The Meteoric Rise of BBC’s Celebrity Host, Nyasha Michelle – 2022 Global African Awards Winner
The term “torch bearer” is a moniker that is exclusively reserved for only the most impactful individuals in a given industry. Nyasha Michelle is a woman who truly epitomizes the moniker of a “torch bearer”. She is a profoundly gifted journalist who has a deep rooted inclination to educate, inspire and empower. Nyasha has been with the BBC for over half a decade and during that period, she has covered some of the biggest icons worldwide. Recently, she interviewed prominent names such as Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, King Kanja and John Boyega among many others. Moreover, Nyasha has also enjoyed a distinguished career as a producer and reporter. The multi-talented journalist even featured in a 2022 edition of GQ Magazine (GQ Africa). The Hype Magazine’s Life & Style correspondent, Charles Myambo (CM) had an interview with Nyasha Michelle (NM). Below are some excerpts from the interview.
BBC host, Producer & Reporter – “Nyasha Michelle”
CM: Nyasha, you are widely recognized as one of the greatest journalists the continent of Africa has ever produced. What traits of yours comprised your incredible journalistic ascension?
NM: Wow, firstly thank you for those kind words. I like to think that I am still on the road to greatness. But to answer your question, quite a number of things have helped grow my career. The first was and will continue to be my passion & enjoyment of what I do then the hunger to be the best, a love for connecting with people & telling their stories but equally important, a belief that Journalism is part of my God given purpose to serve others.
I also love Journalism because it’s not one size fits all! You can tailor your career to yourself, it takes work and dedication but it’s definitely worth it. That’s why I’d say determination & tenacity are also quite key because it can be tough out here. Without that I would’ve quit a long time ago. You must believe in yourself and your uniqueness and ability to make an impact in this industry. There’s so many traits, I’m not perfect at them but they’ve definitely all helped at some stage.
I would also say your ambition should be for others more than yourself. What difference do you want to make in the world, how do you want people to be changed or impacted by what you do? Those are the traits that I think have helped me thus far.
CM: The exemplary coverage you have consistently provided over the years eventually culminated in you gaining the prestigious moniker of Africa’s “Torch Bearer” (as per GQ Magazine). As you reflect on your illustrious career thus far, what emotions ensue?
NM: So many emotions. Joy, disbelief, gratitude, amazement at how far I’ve come after quitting my job at 27 years old to go back to University to do a Masters degree, getting work experience at BBC then hustling to get a job. It’s been a rollercoaster ride full of highs and lows but I always tell people that I try to learn from the lows, forget the ones that genuinely don’t matter & (I’m still working on this one) celebrate the highs and wins! I’m also really grateful because I’ve met some incredible people along the way too!
CM: You are closing in on your 6th year anniversary with the BBC. Could you kindly outline some of the most memorable experiences you have had while with the BBC?
NM: Gosh, has it been that long?? I’m shocked at how fast time has gone. It’s so hard to pick memorable experiences but perhaps I’d say, doing my first Red Carpet report at the Woman King premiere & interviewing Viola Davis and her husband as he stood beside her! Supporting her. That was a great moment for me, covering an incredible Hollywood movie made by Black women and telling an African story. I also loved speaking to the other stars on the red carpet Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim & John Boyega. It felt so unreal.
Another one that most people don’t know about is I started my career at BBC working on The One Show. I was part of the team for the Rickshaw Challenge where we drove & filmed the Presenter and a few young people rode a rickshaw for 500 miles from London to Scotland to raise money for charity. It was an honor being part of that team, challenging and tiring too but I loved it. The kids we filmed had experienced different obstacles in life and some of them were disabled. To see them defy all odds and do something so physically demanding so that other kids’ lives could be better is so inspiring. The experience was great, long days, short nights and very little sleep but it was worth it.
CM: It is quite astounding that you are only 33 years young considering all the tremendous feats you have already accomplished. With that in mind, what else do you envisage achieving before the age of 40?
NM: Haha you’re giving away my young age now!
I have always had the desire to give back to my country. I pray that God will enable me to implement the visions that He’s given me. I can’t tell you what they are but it involves helping many people in my country especially women and children. But not neglecting the young men too! Equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge and tools to thrive and make a positive impact on society. Aside from that, to just be successful, have a great career, be the best version of me and to be happy.
CM: Let’s briefly talk about your African heritage. To what extent did your upbringing and background as a Zimbabwean contribute towards you becoming the woman you are today?
NM: Being Zimbabwean plays a huge role in the woman I am today. I was born and raised there and left for the UK when I was 12 years old so I was a true African kid. I’ve seen its beauty, its potential and its challenges. I love being African. I believe we are not perfect people but we are incredibly versatile and rich in many ways. So that pride of my identity definitely impacts my work heavily. You have to realize that I also grew up seeing those negative depictions and narratives of Africa so now as a young woman and a Journalist it highly contributes to the woman I am today. I feel it is partly my responsibility to change and/or challenge the narratives we were raised with and show the incredible things the continent and its people have to offer. This doesn’t mean though that I do not address the negatives….we work on those too.
CM: Only a handful of Zimbabweans have ever carved out a resumé as impressive as yours. I’m quite keen to find out some of the life & career challenges you encountered along the way.
NM: Oh there are some amazing Zimboz (Zimbabweans) who are doing great things! But thanks for the recognition, I actually believe my career is very much in the early stages. I came into journalism quite late, at the age of 27 and that was to go to University. So I definitely faced challenges of doubting myself, whether it was the right decision or not, lack of financial support or recognition and sometimes not knowing how to make the right moves for my career.
Becoming successful in Journalism I think requires one to know themselves, what they want to do and a rough idea of how to get there. I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I moved around so many teams within BBC which was good but still had its own challenges. But it helped me carve out my niche. Being freelance also sometimes means not having the best career stability (this is where my faith has really had to kick in) or access to training opportunities but to be honest with you, I always look at the challenges as opportunities for growth. It’s been a good journey so far.
CM: It is currently “Black History Month”. What is the significance of Black History Month to you personally and how would you describe your experience as a Black-African woman in your industry?
NM: Black history month and the intention behind it is great but I don’t believe Black people should only be celebrated once a year. We should be celebrated every day of the year! There’s too much we have all gone through and are still going through now. I believe we should be a key part of every industry, institution, education system, government, entertainment etc.
As a Black woman in the industry, though I’ve said the journey has been good, it’s still been bitter sweet. There aren’t enough of us in the roles particularly in leadership roles. So sometimes Black people are misrepresented or not even considered. There are battles myself and so many others are fighting that we shouldn’t be.
But, regardless we’ve come such a long way, I’m proud of us! To achieve what we’ve achieved whilst experiencing discrimination & targeted, unnecessary challenges…ah like we say in my language, zvinodadisa!
2022 Global African Awards Recipient – “Nyasha Michelle”
About the Author
Charles Myambo (@BigChaz14 on Twitter) is a columnist and correspondent for industry leader, The Hype Magazine. He is also well known for being a multiple genre #1 Amazon best selling author. In addition to that, Charles is a credentialed journalist as seen in Muck Rack & Press Reader and he is also a highly touted celebrity news correspondent. Moreover, Charles is an international celebrity host and interviewer who has been covered by some of the world's biggest publications. At present, his interviews have been covered by credible journalistic outlets such as Medium, Flipboard, Press Reader, Muck Rack and many others. He is also a columnist for huge African newspapers such as NewsDay, Daily News, iHarare, ZiFM Stereo (radio station), H-Metro, The Financial Gazette as well as several other European and American publications. (@charlesmyambo on Instagram)
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