The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 39
ENTERTAINMENT
“What people respond to
most is who you are and
what you stand for.”
– Morgan Newman
Morgan Newman: From the
rugby field to the airwaves
“I played professional rugby for
eight years, representing Western
Province, the Stormers and the
Cheetahs, and later becoming
involved with the Sharks. Then
my brother passed away, and
I decided to come home.
“During my rugby career, I was
a big advocate for club rugby in
the Western Cape, which led me
to present a Saturday-morning
segment on Good Hope FM, where
I spoke about fixtures, logs and
results. It was during this time that
I got injured and had to stop playing.
Thankfully, the station manager
sent me a message saying they
were keen for me to cover other
sports on air, so I went into the
station one Saturday morning
and started doing exactly that.
“More than a decade later, I’m
the sports presenter on The Great
Drive with Kyeezi and Celest
Anthony, and I host my own
Saturday-morning sports show,
Play by Play.
“From the outside, radio can
seem simple, but talking into
a microphone with hundreds
of thousands of listeners on the
other side can be daunting. It has
taken a long time for me to evolve
into someone I would call a radio
presenter and show host. I’ve
learnt a lot from the presenters
I’ve worked with, but nothing
taught me more about radio than
hosting my own show. Learning
to present, control the desk, keep
track of the timings, play out the
adverts, conduct interviews and
manage guests has given me
a newfound respect for what
Kyeezi and Celest do.
“The Kyeezi I knew at school and
the Kyeezi I know in the real world
and on radio are worlds apart, let
me tell you! One thing we always
knew about Kyeezi was that he
was an incredibly passionate radio
man. He is still deeply engrossed
in radio and loves the medium.
He puts in the work every day; he
was never going to be outworked.
He makes sure that he’s at the
forefront of what is relevant and
happening in the Mother City, and
he isn’t afraid to tackle difficult
subjects or talk about the tough
things happening in South Africa.
His slogan – “Greatness is
something you practise every
single day” – stands out, because
I genuinely see him practising it
every day. I’ve got a lot of respect
for the man.
“Kyeezi and I also banter about
our days at Bishops. We were
both boarders in White House.
At school, I was the man with
the final say, but as the presenter
of the show, he is now the man
with the final say. It has been a bit
of a turnaround, but it’s something
we have fun with. Ultimately, we
have a deep friendship, and that
helps with what we discuss and
how we banter on air.
“Radio really is theatre of
the mind, and my hope is that
listeners who tune in to hear our
laughter and honest reflections
gain a feeling of belonging. When
I’m out in public, people often
say that they feel as though we’re
all friends – and that is how it
should be.
“To any Bishops boy following
our journey, my message is to be
authentically who you are. We all
hear presenters we like, but it’s
important not to copy the next
person. What people respond to
most is who you are and what you
stand for. Some people will love it
and some won’t, but that’s where
the beauty lies.
“And that’s what I’ve tried to
do throughout my career: remain,
to my core, who I am, and true to
what I believe in. I’m having fun
with it, and I’m incredibly chuffed
to be in this space.”
Mike Wright
(2014B) is a
creative all-rounder
with a keen interest
in media. When
he isn’t working,
running, cooking or studying, he
writes for his publication, Le Scarf.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 35
