Abu Dhabi-born Peter Rosalita, 10, on the 16th season of 'America's Got Talent'. Instagram / peter.rosalita
Abu Dhabi-born Peter Rosalita, 10, on the 16th season of 'America's Got Talent'. Instagram / peter.rosalita
Abu Dhabi-born Peter Rosalita, 10, on the 16th season of 'America's Got Talent'. Instagram / peter.rosalita
Abu Dhabi-born Peter Rosalita, 10, on the 16th season of 'America's Got Talent'. Instagram / peter.rosalita

Ellen DeGeneres to Abu Dhabi's Peter Rosalita: 'Your songs are amazing'


  • English
  • Arabic

A month after his time on America's Got Talent came to an end, young Abu Dhabi singer Peter Rosalita is still enjoying the fruits of his viral success.

Peter, 10, who became an internet sensation in June when his audition for the 16th season of the reality TV show was posted on YouTube, appeared on Monday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which was shown early on Tuesday in the UAE.

"I watched you on America's Got Talent and I just thought you were beautiful. Your songs are amazing. So good," DeGeneres told the youngster.

Peter, who was flown to Los Angeles from Abu Dhabi for the TV appearance, was also quizzed about his plane journey.

"That's a long plane ride," DeGeneres said, asking him what he did during the 15-hour journey.

"I watch, I sleep, I watch and eat and sleep," the youngster replies.

Peter then performed Never Enough, from the film The Greatest Showman, which he had said earlier was one of his favourite songs, and received a standing ovation from the studio audience.

"It was great … I had so much fun and they are all very nice. I finally saw and talked to Ellen … that was so great and I loved it," the singer told The National. "I loved the dressing room they assigned to me. It was very beautiful and clean.

"She also gave me a surprise VIP tour inside Warner Bros Studios and it was an amazing experience. I hope I'll be seeing Ellen again soon."

Abu Dhabi's Peter Rosalita will be a guest on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
Abu Dhabi's Peter Rosalita will be a guest on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas

Monday's episode also featured The X-Files actor turned singer-songwriter David Duchovny, who has released his third album, Gestureland, and YouTube star Liza Koshy, whose Liza on Demand series is returning for a third season

Earlier this year, DeGeneres announced the current 19th season of her long-running show, would be her last. The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which started in 2003, has won more than 61 Daytime Emmy Awards.

"You may wonder why I've decided to end after 19 seasons. The truth is, I always trust my instincts. My instinct told me it's time," a tearful DeGeneres said in May. “I promise you that we’re going to have a fantastic final season. It will be a season where I truly get to say, ‘Thank You. Thank you all.’ Every day will be a celebration."

  • Peter Rosalita at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
    Peter Rosalita at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
  • Peter Rosalita, then aged 10, with his parents Ruel Rosalita, Vilma Villegas and aunt Mary Jane Villegas in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Peter Rosalita, then aged 10, with his parents Ruel Rosalita, Vilma Villegas and aunt Mary Jane Villegas in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Peter, a student at Richmindale school in Abu Dhabi, was born in the UAE. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Peter, a student at Richmindale school in Abu Dhabi, was born in the UAE. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Peter became an internet sensation in June when his audition for the 16th season of 'America’s Got Talent' was posted on YouTube. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Peter became an internet sensation in June when his audition for the 16th season of 'America’s Got Talent' was posted on YouTube. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Peter says he was 'sad and confused' after his elimination but he's happy he gave it his best and he's grateful he got 'a once in a lifetime experience'. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Peter says he was 'sad and confused' after his elimination but he's happy he gave it his best and he's grateful he got 'a once in a lifetime experience'. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Peter's aunt Mary Jane Villegas has been travelling to the US with him for his auditions and performances. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Peter's aunt Mary Jane Villegas has been travelling to the US with him for his auditions and performances. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • Peter's audition on the show. Instagram / peter.rosalita
    Peter's audition on the show. Instagram / peter.rosalita
  • Peter attends the red carpet for 'America's Got Talent' Season 16 Live Shows at Dolby Theatre on August 10, 2021 in Hollywood. Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic
    Peter attends the red carpet for 'America's Got Talent' Season 16 Live Shows at Dolby Theatre on August 10, 2021 in Hollywood. Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic
  • After his elimination, Peter said he just went back to his hotel room and played video games. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
    After his elimination, Peter said he just went back to his hotel room and played video games. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
  • Peter Rosalita at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas
    Peter Rosalita at Universal Studios in Hollywood. Photo: Mary Jane Villegas

Peter, a Grade 5 student at Richmindale school in Abu Dhabi, was eliminated from America's Got Talent after the semi-finals on the viewer-voted show. On his return from Los Angeles, he told The National that he would resume his studies and also focus on his music career.

AGT has given me the chance to fulfil one of my dreams and taught me a lot of valuable lessons that I will be taking with me as I continue to pursue my singing,” he said.

“It is a dream come true to have been one of the contestants, being able to share my singing talent with the world and make a lot of people happy. I will always be grateful to AGT for the wonderful experience they have given me.”

On Tuesday, the youngster shared a clip from his Ellen DeGeneres show appearance.

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to sit and be interviewed on The Ellen Degeneres Show. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity and this is surely one for the books," he posted. "To the one and only Ellen DeGeneres, thank you. Another goosebump moment for me."

match info

Maratha Arabians 138-2

C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15

Team Abu Dhabi 114-3

L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17

Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Everton%20Fixtures
%3Cp%3EApril%2015%20-%20Chelsea%20(A)%3Cbr%3EApril%2021%20-%20N.%20Forest%20(H)%3Cbr%3EApril%2024%20-%20Liverpool%20(H)%3Cbr%3EApril%2027%20-%20Brentford%20(H)%3Cbr%3EMay%203%20-%20Luton%20Town%20(A)%3Cbr%3EMay%2011%20-%20Sheff%20Utd%20(H)%3Cbr%3EMay%2019%20-%20Arsenal%20(A)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The Bio

Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees  (oats with chicken) is one of them

Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.

Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results

During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks

Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy

Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

EPL's youngest
  • Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
    15 years, 181 days old
  • Max Dowman (Arsenal)
    15 years, 235 days old
  • Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
    15 years, 271 days old
  • Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
    16 years, 30 days old
  • Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
    16 years, 68 days old
JAPAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
BIO

Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.

Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.

Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.

Favourite colour: Black.

Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.

Sour%20Grapes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZakaria%20Tamer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESyracuse%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

Updated: October 20, 2021, 9:12 AM