It鈥檚 a mixture of joy, openness and resiliency that makes Sangita Patel such a compelling presence on our screens.
For a decade, she was a daily fixture on “ET Canada,” where she served as entertainment reporter and then co-host. She celebrated her 10th anniversary just before the show was cancelled last September, an announcement that was met with an outpouring of disappointment from viewers and industry insiders alike.
Patel also has a devoted audience of her own on her Instagram account, where about 296,000 people follow along as she shares her family life, love of food and #FitnessTuesday videos 鈥 as well as her thyroid cancer diagnosis late last year. 鈥淚 told myself I wanted to share about it because I also share my joy,鈥 she said. 鈥淲alking into Princess Margaret at 44 was not a great feeling.鈥
In fact, she had been feeling so good that her diagnosis came as a shock. 鈥淚 noticed a little bump on my throat. My husband said to check it out. I had an ultrasound, a biopsy, and it was benign,鈥 she said. Then, in early September, when she was reporting on the 海角社区官网International Film Festival, viewers wrote in saying the bump was noticeable on camera, 鈥渁nd that I had to check it out.鈥
Patel went back to the clinic and when they kept her for two hours, she knew it was serious. She underwent surgery in October, but still managed to present an award at the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards the following Saturday.
TV personality Sangita Patel has had an eventful year both personally and professionally.
R.J. Johnston/海角社区官网StarPatel鈥檚 health issues haven鈥檛 slowed her career down 鈥 in fact, she鈥檚 hosting a new series, her breakthrough into American television. 鈥淟ove & Translation鈥 premiered Jan. 21, with new episodes on TLC and Max every Sunday. It takes the form of a social experiment, putting three American bachelors together with a dozen women from around the world who speak no English, and leaving them to communicate however they can in an island paradise, in the Dominican Republic.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited it鈥檚 finally out; we shot it about a year and a half ago and kept it under wraps,鈥 Patel said the morning after the premiere 鈥 she watched it 鈥渓ike a viewer,鈥 not knowing what would happen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pinch-me moment and a new chapter.鈥 Working on a U.S. production was a thrill. 鈥淪o many cameras, so many people on set. I just stepped back and took it all in.鈥
The theme of communicating with people, the spark of new connection, has informed Patel鈥檚 whole career. 鈥淢y mantra is: Talk to someone new every day and you are going to learn something new every day,鈥 she said. It鈥檚 what pushed her into broadcasting. She had trained as an electrical engineer and worked in the field for five years while she completed her qualifications, and then one day, Brad Pitt changed her life.
She had taken a side hustle as an entertainment reporter for a Rogers cable show called “海角社区官网Living.” Expecting her first child, she called out to Pitt on a red carpet, 鈥淚鈥檓 pregnant and I鈥檓 cold!鈥 He walked over and held her hands. 鈥淎ngelina was pregnant at the time,鈥 said Patel. Then, she found she couldn鈥檛 speak. 鈥淗e asked me how I was feeling. Everyone鈥檚 mic was up, and I couldn鈥檛 ask a question.鈥
Maybe it wasn鈥檛 her finest interview, but the moment sparked something in her. After she had her child (Patel now has two daughters, aged almost 17 and 14), she thought, 鈥渢his is my time to figure out what I want to do.鈥 She began working at the Weather Network part-time, thinking the mix of science and television could be her thing. 鈥淚t was five-minute bites of ad lib,鈥 she said, which was great training. Then an opportunity to do weekend weather at Citytv came up. That turned into an opening at CP24.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where everything really started 鈥 my boss saw something in me,鈥 said Patel. 鈥淚鈥檇 do the weather, then she鈥檇 put me on 鈥楤reakfast Television鈥 to do Live Eye, then she made me do entertainment and lifestyle stories.鈥 She believes that her engineering training taught her to think on her feet. 鈥淵ou are given a problem and you try to solve it.鈥
Sangita Patel’s new series “Love & Translation” airs Sundays on TLC and Max.
R.J. Johnston/海角社区官网StarShe sat in the anchor chair a few times, but news reporting didn鈥檛 speak to her. 鈥淚 like to do things that bring me joy, and joy to other people.鈥 Take hosting HGTV鈥檚 鈥楬ome to Win鈥: 鈥淭o be able to say, we are about to change your life! It was such a special experience.鈥
“ET Canada,” too, was a dream gig. 鈥淚 love the world of movies. I have this passion for telling people鈥檚 stories,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 met the most incredible people, the biggest celebrities in the world.鈥
So who were her favourites? 鈥淚 had a great connection with Dwayne Johnson, he鈥檚 the most humble. I yelled, 鈥榩ushups, push-ups!鈥 to get his attention. We鈥檝e been in contact ever since.鈥 She also cites Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Mark Wahlberg for their politeness, and 鈥渂ecause they remembered the conversations we had.鈥
She still gets nervous, she admitted, but that spark is worth chasing. 鈥淟ook, for four minutes, you and I are going to talk like best friends,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e just try and make that connection happen. There are good people in this industry.鈥
Like, say, Oprah Winfrey, who helped bring some light into her new year in January, at the Critics’ Choice awards in L.A. 鈥淚 saw Oprah walking right at me, and I said, 鈥楶lease give me some of your positive energy.鈥欌 Winfrey stopped, turned her around and said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 get the good light.鈥 Then they snapped a photo.
“Women, especially, say, 鈥業 will deal with that later.鈥 I want them to say, 鈥業 am a priority,鈥欌 said聽Sangita Patel.
R.J.Johnston/海角社区官网StarWhile Patel鈥檚 entertainment career is picking up momentum, her cancer journey isn鈥檛 over. 鈥淯nfortunately, this type of cancer I have got into my blood vessels, so I will have to do radioactive iodine [therapy],鈥 she said. So she continues to prioritize self-care and fitness, which is 鈥渁s important as brushing my teeth,鈥 a critical part of her day and identity.
鈥淓specially in the South Asian community, women are not encouraged to live their best, physically and mentally, so I wanted to be the South Asian person to say it鈥檚 OK to take care of yourself,鈥 Patel said. 鈥淚 will continue to share that journey because women, especially, say, 鈥業 will deal with that later.鈥 I want them to say, 鈥業 am a priority.鈥欌
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