Carissa Cupido has certainly hit the ground running. She’s gone from winning the TLC presenter search competition just a year ago to becoming the voice and host on TLC Entertainment Africa.
Chatting to Carissa — who has her own show on TLC called 'This is Life with Carissa' — the Capetonian radio and television presenter said she is excited about her recent move to Joburg.
Talking about the new talk show, Thando Bares All, which Carissa will be co-hosting with media personality and businesswoman Thando Thabethe, Carissa says working alongside Thando is “mind blowing”.
“I’m such a huge fan of Thando and now to consider her a colleague is so mind blowing”.
“She is one of the best broadcasters in South Africa; it was only a matter of time before she reaches the height that she has reached right now.
“I was pleased to hear that I would be working alongside Thando. She’s an industry great. She is so effortless. It was really easy to kind of bounce off to her.
“Of course, having the radio background allowed us to have easier banter and it was such an incredible experience.”
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Offering insight into her own show, This is Life with Carissa, she gave insight into how it differed from Thando Bares All.
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“Thando Bares All is kind of straight talking, a little bit sassy, edgy talk show which is really cool, while This is Life with Carissa is like more like a clip-based show.
“It’s just me being a presenter in the studio, breathing a story together of real-life people going through something really intense, like a family going through some life-changing moment.
“We’re already through the four-part series, which is really exciting and, already, the response has been immense. I just want to show people that these real-life moments happen and there are real stories of resilience, stories of hope and that remind us of our humanity.
Carissa Cupido. Picture: Supplied
“The world is in such a weird place right now that we often need to reminded of
what’s important.”
With all of this on her plate, how does she juggle everything?
“It’s such an interesting one because in the career that I’m in, it’s so important to live a very balanced life.
“I try to do things that bring me joy, whether it’s surrounding myself with loved ones or eating meals that are wholesome and good for me or exercising or reading, just taking time off the pace of social media, and being in media in general, is very important for me and it helps me stay grounded as well.”
Carissa Cupido. Picture: Supplied
If she’s not working, what does she do to unwind?
A glass of wine really helps ... I’m not going to lie. .. so, like I was saying, I try doing things that bring me peace and happiness, so whether it’s sharing a glass of wine with my partner or just spending time with people who really mean a lot to me, people who are outside of the industry, just to remind myself of the value ... also to realise that my work and my achievements are not me.
“They are just things that I’ve done and to really remember who I am outside all of that; that’s really important to me.”
* This is Life with Carissa airs Thursdays on TLC DSTV (Channel 135).
* Thando Bares All will air on TLC Entertainment in 2018.