10 Saddest TV Interviews Moments In Modern Arab Pop Culture
daughter’s story from her first marriage for the first time to the public, 2002 here
By Zaid Bawab
Interviews have always been a big part of TV scheduled programs.
Since the early 2000s, as magazines sales declined and online news websites took over, the interviewing style in the Arab world developed, depending more on provoking the guest and getting a scoop from what he or she said and gathering a bigger audience. Credit for that goes to some presenters who became prominent such as Tony Khalife, Nishan Derharoutyounian and Wafaa El Kilany, and the style reached an point at which presenters seemed to be in a competition of who could make the guest cry instead of having an enjoyable conversation with them.
If you happen to be a pop culture disciple and wouldn’t mind spending your weekend watching an interview with a celebrity we have something in common already. Here is the list of the ten saddest TV interviews moments in modern Arab pop culture in my opinion:
Nawal Al Zoghbi
The Lebanese diva is not the most talkative when it comes to her personal life: she managed to keep the distress between her and her ex-husband and manager Elie Deeb away from the public eye for a long time before the troubles became public property back in 2008. And it wasn’t until 2009 that Nawal cried in the Limatha (why) program presented by Tony Khalife on ‘Al Qahira Wal Nas’, a few months before she released her personal song ‘Fawq Jroohi’ and got the custody over her children. Watch Nawal cry while talking about her daughter Tia here.
Nidal Al Ahmadiyeh
Although it is difficult to sympathize with harsh journalists, presenter Nichan Derharoutyounian made the audience do just that during Nidal’s recent interview with him on Wala Tehlam on Al Hayat and MTV Lebanon. She talked about her mother who died a few months prior to the interview. It’s not the first time Nidal cried on TV: Wafaa’ El Kilany stole some tears from her back in 2007, during an interview in Ded Al Tayar as she suddenly played the song Set Al Habyeb during the interview and recited some unfortunate events from Nidal’s life. Watch Nidal talking about her mom here.
Shukran Murtaja
The Syrian actress that made millions of spectators laugh while embodying memorable roles in celebrated series like Jameel w Hana and Dunia did not fail to make the audience cry while singing for her country Syria in 2012. A few months after the civil war started during an interview with Wafaa’ Al Kilani on Nawaret on MBC 1 TV the actress lost control over her voice. Watch the Syrian actress’s interview here.
Hifa Wehbe
The Lebanese beauty icon is well acquainted with crying on TV, starting from her first 2002 Sa’a bi Orb Al Habeeb interview with Tony Khalife where he uncovered her daughter’s story from her first marriage for the first time. Haifa also wept after receiving the devastating news of her fellow Kalam Ala Waraq actor Hussein Al Imam’s death on air while she was in the judging panel of Shaklak Mosh Ghareeb program on MBC4 and MBC Egypt channel. As sincere as those tears seemed to be, in 2010 her tears while talking about her fear of having a fate similar to Marilyn Monroe, Dalida and Suad Husni were nothing but fake after she saw a depressing performance in Absher program presented by Nishan on MBC 1 TV. Watch here.
Sherine Abd Al Wahab
It might not have been the best idea for Sherine Abdel-Wahab to agree to an interview a few weeks after announcing her divorce. After provoking her Ana wel 3assall on Al Hayat and MTV Lebanon, Nishan questioned Sherine on her reaction to the idea of her ex-husband remarrying. The ‘Mashae’r‘ singer could not hold her tears thinking about how this would affect her daughters and couldn’t continue the interview, leading to having her as a guest again the following day. Watch her throw the napkin at Nichan and leave the platform here.
Majed Al Mohandes
The gentle Iraqi singer does not usually talk about his personal life, but Lebanese presenter Jomana Bou Eid did not miss the opportunity to tackle the subject in her 2008 program Kelmit Fasel on Rotana when she surprised the singer with a phone call with from his son who lives abroad with Majed‘s French ex-wife here.
Ilham Chahine
2012 was certainly a tough year on this Egyptian actress: her statements regarding the Muslim brotherhood taking control over Egypt in Ana wel 3assall program on Al Hayat and MTV Lebanon channels did not receive acclaim from Sheikh Abdalla Bader, who called her terrible names on the channel. It wasn’t that long before she pressed charges against the Sheikh and won the case with the support of fellow actors and others in the field. Watch her reaction after she had heard what Sheikh Abdulla Bader said about her for the first time here.
Hesham Selim
The Egyptian actor has come a long way since his role as Sherihan’s love interest in the eminent play Share Mohamed Ali. What many people do not know is that his personal life is more troubled than his acting career: two of his daughters were raised away from him after a divorce. Watch his fatherly tears as he addresses them with Mona Al Shazili in Jomla Mofida program on MBC Egypt here.
Karim El Abnoudi
If you don’t know who Karim El Abnoudi is, he’s the child who starred in the controversial film Halwet Rooh starring Haifa Wehbe. The film was banned in Egyptian theatres earlier this year for insubstantial allegations of inappropriate scenes involving a sexual encounter with Rooh, Haifa’s character in the film. The unjustified opposition campaign against the film from Egyptian political and artistic figures, resulted in the assault of the child. Watch him talking about it on Al Nahar TV while Mahmoud Saad tries to console him here.
Ghada Abdel Razek
Ghada might not remember this now: she is enjoying the overwhelming success of her series for the past three successive Ramadan seasons. But things were not as bright for the Egyptian actress in 2011. Back then she became a scapegoat after she declared her support for President Mubarak during Egypt’s 2011 revolution, the same year she was shooting her Ramadan series Samara which was a moderate success in comparison to her later work. Watch her in the link below as she talks about that whole phase and losing her temper as she receives an award from ART (Arab Radio Television) here.
Originally published at mykalimag.com on August 1, 2014.
