“I do stuff like push the boundaries like, they will be building stuff in the village and I’d come bring snacks so that everyone can have an early lunch ‘cos like, I know the sun is scorching” – Sieni Leo’o Olo
Her name is Sieni Leo’o Olo but she’s better known as ‘Bubbah’ the face behind ‘Tina from Turners,’ one of New Zealand’s most recognisable advertising characters.
“Don’t let me walk around South Auckland I will get stopped,” she laughs.
And it’s true! During a chat outside the Turners car yard in Ōtāhuhu, cars honked and even staff members approached, surprised to see Bubbah in person.
“The elders always stop me ‘cos they like Tina and the young ones stop me ‘cos they like Gina. That’s me after midnight, and still no Tinā.”
The 29-year-old talent is also an accomplished stand-up comedian. Her recent show, ‘Lonly Fans’, performed in Auckland and Wellington, drew big laughs alongside an important message for the next generation.
“I think, almost to equip them for anything that comes at them, which is like, be yourself and be ok that sometimes things don’t work out,” she says.
Bubbah’s journey began in her own back yard, performing for a gold coin donation with her aiga (family) as her first audience.
She holds a deep reverence for her family, stating her only core values are “God and family”,
a sense she exudes as she plays with her nephews and nieces in South Auckland.
“Probably the only values that I have and cos we were all raised by my grandparents I think their love seeped into the way these kids have been raised,” she says.
“And so It’s like an intergenerational hand me down of love.”
Beyond comedy, Bubbah has expanded her acting portfolio, starring in projects such as the Christmas film Mama’s Music Box and the reality show Celebrity Treasure Island.
At the height of her career last year, Bubbah packed up and moved to Sāmoa.
Having visited the country six times prior, she found the adjustment smooth, finding it “easy to sink into living off the land and being around people,” she says.
It was her connection to the community that led her people in the village of Utuali’i to gift her the matai (chief) title Polutele.
As a young matai, Bubbah deeply honours her responsibility to serve her people within a culture “drenched in its tradition”.
“I do stuff like push the boundaries like, they will be building stuff in the village and I’d come bring snacks so that everyone can have an early lunch ‘cos like I know the sun is scorching, little things like that.
“I am also still learning… the chiefs taking me under their wing, like I show up to stuff when we are called, my uncle will be in my ear saying this is what’s happening.”
Whether performing as Tina or fulfilling her duties as a chief, Bubbah is on the road to even bigger things.
*Some quotes have been edited for clarity
