Mariah Huq of “Married to Medicine” interview
Although it’s been met with more than a few raised eyebrows, Bravo’s reality show detailing the medical field is barreling onto television screens tonight. Married to Medicine invites viewers into the lives of six Atlanta doctors and wives of doctors as they juggle both a career and a personal life.
A trailer for the program shows at least one physical altercation and previously sparked a petition and cancellation rumors. According to Mariah Huq, the star and producer of the program, however, viewers shouldn’t shun the story of these dynamic women and instead tune in to form their own opinion.
Below, Huq dishes on her multicultural marriage and the program she calls her “dream come true.”
-danielle canada
rollingout: What is your background and what made you want to get into reality TV?
Mariah: My background is journalism. I just thought that this was a wonderful idea and I pulled together a group of my friends and my husband’s colleague’s wives. I thought it would be great for the world to see doctors and their families outside of the medical arena.
rollingout: What do you want viewers to learn about you?
Mariah: The multicultural component of my family, my husband’s from Bangladesh and I’m from Tennessee. It’s important to showcase that because integrating our family was tough but we made it work. We hope people can see that no matter what walk of life you come from, that you can have anything you want. My husband is from the poorest country in the world and I grew up in an indigent neighborhood and we’re doing very well for ourselves because we work hard. I also want viewers to see that you have a group of minority women, we’re all college educated, all of us are wives and we’ve all done well with the work and life balance.
rollingout: What do you say to people who are petitioning against the program?
Mariah: I think it’s very premature for them to try to start a petition without knowing the basics of the show. I think they should watch the show; there’s so much more than just that issue on the show. Yes, we have drama, but who doesn’t? People know doctors as sterile robots but the point of this show is to give them an inside look behind the lab coats and outside of the scrubs.
rollingout: Has reality TV been a positive experience for you? Would you recommend it?
Mariah: For me, it’s two-fold. It’s a positive experience because this is my baby. This is my dream come true. That’s another reason why I was so taken aback by the petition: they’re forgetting the fact that a young African-American woman helped birth this concept and bring it into fruition. Just know what you’re getting into. It is really tough to watch your life unfold on TV and be scrutinized for being yourself.
Married to Medicine” premieres Sunday, March 24 at 9pm et/pt.
Twitter: @ILuvMariah
