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Reality television fans have been so incensed on discovering that two popular South African shows on DStv are faked, that one of the shows might be canned. In a recent episode of Vuzu Amp’s Rich Kids (DStv channel 114), Angolan-born Alekssandre Fortunato claimed he was rich when he was not. And two WAGs (wives and girlfriends of high-profile sportsmen) from Mzansi Magic’s Diski Divas, Wendy Parker and Nonhle Ndala – “staged a fight” at Kaya FM’s radio studios in Rosebank, Johannesburg last week.
“If any production house has acted wrongfully, M-Net will not hesitate to take whatever action may be necessary, which may include cancellation of the production,” said M-Net chairperson Yolisa Phahle.
This comes after both shows which were recently launched were labelled “fake” by viewers on social media. But staging or setting up scenes in reality television is not taboo, says executive producer Donald Clarke.
“There’re shows that should be classified ‘constructed reality shows’, for which producers use scripts or create a storyline to entice the audience,” Clarke said.
“Creating a reality show is difficult and costs lots of money. The fewer resources the production has, the more likely the producers will manufacture some of the content.”
Diski Divas – a reality show about the wives, girlfriends and former girlfriends of South African soccer players – was labelled fake after Parker and Ndala were escorted from Kaya FM’ s premises during their interview on Home Straight with radio presenters Sotho Meyer and Mosibodi Whitehead.
Radio show co-host and television personality Kuli Roberts said that the two pregnant WAGs had set up the incident because they were “desperate for content”.
“They staged it all. Make-up artists, camera in studio, should have been a give-away, but to hurt my colleague is sick and demented, you talentless freaks.
“I don’t care what you Diski Divas do, don’t include my mates. Sotho was slapped repeatedly while trying to help Nonhle,” tweeted Roberts.
The 25-year-old model and club promoter Fortunato, who showcased what was believed to be his mansion in Woodmead, and splashed out R300,000 on clothing, faced the same lashing on social media when he confirmed that his episode of Rich Kids was rigged.
He tweeted: “I said I wasn’t rich and that we are all rich inside.”
Clarke, whose company has produced a variety of reality shows, including MasterChef South Africa said shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Diski Divas were prone to being scripted because “it is not easy to predict human behaviour”.
This latest development leaves one wondering how “real” reality shows like Big Brother Africa and Big Brother Mzansi are. – TimesLive/Showbiz Reporter.
Online Reporter