Cheryl Miles is a radio presenter with ONE FM 91.3, a voice-over artist and an emcee. Before embarking on her career in radio in 2008, she was a theatre and TV actress, singer, dancer and one-third of girl band “Cherry Chocolate Candy”, winners of Talentime 2001. She recently tied the knot in a destination wedding in Missouri, in her husband’s hometown of Springfield, on 25 August 2018 and is enjoying life as a newly wed. Currently hosting a solo show, “Afternoon Tune Up”, on weekdays 1-4pm, she also spends her time blogging on www.CherylMiles.com, cooking, practicing yoga and running in the evenings.

1. What is your dream destination and why?

Tuscany because that is where we are planning on having our honeymoon in 2019. It has everything that I love – great food, wine, arts and culture, history and architecture, plus lush rolling hills and beaches too.

2. Three things that you could never travel without?

Portable phone charger because I’m addicted to my phone and need it to google information, check maps and take photos, a pair of white sneakers because it’s versatile enough to wear with a sun dress while sight-seeing but also can be worn in the gym if I get a chance to workout & Kevin Murphy Resort Hair Spray because I’m lazy enough with my hair as it is and I don’t want to waste valuable time fussing with my hair while on holiday. You simply towel dry, apply serum and then spritz on the Kevin Murphy Resort Hair Spray and allow your hair to air dry for a natural, sexy “beach hair” look! It smells great too!

3. Which destination surpassed your expectations and surprised you the most?

Missouri where I got married. We chose Springfield, Missouri for our wedding as that is where my husband was born and most of his family reside. He hadn’t been back for a while and was warning me not to expect too much as it’s a small town. But it surprised both of us! The historic buildings in the downtown area had been refurbished and had a trendy, hipster vibe. After the wedding, we took a road trip with our families and close friends to a luxurious wilderness resort, an hours’ drive away, called Big Cedar Lodge. It is set in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Missouri and is breathtaking. We explored caves, swam in the lake, enjoyed beautiful sunsets and wide-open spaces and stayed in a beautiful cottage over a babbling creek. It was amazing.

4. Where and what was your most memorable meal you have ever had while travelling?

I’ve eaten at some amazing restaurants but the most memorable meal has got to be the fish we caught in Cascai, Portugal on Lisbon’s coastline. We had chartered a fishing boat as Matthew (my husband) loves to fish. I got very sleepy after taking some seasick pills but had managed to catch at least 12 fish. The boatman cured it in salt and later barbecued it right there on the boat for us. We caught sea bream, sea bass, mackerel and sole. It was the freshest fish I had ever eaten, made even more satisfying because we had caught it ourselves. Plus, we had an unbeatable view of the Atlantic Ocean.

5. Where are you looking to travel to next?

Over the Chinese New Year period in 2019, we are hoping to take a short trip to Koh Samui. My previous three visits to this beautiful Thai island was for a detox retreat at the wonderful Absolute Sanctuary. On my last visit there in 2017, I brought Matthew to the detox retreat and he was put on a strict regimen of raw vegan meals, smoothies and early morning workouts. On our last day there he tempted me with a visit to the beach and we ended up cheating on our diet at this amazing restaurant called The Page on Chaweng Beach. It’s an upscale restaurant that serves rare, old-kingdom Thai cuisine and we were totally blown away. This time I want to go to Koh Samui to fully soak up the sun, jump in the ocean, lounge by the pool with a beer and a book and explore the food without worrying about the strict schedule and diet I had to follow at the health resort.

6. What projects are you currently working on?

I am loving my solo day time shift on ONE FM 91.3, which I’ve had for a year now. My new show is called “Afternoon Tune Up” (https://www.facebook.com/afternoontuneup/) and is on your radio 1-4pm on weekdays. For many years I co-hosted the evening prime time shift and while we enjoyed great publicity on the 4-8pm slot, I couldn’t attend launches and gala premieres or emcee events as it clashed with my show. So I haven’t emceed many gigs lately because of that. With my current daytime work hours, I am working to promote myself for more emcee jobs. In the meantime, I have been doing a lot of voice-over work, blogging on www.CherylMiles.com and enjoying my life as a newly wed. I have always loved writing and I dream of writing a book someday. Am working on an idea as we speak!

7. Do you have any tips or advice for budding actors or actresses?

I started out as a dancer and fitness instructor and have been featured in magazines and TV since I was 18. But what catapulted my career in entertainment was winning Talentime 2001 with Cherry Chocolate Candy. Suddenly, acting and hosting jobs presented itself and eventually that path lead me to radio. Because of my background and how I got my start, I would highly recommend anyone considering a career in radio to focus on a talent or a passion they may have. Sure, there are a few radio jocks who got their foot in the door because they studied mass communications and have solid radio training, but there are also many more who have been offered a spot on radio because of a specialized skill they bring to the table. Many radio jocks are also singers or TV personalities, while some have a journalistic or sports background. You can learn the technical aspects of radio on the job and hone your craft as you go along. So I’m not a big advocate for going to school to study radio to get a job in radio. Instead, I think if you focus on something you love – be that fashion, fitness or even flower arrangement, and you develop a level of credibility in that field, it gives you something to talk about and makes you interesting to listen to. The fame game can be temperamental, and in radio, you have to be prepared for changes. But if you know yourself well, who you are – not, what you DO – becomes your foundation and your personal brand. If you develop a strong authentic persona, you become a “personality” and that is something that has much more longevity. Don’t pursue a career in show business to become famous. If that is your motivation, you won’t be happy or feel fulfilled. Pursue it if you feel you have something to share, if you love telling stories and entertaining people. Fame may be a by-product of your efforts, but don’t let that get to your head. If you stay humble and keep an open heart and mind and never stop learning, you’ll go far.