Rolonda Watts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rolonda Watts
Watts in 2008
Born	(1959-07-12) July 12, 1959 (age 66) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Education	Spelman College (BA) Columbia University (MA)
Occupation	Actress, television host, radio host, producer
Years active	1988–present

Rolonda Watts (born July 12, 1959) is an American actress, producer, and a popular television and radio host. She is widely known for hosting her own talk show, Rolonda, which was shown around the world from 1994 to 1997. Rolonda was also the voice you heard introducing Judge Joe Brown until 2013. As of 2025, she is the announcer for the talk show Sherri.

Early Life and Education

Rolonda Watts was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 12, 1959. Her mother, Velma Gibson Watts, was a leader at Wake Forest University. Her father, Roland Watts, was in charge of the Fine Arts Department at Winston-Salem State University.

School Days

As a teenager, Rolonda went to Salem Academy in Winston-Salem. She later attended Spelman College in Atlanta. There, she was the main editor of the school newspaper and graduated with high honors. In 1981, she earned a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, which is a top school for reporters.

Rolonda's Career Journey

After finishing her studies at Columbia, Rolonda returned to North Carolina. She started her career as a reporter at WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina. She then moved to New York, working at WNBC and WABC-TV. At WNBC, she was even nominated for an Emmy Award, which is a big honor in television.

From Reporter to Talk Show Host

In 1991, Rolonda became a host for Attitudes, a talk show on Lifetime Television. The next year, she joined the news show Inside Edition. She worked as a senior reporter, weekend anchor, and producer. The company that distributed Inside Edition also handled The Oprah Winfrey Show. They saw Rolonda's talent and asked her to start her own talk show.

The Rolonda Show

Her show, Rolonda, began on January 17, 1994, and ran for almost four years until September 1997. Rolonda was not just the host; she was also a supervising producer and one of the owners of the show. In an interview, she explained that she decided to end the show rather than change it to be more like other talk shows that focused on arguments and drama. She wanted to keep her show respectful and true to herself.

Acting and Voice Work

After her talk show, Rolonda moved to Hollywood, California, to become an actress. Her first acting role was in 1997 as Vivica Shaw in the TV series Sister, Sister. She appeared in six episodes of that show. Since then, Rolonda has acted in many TV shows. These include The West Wing, JAG, The District, and Yes, Dear. She also appeared in popular soap operas like Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Voice Acting and Announcing

Rolonda is also known for her voice work. From 2006 to 2022, she was the voice of Professor Wiseman in the PBS Kids cartoon Curious George. She also voiced "Gladys" in the Nickelodeon series The Penguins of Madagascar. In 2005, she became the announcer for Judge Joe Brown. As of 2025, she is the announcer for Sherri.

Recent Projects

In 2017, Rolonda started doing stand-up comedy. She also had a radio show called Sundays with Rolonda on CBS Radio. She launched her own web series called ROmance on YouTube. Rolonda also acted in the sitcom Mann & Wife as a choir director. In 2024, she voiced Aunt P in the animated show Invincible Fight Girl.

Rolonda's Work in Film and TV

Rolonda Watts has been part of many films and television shows. Here are some of her notable roles:

Film Roles

Television Roles