FM104's Zeinab says it’s “overwhelming” and “kind of crazy” to be a role model

The Six O'Clock Show favourite wants to make sure “that I celebrate all these different parts of me” — and that “I want girls that look like me doing the same”

Zeinab Elguzouli has told how songwriting is a “cathartic process” — and how singing has “always been something that I’ve loved to do”.

The FM104 presenter is an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland Great Pink Bake Off, sponsored by Dr Oetker, which aims to raise funds — and awareness — for the charity.

The singer-songwriter told Chic how she was “born a chatterbox” and that she was told she was “singing since I could make sounds”.

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She said, “I know that that’s bizarre, because you don’t really have words when you’re born — but I was born a chatterbox, and I think I was born a singer.

“My mam says I was singing since I could make sounds.

“It’s always been something that I’ve loved to do.”

Zeinab told how she was “always writing songs here and there” — and was part of a band in primary school, although “there were only three of us in it”.

She recalled, “I remember in primary school in Ballymun, in the yard, writing songs with these other two and us doing dance routines and stuff like that. It’s always been something that I loved to do.

“Any time when I was small and people would be like, ‘what are you going to be when you grow up?’ I’d say, ‘a singer’.
"It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, but I was nervous about taking the leap and putting music out there. But the risk of it is such a drive. It’s so exciting to write something so vulnerable.

“I don’t really write the happiest of songs. I feel like creativity strikes when I’m like, in a bad mood, feeling overwhelmed, anxieties kicking in. That’s usually when I put pen to paper.

“When I’m in the best mood, I don’t want to sit down and work and analyse it. I’m like, I’m just going to skip down the road and, you know, be blissfully unaware of anything except for my happy emotion.”

Zeinab added that “it’s a cathartic process, to put pen to paper and create” — and told how songwriting is “such an exciting process”.

She said, “I’m really looking forward to getting these new songs finished so I can get out there and gig. The writing bit is the isolating part — but getting ready for a gig, I love that part.”

As for what’s next for her musically, the Dubliner told how she’s got her sights set on releasing more music.

She said, “It’s kind of that fear of going…before, when I was putting out music, nobody knew who I was but at the same time, I was like, ‘I want people to know who I am’.

“Whereas now, I’m feeling the pressure because more people — not saying that like, I’ve a huge name for myself — but some people would know who I am now from hearing me talk five days a week.

“I want to make sure that whatever I put out is a certain standard. Me saying to you that I’m putting music out, it’s holding me accountable and making sure that I don’t put it on the shelf for a while.”

In addition to being one of the co-presenters on FM104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock, Zeinab also appears on The Six O’Clock Show — and she opened up about her love for working on-screen and on the radio.

She said, “I love being on the Six O’Clock Show — I love being on TV. You get to get dressed up. You have a whole experience; you’re hearing the voice and you’re seeing the person. I really love the different people that I get to meet on TV.

“But it’s so different, because I feel like when you’re on TV, you’re not getting to see the reaction of the people behind the screen.

“You’re kind of oblivious to what’s happening, which is also kind of lovely — you’re chatting to the person next to you, you’re in this kind of cocoon even though you’re actually live on TV.

“It’s nice. It feels very intimate.

“On the radio, we have our computers open and we’re able to talk about whatever it is that we want.”

The Dubliner told how on the Strawberry Alarm Clock, “whatever it is that one of us wants to talk about, we can bring that to the table”.

She said, “The thing that I love about it is that we’re just trying to have a laugh all the time, and we get that immediate reaction from the listeners.

“We’re looking at the WhatsApps, so we can react immediately to what someone says.

“It feels like for those few hours on the show, you’re hanging out with a load of people — which you technically are. It’s lovely, because you’re getting to converse with so many people.”

The presenter added that she doesn’t take her position for granted.

She continued, “I can’t believe that five days a week, I’m like, ‘yeah, I’m just going in and hopping on the radio’ and other days, I’m just strolling into Virgin and saying hi to everyone in the hallways. I can’t believe I get to casually roll up to Virgin and get to go live on TV.

“If you stop and think about it for a minute, you go, ‘what is actually happening?’

“I can’t take it for granted, that these are the opportunities that I get. I didn’t see many Zeinab look-a-likes floating around on TV or on the radio when I was growing up.

