Below Deck's Kyle Viljoen shares rare disease emergency: 'Pain like none other'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Below Deck Mediterranean's Kyle Viljoen is recovering after a serious health scare and sharing that he just went through the "most painful and traumatic bodily experience" ever.

On Sunday on Instagram, the South African reality star - one of several South Africans who feature as interior and deck crew across various seasons in the Bravo series franchise seen on E! (DStv 124) - said that after he was initially misdiagnosed, he was eventually diagnosed with the rare Stevens-Johnson syndrome and ended up in hospital.

"Monday started with throat pain like none other," he says, which "spread to my mouth, lips, hands and feet. Having gone to the walk-in clinic and diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth disease they sent me on my way. Wednesday to Thursday I suffered from worsening blisters, inability to tolerate swallowing, tongue swelling and a change in vision."

"Friday there was still no relief." He says his fiance Zachary rushed him to New York University hospital's emergency room.

"Bypassing others in the ED waiting room, the medical staff rushed me in to be examined from head to toe by almost every service from ophthalmology to dermatology (over 20 doctors) and told me I had something called SJS. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare, serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes." 

Kyle says he has finally "eaten my first meal in seven days", saying people should advocate for their own health "and treat your body seriously. If something doesn't feel right, seek treatment".

Kyle Viljoen first appeared in the 7th season of Below Deck Mediterranean and is back in season 8 which just started in the United States. 

Tumi Mhlongo from South Africa who appeared in Below Deck Down Under's first season is also back for her second season in Below Deck Med's 8th season, working with Kyle.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 11 November 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Oscar Pistorius is in prison for murder, so why does ESPN's (DStv 218 / StarSat 248) new documentary coming to South African and African viewers from 19 November treat him so kindly?

- Viewers complain that The Trials of Oscar Pistorius neglects the real victim - Reeva Steenkamp.

- Reeva Steenkamp deserves to be more than a footnote in the story of killer Oscar Pistorius.

- Controversy around the BBC and ESPN's shockingly slanted Oscar Pistorius documentary is justified.

- "Shame on you": Uproar over BBC and ESPN's disgusting Oscar Pistorius documentary.

■ South Africa's Simone Mashile of Below Deck slams Captain Lee Rosbach, says there are not enough people of colour in the yachting industry.

■ Lesflicks - the lesbian video streaming service thriving under lockdown and attracting subscribers from America to South Africa, India and Jamaica.

■ How the SABC's isiZulu radio dramas subverted Apartheid's grand design.

■ MultiChoice Ghana and child labour?: Meet Emmanuel (11), MultiChoice's youngest DStv installer.

This is obviously illegal and illegal child labour.

■ Trace Urban (DStv 325) apparently has original local programming nobody's heard about or that the media were told about - and then it got marred by technical problems.

■ Why you're seeing Kelly Clarkson with an eyepatch on in The Kelly Clarkson Show on M-Net (DStv 101).

■ Trojan TV: China's double-edged gamble with Mozambique's TV market.

China's StarTimes pay-TV operator wants to get a foothold and promote Beijing’s voice in Mozambique, but service and content issues may end up being a disservice to China’s image abroad.

■ New research: When kids watch a lot of TV, parents may end up being more stressed.

■ Virgin Media launches Virgin 360 as a new pay-TV service in the United Kingdom to rival Sky Q.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 5 November 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ SABC3's Expresso TV presenter cheater Katlego Maboe: Society's hypocrisy in protecting men and their reputations. 

Their public image can be stained by real evidence, and they'll be supported.

- The alleged "other woman Nikkita Murray releases a statement - says she was tested and doesn't have any sexually transmitted disease (STD)

■ Apple TV+ one year later: Still on trial.

Apple will have to work harder and do a lot more content-wise to compete with Netflix and Disney+.

■ Amazon Prime Video has no big plans for British content from the United Kingdom.

■ SABC1's Uzalo produced by Stained Glass TV announces that it has finished filming on season 6 and will be taking a production break between seasons.

■ Brazil's Globo announces a massive deal to add Disney+ .

Meanwhile there is no communication around any plan for Disney+ in South Africa through MultiChoice or any other means for South Africans to watch any Disney+ content in a legal way.

■ Amazon Prime Video Channels launches in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

As South Africa just falls further and further behind.

■ SABC unions Bemawu and the CWU claim they are "saving jobs" although the overstaffed and bloated South African public broadcaster continues to sink away in financial problems while the staff bill drains it as the biggest single expense.

■ CNN's (DStv 401) John King was the only one having "fun" on America's 2020 presidential election day.

Viewers react to the CNN correspondent's "This is fun" catchphrase. 

- TV Critic's Notebook: Blue wave? Red wave? America's 2020 election night TV coverage was more like a whirlpool.

- So bad, it's good: The embarrassing difference between TV election coverage in America and Australia.

- Pundits, proxies and pills: America's election TV overload.

- Fox News (StarSat 261) helped fuel Donald Trump's rise. Now it's reporting on a possible fall.

■ "Game of Thrones with parkour": How will Netflix adapt the Assassin's Creed video game as a TV drama series?

■ At 94, BBC actor Stanley Baxter says he's gay.

Says he brought men home with his wife's blessing.

■ Oh Captain my Captain: Below Deck season 8 kicked off with a historic twist: Captain Lee in hospital.

■ The loneliness of wedding reality TV shows.

■ Showmax and M-Net doing more Trash-TV.

■ Cocomelon: The unsettling kids show breaking Netflix records.

■ Michael J. Fox reveals his Parkinson's now makes it difficult for him to do the memorisation needed for acting.

"My short-term memory is shot."

AHOY. Below Deck coming to M-Net Reality from 14 November at 21:30 as a new reality show following a private charter yacht crew.

Below Deck is starting on M-Net Series Reality (DStv 114) on 14 November at 21:30 as a brand-new American reality series following the insane in-fighting, bickering, conflict and drunken debauchery of the seasonal crew working on a private yacht for hire.

Below Deck just finished its first season on American pay-television, and has been renewed for a second season.

Below Deck reveals the demanding outrageous guests who make impossible demands, bring drugs onboard and suddenly want to get married, while the chartered yacht's crew members struggle with the authority and chain-of-command orders, alcoholism and unprofessional conduct below deck.