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Egyptian mother-of-two Ghalia Alia Mahmoud started her career as a humble housemaid for one of Cairo’s wealthy families and today finds herself as one of TV’s top celebrities in post-revolutionary Egypt.
Her show, El Set Ghalia (Mrs Ghalia), is a housewives’ favourite and she has been given the label as ‘cook of the revolution’ with her down-to-earth kitchen tips programme. The show invites viewers across the region to make contact with her live on air.
“I’m just doing the same thing I’ve done my whole life. The only different thing is that I’m doing it in front of a camera,” said Mrs Mahmoud.
She rose to fame when Mohamed Gohar, a television executive for 25 TV, hired her to cook on the network, which was launched in the wake of the recent Arab Spring.
He believes that the network creates a new vision on freedom, democracy and social justice.
“I see Ghalia as another medium to reach and connect to and with people. Unlike a news hour or political talk show, a cooking show has the ability to unite people from all walks of life,” he said.
The show focuses on cooking traditional Egyptian meals on a budget and the kitchen set is designed to replicate Mahmoud’s kitchen in her home. It has become a hit all over the Middle East with satellite TV viewers.
El Set Ghalia airs on 25 TV every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
