Samantha Mumba: If I lived in Ireland now, I wouldn’t be having guns in my house

With a new TV show, new music and a busy life in LA, things are looking good for an Irish pop pioneer. She speaks to Jen Stevens about talent shows, and being a laid-back mum
Samantha Mumba: If I lived in Ireland now, I wouldn’t be having guns in my house

Samantha Mumba

Samantha Mumba is about to return to our screens as part of the judging panel of new RTÉ singing gameshow Last Singer Standing. Not being a fan of TV talent shows, Samantha wasn’t really expecting to have a job like this but the new format, where the winner walks away with €25k instead of a contract, appealed to the Los Angeles-based Irish popstar.

“It’s been a terrible year to be in the entertainment industry in Ireland, so when I heard that this was different to the usual singing competition shows where the prize is a terrible record deal that you’re promised at the end of it, I jumped at it. These are singers who have had a really shitty few years, as we all have, and I think it gives them great exposure, and there’s a big cash prize at the end of it and that’s it. I like that. It’s my first time to work on a show like this. I wouldn’t be a huge fan of the standard singing competition shows anyway, and wouldn’t be something I watch, but this genuinely just piqued my interest because I thought it was different.”

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