Katleho takes Hollywood

Katleho Sinivasan. Picture: Supplied

Katleho Sinivasan. Picture: Supplied

Published May 10, 2017

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It’s been just three months since Katleho Sinivasan was crowned winner of E! Host Africa, but the newbie has already interviewed big celebrities, hosted a red carpet and gets to call Zuri Hall a friend.

He recently jetted back into South Africa after a stint in Los Angeles that saw him working alongside fellow E! hosts and even interviewing Pretty Little Liars star, Sasha Pieterse.

“All I wanted to do was just stay in Los Angeles, it is such an amazing city. 

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I did not know that going to LA to the E! studios and interacting with the other hosts and even interviewing someone was included in the prize package, it was a complete surprise for me, a surprise I absolutely loved,” he said.

Ultimate #SquadGoals. Don't miss the premiere of my show E! Host South Africa: Destination Hollywood on 14 May, 8.55pm CAT @iamcattsadler @thejasonkennedy @zurihall 😎😎😎

A post shared by Katleho Sinivasan (@kat_sinivasan) on May 5, 2017 at 7:44am PDT

“The last three months have definitely been a beautiful rollercoaster. I actually did not realise how big winning the E! Host Africa competition was until I got to Los Angeles. I think being surrounded by other E! Hosts, being in studio with them and interacting with them made the moment real,” he said.The new star was in LA to shoot a once off special episode of him joining E!, titled E! Host South Africa: Destination Hollywood. In this special, Sinivasan meets the E! News team, including Jason Kennedy, Catt Sadler and Zuri Hall who also introduces him to one of her favourite local hangouts where the two talk frankly about their individual journeys in the entertainment industry.

💣💣💣

A post shared by Katleho Sinivasan (@kat_sinivasan) on Apr 11, 2017 at 6:04pm PDT

“The hosts out in America are all celebrities in their own right so I was always trying to keep my cool. On the outside I looked very relaxed and composed but on the inside I was screaming, it was so exciting but I did not want to seem like a groupie. Instead I just kept watching their every move and drawing inspiration from them,” Sinivasan said.

Although Sinivasan had a presenting gig in the past and has also featured in local sitcom, My Perfect Family and drama series Mutual Friend, he said that nothing could have prepared him for a sit down interview with Sasha Pieterse. “I was taken aback by how humble and sweet she was, I honestly could not believe it, she was not even close to being a diva or difficult. 

She was incredible and I enjoyed chatting to her. She really has a great aura about her and I think for my first time, I did really great.”

On the differences between celebrity life in the States and South Africa, he said in the States it’s all about the craft.

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 “I think that one of the major differences is that in South Africa we are focussed on being a celebrity and not what we are famous for, our craft. Whereas in the States, I noticed from the people I interacted with and met, being a celebrity is secondary to their craft which is amazing. They don’t care about social media followers,” he said.

All the way up!! #KatTakesHollywood

A post shared by Katleho Sinivasan (@kat_sinivasan) on Apr 13, 2017 at 3:44pm PDT

Sinivasan will also be hosting his second red carpet at the upcoming South African Music Awards alongside Bonang Matheba. “I was very nervous while hosting the SAFTA’s red carpet, that experience showed me that I need to have my own style of presenting and I think that going forward, people will see my growth. I mean I have come back as a different presenter after my time in LA,” he said.

He also said that hosting a red carpet takes weeks of preparation. “For me the preparation begins weeks in advance, not the night before. I want to be comfortable when I am interviewing people, I want to have all the facts and I want to have a conversation,” he said.

Catch the E! Host South Africa: Destination Hollywood premiere on Sunday 14 May at 8:55pm CAT, on E! Entertainment Television, DStv Channel 124.

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