Not long ago, I came across Bassel Alzaro and Karim Rihan’s YouTube channel called “El-Podcasters”. They interview all kinds of guests, mostly celebrities/public figures from the Middle East, since the duo comes from the media industry. I’ve listened to many interviews and thus decided to share my favourite and most inspiring ones.

1- Reem Moustafa

Reem’s smile and laughter is infectious! Beautiful personality. While Reem remains private, she’s still opened to share some stories of her life and the lessons she learned. I loved her perspective on inner/spiritual work, luck, destiny, God’s will, hard work, etc. You’ll catch yourself smiling throughout the whole interview!

2- Amina Khalil

Amina Khalil is one of my favourite actresses and one of the very firsts I fell in love with! I have listened to several of her interviews, and I love her personality and mentality. In this episode, she’s so opened about many topics, such as mental health. I love how she has the courage of her convictions. She’s confident, funny, bright, and so relatable, especially for people like me who were born outside of Egypt just like her.

3- Mohamed Mamdouh

Mamdouh is one of the best Egyptian actors of our generation. I haven’t met one person who doesn’t like him. Ever since his role in Le Grand Hotel, he has become a rising star and his various performances never disappoint. This interview is so special because it feels like Mamdouh is a very private person, so when you listen to his stories and opinions, it’s like discovering a whole other side of him. That personal side is nice to see and he’s truly funny, real, and humble.

4- Riham Abdel Ghafour 

Riham has played an eclectic variety of roles. She’s one of the best Egyptian actors of our time just like Mamdouh. I feel she’s underrated and that’s a shame because her talent is undeniable. To see her just be herself in this interview is something beautiful yet strange when you’ve seen her play all kinds of loud and strong characters, most of them you’d consider outside of the norm. In real life, she seems so calm and graceful while still having a solid presence.

5- Mohamed Alaa

Mohamed Alaa was always an actor I liked, but I never bothered to look him up until I watched Disappearance. In the latter, his performance alongside Nelly Karim was filled with chemistry. I fell in love with the character he played. That series in general is one of my favourite ones. That being said, I was really interested in getting to know more about the actor. I enjoyed this interview and discovered an aspect of Mohamed I never saw elsewhere on screen.

What are your favourite episodes or podcasts? Let me know in the comments section!