THE AMAZING STORY OF ZNBC’S PATRICIA ELLIS PUMULO
Allow me to reintroduce Myself!!!
My Name is Patricia Ellis. I am a Journalist, An Actress, A Fitness Enthusiast and Mother.
I was born on the 26 of January 1976, in Luanshya at Thompson Hospital from a British dad named Brian Arthur Dwight Ellis and Bemba Mother Laine Mulenga who is very much alive and resides in Kitwe. My father unfortunately died in 1988 in Luanshya. I come from a family of 13, 9 boys and 4 girls. All of these, 6 are late.
As a child I always dreamt of becoming a broadcaster. From as early as 6 years old I would tell my Dad that one day I will sit on the ZNBC news desk and read the news and My Dad was a strong believer in me so, he always encouraged me to realise that dream no matter the odds.
I started my school in Luanshya at Mpelembe Primary school, grade one to seven from 1982- 1988, then I went to Twashuka secondary school from 1989 to 1990 where I did my grade eight and nine.
Unfortunately, my school was put on hold for eight years due to lack of sponsorship but I picked it up in 1996 and I had to self-sponsor myself by doing odd jobs like waitressing, shop keeping and other jobs. Eventually I started evening classes and I completed my grade 12 at Hellen Kaunda Secondary School in Kitwe in 2001.
My Parents divorced when I was very young, about one-year-old so I grew up with my father in Luanshya. My childhood was a very happy one until my dad died when I was 12 years old in 1988 when I had just written my grade 7 exams and pretty much my life changed there on. I vividly recall how devastated I was by father’s death that this eventually caused me to fail my grade 9 exams.
Despite been out of school for eight years, I was still very determined to be educated and become a broadcaster so I started evening classes and re-wrote my grade nine and passed and did the same for my Grade 12. It was a tough time for me as I had to work to pay for school and sustain myself at the same time but that never discouraged me at all.
My first job was peeling cassava in a factory in Kitwe. I even remember the company’s name after so many years (Nisha Starch Ltd). I later worked as a cashier in a shop and waitress in a restaurant and casino, all these jobs helped pay for my education.
I later moved to Lusaka where I continued to do odd jobs and started studying through correspondence with an institute in the UK (Institute of Commercial Management) for my Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies, again as I could not be in college full time because I still had to work to pay for my education.
Eventually I completed my Diploma and in my last semester I was recruited as a News caster at 5 FM radio after auditions in 2002. And that was the beginning of my broadcasting career.
I worked for 5 FM for three and a half years as a reporter and news caster and on the 20th of November 2006, I made my lifelong dream that I had toiled for by joining ZNBC as a part time announcer.
I worked as a part time announcer for three and a half years and was finally employed on a full time basis on the 1st of May 2010 as a producer to date.
I vividly remember my first day working as a television broadcaster at ZNBC was a nerve wrecking experience especially coming from a background of reading news for radio.
On radio, you are not mindful of your looks and facial expressions but for TV you become aware of your outlook, your make-up, hair and clothes and facial expressions and all. And especially that you are reading for an audience countrywide you become aware that there are so many eyes on you, it is a totally scary experience. It’s still is, but the more I have done it over the years it has become easy and fun.
Being a being broadcaster is fulfilling for me, being that one person that delivers the most anticipated message to the public, it kinda makes you feel important, when I sit on the news desk and broadcast to the entire nation, it’s the one time I get people’s attention (chuckles) it’s an awesome experience. And also getting to meet different people from different walks of life is something I love about my job. Travelling both locally and internationally is something I love so much. I could actually live out of a suit case.
Growing up I was inspired by Maureen Nkandu and now CNN’s Isha Sesay. It’s every journalist’s dream to work for an international television news channel like CNN or the BBC and Isha has just done that.
The most challenging moment of my career was trying to get to prove that I was capable of casting the main news on ZNBC TV. As it was not easy to make it on the main news desk. One day a news caster missed the news and I took the opportunity and was able to present the main news and has been casting since.
I had two careers choices when I young, most prominent was as a broadcaster and the other as an actress and I always told myself that if I didn’t make it as a broadcaster, I would be an actress. I guess I have had a taste of both after all lol.
I acted in Kabanana as the new Amina, in Tears of love and recently had a small part in love Games as well Tikula. Since I have a busy schedule I rarely do auditions but I love acting. On a daily basis, my day starts at 05 hrs, I hit the gym, then head for work.
My hobbies include swimming, reading romantic novels and memoirs, dancing (though am terrible at dancing lol! I believe in never looking down on anyone as you can learn something from people regardless of their standing in society. I have also realised that you can never control people’s opinion about you so as a public figure, I have learnt to block out the negative and focus on the positive.
I am a mother of three Children namely, Natassja aged 29 and two boys Brian and Michael both aged 16. I one day intend to set up my own Film production company and to open up my own fitness gym.
Aside from casting main news On TV1 and Presenting on TV2’s Number television breakfast Morning Live, I am currently producer and presenter of a women’s show called Woman 360 on TV2 and am working on a Fitness Show called SWEAT IT OUT starting soon on TV2.
I am very passionate about fitness and this will be a perfect platform to share knowledge on fitness as well encourage people to live healthy lifestyles through exercise by demonstrating to them how it is done, so look out for that. I am currently running a Facebook page called Patricia Ellis Fitness, where I take along people on my fitness journey.
In 2019, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication science from University of South Africa.
I would like to encourage anyone with a dream to go for it whether big or small, and never let anyone stand in the way of your dream, it is never too late to live your dream. I am a living example of someone who was out of school for eight years however my dream was too big to ignore.
I call myself the late bloomer but here I am finally living my dream as a broadcaster and more.
So go for your dream.. anything is possible as long you have life in you