Raya Abi Rached is arguably one of the busiest Arab television presenters at the moment, working on AGT in Beirut and flying to London every week to film her weekly entertainment show, Scoop.
Entertainment | Celebrity
Five minutes with Raya Abi Rached
TV presenter Raya Abi Rached talks about the challenge of being impartial on Arabs' Got Talent
- Agencie
- Published: 20:30 April 6, 2011
- Image Credit: Supplied
- Raya Abi Rached
Is it challenging being so impartial to the contestants?
No, because the set is like a brotherhood and both Qusai and I are so supportive of all the contestants. We have seen their journey and growth, so I am just immensely proud of them.
AGT debuted on MBC4 at exactly the same time the political protests in Tunisia, followed by Egypt, kicked off. Were you scared of public backlash?
It was heart-breaking, but the audition episodes were filmed back in November so it was before the events. We have been on Facebook and Twitter since the show started so viewers now know, and obviously we did address these issues during the live shows. But there has not been any backlash, because the public is using the show as a means of escapism.
What are the judges really like?
Related Links
They are like how you see them on TV — they're all with very different personalities, but work great together. I don't think any other three would work the same as Najwa, Amr and Ali do. Qusai and I do not see them a lot, because the judges are not allowed to attend the rehearsals — they just watch the live shows. But we have a great relationship with them.
You're based in the UK. Did you get any tips from the Britain's Got Talent team?
Not as such — we did meet the production team at the beginning, but when Britain's Got Talent started, I was just a viewer just like the million other viewers in the UK, and I loved the show. But it is interesting watching [BGT hosts] Ant & Dec as a viewer, and then watching them from the perspective Qusai and I are doing the same thing now. I love Ant & Dec — I find them highly entertaining.
Auditions for Season Two of AGT are due to begin in May. Are you returning to the show?
Yes, hopefully. This is something I really enjoy working on, and I see the show getting bigger and bigger. We are getting loads of applications already, so Season Two will be very exciting.
More from Celebrity
More from Arts & Entertainment
CANNES SPECIAL COVERAGE
-
Diamond necklace worth $2.6m missing at Cannes
Reuters
De Grisogono piece suspected stolen despite 80 bodyguards and other staff on duty
-
Gosling breaks Cannes’ heart
AP and Reuters
Actor apologises for missing the premiere Wednesday of gory film “Only God Forgives”
-
Susi Ganesh heads to Cannes with Shortcut Romeo
By Mythily Ramachandran, Special to tabloid!
Director remakes his own Tamil film for Bollywood
Most Popular in Entertainment
- UAE cinema listings: May 23-29
- Gosling breaks Cannes’ heart
- Derek Hough wants to expand career after ‘Stars’
- Film review: Neram is a good time
- Native American actresses walk Cannes red carpet
- Film review: Ethir Neechal
- Russell Peters: Bring on the funny
- Susi Ganesh heads to Cannes with Shortcut Romeo
- American Idol Season 12: In pictures
- Abellana, Avelino and Reyes back in news
Latest from Entertainment
- One Direction are top Social Stars
- Psy imposter fools fans and celebs at Cannes
- ‘Fast & Furious 7' to be shot in UAE?
- Derek Hough wants to expand career after ‘Stars’
- Pop songwriters look to Broadway for work
- Amanda Bynes has a bong moment, gets arrested
- Stone Temple Pilots sue ex-frontman
- Hangover bombs in the US
- Carrie Underwood’s million goes to Oklahoma
- Beyonce designs collection for online store
- I’m not a star, I’m an actor: Ranbir Kapoor
- Jennifer Lawrence stalker charged
- Mary J Blige owes $3.4 million in taxes
- Riteish Deshmukh to produce a biopic on wrestler
- Shruti Haasan might write for films
- Angel and Draco Malfoy team up for more drama
- Two sides of Cath Kidston
- Bipasha Basu on fashion and style
- Ranbir Kapoor not a social-networking fan
- SRK to promote Chennai Express during IPL final
- Lauren Gottlieb smitten with Salman Khan
- Dabba wins at Cannes
- Zeta-Jones returns home after treatment
- Warrant for Tim Dog, despite death reports
- Jerry Lewis retains distaste for female comics
Entertainment Editor's choice
-
Beatles’ lyrics headed for British Library
Handwritten lyrics to Beatles’ classics “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “She Said She Said” and “In My Life” added to existing material in the library’s Treasures Gallery that already draws throngs
-
‘Idol’ winner rolling out debut album in July
Candice Glover spent more time on the show than she did on her debut album
-
Who topped this week’s US charts?
Vampire Weekend’s“Modern Vampires of the City” sold 134,000 copies in its first week, beating Demi Lovato to top of Billboard 200 chart
