Editor’s Note:
This interview was initially published as a #CNWExclusive during my tenure as the Publication Editor at the Florida-based Diaspora newspaper, Caribbean National Weekly.
Against the odds and spurred by a tenacious push from then-judge, reggae icon Nadine Sutherland, former Miss Jamaica World 2005 turned media personality, author, and TEDx speaker, Dr. Terri-Karelle Reid, auditioned for Digicel Rising Stars in 2010. Despite her reservations and lack of expertise, she attended hundreds of others at the open casting call. She was first shortlisted and withdrew due to a job conflict, but returned the following year when the opportunity arose again —this time, there was no competition, it was all hers. Leaving her role as General Manager and Miss Jamaica World Pageant Director at Spartan Health Club behind, she embarked on an unconventional journey that would change her life. Now over a decade and 19 seasons later, it’s time for a new adventure. She reflects on the journey…
It’s your first day on set as a media newbie. What stood out for you?
Day 1 on set was simultaneously enlightening and nerve-wracking, because I underestimated how big and how watched the show was. You could feel it… it was the teleprompter run, the production call time, the script, all these different moving parts, departments and people, roles and responsibilities. That very first technical run where they’re playing with the lights and I’m looking at the Auditorium at all these empty seats, saying to myself, ‘so this is how big this thing really is’.
Thankfully, the crew at no time at all made me feel like I didn’t belong, they were helpful, kind, funny… It felt like family, and it created a lovely, healthy environment that gave me room to just be. Which was great, because it wasn’t just the magnitude of the role, I found out just a couple days before that I was pregnant. I showed up to the rehearsal with tears in my eyes to tell my producer, Sharon. It was a new career, a new journey that I didn’t feel ready for with so many things running through my mind, and everything was intersecting. She was super calm, super composed, as she told me, ‘Don’t worry, we will handle this as it comes, let me know if you need any additional support’.
My only request was to keep it confidential so the attention wouldn’t shift from what I was bringing to the work, and she kept that for the entire first season until I returned in 2012, three months after having Naima. The crew was like, whose baby is that? She came in March, we started filming in June, and people didn’t even know.
How challenging was it for you to experience so many new versions of yourself —mother, author, speaker— while being on TV?
It was challenging trying to always prioritise, reassess and manage yourself in time. There are changes happening and so many demands, spinoffs and opportunities that come with a new career in media, but it wasn’t overwhelming because I try to always stay grounded, so even though my popularity was growing, it never got to my head. I constantly reminded myself that I’m a facilitator, creating an atmosphere between my audience and my contestants, it’s really not about me. Number 2 is having a great support system. I’m grateful that my mother would come to the show with my daughter, taking care of her while I’m working over the years, and that I have a partner who understands that my commitment to the show means he has to commit to the show.
Having my mother there on the final night, with my daughter, who is now 11… It’s the only job I’ve ever had where she can appreciate the process from the beginning all the way to the final product, and learn that you must prepare, respect the craft and the process.
Being on the show required dedication from not just myself, but also the people around me, so their support made it easy for me to grow into the role.
Share a lesson from Digicel Rising Stars over the years that you’ll always carry.
One of the biggest lessons of this job is that you must count yourself in, not out. If the opportunity comes to you, it’s because you’re already exuding something other people can see, even though you might not fully understand it yet. So bet on yourself, and that takes action – don’t just tell yourself affirmations, get up and act.
Also, even when everyone says you’re doing excellently, never become complacent. There’s always more to learn. And respect everyone who makes you look good, from the manager to the person keeping our makeup room and bathroom clean, everyone was needed for the process to come together and work well.
Any favourite memories or highlights you can think of?
Oh my God! There are standouts! They were characters and the ones who don’t have the skills are always the ones early, prepared and ever-ready. There were also people who could really sing, showing up with half the confidence and preparation.
Elvis shows up every year in Mandeville. He’s an elderly man who always wore an Elvis Presley wig, sometimes blonde, sometimes black, sometimes not in the best condition. He would do the moves and his hilarious impression, and one year he gifted me some new ‘kick-me-kill me’ pointy toe Elvis boots!
Each season came with a newness for me, I remember two winners —Elton who serenaded me on the final night. He had entered nine times before going through to the finals and emerging as the winner in the year he finally got called into the studio. To see him win after so many attempts reminds me that sometimes when things don’t work out, it probably means there’s more work for you to do. He never gave up, and he won. There was also T-Rizzy, who hitched a ride with three other contestants to come to the audition without money to get back. He got a golden ticket, and the crew put money together to get them home… he won that year.
And, of course, the final night where everyone cried, even the audience. It was very emotional and bittersweet. I knew it would have been, but I didn’t expect that it would have transferred to so many people.
Tell us about your bond with your producer and the messages between you that encouraged you throughout the journey.
My forever producer! She always played to my strengths. Sharon would put these little notes at the top of my script every week that became a ritual and a routine. Our way of bonding and communicating to say, ‘I see you and have your back’. At my last show, she wrote me on a full sheet of paper, because it was just too much for the top of the script, so I saved it.
Any advice for the new host, Talia Soares?
I’m absolutely excited for her and I’m proud of her. Just like me, she was ushered into the media through a casting call. She works extremely hard, and she’s been consistent, so this is where opportunity and preparation meet for her. She’s built a brand across Intense, Smile Jamaica and Fame Frequency, so she’s not a new face. That makes the passing of the torch seamless.
This is her moment, her season, I know she’s gonna do a good job.
Tal, don’t worry about filling my shoes because you’ll be walking in yours, delivering in a way only you can. Jamaica nurtured me and allowed me to prove myself, so I’m encouraging them to do the same, and give her the room to grow as they did for me.
And finally, Terri, what will you miss most about the experience, and what will you do next?
Coming into the studio every Sunday to see faces who have grown with me and become part of the family, I’m going to miss that camaraderie. It’s like going and visiting your grandma every week. I learnt the most from my production crew and we saw each other through many life changes, so they’ll always occupy a very special place in my heart.
I’m also going to miss Jamaica. We always have commentary, it’s a subculture, and I’ll miss those interactions with people chiming in on the episodes wherever I go the most.
And what’s next? I’m taking this time to pause and think. I trust where God leads me. To quell the rumours, no, I am not migrating, and I am not ill. It’s been an honour and pleasure to serve for the last 12 years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better audience.
Of course, we also tapped Digicel Rising Stars’, Series Producer, Sharon Schroeter, for her views on Terri’s departure and the road ahead:
Terri was made for media. When she hosted the Kingston audition in 2010, she was a natural, so when she took on the position of host in 2011 she stepped effortlessly into the role. Over the years she got better and better… you could feel the love she has for the show, and the love I know she still has even though she has moved on. Terri will always be a part of the Rising Stars family, and we just want her to continue being great.
She continued, saying:
Talia has been on our screens for the past 11 years, and Jamaica has fallen in love with her. I’ve watched her grow and I knew she would be perfect in this role as the next step in her media career. I’m excited to see what she brings to it, and I guarantee it will only be greatness.”
WK Admin