Durban - Terence Pillay is usually telling us what to think, when he’s on air at East Coast Radio, but come November he’ll be on the telly, telling us what to eat.
Pillay will host Food for Living on Glow, DStv channel 167, from November 9.
The 10 short, sharp episodes look at the amount of sugar the average South African consumes.
Each week, one person will share a dish that is then unpacked in terms of its nutritional value, a celebrity chef then helps that person recreate that dish in a more healthy manner.
“Diabetes is on the rise in South Africa and Pick n Pay wanted to address the issue in a user-friendly manner. We don’t labour the point, but we empower people by showing them they can eat what they like, by simply tweaking their recipes. It’s about effecting a lifestyle change,” says Pillay.
But how exactly did he go from telling us how to fry our bacon on Sundays, to hosting a cooking programme?
Pillay’s career is an interesting one.
He was among a batch of high achievers who attended the University of Durban-Westville in the tumultuous ’80s and even at that stage was on campus radio.
“It was called Audwax,” he muses. “Back then all I wanted to do was act and be on TV.
“When I graduated, I formed a production company with Julie Laurenz and Victoria Stevens which really broadened my perspective.
“Oddly, there weren’t many Durban production companies at the time, and as we were a one-stop shop, we got a great deal of work.
“We would often have to travel to Johannesburg to pitch ideas, but this was great because it helped us gain credibility in both cities.”
During this time, Pillay wrote numerous columns for print media such as The Mercury and the Sunday Tribune.
“When Victoria moved overseas we split. Julie formed Nguni TV and I began Pillay Media.”
It was during this time that he began appearing on the Wednesday breakfast show on East Coast Radio.
He most recently began a Monday 9pm talk show on the station, which addresses cutting-edge adult topics.
He is known for telling it like it is, proving he can go beyond the tv columns and address more hard-hitting content.
Last year, he and Laurenz joined forces again and became Pillay/Laurenz Media and Communications.
“Julie has worked on programmes such as CheckPoint for eNCA and has won CNN Africa Journalist of the Year.
“She is a force to be reckoned with in her own right and an absolute asset to Food for Living.
“Others who make the show fabulous are the knowledgeable chefs who come on each week. Among them are Shaun Munro of the Southern Sun Elangeni and Maharani; Dean Uren of Fairmont Zimbali Lodge; MasterChef SA runner-up, Siphokazi Mdlankomo; and Sandren Govender of Suncoast Towers.”
Pillay, who was initially approached by the channel for a talk show, said he hoped the show evolved into something more, because local content added another dimension to viewing.
Daily News