Hoping for Oprah

Local emcee guns for a chance to host her
own show on the TV empress’s new network

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Rachelle Segal

Age: 28

Occupation: TV host/emcee

Bio: This zesty Côte-St-Luc gal says she’s always been a “people person. I just like to inspire, enlighten and entertain people.” Getting her first taste of TV hostin’ on Concordia University TV while a student at said university, upon graduation Rachelle secured herself a gig with Carnival Cruise Lines, emceeing all the spectacular entertainment one finds on the cruise ship circuit. “Oh, we did crazy stuff, everything from me dressing up as Marilyn Monroe to emceeing karaoke nights, all kinds of crazy stuff.” Now supporting herself pretty well exclusively as an emcee through gigs sent her way via Sheldon Kagan Intl. and others, Rachelle is shooting for the big time, having recently submitted a tape and show idea to a contest Oprah Winfrey is sponsoring, with the winner getting their very own talk show on Fatso’s new network, OWN TV. “As an emcee, you have to take risks, put yourself out there, tap into your own personal spark, your energy, and give it out to the public.” Should you be in the market for an emcee, contact her via segal.rachelle@gmail.com. She drives an economical 1992 Mazda 323.

Rachelle’s “trademark” talent: Encouraging people to “reveal their passions. It just happens because I really like people and getting to know them. We start talking and the next thing I know, they’re telling me their life stories and what they ate for breakfast.”

Do the people she interviews ever throw her off with some of their passions? Like, has anybody ever informed her that they’re passionate about murder or sniffing little girls’ underpants? “Nothing like that, but I’m always happy and surprised when people give me answers that are out of the ordinary.”

The deal with this Oprah contest: “As a TV host in the community of TV hosts, Oprah is somebody I really appreciate. She keeps it real and evokes real emotion from her guests through the intelligent questions she asks. I’d been wanting to send her a letter telling her how much I admired her, but when I saw this contest, I just went, ‘Yeah, that’s it,’ and entered. I have a bank of TV show ideas and this was just one I thought would be good for Oprah’s network.”

Her pitch: “The hook of my talk show is to inspire people to be who they want to be, to live the way they want to live. It’s basically a show to get people to live their passions, to find out what they love and get them to go out there and do it. So I’ll be setting them up with someone in their desired field who will help them get out there and do it. I’m also a comedic girl, I like to laugh, so it’ll be fun too.”

If someone hasn’t found the motivation to “pursue their passion” on their own yet, how are they gonna find it on her talk show? “Because I’ll give them that kick in the ass they need. I’ll make them laugh, I’ll make them cry, we’ll have fun and guess what? We’re gonna do it!”

Last book read: A New Earth, by Eckhart Tolle.

Musical preferences: Sinatra, Gotan Project, U2.

Words of wisdom: “Smiling at someone is a guaranteed investment of getting a smile in return—and maybe a little extra interest too.”

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