987 Star winner Georgina Dobson juggles school with two part-time waitressing jobs
It's just after 10am on a Tuesday when 987 Star winner Georgina Pattarida Dobson walked into the cafe where we agreed to meet, looking all fresh and full of energy.
At first glance, it's easy to see why the 19-year-old who is half-Thai and half-British, stood out in the search for 987's new voice.
Sure, her mixed looks might turn heads, but Dobson has a voice that is made for radio, especially when she regularly does a drawn-out 'Ohhh…' while mulling over her answers.
Adding to that, her friendly and genuine character that makes you instantly want her as your best friend.
Impressive for someone who, in her own words, says she has 'no radio experience'.
'I never knew how to get my foot through the door till 987 Star came up. Before that I always thought how cool it is that so many people were listening to the same voices at one time,' she said.
Dobson, who is in her final year studying psychology at Temasek Polytechnic, told us that since winning 987 Star – where she edged out fellow finalists, Lex Whitlock, Nicolette Callie Wee and Shaniah Kiew – school hasn't exactly slowed down.
'There just have been so many projects, meetings and classes!' she said breathlessly, quickly apologising for not being able to meet us earlier after her win.
And it isn't just school that's keeping her busy.
Dobson also works two part-time jobs as a hostess at Atlas Bar and Morton's, The Steak House.
Wait, why the hustle, superwoman?
'I just wanted to try and experience new things,' she laughed, telling us she started working when she was waiting to enroll into Temasek Polytechnic.
She told us she earns between S$800 to S$1,000 a month during school holidays.
Did we mention she would also need to complete an internship before she graduates?
However, Dobson assured us time management is not an issue and that she has always been a pro at fitting things into her schedule.
'I've always been pretty organised and I make sure to have my to-do lists so I don't slip up. I do miss out on sleep though,' she jokingly sighed.
Dobson once again assured us that being a part of 987 would be a priority and said: 'If things get too crazy, I would be open to dropping one of my part time jobs too'.
Well, guess the S$5,000 cash prize she got from winning 987 Star came in handy.
'About that…' Georgina sheepishly grinned. 'I already spent it on treating the top 10 finalists of the competition to a meal at Genki Sushi, and drinks at No. 5 Emerald Hill.'
When we praised her generosity towards her former competitors, she waved it off and said the group really bonded together during filming.
Really? We would have thought there would be some tension, especially after seeing the barbed exchanges between some finalists during a few of the group challenges.
'We are really friends now and I got closer to many of them when it was just 10 of us left,' she coolly insisted.
She jumped at the opportunity when 987 Star dropped by Temasek Polytechnic for auditions.
'I chanced upon it on IG and was telling my friends, 'Guys, we don't have class tomorrow but let's just go down for this!'" she laughed.
When she got through the auditions, Dobson said the most excited person in the room was her mum.
'She kept telling me to just go and have fun and said I would never know what would happen and I will never regret joining,' said Dobson.
Even though her mum, who is a pastry chef, couldn't be at the finals due to work, Dobson told us she found a way around it.
'My mum secretly hid her phone in a box and watched the live stream on TikTok.
'She commented 'Mummy loves you!' when I was announced as the winner and my friend managed to take a screenshot,' she laughed.
Her Thai mother and British father, both 49, met in Thailand before relocating to Singapore for work.
They later had Dobson and her older brother, who is a year older, here.
However, her parents divorced when she was about five years old.
Though Dobson said she isn't especially close to her dad, who now lives in Belgium and works in the engineering field, they still meet up during the festive season and special occasions.
We also found out that despite growing up in Singapore and going to local schools (Kheng Cheng Primary School followed by Peirce Secondary School), Dobson is still a permanent resident and currently holds both British and Thai citizenship.
According to her, she loves her life here, though she isn't quite ready to make the call to become Singaporean just yet.
'I'm not sure if my mum would want to retire here so we'll see,' she said.
So, what's next for Dobson?
"Definitely hitting the airwaves and having my own show!' she said excitedly, telling us that she hopes she would be able to focus on topics like psychology and even mental health.
Heavy stuff. But Dobson thinks of it as a sort of calling.
'I'm not sure whether you feel it, but I it seems more and more people are getting depressed easily and I want to be able to help them through all of that,' she mused.
Though it's early days, Dobson told us that beyond radio, she has big dreams of having her own TED Talk one day.
'I have a lot of friends who come to me for advice, and someone even floated the idea to me, and it just sparked a 'Really?' in me ever since,' she said.
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