Eagle
In an exclusive interview with Eagle reporters, Lorna Maseko gave insight into her busy, exciting lifestyle and highlights of her career
How did you get the job at Top Billing?
Basically what you had to do was send through a write up on why you thought you would be the perfect Top Billing presenter. It wasn’t like it now where you go for an interview and do live camera – you sent a picture, did the write up and they chose who they thought would be the top twenty. Then you did the camera work and then they chose the top ten. I think they had around 20 000 entries, which is probably the most they ever had, and I got into the top ten – I didn’t win, but in 2010 I was busy doing the World Cup closing ceremony and was asked to go to Cape Town to do a shoot. I thought, ‘Is that even a question? Yes of course I will.’ That’s where the journey started.
What was your first day on Top Billing like?
I went on the Seven Seas Voyager, which is one of the biggest cruise ships ever. It was super amazing because I had never seen such wealth in my life. An older generation were dressed in Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel. I did interviews and a lot of action – there was a putting green and a theatre. I told everybody I was going to be on Top Billing and the whole insert was just me doing action shots – I think I asked like one question, I was so embarrassed. I guess that’s how you learn.
What have been the highlights for you at Top Billing? Who have been the best people you have met?
Top Billing is always interesting because no day is ever the same. I went to Turkey for three days, if anyone knows travelling they know that is exhausting. Travelling all the way, shooting and then travelling all the way home. It’s not that we arrive and decide to go sightseeing – if its in the morning we start shooting immediately. I have learnt to take in moments of every trip while we are shooting. Chris Hemsworth was absolutely amazing (besides being gorgeous), he was really great. Oscar Pistorius was strangely one of the nicest people I have ever interviewed. I remember, we were flying to the Seychelles and his girlfriend at the time was in economy class. He actually offered to swap seats with her and he can’t fly economy because of his legs. I thought, “Can we get more guys like this?” They ended up both flying business-class. I couldn’t believe that he would offer to be uncomfortable for so many hours for somebody else. Carolina Herrera and her daughter were also amazing, it was quite funny after I had interviewed her I asked if we could take a picture and I asked if we could pout and she said, “What is that?” I showed her a pout and she said, “I don’t do that.” South African celebrities are always fun to interview. I love interviewing AKA it’s tons of fun.
How was Celebrity Masterchef? Did it open up a new scope of cooking for you?
I have always loved cooking, although I think being there inspired me to want to explore in this space a lot more. I think there was a competition between Patricia and I over who would cry the most on the show – I think she beat me to it. I wish I had not taken it so seriously, I’m so competitive and I think it’s from my dancing days. I wish I had just had more fun. Regardless, it was an amazing experience, learning the different basics of cooking – how to make bread, how to make pasta. The challenge was being under so much pressure and not being in your own kitchen and using the ingredients you are given to make yourself a dish. Definitely the highlight was having the Michelin Star Chef there, Chef Carlos. He and I have become really good friends. Having to cook a Michelin Star dish – that was amazing. Learning how to do foam that was really cool. I actually then invited him to one of my cooking events in July and he prepared a six course tasting menu which was absolutely amazing. We did two in Jo’burg and one in Cape Town. It was really amazing.
Are you a fashionista?
No I’m not, I actually hate shopping – unless I am overseas, then my shopping gene changes. When I’m here, I wouldn’t try on any clothes. I walk into Zara or wherever and pick out clothes that look like they would fit me. I find it a waste of time, just like going to the hair salon.
What can’t you live without when you are overseas?
Corenza C and Andolex. When I go to a hotel, even a five star hotel I always take everything like body wash and lotion. I know that the five star hotel provides it but I always take my own products which I like to use. Even though the hotels use premium products I still prefer using mine. I also take too many clothes and always a jersey, even if I am going to a sunny hot country like Singapore or Hong Kong.
What is your favourite holiday destination abroad?
I love Hong Kong, I feel like all the economies meet in Hong Kong, I love the fast paced life, I love that there are no old cars on the road, I love how fabulous it is, how clean it is. I love the shopping, I love the lifestyle and I love the street food. There are like neighbourhood markets where you find restaurants next to each other serving the traditional Asian foods among the fine dining restaurants. People eat there and go home around two o’clock in the morning.
What is your best holiday destination in South Africa?
I would definitely say Kapama. It’s absolutely stunning, in the Mpumalanga area. I don’t do bush holidays unless they are five star, for example there’s TV and showers in the rooms. I am definitely a city girl through and through, although I loved Kapama and it had all those amenities. It was a villa with a pool and the service was great. I think there were only six or seven of the chalets there and it was the best time, it was really really good.
How do you find time to do all the things you are involved in?
I always say there is no time, no balance – it’s just about rhythm. Whether the song of the moment is a hip-hop song by Lil’ Wayne or if it’s a Christian song or if it’s a samba or a salsa – it depends on how fast the rhythm is in your life. Sometimes it is fast, sometimes it is slow. I love running my business, I’m definitely an entrepreneur at heart – I think I got it from my dad. I love the chase of the possibility of a business, of an idea or concept that I’m going to do for a client and it works – I love that. I think I’m addicted to that. I love seeing the client’s excitement when they see the quality of work. In the same space, I love the work in the TV world. I always said to myself that I want to only do things that I absolutely love.
How did the ‘Cooking with Lorna and Friends’ events begin?
After Masterchef, instead of sitting around waiting for a TV show which requires millions of rands and the difficulty to get sponsors on board I thought, ‘Let me just start a cooking event.” I hate going to cooking lessons where you have to write the words of the recipe. I am a practical person and thought, why not create a space where everybody is cooking and you have a chef teaching a dish. We launched it last year in 2014 and it was a bit of a hot mess, but that’s what I love – I love seeing a project or concept come into being and even if it is a hot mess, I still thought, “I did that.” Essentially everyone has a cooking station and in the past I have invited celebrity chefs to come on and teach a starter and we design a menu with a cook-off type of thing – people get a basket full of ingredients and a recipe. Whether they follow the recipe or do their own thing, it is up to them. We’ve had Abigail Donnelly among others on the show. This year I am the Celebrity Chef, because I also want to build that kind of profile for myself.
I love a dream, I find them so precious. You need to nurture them so well and not share them with everybody, and when they do happen that’s the most fulfilling thing.
