As one of the most beloved and recognized voices on the air in Dubai she has set her mind to be a force to be reckoned with. From early beginnings in Sri Lanka she has tried her talent on many different avenues of business and media landing her as the morning host of the influential radio station in Dubai with thousands of loyal listeners tuning in every morning to listen to her funny and inspiring show. Go! Dubai Magazine finally landed an exclusive interview with the lovely Ms Sheron Nanayakkara Loftus.
Tell us a little bit about how it all started.
“Growing up, all I knew was that I wanted to be on TV somehow, in any capacity. We would watch TV shows and see all these famous celebrities being interviewed, and while most kids were taken up by the celebrities, I found myself being fascinated by the people sitting across those celebrities, the ones asking the questions.
I’d write down my own questions and use my trusty hairbrush to ask them while picturing my favorite musicians and movie stars seated right in front of me, so I suppose those were my earliest memories and the initial footing I got to get where I am right now.
In professional terms, I started working on a career in media right out of the gate, joining a Sri Lankan radio station right after I was finished with school.
I fell instantly in love with radio, and I always looked forward to hopping in to the studio and turning those mics up, something that stayed with me to this day.
After about three years of doing radio in various degrees, I took my first steps into my television venture which has proven to be one of the most rewarding experiences I?ve ever been involved in.
Although I started out reading news, I gradually worked my way up to hosting live morning shows, the pinnacle of Sri Lankan TV, among a whole range of other TV shows, leading to what I look back as some of the fondest memories of my life. I was very young and impressionable, so I really enjoyed taking on as much responsibility in my budding media career as I could. It was after all of this that I decided to head over to the UAE in search of bigger things.”
So settling in in Dubai you landed your first job but not in media.
“Yeah, I opened myself to new challenges, it?s something you must do when you initially arrive at this part of the world, be prepared for any and every possible thing, so I welcomed the idea of venturing into the vast world of real estate. My mom owned her own company and I grew up learning everything about real estate. Before long I was climbing up the ladder in that line of work, and before long I was managing a team of 15 agents. I enjoyed my time in real estate but I always knew inside that radio and TV is where my heart?s really at.
After a few years of living that busy real estate life, I drifted off back to Sri Lanka where I once again found myself back in the familiar setting of prime time radio.
I thoroughly enjoyed being back in the confines of a studio but moving to Sri Lanka was only short term and it was time for me to move back to my second home again.”
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Coming back to Dubai you finally got the call you were waiting for.
“Yes, and it was probably the most ecstatic I?ve ever felt! I had to pinch myself a couple of times to make sure it was actually happening, it all felt so surreal but I also felt extremely proud that all my hard work from years gone by had led me to this big stage.
I felt like my career had finally come full circle, so I went into the job not only excited at the opportunity I got, but also because of the chance I?d been given to represent my country on such a massive stage. Despite my international overview, I?m a typical Sri Lankan rice and curry kind of girl through and through, I?m extremely proud of my country?s rich heritage and culture, and I never miss an opportunity to speak highly of my country, be it on air or in just general conversation.
So representing my little island nation is as big a factor as anything else when it comes to my job, and I take major pride in that.
The thing that I find the most comfort in is the fact that Dubai is my second home, so there is no way that a feeling of being put in an unfamiliar environment exists. Dubai has been very kind to me from the moment I first set foot here, and I?ve achieved everything and more than I first set out to do. I?ve always been open and welcoming to the opportunities that Dubai presents people, and because of that I never feel out of my element, whether it?s going on air or anything else really.
Sheron’s Bucket List
‘I don’t even remember when I started my bucket list, it’s a never ending work in progress, continually being altered and updated.’
- I’d love to do all the natural wonders of the world.
- Visit the Great Wall of China and enter the Forbidden City in Beijing.
- Bathe in the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa in Iceland.
- Do the Phoebe run in Central Park, New York, and visit the Warner Brothers Studios.
- Start my own company.
