'I Don't Cook... I'd Sooner Use My Oven For Storage!'

TV and radio presenter Zoë Brown tells Libby Allen about how she’s learnt to face life head on, making memorable first impressions, and the one thing every DIY fundi needs...

- Zoe Brown

After being named a winner in SABC 3’s Expresso presenter search in 2015, Zoë, 27, joined the morning TV show as a co-host – as well as their resident DIY-expert. She’s also a familiar voice to the Cape’s radio listeners, having worked at KFM since 2014. In July this year, she joined KFM’s afternoon drive show, The Flashdrive, as the traffic presenter. Zoë holds a BA in international relations, and she has a keen interest in politics. She lives in the Cape Town CBD with her cat, Sailor.

I’m off to an early start in the mornings.

I leave home at 4:30am, arrive at the Expresso studio at 4:45am, and then get going with hair and make-up. Once I’ve got my microphone on, the team will meet to discuss the show ahead and we go live at 6:30am. But my day doesn’t stop when the show wraps up at 9am; often we’ll go out and film a segment on location. Then in the afternoons I head over to KFM where I’m on air from 4pm to 7pm every week day.

The Expresso team has a lot of fun behind the scenes.

We draw on each other’s energy and I think that comes across when you watch the show. If you wander backstage there’s often a hive of activity, like the guest musicians’ instruments being tuned, presenters practising their lines, and various people dashing from one place to the next. It’s always a great buzz.

It didn’t take long for me to make a ‘memorable’ impression on my colleagues.