Tag Archives: Gareth-Cliff

Apr 16 2013

Celebs react to the BostonMarathon bombings

Terribly sad news coming out of Boston yesterday. Two explosions went off near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three people including an 8 year old and injuring scores more. I was just about to get into bed when I heard about this and seeing some of the visuals coming out of Boston was unbelievable, scary and just so horrendous. Celebs are reacting to the news:

#PrayForBoston folks… Pray for those injured in this senseless and barbaric attack! So, so sad!

Jul 15 2012

Idols SA – top 18 announced

The new season of South African Idols is in full swing. The top 18 contestants were named during tonight’s dramatic final judgement and you can see the list below. I must just say that this is a very strong bunch of contestants and for the first time in a long time I’m really excited about this season. They’re really strong and I think we’re in for a treat in the next couple of weeks.

Candy Mosoma (29) from Pretoria

Chloe Kiley (23) from Cape Town

Dominic Neill (19) from Johannesburg

Dumi Masilela (23) from Kempton Park

Jean Huisman (20) from Stellenbosch

Khaya Mthethwa (25) from Durban

Maryke Buffel (22) from Paarl

Matthew Sampson (21) from Cape Town

Melissa Alison (23) from Port Elizabeth

Monde Msutwana (30) from Pretoria

Nosipho Mngomezulu (21) from Soshanguve

Obakeng Ramaboa (26) from Munciville

Shekhinah Donnell (17) from Durban

Sihle Ndaba (22) from Ermelo

Simphiwe Gwegwe (23) from Port Nolloth

Thabisa Mhlakulwana (29) from Port Elizabeth

Treasure Mushwana (20) from Tzaneen

Tshidi Tenyane (28) from Thokoza

Jul 4 2012

#HOCconfessions of the Day

This week is dedicated to House of Coffees and the campaign they’re currently running on Twitter. It’s called the #HOCconfessions sessions and the coffee company is giving you an opportunity to test out their new blends plus you can win R5000 in cash. All you need to do is use the #HOCconfessions on Twitter, share your confessions. 5FM‘s Gareth Cliff could be calling you if your confession stands out. Be sure to LIKE their page on Facebook too http://www.facebook.com/HouseOfCoffeesSA

My #HOCconfession of the day… and don’t judge me too much but… I’m kinda looking forward to seeing Justin Bieber in SA. The star told his 24million followers that his Believe Tour is going global and South Africa was included on that list of countries. After watching his Never Say Never movie recently I have a lot more respect for the star. He’s a very talented young man and the power, the attention and the influence he has on that generation is remarkable. I therefore think this will be a good show to see. No dates confirmed as yet but as soon as there are, I’ll let you know.

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Jul 2 2012

Want to win a House Of Coffees hamper and some cash?

Listen up good people. It’s the start of a new week and there’s no better way to start it off with none other than a good cuppa coffee and some cash to go with it. 5FM Mornings with Gareth Cliff and House of Coffees are giving you an opportunity to win up to R5000 in cash. Here are the details.

Introducing Confessions, the latest sensation in pure filtered coffee from the House of Coffees.  PLUNGE INTO PLEASURE with a range of MASTERFULLY BLENDED coffee beans, roasted, blended and ground to perfection.

Java Seduction – a light roast with a touch of caramel and vanilla

Light Addiction – a light roast with traces of berry and toasted almonds

Daily Obsession – a medium roast with hints of chocolate and caramelized sugar

Dark Temptation – a dark roast with fruity undertones

CONFESS AND YOU COULD WIN R5000

Sometimes it pays to confess. Tweet your confession with to their official Twitter handle, @HouseOfCoffees then tune into Gareth Cliff’s show all this week. If he calls you and you confess to your sordid little secret live on air, the money is yours. Remember to answer Gareth’s call with: It pays to confess with the House of Coffees Confessions. Remember to like them on Facebook too.

In celebration of the new flavours I’ll be sharing some of my obsessions, confessions throughout the week. Today’s Daily Obsession is the new track from Shakira and Pitbull called Rabiosa. It’s a hot track and while it might be a bit old, it’s still amazeballs. It makes me want to pack my bags and head to South America for a little razzle:

Apr 19 2012

The countdown to Idols is on

Today I find myself at the Sun City complex out in the North West Province. The reason for my visit it to catch a glimpse of this year’s talent in the hit singing show Idols.  The field has been narrowed down from thousands of hopefuls to just a handful today and while I wont be able to share too much of what happens until you all see it on TV, I’m sure I can sneak a few pics of the judges and possibly some of the hopefuls who are in the running to be the new Idol.

