by Thinus Ferreira
"We tried not to cry and to all hold it together," says Eloise Cupido, presenter of Ontbytsake on kykNET with the show that will do a very special tribute broadcast to Shaleen Surtie-Richards (66) all through Saturday's edition tomorrow morning following the unexpected death of the iconic actress on Monday.
Shaleen Surtie-Richards was booked and scheduled to appear on Ontbytsake this Saturday anyway when her untimely death on Monday sent shockwaves through the production crew and group of presenters who were looking forward to talking to her for her 7th time on the show.
"She would have been our guest in-studio, in person but Ontbytsake had to change it into a special tribute show," Eloise Cupido tells TVwithThinus just after the recording of Saturday's episode had wrapped on Friday afternoon.
"Viewers can look forward to a lot of video clips from all of the different series and films in which Shaleen Surtie-Richards had appeared over the years as well as clips from 2017 when she last visited us in-studio at Ontbytsake."
"My son was born just two months earlier before she visited us last so he was at work with me and we had such a great time with Shaleen. She spoke about so many things and we have about two or three clips from her last Ontbytsake visit."
Well-known friends of Shaleen Surtie-Richards also visit Ontbytsake to reminisce about Shaleen and to share their memories and what they think her contribution and impact was on South Africa's TV and film industry.
"It's exceptionally beautifully done I think," says Eloise Cupido.
Special guests include Vinette Ebrahim, Kim Cloete, Gavin Prins and Lizz Meiring who will be talking about the impact she's had personally and meant to them and the film critic Leon van Nierop weighs in about what her impact was from an actors' and film perspective.
"Leon van Nierop is exceptionally insightful on Saturday's episode of Ontbytsake to distil the essence of Shaleen Surtie-Richards' impact on South Africa and whether we will ever see someone else who could fill her shoes and it's stunning."
"We all tried to - as far as possible - not to sit and cry. It was very difficult because Shaleen was a larger-than-life person. We tried to remember and highlight all of the aspects of her existence and humanity and to bring tribute to her life and career."
"Kim Cloete speaks in the programme to how all people of colour who entered South Africa's showbiz and who had contact with her - how Shaleen played a mentoring role. She provided perspective, she provided guidance. Shaleen didn't hold back to tell you when you've messed up and she also didn't hold back to praise you when she thought you did something great."
"It just underscored yet again how she was the same toward everyone. Everyone who talks on Ontbytsake knew her personally in their personal lives and visited each other in their homes. It's not just some superficial - it's people who worked with her and who were friends in her home."
Ontbytsake is Saturdays on kykNET (DStv 144) from 07:30 with the week's same edition that starts 2 hours later on kykNET & Kie (DStv 145)
