NBS TV’s MC Ollo is living his TV dream

Ask any teen or happening young person who their favourite TV presenter is. The answer will most likely be MC Ollo of NBS TV.

Face to face Ollo, whose real name is Stanley Odong, comes off as shy.

Rarely does the host of the NBS Youth Voice make eye contact during our interview.

“I can be shy when I am talking to someone but in front of the cameras, I am vibrant,” he says.

The Ollo journey to TV was never a smooth one, it is full of hills and valleys.

First, his father died when he was three years old therefore he was brought up by his mother, who struggled to make ends meet.

 “I always wanted to be on TV but I did not know how to break into the industry. I used to watch presenters of Youth shows on television when I was in High School and I would imagine that I would do better,” he says.

While in Form 4, he acted a popular TV documentary about the Uganda Martyrs in 2014 called ‘From Martyrdom to Glory’.

The movie featured at the Uganda Film Festival 2014 and was premiered at Century Cinemax.

“This gave me courage that I could make it big on TV,” Ollo says

He first made an appearance on TV in 2014, while still in form four. He was part of a group of young people selected for a mock debate on youth issues by NBS TV.

“I was in the audience but I made sure I caught the attention of the presenters because I was very active and had done my homework,” he says.

Then, the presenter was Victoria Bagaya, now a reporter on NBS TV.

He was invited again and again and later he became a permanent guest.

Before long, he was taken on as a presenter but the first years he says he was earning peanuts.

“I was not making any money but the TV gave me a platform to get MC gigs at various youth functions,” he says.

He has emceed at teen events like Kadanke, Buzz Teeniez Awards, Zzina Sosh, Debwaz, among many others. His show has also been voted several times as the best youth show on TV.

At one point, he considered leaving NBS for a rival TV station but management moved quickly to improve his terms.

MC Ollo is currently pursuing a Mass Communication degree and has set up the Ollo Brand, a firm that is into promoting musicians and shows.

Challenges

He says it is expensive being on TV especially on a youth show where viewers are keen on fashion trends.

“You have to constantly change you wardrobe because you can’t wear the same clothes week in, week out. This means you spend a lot of money on clothes, shoes and other accessories,” he says.

Secondly he says most TV stations pay little for talent and this is a big problem because the cost of living is high.

Advice to young people

Ollo says many young people easily give up on their dreams when they realize that things are not going their way.

“Push on even when things may not be moving in the direction that you want. Life is full of challenges but it those challenges that make it interesting,” he says.