Wearing a funky colorful shirt, dirty blue jeans and flip-flops, Sherif Madkour does not look like the typical Egyptian television presenter.
That’s because besides being a young, charismatic TV presenter, Madkour is also a successful interior designer with a business-oriented mind and a lively person.
Born in 1972 in Heliopolis, Madkour is the eldest son in his family and the grandson of former Armed Forces Minister Mohamed Fawzy. During his school years, he did not consider himself a clever student. He did not do that well in his IGCE studies, so he transferred to the national secondary school certificate (thanaweya aama), thinking it would be easier to pass.
“I was never clever at school. I remember I got 71.5 percent in the national secondary certificate and my mom could not believe that I finally passed. it is not a criteria for intelligence, said 35-year-old Madkour.
Before graduating from the Faculty of Commerce in 1996, Madkour ran his own business, which he founded at the age of 19. “I opened a small workshop where I used to manufacture clothes and export them .The designs were called ‘Barbie Creation’ and were meant to suit the taste of the Kuwaiti community, especially the children, said Madkour.
But he decided to shut down the workshop after three years due to financial difficulties. He applied to work in a bank, as a hotel receptionist and an interior designer.
He never considered broadcasting until he met renowned TV personality Nagwa Ibrahim, who asked him to work as a presenter at the Nile specialized channels.
“When Nagwa Ibrahim first asked me to go and apply, I was very surprised and I told her that I was too shy to be a TV presenter. I said I could work on the production side of a program about antiques because I love antiques and many people are interested in it, said Madkour.
Nagwa Ibrahim’s words to Madkour encouraged him to work in television and change his career path. Thus his journey in the field of media and television began.
His first children’s show paved the way for other television programs. In 2001, he started presenting a popular show called “Gardens and Houses and another called “Fashion Café.
Afterwards, he presented the show he’s most popular for, “A Meal from Every Country. In this program, he offered advice on eating healthy, presenting the audience with delicious recipes.
“The show goes beyond presenting new recipes, the show offers a lot of useful advice for people, said Madkour.
His lively attitude on the show is sometimes misunderstood by the audience, he says, but he takes criticism well as long as it is not humiliating.
“People are more than free to voice their opinion about me or about the show, but there is no need for rudeness.Some people make fun of me because I advise people to eat salads and drink water.they call me ‘the salad TV presenter,’ said Madkour.
He prefers taking a simple, down-to-earth approach when taking phone-ins on the show and says that this is what appeals to viewers as well as children.
Madkour believes that “A Dish from Every Country was a turning point in his television career. It stopped airing for a while due to some administrative shuffles at the station, but a request from Minister of Information Anas El-Fekky brought it back to the small screen.
“I was proud that the minister himself requested that my show be resumed . It really is an honor, said Madkour.
As for “Good Morning Egypt, Madkour said he never thought he’d be offered the chance to work on such a serious, formal show. “When I was offered the opportunity, I told them I wouldn’t change my style or attitude and they agreed. I think the show was a bit heavy and they wanted to lighten things up so they thought I would be suitable for that, he said.
He is grateful for the experience he got on the show and said it broadened his professional relationships.
Besides his work as a TV presenter, Madkour owns a gallery where he sells the French-style furniture that he manufactures at his own workshop.
