What Happened To: Rolonda Watts

Writer’s Note: Haven’t seen or heard from one of your favorite celebrities in a while? CLUTCH is kicking off a new feature, “What Happened To”, where we catch up with them and see what’s been going on. Wanna know what your favorite celeb has been up to? Contact us, and we’ll do our best to fill you in.

Rolonda Watts was the host of her eponymous internationally syndicated talk show, Rolonda, for four seasons. She began her television career as a news reporter in Greensboro, North Carolina, before joining WNBC-TV in New York, where she received an Emmy nomination for her “Live Spot News Coverage” of a deadly train crash. She later moved on to WABC-TV in New York to anchor, report, and moderate “Eyewitness News Conference,” the station’s weekly political forum.

Rolonda gained national exposure and attention when she became host of Lifetime Television’s talk show, Attitudes in 1987. There, she received a Cable Ace nomination for “Best Talk Show”. The award-winning journalist went on to tackle news around the world, joining the Inside Edition news magazine team as senior correspondent, weekend anchor, and producer. King Word Productions, the syndicator of Inside Edition then asked her to start her own talk show.

Rolonda has also emerged as one of the leading voice-over talents in America and has demonstrated her comedic and dramatic talents in various television shows and feature films.

Clutch: What have you been up to?
Rolonda: I just finished a novel, currently called Destiny Lingers. I also continue to enjoy my voiceover career as the announcer and promo voice for The Judge Joe Brown Show. I am the voice of Boeing and play “Professor Wiseman” on Curious George. And, I have an animated feature out, called The Great Music Caper.

Clutch: What is your proudest achievement thus far?
Rolonda: Today, I feel particularly proud of having finished a 330-page novel. I have always dreamed of being an author, and I am finally well on my way into another passion and career. I must say that The Rolonda Show was also a proud achievement. We helped a lot of people, and we all learned a great deal. We are also able to survive four seasons in a very tumultuous talk show climate. And, we maintained our dignity and integrity in what seemed to be a compromising time.

Clutch: What do you attribute to your success?
Rolonda: My parents, my community, my education, my faith, and my God.

Clutch: What’s next for you?
Rolonda: I look forward to selling my novel, which I also intend to sell as a movie. I would love to write the screenplay. I have learned to be open in life and want to consider all kinds of options in the future  — in TV, radio, internet, and film — acting, writing, producing, and hosting.

Clutch: Any final words for your fans at Clutch?
Rolonda: Please know how very much I appreciate you. Stay tuned!

For more info on Rolonda, visit Rolonda.com.