EXCLUSIVE. The 10 South African celebrities taking part in the 8th season of Strictly Come Dancing South Africa on SABC3 are ...

Bridget Masinga, Nkuli Tshirumbula, Slikour, Stanton Fredericks, Gary Botha, Jason Goliath, Leigh-Anne Williams, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Pearl Modiadie and Sureshnie Rider will put their dancing shoes on this Friday when the 8^th season of Strictly Come Dancing SA starts at 19:30 on SABC3.

Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC TV head publicist didn't respond to a media enquiry about the reality dance format show starting in just four days and the broadcaster failed to released any information to the press a week ahead of time, but I can reveal, according to several SABC sources, that this season will include celebrity contestants ranging from a soccer star and a comedian to TV presenters, a musician and a soap star.

Contrary to TV biz rumours, socialiste Pearl Thusi will definitely not be a part of this season of Strictly Come Dancing SA which is once again produced by production company Rapid Blue, although SABC1's Zaziwa presenter and 5FM DJ Pearl Modiadie will be dancing.

The successful and dynamic presenting duo of Katlego Maboe and Roxy Burger will both be back for the show which is ditching the Saturday elimination episode from this season and condensing the format to Friday nights for both the live dance performances and the evictions.

Kicking off the new season on Friday night on SABC3, and starting off with waltzing and cha cha-ing across the dance floor will be former Bafana Bafana and national under-23 midfield soccer player Stanton "Stiga" Fredericks, Expresso presenter Leigh-Anne Williams, comedian Jason Goliath, SABC2 Muvhango soap star Nkuli Tshirumbula and TV presenter Bridget Masinga.

The former Springbok rugby player and Bulls hooker Gary Botha is also dancing and according to sources who've seen him "putting in 120%".

Also forming a part of the new group are singers Slikour and Karlien van Jaarsveld. 

Although she's already one of the busiest people working in South Africa’s electronic entertainment industry, 5FM DJ Sureshnie Rider, has somehow rejigged her incredibly full diary to fit in hours of dancing rehearsals and the Friday dance floor spectaculars.

According to sources who've seen it, Friday's debut episode of the 8^th season of Strictly Come Dancing on SABC3 will also include a spectacular group dance, choreographed by Tebogo Kgobokoe.

Bridget Masinga slams Kim Kardashian on e.tv's Screentime with Nicky Greenwall; reveals the TV industry's very true open secret about the Kartrashians.

Telenality Bridget Masinga is slamming Kim Kardashian, revealing an open secret inside South Africa's TV industry about the disgusting behaviour, self-consumed narcissism and out-of-control diva-demands which makes working with the Kardashians pure hell for those working in the TV biz.

In Wednesday night's episode of the pre-recorded Screentime with Nicky Greenwall on e.tv at 21:35, Bridget Masinga will reveal the nightmare behind-the-scenes she herself and her TV crew endured at the hands of the "Kartrashians" when Kim and sister Khloe jetted to South Africa in 2010.

Kim and Khloe Kardashian's South African visit in December 2010 for a terrible Brutal Fruit launch was an unmitigated disaster and a totally unmanaged mess behind the scenes, where journalists and the media in Johannesburg and Cape Town who tried to get access, cover events or do even short interviews grinded their teeth about the demands, disgusting behaviour and aloof disinterest of the sisters.

"She was just so sour," says the former All Access presenter who in 2010 tried to interview Kim and Kloe for the M-Net magazine show.

"She was a diva extrodinaire!" says Bridget Masinga, pointing to an image of Kim Kardashian, revealing that the sister had a "camp" of minders with them who made several demands on the production team. "Crop her here", "Can I check the lighting" , "Please make sure if it's a wide shot it doesn't go below the knees because she doesn't like her knees".

Bridget Masinga says she didn't like Kim Kardashian's disinterested behaviour during the interview.

"I do think they were a little jet-lagged - but I also believe in being professional: you've committed to something, you've been briefed. She irked me completely. I un-followed her that day."

Viewers won't know it but Nicky Greenwall herself and several other TV biz insiders suffered at the hands of the sisters.

In December 2010 Nicky Greenwall herself, then still doing The Showbiz Report on e.tv, also tried to get an interview.

After being made to wait for literally hours with a camera crew at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town where the launch took place, with no indication of what is happening or who the PR people are (in fact there were none and even Brutal Fruit abandoned the launch event where the Kardashians blatantly ordered and drank Red Bull showcased in an aluminium ice bucket) even Nicky Greenwall packed up and left.

Insiders at Top Billing on SABC3 described that magazine show's interview with the Kardashians at the time as "utter hell" and "one of the most unprofessional, difficult and traumatic shoots ever" and Janez Vermeiren who interviewed the sisters didn't know what to do when he and the Tswelopele Productions crew found it impossible to get the sisters to look up from their phones, focus and show interest and actually answer any questions.

Khloe Kardashian's disdain for the South African press was once again evident earlier this year at MTV Base's MTV Africa Music Awards in June.

She refused to do interviews with the media, yet interrupted and overshadowed the pre awards event press conference with her massive entourage and then blatantly got up and moved out of shot during the live awards show when the producers wanted to frame her in the background of Bonang Matheba who did a link introducing a next category of nominees.



Here is what Janez Vermeiren had to say about his excruciating encounter with Kim Kardashian "who shouldn't even be a celebrity":

(start watching from 5:14 to 6:15)

INTERVIEW. Bridget Masinga on All Access: ''If I'm a diva then so be it. Divas go on to be fifty and have empires worth multi million dollars!''

You're reading it here first.

I just love All Access presenter Bridget Masinga after this funny, witty, honest (and did I mention funny?) interview I did with her at Friday night's birthday party when M-Net's weekly entertainment magazine turned one year old.

In a bubbly interview Bridget Masinga told me how she really feels about working on this production, and what high profile celebrity she talked to during the past year that changed her outlook on life completely. Find out why she made a vow to herself to be more assertive, and more forthright about what she wants in life and in the entertainment industry.

Why does Bridget Masinga call herself ''such a hermit!'' Really? And how does she balance a personal life with the glam and jetsetting lifestyle of doing All Access? Who does she really still want to talk to and which celeb escaped her clutches? I have all the answers . . .

For my full interview with Bridget Masinga of M-Net's All Access click on READ MORE below.

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK! All Access is working on SOMETHING BIG . . .

You're seeing and reading about it here first.

I'm not going to spill everything just yet (but check back next Thursday, 31 December on the evening it gets broadcast and I promise more beautiful pictures) but All Access on Thursdays at 19:30 on M-Net has something special in store.

Episode 28 of M-Net's weekly entertainment magazine show All Access, - going out next Thursday, 31 December at 19:30 on M-Net, is ''going to be awesome'', I'm told.  

The very special episode (with bubbly on the set to toast in the new year!) is filled with the biggest local music stars from Heinz Winckler to Watershed who all came in to make some noise on New Year's Eve. All the presenters (Bridget Masinga, Jason Greer, Tammy-Anne Fortuin, Ewan Strydom, Koula, Mark Bayly and Pabi Moloi) dressed up to the nines and are all together on the All Access set for this special TV event.

Later next Thursday night, 31 December at 22:30 on M-Net you can also catch the annual Royal Variety Performance.