Most 18-year-olds only care about when the next party is, when they can go shopping with the girls, and who their next boyfriend or girlfriend is. But for Durban’s Michelle Govender, it’s about building herself and her future business into what she eventually wants to be, a media mogul. She’s interviewed Charice, the cast of Jerseylicious and 3rd Degree’s Debora Patta. With her newly launched website Vent, she hopes to realise that dream and become a force to be reckoned with.
Who is Michelle Govender?
I’m just a regular Durban-based teenager who has this dream about being the next Giuliana Rancic or hard-core news reporter. Besides that, I’m obsessed with anything Japanese and am actually shy at times. Oh, I’m also still trying to find an answer for this question!
Michelle you’ve done things that other 18-year-olds can only dream of having done. Why did you start working at such a young age?
I’ve always loved writing, and drawing was always what I found myself doing instead of paying attention in class. It was never something I intended to start taking seriously at the age of 15, but it just happened after working on a school project. I became so involved with the idea of telling people’s stories and finding out what makes them tick that I had to continue. I’m quite impatient so I kept pushing – I did not like the idea of having to wait two years to finish high school and then get through university so I decided to start there and then.
And your friends? Were they jealous of you interviewing all these famous people instead of going on shopping trips with them?
I’d say my few close friends didn’t care at all, which is what I liked – they just went on with life as usual. There were some who suddenly became a bit too friendly as time went by and expected me to get them autographs, event tickets or free merchandise – that was annoying – in addition to the stereotypical “mean girls” who felt the need to want to befriend me, too. Some thought I was crazy to choose going to an interview rather than going to the movies, but hey, would watching a movie have helped get me to where I am today? Nope.
You’ve interviewed Charice, The Glam Fairy, Holly and many other stars. What’s it like talking to them?
Surreal. I mean, you see these people on TV or on a stage performing and I sometimes cannot believe it. Like, with the cast of Jerseylicious. Everyone knows what a huge fan I am of the show so when they mention me in radio interviews or talk about me I just have to, like, pinch myself. I love being able to find out what really happens and what their thoughts are. And I was really excited when I interviewed Romi Dames, who played the snobbish socialite role in Hannah Montana – that was so fun. I’m not going to lie, I’ve met people who have not lived up to the expectations I’ve had, but I don’t mind… Finding out who they really are is the interesting part.
What did you want to be when you were still a kid in school?
I always knew I’d get in to writing some way – I wanted to be the next JK Rowling or the next Debora Patta. I also loved drawing and had this dream about working at the Disney studios as an animator… Not too sure what happened to that dream, it’s probably still there.
And how did you realise that you have a talent in illustrations?
Like I said, I love Japanese culture which means that I love anime and manga, too. I fell in love with the art style and would spend hours trying to draw the characters from Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z. People thought I could only write until I became known for designing “thank-you” gifts for my interviewees. I just did it for fun and then started getting exposure. I’ve done designs for some great people, including fashion designers in America, South African socialite and designer, Uyanda Mbuli, the cast of Jerseylicious and I actually did one for Giuliana Rancic – she apparently saw the piece and loved it.
Tell us about Vent. What’s it about?
Vent (Video Entertainment and News For Teens) is going to be a new interactive medium for kids and teens. This is a joint venture with myself and my sister. I went to an interview one day and was told that kids don’t bother about reading newspapers. That’s right to an extent but not entirely. So we decided, let’s bring the newspaper to life. Vent will come in the form of a DVD that will be distributed to high schools – for now it is only in Durban but we are planning to include other areas and provinces. It will be interactive, have interesting news, reviews and interviews with celebrities. My personal favourite is the chance to highlight the talent amongst the youth. There will be interviews with up-and-coming talent. I want this to be a platform where teens can voice their opinions and come together.
What made you want to start your own website?
I’m such a geek. I get inspired by blogs and websites. I work as a brand “Mish Informed” – I’m always reading and keeping in the know about what’s up. Just the other day I was sitting through two hours of elections news coverage and was tweeting about it. I also find that what I do is quite interesting, so my blog is also a way to let people in and find out more about that – I always get questions asked on how other kids can do what I do and I just direct them to my website. I’m hoping to inspire someone through it all.
Are you studying?
After much thought I decided to take a gap year as many of my other friends had. I wanted to focus on my celebrity reporting and growing my brand – I never had the time during school so I wanted to focus on it a bit.
What do you do in your spare time?
The usual stuff like going shopping or hanging out with friends, but normally when I have spare time I go to an event to report on. I like to catch up on all of my geek stuff such as watching anime and catching up on sleep – my life’s pretty boring at times.
How many celebs have you met and ever had a groupie moment?
I have a silent groupie moment in my head with most interviewees (ha ha), but I’ve had two major embarrassing groupie-type moments. The first time I met Debora Patta and was waiting to interview her. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. When the time came for me to meet her, I was totally shaking but kind of had to keep it professional. I kept messing up my questions but I’m glad she was patient and made light of the situation. She’s the only person I’ve ever asked for an autograph. Well, I still act like such a fan around her. I don’t know whether I should be proud or cringe. I’ll always remember the day I met Nonhle Thema. I was with her when she was getting her make-up done just before going to host V-Entertainment and all I could say was “OMG, I can’t believe this” – she kept laughing at me because I really was displaying signs of being one of those cliché fans. I shudder to think how I’ll act the day I meet Giuliana.
Do you really want to be a media mogul?
Yes. I want to eventually become someone known for exceptional work, like, if someone says my name they associate me with a certain thing but also a person who helps others. I want to inspire at least one person to push forth for their dreams. I haven’t decided how exactly I want to take over the media world, but I’m pretty sure I will some day soon. - Sunday Tribune