This year I’m hoping to see a lot more soulful singers and I’ll put it out there, I think it’s time we have a female winner again. The boy’s club is cool and they’ve all done well in their respective days since Idols, but it’s time for a lady to win I feel. Look it’s based on votes and may the best person win, but this is just what I’m hoping will transpire. I’ve heard a few murmurs since I’ve been here of some of the interesting personalities you’ll get to see in this season… and I don’t mean the contestants or the judges, I mean a few TV personalities who you will love. Stay tuned, more to follow…

UPDATE:

The contestants I saw performing yesterday were great. They’re a very soulful bunch this year and I’m glad to see that. I don’t know who went through though, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see when the show airs on M-Net and Mzansi Magic this June. What I can say is that there are a few familiar faces (seasons gone by) that are there. If you watched another reality show a few years back on M-Net, you might recognise two of the young ladies too. There’s a soccer player turned singer who will get a lot of ladies voting no doubt and then there are a few other interesting characters too. It’s going to be a great season no doubt!

Mar 7 2012

Gareth Cliff’s arrest… sit down haters

So Idols judge and 5FM DJ Gareth Cliff was arrested last night. Twitter was abuzz following the news that the controversial but awesome star was arrested for speeding. He was caught doing 182km/h in a 120km zone.  That is one helluva speed granted and if anyone, anything was in his way, he/she/they/it would’ve come short, no doubt. He was taken into police custody, but contrary to several reports, he was released. He slept at home and didn’t have to worry about “papa wagging vir hom”.

Now obviously Gareth is a celebrity in this country, who has a massive following. He has people looking up to him and he needs to set an example. Granted – and fair enough. I don’t condone what Gareth did. Speed kills and with the road death figures being as high as they are, this isn’t a great example to set. Having said that, Gareth is by no means a stupid man. He’s very smart and he knows he did something wrong. He will, in my mind, take responsibility for his actions and then we can move on… well so many would think.

There is a small bunch of people who are sitting on their sanctimonious high horses judging him. If you ask me, they need to back off, shut up and sit down. Irrespective of whether you like Cliff or not, be objective in this situation. If you can honestly tell me you have never been caught speeding then fair enough, but I fail to believe that the majority of people reading this have never received a fine in the post. This has become a case of “aagh well I hate him, so this just gives me a reason to judge him and make others realise what an arsehole he is”. Bottom line is, he was wrong, he knows that. You don’t know him, so shut up and live your life, and not vicariously through his.

Aug 17 2011

Idols Top 8 song choices

 

Sadly Phaksy from Durban was the contestant who got booted off the Idols stage last night. He took on R&B star Loyiso Bala’s I Want You, which is such a pity. He clearly likes the genre and with Loyiso being the guest judge for this week’s show, Phaksy has just missed out. Alas, that’s the way of cookie crumbles. This week’s theme is of course R&B and here is what the contestants will be singing:

Crushanda Forbes: Whitney Houston’s “I Learned From The Best”

Good song choice. If anyone can pull it off, it’ll be Crushanda. She should be owning the stage this week. Let’s see.


Dave van Vuuren: the Marvin Gaye classic, “Sexual Healing”


With his very emotional stage presence, this one could get interesting. He’s pushing the boundaries with this song and it almost seems a little out of his vocal range. I’m interested to see what he does with this one.


Dené Vorster: “Voice Within” from Christina Aguilera


The judges have told Dene in previous weeks that she sings the song in question well, but she lacks the emotional maturity to really get it. I think she’ll offer a good vocal on this one and I think she might surprise us all with how she interprets the track.


Erin Fourie: Beyoncé’s “Halo”


Oy vey, that’s all I’m going to say!


Freddie Van’Dango: “Rehab”, by the late Amy Winehouse


Perfect song choice for Freddie! Let’s see how he channels his inner late Amy Winehouse.


Kelly Fortuin: Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”


She’ll do this well I feel. She keeps surprising us.


Mark Haze: “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars


This one is a crowd pleaser and so I think he’ll get lots of votes. Having said that, and I stand to be corrected but Lloyd did this song last. It’s old, a bit stale. It’s a safe song choice.


Lefa Pike: John Legend’s “Ordinary People”


BOOM! I have big expectations for Lefa this week. I love me some John Legend and if he brings out his emotional, softer side, he will win many a vote in this round. Picture Lefa sitting on a chair, nothing other than him, Johan Laas on the piano a good vocal. Let’s hope he does it well!

Jun 6 2011

Idols SA is back

American Idol is over and in fear of suffering from Idols withdrawals, the singing contest contest with the new season of South African Idols. The show, in its seventh season, kicked off last night with the regulars ProVerb (as host), Gareth and Randall as judges, but there is no Mara Louw this year. Are you happy/ sad? I know I feel feel because one of my favourite people in this industry, Unathi Msengana has now officially replaced Mara. Unathi is no stranger to the industry. She works alongside Glen Lewis and Mel Bala on the morning show on Metro FM and has been on radio for many a year. She’s also no stranger to TV, having presented on shows like Castle Loud and Top Billing in the past. PLUS, she’s a muliple SAMA-nominated singer, who is set to release her third album soon and she has just become a mother for the second time. Congrats go out to her and hubby Thomas on the arrival of their little princess btw.

