Tin Tin back at ZiFM
Popular actress and radio presenter Tinopona “Tin Tin” Katsande is glad to be back at ZiFM Stereo, five years after she was sacked by the broadcaster for a leaked sex tape that went viral on social media.
In a wordy post on her Facebook page Tin Tin, while sharing the news with her followers, took time to reflect on the leaked sex tape and narrated how it had dented her career and rendered her broke.
“Five years ago, I was fired from my job as a co-anchor on the breakfast show on one of Zimbabwe’s biggest commercial radio station’s for a leaked sex tape that went viral on social media. Albeit I was a victim of revenge porn, I was 100% responsible for any and all consequences that were to follow.
“Yes I had shot the sex tape several years prior to it leaking with my then boyfriend believing of cause (sic), that it would always remain between just the two of us, but things took a wrong turn,” wrote Tin Tin.
When the sex tape leaked, Tin Tin, a then breakfast show host on ZiFM Stereo said she was devastated as she was at the peak of her broadcasting career.
“I was at the helm of my career then in radio broadcasting earning a handsome salary and loved by all. I was the shining star in my family, the envy of friends and foe alike.
“Then the curtain came down. I literally went from hero to zero in the blink of an eye. I lost everything, integrity, my image, reputation, pride and of course my source of income. I went from eating lavish meals in any restaurant I wanted to eating raw avocados from the tree in my backyard because I couldn’t even afford a loaf of bread.
In all this, Tin Tin said she never stopped praying as she knew she had not been forsaken by the Almighty.“I had hit rock bottom and the only thing I could do was look up, for by His grace in all the darkness, I never forgot that I had an awesome Creator who although seemed silent at the time, I knew He had not forsaken me. It took a bit of time, but slowly and speedily, I began to pull myself up and out of my self-made dungeon.
“I accepted my reality of the situation then and opened up to getting the help I needed to keep moving forward. I began to live again.”
But, even though she was ready to start all over again, it was not all rosy as she knew no radio station or company wanted to associate with her because of the sex tape. As a result, she resorted to her other God given talents and started a small project where she was fixing people’s hair and nails.
“I knew getting a gig on any other radio station was a complete waste of my time at that time regardless of how brilliant I was. I knew I had to turn to other talents that God gave me and other skills I had acquired over the years to find a way to sustain a decent livelihood. I did hair and nails.”
As she regained her confidence, she started facilitating TV presenting and radio presenting workshops in order to groom up-and-coming personalities.
“Slowly, things began to fall into place, but still my heart was broken. All I wanted was to get back to my radio job that I loved and cherished. My career in broadcasting was everything to me and everyday for five years, my prayer had something to do with asking the Lord to give me back my job,” wrote Tin Tin.
And answer her prayer He did as this Sunday, Tin Tin will be back at ZiFM Stereo presenting her own programme she has named Formation. The three-hour programme will air every Sunday, starting at 9PM.
She said she was grateful for this second opportunity which she will guard jealously and also use to empower those who are going through challenges in life.
“I am back to doing what I do best – being a phenomenal vivacious radio presenter. I got my second chance and I’m running with it.
“ . . . To those going through any type of darkness right now, please allow my journey of restoration to be a testimony to you. We all fault as we’re human, but we all have the capacity to rise up again. Never ever count yourself out because of a bad situation you are in.” The Chronicle
