by Thinus Ferreira
The shocking first episode of the new Afrikaans reality show Plaasjapie on kykNET saw contestant Kayla removed over medical issues, while the former Men's Health cover model Roché had to be rushed to hospital at night after an axe accident - his future participation in the show now in peril.
In Thursday night's first episode of the Infinity Films produced new reality series on kykNET (DStv 144) at 20:00, viewers saw Kayla (24) from Vereeniging, removed from the show after other contestants remarked that she's not speaking coherently and seemed out of it after apparently mixing up her chronic medication pills.
After a consultation with the on-set medical team, it became clear that Kayla's complications with her meds wasn't going to allow her to continue being a participant in Plaasjapie, and she exited the show.
The big shocker of the episode was however the former Men's Health cover model Roché (30) from Cape Town who physically injured himself on the farm outside Philadelphia in the Swartland and shocked the contestants and productions with his axe accident as blood seeped through his white sock.
While a few contestants tried to chop wood at night next to a camp fire, Roché saw the axe cut his right foot.
The Plaasjapie medical team rushed in and told Roché his foot will require stitches after which he was removed and taken to hospital.
"Over the walkie talkie we suddenly heard: 'Medical, medical, go, go go!' Of course we had a medical team constantly at both of the little 'farms' for both teams of city slickers competing in the show, and those people are fantastic. They sit there all through the day and night with eagle eyes and keep watch over the contestants," Plaasjapie director Nina Swart told TVwithThinus.
"You do get a fright from a director's perspective, a producer's perspective and from a human perspective. We're in the middle of nowhere and had to rush to a doctor. Productions like Plaasjapie thoroughly plan for medical eventualities but you do get a fright."
"The medical team who handled it is extremely professional and quick but my heart did skip a beat. I kept asking over the walkie talkie as I ran 'Is he okay?'," Swart said.
"The Plaasjapie contestants are really roughing it out there and are putting their bodies on the line. In that rough way of life living as a farmer some do get insect bites, thorns and cuts as the show goes on."
Whether Roché also exits Plaasjapie or is able to return to the kykNET reality series and remain in the show with his injury, DStv subscribers will have to see in the second episode this coming Thursday night.
