Charming yet sexy, open yet conservative, knowledgeable yet humble. She is a combination of everything and wants to reach the sky, but with steady steps. She glowed as a TV presenter, and is now trying to confirm and prove her talent as an actress. Naglaa Badr is a beautiful face we used to know and see as a successful presenter to several TV shows on MBC, Nile Life, and the Egyptian T.V… Naglaa will tell us all about herself and her new experience as an actress in this exclusive interview.

The readers would like to know all about Naglaa Badr, Who are you?
I am an Egyptian citizen, graduated from the faculty of Mass Communication and started working as an actress in Mohamed Fadel’s famous series “El Nawaa” in 1989. Later I started my career as a presenter in the ART satellite channel, Oman T.V, Orbit satellite channel, and then my grand move to the most professional satellite channel MBC. It was a turning point in my career and everything I learned, all through my working years was at MBC. They taught me how to speak, pronounce, sit, and use my body language appropriately. I worked under the supervision of Shafky El Mounairy, who used to work there at the time. It was the most important time in my career. I was young and couldn’t cope with being alone in London where MBC is based, so I moved back to Cairo where Nile Variety channel were looking for new presenters and I met Mr. Hassan Hamed, and started working with them for three years. But MBC asked me to go back and work with them again, and so I did and have been with them for the past nine years. I just quit a short time ago because I felt I was not moving forward, and needed a change as well as new ideas. I believe that the true presenter can’t be locked with one channel and needs to feel free to do any program, at any channel, at any time. To be creative, not an employee, I did “Soiree” program and “El Bataal” and decided to present only high budget shows.

In your opinion which is better, working with the Egyptian T.V or private satellite channels as MBC?
Of course MBC, but not all private satellite channels are the same. MBC channel is based on right basics and studies; incidentally everything I studied in the faculty was completely applied at MBC. MBC apply the correct techniques of Marketing and follow up on all the shows and programs to obtain the exact statistics of viewership through marketing researches and surveys, ongoing trainings to all the staff. That’s what we require in our Egyptian T.V, applying the right rules and studies, hiring the appropriate person it the right place. Taking more care of the presenter’s look and style. Basically, learn how to create a star and a program.

What do you think of the following names as presenters?
Razan Maghraby: I love her very much, she is very good and what she presents fits her totally, I can’t imagine Razan doing anything else.

Hala Sarhan: She is great; she is a real tutor for all of us. She is a school of her own. I admire and respect her a lot. Despite all the problems she has been through, she is still Hala Sarhan. I must tell you that we shouldn’t believe all what is written in the newspapers because I read things about myself that are completely untrue.

Posy Shalaby: I love her very much; she is on very good terms with all the actors and actresses and of course this helps her a lot in all the successes of her programs.

Mahmoud Saad: He is my sweetheart, Mahmoud Saad is your father, brother, son, he is one of your family. When you see him on T.V, you just feel you know him and he is so familiar.

Amr Adib: Well - I have a comment I would like to say; not every issue or case can be broadcasted on the satellites. We shouldn’t discuss all our political issues in public. We should take more care of Egypt’s image worldwide.

Why don’t you think of preparing a program about Egypt’s most prestigious and wonderful destinations to show the others all the beautiful places we have? I hope this dream could come true, to do something different and good. To give an idea of Egypt’s beautiful side, not the unattractive one that the majority of the programs show. How do you find the artistic field and how do you collaborate with it? It is a very difficult and hard field. It wasn’t easy for me. Relationships and friendships are very important and do count a lot. I am not very open and need time to make friendships. I have limited relationships in the artistic field. What about the Cinema? I always dreamt of Cinema but it’s not the time yet. I took lessons in acting in Dr. Abdel Hady Studio, it was a great experience. Now I am concentrating in T.V, I am participating in “Reesh Naam” series for this Ramadan and also “Zahraa We Azouagha El Khamsa”. This is a real beginning for me.

Do you have certain restrictions concerning your roles and choices?
Well I don’t like daring scenes, but I love playing all kinds of characters; villain, kind-hearted, all controversial and contradicted characters.

Back to your career as a presenter, do your relationships and personal connections enhance your career?
Well to a certain extent, for example if the producer can’t reach a star or a guest and I can, I might help. But inside my programs I never use or take advantage of any news I know about my guests. I must ask permission first. I should be smart and know what to say, and when to say it.

Do you have a certain political opinion, and what do you think of the current issues?
I am sad about what is happening nowadays, too much politics that have affected Egypt badly. I dream about stability and peace in the whole Middle East and more progress and development in Egypt.