When Pam Suri first arrived in the UK at the age of 35, she admits that it was a bit of a culture shock. But it was one which transformed her into the formidable businesswoman she is today – a glamorous entrepreneur at the centre of her own entertainment empire…
Now 63, Mrs Suri was born in Nairobi, Kenya where she enjoyed a comfortable and somewhat idyllic childhood – a ‘simple’ middle-class life ‘full of love and happiness.’ The daughter of a headmaster, she was one of five brothers and sisters who wanted for nothing as they were growing up.
Picture: Pam Suri
She married at the age of 18 and went on to have two children, enjoying a comfortable life as a housewife with drivers and servants at her beck and call.
However, political unrest in Nairobi forced her family to relocate, and suddenly Pam was thrust into an alien lifestyle here in the UK – one which she wasn’t sure she’d survive when she first arrived in Slough.
“In the beginning it was really a nightmare. For two years I couldn’t understand the way of life here and everybody thought I would go back to Nairobi,” she reveals.
“My biggest challenge was to adapt myself to this country and to learn how to be independent. I had never ever worked in Nairobi. I didn’t know how to drive because we had drivers there and we had servants to do everything. So my biggest challenge was to be an independent person, which I’d never been in Nairobi.”
Pam learned how to drive and set about looking for work, securing a job as a receptionist at Sunrise Radio. However, her ambitious and glamorous nature soon had her looking towards bigger and brighter horizons.
“I’ve always been a very ambitious person and I like to be rich and famous. I like the name/fame game,” she admits.
“I always believed the sky’s the limit for me. I don’t give up. When I encounter a problem I look for the solution. Everyone faces ups and downs in life, but the thing is be positive and believe in yourself, which I do.”
Picture: Pam Suri
Mrs Suri set about losing weight and trained to become a weight-loss consultant. It was the first taste of being her own boss and it was a taste she certainly enjoyed…
But entertainment was where her true passions lay, and so she decided to dip her toe into this glamorous world – a world where she sparkles and is now fully submerged.
“My profession is my passion,” she says.
“I organise a variety of shows which people enjoy – Bhangra and Bollywood. I do what my people like and have got a very good cliental. I have business tycoons coming to my events – people who don’t mind spending money. They like wining, dining, dancing singing…
“I always give variety to my people and take the advice of my regular clients. If you look after your customers, no matter what you do they always support you,” she goes on to reveal.
“I’m thankful for all my clients and all my supporters who are always there for me.
After each show people come to me and say ‘Pam this is your best show’. Then my next show comes and they say; ‘no, this is your best show!’”
Pam is the founder of Desi’s Got Talent and Miss and Mr Punjab.
Her next big show is coming up on November 16 at The Renowned Riverside Venue, which is on Bath Road, Heathrow.
She has managed to secure Malkit Singh – the ‘undisputed King of Bhangra.’
“He will be arriving in a Rolls Royce and there will be a pink carpet,” Pam enthuses, her passion bubbling through as she recalls the details.
“It’s pink tie for men and the theme for women is ‘Dazzling Desi Romance’. It’s going to be beautiful – a four course sit down meal, with unlimited food and soft drinks. There’ll be a 360 degree booth as well, so I’m really looking forward to the show. It’s not to be missed!”
It is clear that Pam thrives within her role as ‘the hostess with the hostess.’ Even as a grandma at the age of 63, she shows no signs of slowing down as she glows with the vibrant energy of someone half her age.
So what’s her secret?
“Happiness and good health has a lot to do with it,” she says. Along with excellent time-management.
“They say happiness is all in the mind – it all depends on how you think and I think I’m a very happy person. I make people happy and my experience of living in the UK has been wonderful.
“I’ve met wonderful people, wonderful professions and I’ve made a name for myself, which I feel very proud of,” she reveals.
“In Nairobi I was just a housewife, but now people know me as Pam Suri.
“I worked hard to be where I am today. People look at me and see all the glitz and glamour, but behind the scenes is a lot of hard work,” she adds. “It’s my life – it’s my passion and I’m lucky to have enjoyed success on this wonderful journey.”
