Mary Luswata: ‘I Miss TV, But Being On-Air Took So Much From Me’

Former Urban TV gossip critic Mary Luswata has admitted that she misses being on television, even as she reflects on the emotional toll of her years as one of Uganda’s most outspoken on-air personalities.

Luswata rose to prominence in the 2010s through Scoop On Scoop, the Urban TV gossip show that made her a household name for her blunt commentary and often unforgiving criticism of musicians and other creatives.

Her no-holds-barred style frequently sparked controversy, with some celebrities and viewers accusing her of being too harsh.

But years after stepping away from the spotlight, Luswata says she still has a deep love for television. “I miss TV because I love TV, but being an on-air personality took so much from me, and I think the nature of the show also took so much from me,” she said in a TikTok interview.

For years, Luswata said she convinced herself that the experience had been worthwhile. “For so many years, I told myself I did that and it was good; it was fun,” she added.

However, she revealed that it took considerable time to recover from the mental strain associated with her time in front of the camera.

Rather than walking away from television altogether, Luswata began considering a different path within the industry.

She eventually ventured into production, a move that allowed her to remain connected to television without necessarily being the person in front of the camera.

Her career took another turn when she joined the BBC, where she spent 18 months working in production management.

“I went to the BBC, and I did 18 months of production management there, and I worked on really big shows. That has introduced me to a new branch of TV that I fell in love with,” Luswata said.

While she may have stepped away from the Scoop On Scoop era, her latest chapter suggests that television itself is not something she has left behind.