Nikki Amini has always considered herself a good judge of character. But now her talent is being put to the test in SVT's new family entertainment show På riktigt?! Can she really tell who is lying and who is telling the truth?

I consider myself a good judge of character and have always worked with people in one way or another. But when I was put in different situations on the programme På riktigt?! where I had to try and read the people in front of me and identify the one who was telling the truth, I realised that I'm actually quite gullible.

Nikki Amini is sitting in a sun lounger talking when INRIKES calls her on Zoom. She is wearing a pair of large dark sunglasses and her hair is tied up in a loose bun. "I'm in Italy and have a few minutes to spare between meetings," she explains with a broad smile. "I'm travelling with Måns Möller, Jessica Almenäs and Markus Aujalay. We're going to travel the world in 40 days. The programme will be on TV next year.".

Exciting, we look forward to it. Currently, you are participating in "På riktigt?!" on SVT, where you and the other celebrities in the panel compete to guess which of the contestants on stage are lying and which are telling the truth about their claimed talents. Was it difficult to see who was lying?

– I see myself as a good judge of people, and I’ve always worked with people in one way or another. But when I was put in different situations on the show På riktigt?!, where I had to try and read the people in front of me and identify the one who was telling the truth, I realised that I’m actually quite gullible after all.

Am I any good at lying myself?

I would say I'm quite direct and honest, always. I'm very uncensored, so I don't feel the need to lie. I always say what I think and feel, which can have a downside sometimes. Of course, I use white lies here and there, but generally, I think it's best to be honest from the start in the long run.

Do you laugh a lot in On the Real?! Was it as fun to take part in the show as it seems?

– Yes, there was a lot of laughter. There's a broad range of different personalities involved in the show, and it's fun. It was the first time I got to work with Robert Gustafsson, and it was a lot of fun. Farah Abadi is an incredibly good presenter; I like her personality and demeanour. She creates a lovely atmosphere; there's a real sense of openness, and it becomes very spontaneous and enjoyable.

Your background is as a PR and marketing specialist for international record labels. Do you still work with that, or is it mostly TV for you these days?

– I run my own company, and I do a lot of different kinds of assignments there. For example, I'm a course leader in PR and communication on a course aimed at the music industry. I've also had my own management company where I worked with artists' brands and handled PR, marketing, and social media. I no longer have a permanent position at a record label. That wouldn't have been possible alongside all my other assignments. I'm currently working a lot with TV and radio, and I also give lectures. It's a bit of everything, but it's fun. It's very luxurious to have flexibility in both work and everyday life. I like that I get to decide over my own time.

You have truly succeeded in building up unique knowledge across several different industries. Congratulations.

– Thanks. Because I work across various sectors, my current work situation is much broader. I also have board appointments, which means I meet many different kinds of people from completely separate worlds. That's very stimulating for me.

Was it a big adjustment for you to become self-employed after being an employee?

– Yes, it was a big step to become an entrepreneur and freelancer. There's no security in it because you never know if there will be assignments coming up in the future.

Nikki Amini 

Age: 39 
Family Maken Niklas Twetman and daughter Nilofar, 4. 
Bor Danderyd. 
Occupation Self-employed in PR, marketing. TV personality. Author and entrepreneur in the beauty industry. 
Background in brief: Born in Iran. Came to Sweden aged 1.5. Grew up in Akalla, outside Stockholm. Studied psychology at Stockholm University and marketing communications at Berghs. Has worked as a marketer and PR strategist for international record labels in Sweden, the UK, and the USA. Sat on the Idol jury from 2016–2020. Competed in Let's Dance in 2018. Released the book *I can make you a star: inspiration, practical advice and creative exercises* in 2021. Participated in SVT's *Bäst i test* in 2023. 
Currently On SVT's new entertainment show På riktigt?!, the programme is hosted by Farah Abadi, with Nikki being a recurring member of the celebrity panel. They compete against each other to try and figure out which of those taking the stage to impress with their various talents are genuinely talented and which ones are lying.

When did you know you wanted to work in the music industry?

– When I was growing up, I only knew of traditional professions like teacher, doctor, police officer, firefighter, and the like. I was very fond of all music and grew up with MTV and ZTV, so I didn't realise there was an industry behind the music. I only saw the artists and the front end. So it wasn't until I started studying PR and marketing and had a classmate who worked at a record label that I got an insight into record labels existing. Then I became curious about what different jobs there were at a record label that one could work with.

When you listen to music, do you think about it from a commercial perspective with yourself in the role of PR professional and marketer, or can you listen as a private individual?

– It can happen that I go into my professional role when listening to music, especially if it's new music. Then I can get too caught up in work-related thoughts about what I think of the song, ‘how strong is the chorus?’ and ‘what do I think of the vocals?’ and things like that. If it's new artists, I'll go and check out their social media profiles and analyse them.

When did your interest in music begin?

I've always liked music, ever since I was a little girl and there were LPs and singles you could buy at Åhléns. Music, for me, can influence and change my state of mind. I enjoy creating an atmosphere in a room or context. Music can raise or lower energy. When I want to enjoy music, I listen a lot to 80s and 90s music. I'm currently listening a lot to Céline Dion and Whitney Houston's old hits. I'm also listening to Earth, Wind & Fire at the moment.

What makes you laugh?

I'm usually quite quick to laugh. There's a lot of worry, injustice, and problems in the world. I think a lot about, and reflect a lot on, what's happening both in Sweden and globally. Therefore, I think I've found it more important to find glimmers of light in everyday life and to have a more light-hearted approach to things. To be able to distance myself and not take things too personally. Life becomes more fun then, because it can also be heavy and dark.

It's usually easier to cope with the heavy and dark if you get to laugh in between.

– Precis. I notice that it's becoming important to me in relation to friends and family, and I want to create a good atmosphere. I've reached that age now and can't be bothered to spend time on things that bring negativity.

Do you have any favourite comedians?

– I'm currently travelling with Måns Möller and that's contributing to a lot of laughter. Two of my favourite international comedians are Ricky Gervais and Trevor Noah. Generally speaking, everyday life is about personalities and people who don't always take themselves too seriously. Not everything has to be so correct and well-read all the time in everyday life. Anxiety becomes boring; you just have to be able to relax and be yourself sometimes.

When you were a judge on Idol, you must have seen many people trying to imitate and play at being someone else instead of being themselves and doing their own thing.

– Yes, but it never lasts in the long run. It might bring short-term success and short-term attention in one way or another, but it never yields any long-term results. It's also an enormous strain to go around pretending to be something you're not.

Now that you're on your round-the-world trip, is there any place or country you're looking forward to visiting?

– I've travelled a lot, both privately and for work. I enjoy travelling. On this trip, there are three countries I haven't visited before: Jordan, Vietnam and India. I love Vietnamese food, so that's probably one of the reasons I'm looking forward to visiting Vietnam. I enjoy discovering new countries, cities and cultures; I like to broaden my horizons.

3 Favourites 

Nikki likes to… 
… she has a broad taste in music. “I listen to everything from Bob Marley to Madonna.”
… watch crime and drama series. “I’m easily scared. If the villain in the series or film is a bit unsettling, I get a bit frightened and don’t dare go to the laundry room to do the washing. Haha!”
… spend time in Skåne. “I’m married to someone from Skåne, and I’d probably say that Malmö and Österlen are my favourite places in Sweden. Österlen in the summer is fantastic. My in-laws live in Malmö, so we’re there now and then. Malmö is a very charming city. It’s not as hectic there as in other bigger cities. I like the architecture, and I find the people to be nice.”