So in short, I think the judging panel on Idols is now complete and perfect. Did you watch the show last night? What did you think of the new judge? What did you think of “I can’t say no” guest judge Danny K, cold-as-ice Randall and “say it like it is” Gareth Cliff? Did you see pillow boy and the soon-to-be married couple? Holler and for more on the show, check out the official website.

Jun 1 2011

And the 2011 You Spectacular nominees are…

Congratulations to all the nominees for this year’s You Spectacular Awards. It’s great to see a publication like You honouring our talent and I’m pretty sure they’ll be putting on a show much more commendable than what we had to endure recently. Just saying. Well done to all the breakout stars especially to Elvis Blue of Idols fame and to Simba Mhere, the new face on Top Billing. I entered the Top Billing presenter search last year and while I received really good feedback and comments, I was bummed when I didn’t make it through and when you see someone like Simba on the show, it’s easy to understand why he made it through right to the very end. He has done some amazing things already and I look forward to seeing more of him on TV in the future. Elvis Blue is the most successful South African Idol, having gone gold with his debut album and being the first Idol worldwide to win the competition, get straight into the studio, record and release an album all within in a month. Big up to him. My favourites are in there as per. The lovely Jeannie D from Top Billing  is up for a few awards. The freaks of the gene pool category aka the hottest couples in this year’s list are on point. I do think that the newly married and new parents, Lee-Ann Liebenberg and Nicky van der Walt are by far the hottest and most deserving of all the nominees, if I’m to be honest. Their love for one another is so clear. I’m envious of them… one day! Some of my other favs include Gareth Cliff, DJ Fresh, Bonang, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Lira, Nico Panagio and Unathi. You can see the full list below. Good luck to them all. Either way, each and everyone of them are gifted, talented, entertaining and awesome. Good luck to them all.

FAVOURITE TV PRESENTER *
Nico Panagio (Survivor SA: Maldives)
Leanne Manas (Morning Live)
Pabi Moloi (All Access)
Proverb (Idols)
Jeannie D (Top Billing)

FAVOURITE NEWCOMER *
Crazy White Boy (singing duo)
Ashish Gangapersad
Elvis Blue (Idols)
Simba Mhere (Top Billing)
Hildegardt Whites (7de Laan)

FAVOURITE COUPLE *
Connie and Shona Ferguson
Lee-Ann Liebenberg and Nicky van der Walt
Nico and Christi Panagio
Sonia and Leslie Sedibe
Diaan Lawrenson and Jody Abrahams

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Jan 25 2011

(TV) 5 is coming


One of South Africa’s leading radio stations, 5FM is expanding – and not in the traditional sense whereby they get more DJs and make the studios bigger. Nope, this time around they’re doing something that hasn’t been done yet. The radio station is making its way onto TV channel SABC3 in the form of (TV)5- billed as ‘The television face of 5FM’. The music, lifestyle and entertainment show kicks off next week Friday (the 4th) on SABC 3 at 19:30. It’ll be anchored by lunchtime duo Grant and Anele and will feature some of the stations other big names and features.

Other features you can expect to see on the show include Gareth Cliff’s News to Use or Lose; 5FM’s Power Nite DJs will present their relevant music genre’s top 5 tracks each week. Tyren of The Fresh Drive  will also be featured in the show in the form of Tyren’s Top Five on a daily basis.

Station Manager at 5FM Aisha Mohamed says “5FM has always taken a unique approach to radio, viewing it as a brand rather than just a radio platform. 5FM aims to be a multi-platform youth offering which is accessible on many levels; (TV)5 is a part of this 360 degree approach to radio, adding an exciting new dimension to 5FM’s brand offering.” SABC3 Marketing Manager Risuna Mayimele says that (TV)5 is an exciting new addition to the channel’s Friday night entertainment line-up. “SABC 3 is excited to be launching a local entertainment programme powered by an innovative and edgy brand like 5FM. This is a powerful media platform that brings the power of radio to TV, and we believe that the fusion of these two brands will enable SABC3 to connect with the younger market in a fresh manner.”

Man oh man, here’s my dream job coming to life. I’ve been listening to 5FM for as long as I can remember and the station just keeps getting better and better. The station is always pushing the boundaries, new technologies, features; the DJs are fun, intelligent and entertaining. The station’s constant drive to stay at the forefront as a market leader in radio, has seen it throughout the years, effortlessly rebranding itself in true 5FM style. Think about it, whether it’s Radio 5, 5, 5FM Music, 5FM, people of all ages and now races have come to and still love this station. It’s more than just a radio station, it’s a brand and a culture that so many of us have come to love. In fact I remember going to America a few years back. I was out of the country for three months and because I missed the station and the DJs so much, I often streamed it live. Some of my American friends were pretty impressed with what we had to offer the world of radio and entertainment. So big up!

While we’ve seen many of the DJs on TV before, to see some of the other personalities on our screens now will be awesome too! I think this show will be very entertaining, fun and a perfect way to get the weekend going. There will be more on (TV)5 in the weeks to come- so stay tuned.