Fifteen minutes of fame - Zara Martin

If you haven’t seen Current TV, you’re missing out big time – it’s a TV channel made for you. We met Zara Martin, one of the channel's main presenters.

As an alternative to the programme format we’re used to, Current broadcasts short 'pods' made by professional and amateur directors. The subjects range from the ingeniously funny to alternative views of serious current affairs. Each pod is also available on demand at the current.tv website.

The channel encourages viewers to contribute – from video pods to website content and news stories, and if you're a budding film maker with a creative eye, you could even end up producing a commercial funded by a current advertiser paying up to £100k. Check out Current TV - you could get your fifteen minutes of fame sooner than you expected...

TV presenter Zara Martin is climbing the ladder to stardom, having started off as a model, she is also a trained actor. We stalked Zara until she gave us an interview, and she’s got some interesting views on the fame game.


You're the glamorous face of Current TV - tell us the story of your success.

If there’s a traditional presenting route, I definitely didn’t take it! But I always knew I wanted a career in front of the camera. I did my degree in Economics and Business with East European Studies at UCL and then decided I to go back to my ‘drama’ background, so I went to LA and enrolled in acting school. When I came back to London I was called in for an audition for Current as it was launching its UK network and fell in love with the channel and its ethos. I REALLY wanted it but I didn’t hear anything for ages so I just assumed it was a ‘another one bites the dust’ scenario. Then one day I got the call!!

Current was set up by one of the most famous men in the world. What’s it like having Al Gore as a boss?

It’s crazy; I never thought I would be calling the Former Vice President of the United States my boss! He is a very inspiring man, when he talks you want to listen, but mostly I love him because when I gave a speech at a press conference for Current he was the only one who laughed at my joke (or attempted joke – I have a niche sense of humour).

We're guessing you meet celebs now and then. Have you ever been massively star struck since you got into the industry?

Not really, it’s often more of a disappointing experience especially when it involves a serenade from Ray J!

Zara Martin on set at Current's TV studio

Tell us a little about your new show – how can our readers get involved?

It’s called Current Lovelife and it’s going to be awesome! It will air live every Friday night from 8-10pm launching on 15th May covering fashion, entertainment, sex and relationships. I can’t tell you exactly what we’re going to be featuring because that would give it all away but I’m really so excited about it and the best part is all your readers can get involved AND I would absolutely love them to! There are so many ways to get involved with the show, it’s totally interactive and the stories etc are completely dictated by our viewers – all the details will be up on Current.com once the show is up and running. So keep your eyes peeled and get involved!

Your website says more than half the kids at school nowadays want to be famous. What do you make of this? Does everyone deserve their 15 minutes?

Where do I start? Every time I hear a statistic like that it weirds me out and makes me feel a bit sad. When I was in school I can honestly say I didn’t pay attention to stuff like that, oh dear I sound like an old age pensioner, but it’s true! Fame is no longer a great privilege. Does everyone one deserve their 15 minutess? Probably not.

How’s your public profile – do you get recognised when you’re out? 

I have been asked once or twice if I’m ‘Zara from Current TV’ – I get really embarrassed and shy.

What would you most like to be known as/for?

Someone who is good at what they do, has integrity and loves to laugh.

You always look effortlessly glamorous and beautifully presented on screen. Who does all that lovely hair? 

Haha! Why thank you! I have A LOT of hair, I have been going to my hairdresser (Maj) since I was a kid – she’s super cool and now has her own salon. I don’t trust anyone else to touch it! Also, Pantene is my not so secret weapon, I shove on about a bottles worth of conditioner every time I wash my hair.

Where do you shop?

As far as shopping goes, this could take a while. I shop anywhere and everywhere but some of my favourites in London are Browns Focus, Kabiri for jewelry, this vintage shop in Primrose Hill called Shikasuki, Kokon to Zai, Miss Lala’s Boudoir (which also sells one of my new favourite designers, Olivia Rubin. She is going to be part of a regular feature in my new show, which I’m so happy about!) and Topshop (obviously). I also love rummaging through market stalls to find one-offs!

Zara is also a model, you know

Do you ever worry you might end up in one of those ‘celebrity style disaster’ articles?

No, because if I ever reach a place in my career where people actually care about what I’m wearing, it’s inevitable!

Are the paparazzi evil and should we be culling them like pigeons?

Culling them like pigeons?? Jesus! How do you really feel? Haha! If we’re talking about fame, you need the paps onside. I can image for some it can get pretty intense, so I can’t comment on that but as far as I’m concerned everyone’s got to make a buck, right?

What are your favourite places to eat, drink and hang out? Are we likely to find you at any of the swanky bar and clubs we see in the papers?

I love to eat! Haha, there are so many cute places in Soho and I spend so much time there that I have
probably tried them all out, yum. Sorry. I’m hungry. What was I saying? Oh yeah, Soho is also great for Karaoke, that place Lucky Voice is hysterical – makes you feel like you’re about to do something really seedy because it’s all private rooms!

Are you likely to see me at a swank club? Well, swanky? I don’t know about that. I work a hell of a lot so I don’t have this crazy social life that people assume I might, I’m not one who can do both simultaneously– but I’m also not going to sit here and be like “you’ll never see me stumbling out of a nightclub at 4am” because who knows, you might! And maybe then I wouldn’t have such a rose-tinted perspective of the paps! Haha!


To get involved in Zara’s new show Lovelife, visit: www.current.com

 Current is on Sky (183) and Virgin (155)

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Interested in making TV? Current wants your ideas about fame

In this celebrity obsessed age where two thirds of children want their 15 part series of fame, Current looks at the reality of what it REALLY means to be famous and asks if Warhol’s vision of celebrity could end in chaos for Britain. From the people who will go to astounding lengths to find fame, to the lives ruined by being in the public eye this will be an in depth look at all aspects of the celebrity circus. If you'd like to make a short documentary to be included in this season, please contact Emily (erenshaw-smith@current.com) to pitch your ideas."

 Get Involved: current.com/make