The Celebrity Whisperer

Ask her about the celebrities she's interviewed and she trots out a string of Hollywood A-listers like it's no mean feat.
"Will Smith, Hugh Jackman, George Clooney, Sandra Bullock &and Nicole Kidman are my favourites," Raya Abirached name drops in one breath, then laughs. "I hope I don't sound too pompous! I think my new favourite is Vin Diesel, though. We had this incredible Furious 7 special on my show Scoop With Raya, and he was just so generous with his time. He loves the Middle East, and the interview was so personal: fans watching it felt like they were there with us."
Raya Abirached rubs shoulders with some of Hollywood's biggest names. As the popular MBC presenter of shows, including Arabic language cinema news show Scoop With Raya and reality TV show Arabs Got Talent, she's a celebrity in her own right. Her Facebook page has over 2.8 million likes, her Twitter handle close to a million followers, and to many in the Arab world, it is her word that makes or breaks a film's reputation.
Despite her celebrity status, the Lebanese-British TV presenter and producer exudes a friendly demeanour that can put just about anyone at ease. For instance, she mentions at the outset, that despite having a natural inclination to television and broadcasting, it was 'a twist of fate' that led her down that path.
"I think I was always meant to be a television presenter. I remember being 10 or 11 years old and using a can of deodorant or a hairbrush as a mic and pretending to present shows. But, as a child, for some reason, I wanted to be a lawyer! I used to watch all these movies and didn't realise that what I actually wanted was to be in front of the cameras, and not practise law! Sometimes life gives you these little indications but you don't get the hint."
At the urging of her parents, Raya went on to do undergraduate studies in economics, and although that may not have been her calling, she has no regrets. "I don't believe in leaving something that you have started," she says. "I believe in hard work. I am always connected to my job, and my husband absolutely refuses to take me anywhere that has no Internet connectivity, because he believes that I would be insufferable without it. It's not a good thing to be so addicted to the Internet and technology, yet it is helpful in many ways."
Having worked in the industry for 15 years, Raya admits that her love for technology stems from its ability to help her interact with fans of the show. "I use social media professionally, and not really for personal reasons. When I first started presenting, we didn't have imm-ediate feedback from fans. We had to wait for the press to tell us if something was successful or not. Now you can know instantly. They saw Chris Hemsworth on my show the other day, and immediately social media was abuzz with screenshots of the show and hashtags galore. It is this excitement that keeps me going. I'm able to know how my viewers feel, what gets them excited and what is trending. I have this reborn energy because of social media."
Social media is also a way she can connect with her fans on the move, and in her line of work, that's a godsend. "The most challenging part of my job is the constant travelling. It is just too time-consuming and demanding. Right before this trip, I was supposed to go to Los Angeles, then London, and get a connecting flight back to Dubai, for an interview, all in the span of two days. That's the kind of thing I'm usually doing, spending a lot of time in airports.
"Ninety per cent of this job is the dedication that has to come with it. I mean, I am like a mother to Scoop With Raya. If I wasn't so passionate about my work, I don't think I could have done it."

As a successful television personality balancing multiple shows along with her role as brand ambassador for Sony Mobile, Raya admits her schedule is as packed as possible. How does she manage her time? "I'm quite the planner. You can't be good in the media field if you aren't. You have to plan things all the time; you have to be on top of things. I've never met a good producer who was chaotic, even if it was some form of organised chaos. I am always making to-do lists wherever I go."
Raya also displays a humble, grounded side that makes her all the more endearing. "I am a big planner but I cannot foresee the future. I just appreciate the day-to-day things and the successes I hope I have achieved. And I am grateful - I never take things for granted."
janice@khaleejtimes.com