''Guess who's back?'' teased the SABC3 promo the past while, but of course no guessing is necessary. Besides Ntsiki in Generations and Kimberley in Egoli South Africa's soaps never yielded a bigger bitch that Cherel de Villiers-Haines played to acclaim and delight by Michelle Botes. And tonight the character returns to Isidingo on SABC3 at 18:30 after I broke the news RIGHT HERE exclusively on May 13 that the actress is set to definitely return to the show.
Hopefully the viewers return too. When the character left and Michelle Botes jumped the pond to rival pay broadcaster's Binnelanders in the same timeslot (the show has since changed to Binneland Sub Judice on M-Net) Isidingo's ratings took a plunge. Was the bitch's departure who killed, maimed and masterminded abductions, takeovers and even languished in prison after multiple marriages the sole reason for growing viewer disinterest? Not entirely (e.tv's soaps - especially Rhythm City in the same timeslot improved creatively and so did viewers), but having a great and beloved character (people love to hate her) as the impetus behind several events and influencing major storylines, is certainly a great draw in daily, episodic television.
Neither SABC3 not Endemol SA sees the re-addition of Michelle Botes' character as a quick fix to turn Isidingo ratings around, although Cherel's return to the soap should improve things. They're certainly paying a pretty penny to get an arch-villainess back with Michelle Botes almost as shrewd in real-life as the character she portrays.
In tonight's episode that marks the technical return of Cherel de Villiers-Haines to SABC3's Isidingo, viewers will only catch a partial glimpse though. The evil one appears this evening on Friday the 13th at her ex husband's wedding when Barker Haines (Robert Whitehead) and Kimberly (Marisa Drummond) tries to get married. She will appear fully in due course.
ALSO READ: Michelle Botes, Isidingo in talks to return to the soap as Cherel de Villiers-Haines.
ALSO READ: Is Michelle Botes returning to Isidingo as Cherel de Villiers-Haines?
