#BehindtheSelfie with... Angel Campey, presenter at Smile 90.4FM

1. Where do you live, work and play?

I'm lucky enough to live in the city bowl in Cape Town. I work and play in the city bowl too.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

I guess I should say something impressive that my mom would brag about, like that I won a Safta for TV comedy writing in 2018, but my real claim to fame is that my roommate is more famous than I am.

I've lived with actor/comedian/presenter Siv Ngesi since 2011 and honestly, there were a few years in the beginning of my career that 'being his roommate' made me more famous than comedy, writing or radio did!

Radio host on the Smile 90.4FM Drive from 3pm-6pm.

3. Describe your career so far.

It's been a whirlwind of amazing things and surreal moments. I still have to pinch myself to fact check that it's actually my real life, and I get to make people laugh for a living.

On air with the Smile Drive

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Bingeing series, gardening, coffee, a well-delivered cheesy joke, painted nails and cheat meals.

5. What do you love about your industry?

I'm lucky enough to exist in a few industries. What I love about the comedy industry is the freedom of speech, and how philosophical comedians get about our craft, and the social responsibility we have to heal and address potentially difficult topics with laughter.

I love radio for how much fun it is to connect with people through only the medium of my voices. It's been amazing growing with Smile 90.4FM and understanding how diverse and varied different listeners can be. It makes me feel even more connected to this city that I love.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Mornings are spent on admin, meetings and emails. I get to Smile 90.4FM around lunchtime in order to prep my show and have it all ready to go on air from 3-6pm, then usually it’s a running dinner as I make my way to comedy. I get on stage around 8-9pm, and home by midnight to face-plant before rebooting for the next day. If it's a productive day, I remember to take my make-up off before bed!

7. What are the tools of your trade?

A microphone, quick wit and nerves of steel.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

There are so many creative and trailblazing people that I look up to in both comedy and radio, that it would be impossible to start naming them off. However, that being said, no article about comedians getting it right would be complete without a shout-out to our messiah: Trevor Noah, in whose name, all things are made possible!

9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.

It would be nice to have a better structure to protect freelance artists, especially with medical and benefits.

10. What are you working on right now?

With comedy, I'm still touring my one-woman show, Devil's Advocate around the country - and on radio with the Smile 9.4FM Drive, we keep creating new content and I am really excited about the new feature called Angel's Angels, which is not your average girl talk segment. It has been well received and I'm working on getting that even more candid and dynamic. You can catch that weekdays at 5:10pm on Smile90.4FM

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Buzzwords like "tough crowd", "bums on seats" in comedy and "engagement" or "passive listeners" in radio. My catchphrase is "laugh my life".

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

It used to be in the shower, but ever since the drought cut my shower time down to two minutes, my main creativity hits whilst I'm driving.

13. What is your secret talent/party trick?

I have no party tricks and no secret talents. Comedians have no secrets.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

A little of both. I thought I was a technophile but the older I get the more confusing it all becomes. Eek! Like what even is TikTok?!

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

It depends what app you're scrolling on... If you're scrolling through my photos, sadly there's nothing saucy anywhere. Unless you count photos of saucy food, of which there are lots.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

Show up. Show you're keen. That's the only thing. There are no handouts.

Follow Campey @YesReallyAngel on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook, and Smile 90.4FM on their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter feeds for the latest updates.

*Interviewed by Jessica Tennant.