Best known for interviewing the biggest names in Hollywood on Entertainment Tonight Canada, Sangita Patel has become the first-ever South-Asian, Canadian Ambassador for the beauty brand, CoverGirl. At a time when diversity and inclusivity have become the need of the hour, Sangita is proud to represent her roots with this association. Having dedicated her career to breaking barriers in the industry, she strives to become an inspiration for those who come after her, including her two daughters. We caught up with Sangita to get to know more about her career, how she feels about her latest achievement, memorable moments from her conversations with celebrities, and more.
ELLE: How does it feel being the first-ever South Asian, Canadian ambassador for CoverGirl?
Sangita Patel: It’s a “pinch me” moment. This is the first time that CoverGirl has announced a Canadian Ambassador, so the fact that they chose a South Asian woman says a lot about what they stand for, and that they really believe in representation and inclusion. When I look back to when I was a kid growing up in Canada, I didn’t find that anyone looked like me on television or in magazines. Now that I have two young daughters growing up in Canada, I’m proud that they are able to see themselves reflected in the media and that every skin tone is beautiful, and celebrated.
ELLE: What is your notion of diversity and inclusivity in the beauty industry? What does it mean to you?
SP: I definitely see positive changes being made in the beauty industry, as we are seeing more and more brands investing in all different skin tones. We are on a journey to represent that all shades and backgrounds are beautiful and looking a certain way doesn’t define beauty. Young women in this generation will learn that all they need to do to be accepted is to be themselves, and that is beautiful.
ELLE: Tell us a little about your career as a television host. Was this always what you wanted to do?
SP: I actually graduated as an electrical engineer. I applied for engineering and journalism at the same time, but at the time, my father asked me “what field would you make a living?” Since I loved math and science and received a scholarship, it was a no brainer to go into Engineering, but my passion was always telling stories. I love chatting with people. My mantra is “if you talk to someone new every day, you will learn something new every day.” Being one of the first South Asian personalities in the entertainment industry in Canada, I realised my journey will help others like me break barriers in their field. Being on television, and my job as a reporter on Entertainment Tonight Canada has given me a national platform to use my voice and to celebrate being South Asian.
ELLE: You have interviewed a lot of celebrities in your career. Any memorable moments you would like to share?
SP: It’s hard to think of just one, I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing career so far, and have interviewed so many interesting celebrities! Some of my highlights have been Tom Cruise, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (I consider him a friend), Jennifer Aniston, Helen Mirren, Julia Roberts… the list goes on! But the best part has been connecting with Dwayne Johnson, he is my motivation, my inspiration, and he’s just so humble and kind. Every time I chat with him it’s memorable! One time George Clooney made me coffee and actually showed me pictures of his children. During my career, I’ve also had the honour of interviewing a number of incredible celebrities from Indian cinema, including Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, I even spoke with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan right before she married Abhishek Bachchan.
ELLE: You love fitness and your Instagram account is proof. Three fitness tips you would like to give to our readers?
SP: When it comes to fitness, my first and most important tip would be to make it part of your schedule, like brushing your teeth. Secondly, try to avoid any distractions while working out. Put down your phone, turn off the television – that hour is for you, and only you. Lastly, make it fun. Try to find new ways to get yourself moving, and motivated.
ELLE: What’s your daily skincare routine like?
SP: The most important step for me is properly washing my face. Then I make sure to put on my eye cream, lip balm and a moisturising body lotion. Every two weeks I lather coconut oil all over, and every once in a while I’ll do a mud mask, a tradition I learned from my mother.
ELLE: How did you spend your time with your family in quarantine this year?
SP: The silver lining for me during quarantine is how much time I have had to spend with my family. Working at Entertainment Tonight Canada, I was travelling almost every week, but with this time at home, I have really been able to watch my daughters grow and it has been pretty amazing. We find fun ways to be entertained together, like learning TikTok dances, playing volleyball in the backyard, going on hikes and playing board games. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a relaxing night together, sitting on the sofa watching television.
ELLE: An empowering message for our readers:
SP: Be ambitious, be humble, be happy and be kind. Do what you love, love what you do and always believe in yourself.
