Voster back to embrace her first love ’ after stint in radio
TUMI VOSTER started her entertainment career on YoTV after being discovered on the talent search competition Quest for Fame.
She later left television and went on to become an on-air presenter for the Gauteng youth station YFM. She hosts the 6-9pm slot on weekdays. The 23-year-old is now set for a return to television as rapper Slikour ’ s co-presenter on e.tv’s dance reality show, Step Up or Step Out. QUESTION: Did you miss television?
ANSWER: I did, but having been a kids show presenter I think it was important for me to take a break to reroute my brand and grow.
Being on radio, however, means I am still in the entertainment industry but I do think it was important for me to take that break from television after doing Yo-TV. Q: What do you like more? TV or radio? A: TV is my first love, but like I said before, I needed my own time to grow. I was in no rush to get back into television.
I never thought I’d do radio but I love it now.
There are no cameras in radio; it’s a much more relaxed environment.
One needs to be careful about the platform though, so while I could have gone into television earlier, I didn’t feel the time or platform was right for me. Q: And Step Up or Step Out’ is that a right platform for you? A: I believe so. When I went for the audition I didn’t even know Slikour would be the co-presenter, so when I found out I was even more excited about it.
Also, I am a big fan of talent search competitions. I’m a product of that myself. Q: You’re not as overexposed as other personalities of your generation. Is this on purpose? A: If it’s not about work then I don’t feel that I should be in the papers just because. That’s my strategy.
Brand exclusivity is important to me. I do go to events but I don’t feel like I should be in the news all the time being scandalous. Q: How do you reconcile that with being in the entertainment business? A: I think one needs to take responsibility. If there’s no scandal in my life, then there won’t be scandalous stuff about me in the papers. I grew up knowing that there are people watching, so how you carry yourself counts.
It’s all about taking responsibility for your actions. Q: You’ve got over 21 000 Twitter followers. What is the strangest tweet you’ve ever received? A: This one girl tweeted me to say she doesn’t like me and then someone else asked why she was following me then.
Her response was that she likes my style, so she wants to see what I’m wearing on my avatars.
I found that sort of funny because there’s this one part of me that she likes but she doesn’t like me at the same time.
I just found it hilarious how people choose to express themselves. Q: Have you had any conflicts on Twitter? A: No. Twitter is my happy place. I create a happy environment for myself on my timeline. It’s where I go just to have a laugh and to keep up with what’s happening out there. Q: You’ve got a degree in marketing communications. How does that contribute to your work? A: I’ve always liked working with brands.
I’m not 9-5 in marketing or communications but it helps because I do feel I am a brand.
Also, working on radio you often have to meet with clients and it helps that I have an understanding of what they talk about in those meetings.