As lurid stories swirl, how is M-Net going to handle Elana Afrika who is in the news headlines and tabloids for all the wrong reasons?

"Elana's Shock Affair  -She's been sleeping with the boss!" "Elana's affair ends in drama".

As lurid newspaper and magazine headlines like these and others swirl around Elana Afrika and the former radio station programme manager Ian Bredenkamp and alleged indiscretions between the two, one cannot help but wonder: what is M-Net going to do about Elana Afrika?

The former I Wanna Be presenter has often been used by M-Net as the famous face for various corporate social investment projects of the pay-TV broadcaster as an M-Net Cares ambassador as well as an MC for press events.

The last event I attended where Elana Afrika was behind a podium, was at the end of September when Elana Afrika was used by M-Net and MultiChoice as the MC at the press conference when MultiChoice announced its channel number changes and new channels, and M-Net announced its new M-Net Movies channels addition.

M-Net now has exactly the same predicament as Discovery Networks which has been a sponsor of Lance Armstrong who is also making big news headlines for things which doesn't fit with Discovery's ethos and which drags Discovery into some scandalous stories and mentions which the company doesn't want as part of its image.

Will M-Net continue to use Elana Afrika as a brand ambassador and as an MC if her image (and the preceived change in the perception of her image) is now splashed on magazine covers and newspaper stories?

I asked M-Net on Friday what the pay-TV broadcaster is making of this tabloid coverage swirling around Elana Afrika, whether Elana Afrika will remain a M-Net Cares ambassador, and how M-Net sees this, or feel that these stories impact M-Net as a brand and for the projects M-Net has used her for.

M-Net responded yesterday and told me that "Elana has done a fantastic job on many M-Net projects and we would like to speak to her first before making any decisions".

FIRST LOOK! M-Net's New Year's Special 2010.

You're reading and seeing it here first.

It's the silly season so I was just kidding in my earlier post today HERE about Elana Afrika getting her own M-Net talk show. Actually I just wanted to draw you TV watchers' attention to the M-Net New Year's Special 2010 that will be broadcast on Friday, 1 January 2010 at 20:00.

Elana Afrika is the presenter of the two hour special which was recorded last night at M-Net.

Performances include the 1st Project drumming group, Brandon October and Andriette Norman (doing a duet as well as solo performances), Louise Carver, Flash Republic, Graeme Watkins, Freshlyground, Arno Carstens, Zebra and Giraffe and Lira like in the picture above!

M-Net also has the exclusive TV debut of Arno Carstens’ first single off his brand new album, entitled ''Dreamer''.
Viewers will also see New Year's wishes from celebrities such as PJ Powers, Patricia de Lille, Liezel van der Westhuizen and Randall Abrahams, amongst others.

Click below on READ MORE! to see more brand-new photos from the special here first.

BREAKING. New talk show for Elana Afrika!

You're seeing it here first.

Is TV star Elana Afrika becoming South Africa's newest talk show star?

Seems so. I'm first to show you these photos first of the lovely Elana chatting up a storm during last night's recording at M-Net with couch guests like Lira, Louise Carver as well as Brandon October and Andriette.

Elana is obviously very comfortable with the microphone in the hand and she even sports ''Oprah hair''.

I know everything, and will spill the goss a bit later this afternoon! But if you really want to know more and see Elana in action with these local stars, you have to tune into M-Net on Friday, 1 January at 20:00.