of confidence and bravery and how to use those two elements to your advantage as an up and coming presenter.
Who was your mentor when you first got into the industry and what’s one valuable lesson did you learn from him/her?
I’ve learned lessons from a few people but one person who’s taught me a lot is definitely my mother – she’s my number one mentor. She’s always instilled in me the importance of being true to myself and to always go for what I believe in.
I’ve also had people in the industry who have inspired me immensely; the likes of DJ Fresh and Gavin Watten (Director of SA Idols) who were the first people who suggested that I be on radio and TV. Basetsana Khumalo is also one of my greatest inspirations. She started off as Miss South Africa and now she’s one of SA’s most powerful business women whom I definitely aspire to be like.
So I have people who inspire me in different aspects of my life, I call them my cheerleading squad as they offer me so much support that I greatly appreciate.
Bridget Masinga will host and present a seminar on “How To Become a One-Take Wonder” in Durban on 23 March 2013. For details, please send your name and contact details to: [email protected] or call Songezo Gxalaba on 011 482 3580.
