Wednesday, August 26, 2015

BREAKING. Mishka Patel quietly dumped as co-presenter from Private Property, Plascon, Nedbank an LG's Win a Home on SABC3.


Miskha Patel who was "overwhelmed" to be the new co-presenter of the second season of Plascon, Private Property, Nedbank, LG and Mercedes-Benz' advertiser-funded production (AFP) Win a Home has been dumped shortly before the first episode aired this past Friday.

That's after Miskha Patel was already talking about how she was "excited for the journey ahead".

TVSA has the story of the shocking way in which Mishka Patel was unceremoniously cut from Win a Home after Expresso and SABC3 told viewers she is one of the presenters, and after Miskha Patel on social media gushed about the show and her presenting gig.

While Mishka Patel was previously announced, she was suddenly, embarrassingly, no longer a part of Win a Home's second season, with no word from SABC3, Tswelopele Productions producing Win a Home or any of the sponsors on why she was suddenly missing in action.

While imaging with Khanya Siyengo together with Mishka Patel and SABC3 branding appeared beforehand as well as other pictures of them together, and them being interviewed together on Expresso, Khanya Siygeno was suddenly the sole presenter.

Mishka Patel is gone.

"A revision of the show's format, aligned to the reality format, informs the programme's current look and feel," says Win a Home.

"Final testing with the client" apparently led to the axing of Mishka Patel for reasons unknown.

"It sucks and reveals just how hectic and ruthless the TV industry can be," writes TVSA editor Tashi Tagg.

"What's so especially shocking is about this particular situation is how it was so publicly confirmed by so many of those involved with the series. The Win a Home Twitter account retweeted Expresso's tweet about the two of them hosting together," TVSA reports.

"The situation also highlights what a huge problem it is when shows are at the mercy of sponsors in advertiser-funded shows."

The irony for many is how television and programming about beautiful things and about the creation and showcasing of beautiful things externally, often has a mostly hidden, ugly underbelly.

It's not clear why a show like Win a Home and SABC3 would trot out someone like Mishka Patel, have her talk on public television about being a co-presenter, then cut her in conjunction with a client or clients of the advertiser-funded production - and then not explain her sudden absence.

It leaves so many questions about the ugly brand damage inflicted on sponsors, a broadcaster and the business of creating beauty.