“That’s something, as well, that I don’t take for granted — that I’m in such a position to kind of go, ‘look, all of us can get these opportunities in the world of media and in the world of music’.”

Zeinab told how it’s “so overwhelming” and “kind of crazy” to be “in an inspiration, role model kind of position” — but she feels “honoured that some people might view me that way”.

She said, “A guy who listens to the Strawberry Alarm Clock sent me a DM saying that, you know, ‘you’re a huge role model for young girls out there — my daughter loves you’.
“And you kind of just have this moment where you take a step back and go, ‘what?’

“It’s mind-boggling. Even talking about it now, I feel really jittery. It just feels so bizarre to think of myself as like, in an inspiration, role model kind of position.
“I feel so honoured that some people might view me that way. But I also understand that it’s not every day that somebody that looks like me — that has an Irish-Sudanese background, that has a name like Zeinab, that has curly hair — is floating around on a bus side saying, FM104.”

The presenter added that she wants to make sure “that I celebrate all these different parts of me” — and that “I want girls that look like me doing the same”.

She said, “I remember when I was younger I used to straighten my hair so much and try and look like my friends who were fully Irish.

“And now it’s so important to me to be like, ‘right, if my hair is kind of frizzy one day, well then sure look, that’s how it is — sometimes my curls aren’t behaving; but that’s just the way of it’.

“And just celebrating the fact that I’m darker than other people, and I have an unusual name — and not shying away from the fact that I have an unusual name. It’s just shouting it, and loving the fact when people can pronounce my name.

“I feel like it’s only in the last little while, when people can actually say — people would read it and go ‘Zai-nab?’ and stuff, and not really know what to do.
"Whereas I feel that there’s some bit of an impact happening now. People can pronounce my name.

"I’m noticing now that like, there’s a lot of people that would WhatsApp into the show that have non-Irish accents and non-Irish names. It’s so brilliant to see that, and to see that celebrated.”

As for the future, Zeinab told how she has “so many ideas that I would love to do” — and shared her “dream fantasy collaboration” with music.

She said, “When it comes to music, there’s a lot of people that I would love to collaborate with — we’re talking huge stars. My dream fantasy collaboration would be with someone like Pharrell.

“There’s those things that I’d love to do. And something like TV show-wise and projects, I’m obsessed with the majority of shows on Hayu — I’d love to do something around that, whether it’s a TV show or a podcast. There’s a lot of different things that I’d love to be involved in.

“At the moment, you should see some of my notebooks — I’m just constantly writing down ideas, so hopefully if someone ever goes, ‘if you have an idea for a TV show…’ I’ll go, ‘well, funny you should ask — here you go, on a silver platter; OK, let’s make it work’.

“It’s like that quote, ‘don’t plan to get ready, just be ready’.

“I have lots of different ideas of different things that I’d love to do, so when somebody comes a knockin’ — or while I’m like, out sending little nudges to the world — hopefully someone will say, ‘why don’t we do that project idea that you had?’

“I have too many ideas of things to do. I feel like the way my life is at the moment, I’m at a lovely spot — but I’m hungry for more; I’ve lots I want to do.”

Zeinab told how she was “hugely honoured” to be an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland — and how she got involved with the Breast Cancer Ireland Great Pink Bake Off, sponsored by Dr Oetker.

She said, “It does so much when it comes to pioneering research programmes, and promoting education and awareness, as well — and just promoting the fact that we should all be checking for the eight signs and symptoms to look out for when it comes to breast cancer.

“I didn’t even realise there were eight.

“I thought I was quite good at staying in the know about my own breast health. And then from getting involved, I realised, ‘OK, I thought I had a bit of awareness — apparently not’.

“This is the best organisation to be involved in to make sure that everybody knows what to look out for.”

The broadcaster told how she was “so happy to be involved” in the campaign — and how “literally anybody can get involved” in the baking.

She continued, “You don’t have to be an Instagrammable baker. That’s not the main thing that they’re after.

“It’s just to either do a bit of baking on your own, get your friends to come around baking or just invite them over that day or the next day to all share in what they’ve baked and raise such vital funds for such a great charity.

“It’s a nice, fun way to do it. All abilities are welcome. But if you do have a pal that’s very good at baking, definitely make sure that they’re involved in this bake off so you can enjoy their delicious treats as well.”

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