Greek actress and presenter Sofia Moutidou said she tried twice to find another job so she could leave the television show Real View, in a personal video posted to her YouTube channel on Monday, August 3.
Moutidou had paused her YouTube channel for a period because of her heavy schedule and used the return video to reflect on her time on the daily show. She said the demands of a daily program were added on top of her podcast, her studies, her work with clients and her reading, creating a schedule that exceeded what she could handle.
She said her constant television presence made her feel overexposed, which led her to cut back on other activities, including her YouTube videos.
Fear and pressure on air
Moutidou said she often felt pressured, frightened and exposed, adding that many viewers noticed this too and sent her messages saying she looked strained. She said she was particularly afraid of public criticism and being torn apart, since her daily appearances meant a single statement or behavior could be isolated and provoke reactions.
She said she tried twice to find another job so she could leave, but the attempts did not work out, and she stayed on the show until the end.
Reflecting on the experience
Moutidou said a daily presence in an environment where someone does not feel comfortable can become highly burdensome, and linked long-term pressure to both mental strain and possible physical effects. She said she had imagined her role on Real View as a more creative process, but the reality turned out different, and she criticized limited airtime for not allowing people to fully develop their thoughts.
Responding to viewers who said she did not show her real self on the show, she said all of a person's behaviors and reactions, even those shown under pressure, are different sides of their personality.
Real View ended its run on OPEN on May 29, about a month before the end of the television season. At the final episode, Moutidou had said she felt relief that it was over, calling the previous seven months particularly difficult.
