Baz Ashmawy is a well-known Irish presenter, documentary maker, and author, who has become a household name in Ireland and beyond. He is renowned for his work on TV shows such as “50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy” and “DIY SOS,” which have won him several awards and nominations. However, despite his success, Baz’s childhood was marked by the experience of growing up mixed race in Ireland, where he faced racism and discrimination. In this article, we will explore Baz’s journey and how his experiences have shaped his identity as an Irish-Egyptian man.
Baz Ashmawy is a big, warm and funny TV personality who has been a fixture on Irish television for many years. He first emerged on the travel show How Low Can You Go? in the noughties, before eventually having a huge hit travelling the world with his mum on the Emmy-winning 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy. These days, he can be seen on TV in shows such as the heart-warming DIY SOS: The Bigger Build Ireland – on RTÉ One on Sunday nights at 6.30pm – in which he and an army of volunteers carry out necessary refurbishments for families in need.
Ashmawy is a fascinating character, with a background that has shaped the person he is today. He grew up in Dublin’s Churchtown and wanted to be an actor from a young age. His mother Nancy was always encouraging, and taught him to set goals and be positive. However, Ashmawy’s childhood was not without difficulties; his Egyptian father left the family when Ashmawy was eight. Nevertheless, Nancy was always positive, never resorting to badmouthing Ashmawy’s dad or using him as an excuse.
As a mixed-race child, Ashmawy was always conscious of being different. However, he deflected any negativity he encountered with humour, using self-deprecation as a tool to disarm anyone who might otherwise have been unkind to him. When he travelled abroad, he suddenly became “just Irish”, and he laughs about being the subject of racism in London because of his nationality. Looking back, he acknowledges that by using humour to deflect negativity, he might have been allowing others to accept everyday racism without challenge.
As a child, Ashmawy was restless and unacademic, and moved schools a few times. He liked drama, but felt that it was a bit sneered at in his community. However, an English teacher named Ms. Condon encouraged him to pursue it, and even helped him choose a course. However, he felt a bit overwhelmed by it all at the time, and didn’t take it up. He worked in retail for a while, and then moved to London to work in recruitment. Despite earning good money, he found himself deeply unhappy, and felt that he was pretending to be someone he was not.
Eventually, Ashmawy returned to Dublin with his savings and began working in theatre. He performed in small, local, amateur productions and was eventually spotted in a play and offered a part in How Low Can You Go? Although he had never thought of himself as someone who would work in television, he quickly realized that he enjoyed it. The programme taught him everything he needed to know about working on TV, and he admits that he knew what they were making was something he would watch.
After How Low Can You Go? ended, Ashmawy spent some time trying to find his feet as a presenter. Although he enjoyed working with other presenters, he admits that he didn’t know what he was doing, and was trying too hard to go big. Eventually, he found his niche as a solo presenter, and has been very successful in this role.
These days, Ashmawy is focused on his work with DIY SOS: The Bigger Build Ireland, which provides necessary refurbishments to families in need. He is also working on a comedy-drama for Virgin Media, and has been reading books on writing to hone his skills. He loves his work, and feels fortunate to be able to do what he loves every day. His experience growing up has shaped the person he has become, and he is grateful for everything he has experienced along the way.
Baz Ashmawy’s story is a powerful reminder that our identity is not determined solely by our race or ethnicity. Through his experiences of growing up mixed race and grappling with the idea of what it means to be Irish, Baz has shown us that embracing our roots and heritage can lead to greater understanding and acceptance of ourselves and others. His journey serves as a call to action for all of us to embrace diversity and celebrate our unique differences. As we continue to navigate a world that often attempts to define us by narrow stereotypes, let Baz’s story inspire us to challenge these limited perspectives and embrace the richness that comes with cultural diversity.
