Chatting to FM104’s Zeinab Elguzouli is always such a treat. She is just a breath of fresh air and we always leave our conversations with a huge smile on our face.
If you’ve ever tuned into the Strawberry Alarm Clock or caught her on The Six O’Clock Show, you’ll know she has such an infectious energy. And after watching her High Road, Low Road, we’re eager to get her back on our screens. And she’s throwing her hat in the ring, joking that she could be Ireland’s answer to Alison Hammond.
And we’re backing her!
Here we speak to Zeinab about making her dreams come true, handling early mornings and married life…
We loved watching you on High Road, Low Road. Talk to us about doing the show!
First of all, I couldn’t believe I was asked to do the show! I was like, “This is for Irish celebs!” Even when we were away, I was like, “Did you see it says two Irish celebrities?”, Mikey [O’Reilly] said, “Are you a celebrity now?” and I said, “No chance!” It’s mad that I am on this show for its sixth season! The only other time I went on a holiday that I didn’t know where we were going or what the activities were was for my hen party, so this was like hen 2.0! I was nervously excited. The night before, it took me ages to fall asleep it felt like Christmas, and I was a kid again. It was so exciting just rocking up and seeing where you are going. We really didn’t know where we were going. Prague was incredible, I’d never been there before. It was such a buzz going with Mikey because we had crossed paths a little bit, working on FM104. I was calling him my little brother, and we just laughed so much. I can’t imagine going with anyone else and we did quite a lot of experiences together. I would so go back again even if it was minus degrees; it was freezing cold.
You must have the TV bug seriously now!
100 per cent! The bug was there, but it was left dormant for a while. But doing High Road, Low Road, I would love to be like Allison Hammond! Someone who gets wheeled out! I have such a bug, I am thinking of TV show ideas, so I’m seeing where they lead. Even just presenting for the IFTA over the weekend on their social media was incredible. I love doing radio, but I miss and love being on telly.
Do you feel like you’re living the dream right now?
I am absolutely. I wish I could go back to sixteen-year-old me and just say, “Calm down, things will work out.” Even up until very late in my twenties, I didn’t have much at all. I was teaching the odd singing lesson, but I was very lucky that my fiancé, now husband, was very emotionally and financially supportive. He kept telling me to just go for it and see what happens. I was so anxious thinking that I was going to have to pivot and do something completely different. I didn’t want to go to a job I didn’t love. I know so many people who are surviving, but not thriving. Now that all feels mad. I was scanning my card to go up into the lift at work one morning and I couldn’t believe I was scanning this card for this massive radio station. Then just chatting to Martin King who was is covering the morning shift for Kathryn Thomas. Even just being on a first-name basis with Martin and Kathryn is so mad. This is my new normal. I always wanted to do this, but it seemed so far-fetched. But something that seemed so far fetched is now my normal. I am on FM104 radio, I grew up listening to that and now that this is my reality!
On a more grounded note, how are you finding the early mornings?
I am not a morning person at all! I was away with my friends at the weekend and was the quietest one at the breakfast table. You don’t get used to the early morning, you learn how to tolerate them. I get up brush my teeth, I have my clothes laid out to stop the thinking of it. But it’s just the buzz when you get in there, like I don’t feel like this after a good few hours a home in the morning. I go to bed around 7pm or 8pm. It’s just become the norm. Anyone who does these shows or is up this early and says they leap out and everything is carpe diem is lying! It’s not all glam, you drag yourself out of bed in the morning. I am no craic at all when I wake up!
Of course, we can’t let you go before discussing your beautiful wedding! How is married life?
Thank you, guys, so much for putting me in a two-page spread that was insane. I did not expect that. It’s been so lovely. You just feel really solid. We have always been solid in our relationship but there is this extra layer. You are saying all these nice things about each other in front of everybody, you have legal singed a document and you have this support for one another. Not that anything had changed, but I am still not used to saying husband, but it is so nice. I love saying my husband! I am really hoping one of us wins the Lotto because I want to do a vow renewal in Italy. We haven’t even celebrated our first anniversary, but I just want another day with all our people in one place. I think selfishly that’s what I loved, and I don’t want to say trapped with us for the day. I would love that all over again.
Catch up on High Road, Low Road on RTÉ Player
