In the pursuit of success, a lot of people lose sight of who they are and where they come from but every now and then you stumble across one or two persons who regardless of fame and fortune are still in tune with themselves and their environment.
Multi-award-winning Tv and radio presenter Moët Abebe is one of such rare breeds. Sitting pretty at the top of her game, she caught with the Guardian Life to discuss her new normal in light of the pandemic, beauty regimen, career goals and plans for the future.
In the pursuit of success, a lot of people lose sight of who they are and where they come from but every now and then you stumble across one or two persons who regardless of fame and fortune are still in tune with themselves and their environment.
Multi-award-winning Tv and radio presenter Moët Abebe is one of such rare breeds. Sitting pretty at the top of her game, she caught with the Guardian Life to discuss her new normal in light of the pandemic, beauty regimen, career goals and plans for the future.
What sparked the transition from Laura Monyeazo to Moët Abebe? (What inspired the birth of your “alter ego”)
The transition took place even before I got into the entertainment industry. “Moet” was a nickname I got given while I was in secondary school during my junior years because of my shape. I’ve been called Moet or Moet Abebe since I was 14 years old and it’s more than an alter ego or nickname to me but now a brand of its own.
Can you recount/remember the first-ever gig you got as Moët Abebe?
The first gig I ever got as “Moët Abebe” was for a football charity match. I hosted the charity sporting event and I can assure you I was about 18 or so standing in front of an entire stadium. It was nerve-racking then but here we are now doing what we love with even more confidence
Can you walk us through what an average day is like for Moët Abebe, since the pandemic began? (What’s your new normal)
A typical day now for me must always begin with some sort of meditation or exercise, cup of green tea, and immediately go online or turn on the news so as to help with research for my show.
Next would be to make sure my spa and my aestheticians are ready for the day ( I often place a call through to the manager to make sure she’s on top of things). Once that’s done I get ready for work; that being my radio show.
After my show I get back home, eat, Netflix, and straight to bed. Things really have changed with the pandemic. Normally I would have gone out to hang with friends or socialize but now it’s from home to work, back to home and repeat.
You were vocal on social media about the abhorrent incidents of rape, particularly Uwa. How do you feel we can do better as a society?
As a society, I feel we can do better concerning ending the rape culture as a whole, by educating children; most especially the male child about consent, protecting, and most importantly respecting women. Male children need to unlearn and learn a number of things about sexual abuse and I feel if this area starts to be tackled as soon possible, a ripple effect of improvement will occur, and only then can things get better.
How do you manage to stay on top of your game in an otherwise male-dominated industry?
To be very honest with you, I don’t have all the answers but I believe I’ve been able to stay on the top of my game by simply being myself and making myself my biggest competitor. This means I live and work not trying to prove a point to anyone but myself.
Are there any gaps in Nigeria’s entertainment industry that you think need to be fixed immediately?
I believe a lot of entertainers in the industry learned on the job, however, I feel that the lack of educative bodies or institutions, for example performing art schools or in my case broadcasting academies have created this gap. It would be very refreshing if entertainers didn’t only learn with experience but also learned the technicalities and even the legal background of their said professions.
While everyone knows that you are a seasoned OAP, your skin is also one that is talked about quite a lot. What’s your beauty regime like?
Well, I am often flattered when people say they are obsessed with my skin. Thank you. Honestly, my beauty regime I always say is very simple as I stick to the basics. I make sure I cleanse, exfoliate, tone, use my serums, moisturize, and use sun protection daily. I don’t bombard my skin with tonnes of different products. I get my body scrubs regularly as well, drink a lot of water and the most important thing I do, is MIND MY BUSINESS.
You own a spa. Why the interest in something almost unrelated (beauty) to your career?
Yes, I do. Well, I wouldn’t say it’s completely unrelated, but I guess in a way I would agree it is. Being on tv or in the limelight, the need to look your best is very paramount so it’s always been an interest of mine even before getting into the industry; however, with the job, I believed I had the ideal platform. I can now be the face of my spa, and use my skin as a reference to the services we provide, and the procedures we offer. Owning a spa has always been a dream of mine.
As far as milestones are concerned, what is the next one you have your sight set on?
My next milestone definitely would be to have my own tv show and podcast.
