BACK in 2002, e.tv spotted a gap in its programming and repaired it by launching its first entertainment news show, The Showbiz Report, with Nicky Greenwall as the host. Little did the free-to-air channel, let alone Greenwall (who was instrumental in developing the format), envisage the effect the show would have when it aired in 2005. It bagged more than 1.5 million viewers every week.
Aside from getting access to an array of prestigious film festivals and award ceremonies, she had an audience with the likes of Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie, P Diddy, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jim Carrey, to highlight a few.
To contextualise her footing in South Africa’s celebrity scene, Greenwall would be our response to E! Entertainment’s Guiliana Rancic. And her achievements have inevitably seen her become as much of a celebrity as the people she interviewed. Greenwall has graced the covers of some of our most celebrated magazines, from Glamour to Elle to Cosmopolitan to Fair Lady to Heat and FHM, among others. And she is expecting her first child with 20Management Model Agency owner Robin Fryer.
Since launching Greenwall Productions in April, 2009, she has produced The Showbiz Report, The Style Report, Inside Art as well as The Close Up.
On what inspired her to now launch The Close Up: A Showbiz Special Report, which will air on e.tv as well as the eNews Channel (DStv Channel 403), she explains: “Well, actually, it was partly necessitated by my pregnancy. The Close Up replaces The Showbiz Report while I’m on maternity leave. It’ll be followed by a series of 10 other shows we have been working on that count down our pick of the top comedians, musicians, actors, etc of the year.
“Also, South African celebrities aren’t often given a platform to be open and honest about their experiences. The show is a way for us to correct that. We feel these are not only ‘celebrity stories’, but ‘human stories’ that will hopefully touch viewers in a very real way.”
Although we have a hotbed of talent in the industry, what got Locnville, Simphiwe Dana, Kenneth Nkosi, Tamara Dey, DJ Black Coffee, Jack Parrow and Lee-Ann Liebenberg the green light?
Nodding her head, a hands-on Greenwall says: “We chose these celebrities because we feel they all have an interesting story to tell. When we do these types of shows, we like to pick people who are relevant now – and who we feel will also be relevant in a few years’ time.
“While some viewers may be more familiar with some of these celebrities than others, I’m confident that this will be compelling enough without viewers having to be a huge ‘fan’ of the celebrity.”
With these icons already household names, Greenwall was confronted with a challenge – interviewing them without wallowing in monotonous conversation.
“My interview style has always been conversational,” she points out. “We don’t prepare questions, or sit with reams and reams of research material – we just talk. I get them to clarify certain things they might say, or aspects of their lives that might seem confusing and, hopefully, the end result is nothing short of the truth told in a compelling way.
“A lot of the celebrities joked afterwards that they felt the process was a very cathartic experience – almost like a therapy session.
“I think the key element in any interview is the listening part – not the questions.”
By the way, each interview lasted close to six hours and Greenwall says the end result is “the best of what was a very long conversation”.
As for the show boasting any resemblance to offerings in a similar vein like All Access, Selimathunzi, Headlines, The Real Gaboza and Mzansi Insider, she defends: “I’ve always said our goal with this show was to be ‘soulful’, not sensational or self-promotional. I think that’s a fine line a lot of other shows aren’t always able to tread.
“It’s my belief that every single person has an interesting story – no matter who they are. The fact that these people are ‘famous’ is just a hook for viewers to tune in. Once they do, I think they will see the stories reveal more about human nature than they do about celebrity.”
An admirer of Graham Norton and Michael Parkinson’s chatty style with their guests, Greenwall confides to bypassing that giddy feeling during her tête-à-têtes with heavyweight stars.
“I think every person I have interviewed has left some sort of impression on me – although I would be lying if I said the novelty doesn’t wear off after a while – especially when you are allocated five minutes with said star.
“As long as there continues to be interest in entertainment news, I have a job. I’m really grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded thus far and I’m looking forward to continuing the journey well into the future. For the most part, I have enough experience to know that celebrity is more of a game than anything else. Good packaging, excellent timing, a sense of humour and an ability to separate oneself from one’s brand is the key.”
In stylishly juggling the hats of producer, director, writer and host, Greenwall’s equitable approach to entertainment news is both commendable and cutting-edge. Hence her achievements come as little surprise and prove to be a true source of inspiration to novices.
lThe Close Up: A Showbiz Special Report starts on August 20 at 7.30pm on e.tv and at 10.30pm on eNews Channel (DStv Channel 403). The Showbiz Report returns in January next year.