How did you break through Hollywood's fortresses and keep coming back?
In the beginning, my goal was not to reach Hollywood, but to present programs that make me feel proud and provide content that represents me and resembles me, this remains the most important for me, and with the spread of social media, I learned about the interests of the audience and their favorite interviews to provide what they wish for, there may be a lot of gossip, accusations and rumors in the world of art and cinema about the lives of celebrities, but I present the artist from the angle of his work. There may be a lot of gossip, accusations and rumors in the world of art and cinema about the lives of celebrities, but I present the artist from the angle of his work, so if the audience wants to know the latest work of the international artist, he will find it only in "Scoop" and not in what is known as "yellow journalism".
What is the difference between interviewing a foreign artist and an Arab artist?
There is no difference at all, the inspiration is the same, Najwa Karam's stardom is no different from Jennifer Lopez's stardom, the talent is the same, yes we may find in the Arab world stars who limit their fame, but this is what we also find in some international artists.
How do you handle unexpected situations during interviews?
There are many things that affect a TV interview, such as the circumstances of the artist, the place, and my own circumstances, so concentration is very important. I now know what to expect, for example, when interviewing Johnny Depp or Vin Diesel, I know that they will be very late for their appointment, but when they show up, they are in the best shape, so I conduct the interview accordingly.
After so many years as a presenter, how do you keep the passion alive?
I keep my passion for cinema alive by choosing programs that suit me, like "Arabs Got Talent," which requires spontaneity and enthusiasm, while hosting a show like "Arab Idol" doesn't suit me and I don't suit it.
Do you still feel anxious when filming?
Anxiety is required as it generates excitement, with experience I realized that the first few seconds are the most difficult and I won't be able to master it 100% but when it passes, things become normal, preparation is very important to avoid fear and anxiety
Besides preparation, what are the most important elements of success in TV hosting?
The presenter should not talk more than the guest and give him the opportunity to express his opinion. It is also important to stay away from exaggeration, excessive description and a long introduction, for example, what is the point of introducing Tom Cruise, the whole world knows him! And the artist does not like this kind of introductions and without them the interview becomes natural, the content must also remain the basis, some presenters think that they must appear in a certain style and a blatant form by using exaggerated makeup and think that this form is a requirement of the profession, but we are not actresses or models, maintaining the proper form is required, but without exaggeration because the content is the most important.
What doesn't the public know about Raya Abi Rashid?
The audience doesn't know how busy I am, that I don't have enough time and I'm always in a hurry, they chide me that my looks could be better, and they are right, I talked about it with my stylist who lives in Dubai and I live in London, I may be in Dubai one day and the second day in London and I have two options either to have professional makeup done or to go straight to the interview and of course I choose the interview.
How do you handle social media criticism?
It is important to understand the nature of social media sites and to expect criticism, in fact, sometimes the criticisms may be appropriate and this is the goal of communication sites, we will not be able to satisfy all people, we must deal with the audience of communication sites with maturity and not take them seriously and accept the positives and negatives.
How can media women maintain their self-confidence in a difficult media environment and strong competition?
It is important for the media to express her story, not to care only about her appearance in front of the audience and neglect the content, the presenter should not knock on the door of the media for fame, and to be "herself" only.
