Janez Vermeiren, the globe-trotting and engaged Top Billing presenter (who sometimes actually does wear a shirt like last night when I ran into him at the Cosmo Jeans party) has some advice for the contestants of the brand-new My Top Billing Dream presenter search: be yourself!
Janez Vermeiren, as well as his co-presenters on the weekly SABC3 glamarama entertainment magazine show, will be the hard-to-please judges in the presenter search which is becoming a reality show on SABC3.
My Top Billing Dream will consist of several two hour TV specials and then the My Top Billing Dream reality show from July on SABC3 in which viewers will be able to follow the search behind-the-scenes as the wannabe presenters are put through their paces with difficult challenges.
The nationwide auditions for My Top Billing Dream are currently taking place with Bloemfontein which happened last weekend and Durban taking place this weekend.
"My biggest advice is not to copy any of the current presenters on Top Billing," Janez Vermeiren told me last night. "Try and bring your own personality through. The show isn't looking for the same kind of presenter as the people who are already on the show. Bring your own personality, your own talents, your own approach. Let your own character shine when you show who you are," he says.
Janez Vermeiren won't be at the Durban auditions - he tells me he's jetting off to Switzerland to film an insert - but he will be back for the rest - and he will be in the show. "I'm going to be at the My Top Billing Dream auditions for Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg."
"What I look for is someone who is as natural as possible," he says. "Almost conversational."
"I'm not looking for someone who's going to deliver a link like a robot. I'm looking for someone who's going to deliver me something like they mean it and as if they understand it."
The Durban auditions for the My Top Billing Dream are taking place at the Protea Hotel Umhlanga Ridge on 18 and 19 May from 09:00.
After that Port Elizabeth gets a chance on 24 and 25 May at the Protea Hotel Marine from 09:00.
The show moves to Polokwane with auditions taking place on 28 May from 09:00 at the Protea Hotel Ranch Resort. Cape Town gets its chance from 1 - 3 June from 09:00 at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice. Johannesburg auditions for the My Top Billing Dream will be held from 8 - 11 June from 09:00 at the Bidvest Wanderers Stadium.
Contestants have to print a copy of the entry form and bring that along, with an ID and a photograph.
