Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles on SABC3: Presenter Minnie Dlamini dishes on being in a bikini while games master Jonathan Boynton-Lee calls it his 'nicest shoot ever'.

Minnie Dlamini says being in a bikini the whole time while filming Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles was different from any TV work she's done before, while games master Jonathan Boynton-Lee says it was his "nicest shoot ever".

The telly twosome are centrestage in the Seychelles from tonight at 19:30 on SABC3 when the 7th season, after last week's first episode introducing the various contestants, kicks off with the first episode and first challenge filmed in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

ALSO READ: Red carpet photos of the Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles press launch event.

Presenting Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles "was a lot of hard work," Minnie Dlamini tells TVwithThinus.

"We were shooting every single day, very, very long hours so it was a lot of work but it was very rewarding. I really can't wait for everyone to see the show."

She said this show was different from other TV gigs "because first of all I'm in a bikini the whole time - that was different. But it was also a lot of fun to just be in such a great environment. It was like holiday shooting - beautiful sunsets, incredible beaches, incredible scenery."

"One of the things about this season is that the consumer contestants [who each compete with a celebrity contestant] are stars in their own right," says Minnie Dlamini. "People are going to fall in love with them."

"There's always twists in this show. Your firm favourites to win might not become your favourites towards the middle of the season - a lot of surprise eliminations, and of course a lot of surprises - it's going to be a good show".

Jonathan Boynton-Lee who is the games master -a new role and element this season - tells TVwithThinus that although viewers will see a beautiful show they won't realise how much hard work actually goes into it to make it look beautiful.

"It's long hours and people don't see all of the hard work that goes in behind-the-scenes; the massive number of crew getting the shots and the 10 cameramen and the sound guys and the directors and everyone setting up the games."

"We had a crew of over 50 people there and the amount of work and dedication that goes into the show is crazy."

"This really is going to be the most epic season. These games were so well designed that there's never a point during the competition where you could say this or that team is going to take the challenge - all of them are the perfect balance of physical and mental - and that is what makes for great television".

He said being on the Seychelles was "the nicest shoot ever. I was living on a tropical island for three weeks. It was awesome. It's like being stranded on an island - but in luxury. It was definitely a highlight of my career so far doing Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles."

Cool theme song
In another first, Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles has a theme song, sung by the celebrity contestants Karlien van Jaarsveld, Emtee and Anga Makubalo (NaakMusiQ) in a 3-way collaboration. "It was a great experience and turned out even better than what we even hoped for," Karlien van Jaarsveld told TVwithThinus.

"Originally it would have been just a short theme song for the show specifically, but now it's being used as a full song that people can download with the proceeds from the song sold on iTunes and Google Play going to the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC).

"It's amazing for me how incredibly talented Emtee is," says Karlien van Jaarsveld. "They said they wanted a rap influence within the song. Emtee literally went and sat outside for 5 minutes, wrote a rap, and that's the very rap infused melody that's incorporated into the song. Very, very talented."


Contestant chemistry
Miantha Padayachee, Tropika brand group manager says "we've really upped the stakes for the 7th season".

"We interviewed over 3 000 people and found out lucky 7 consumer contestants. I think the most amazing thing for me is to see how the celebrity contestants form friendships with the consumer contestants."

"While we were in the Seychelles filming, I knew that we were filming a world-class show".

Hamilton Ngubo, SABC3 programme manager, said that "at SABC3 we're really excited. This season on SABC3 comes as we're launching new shows in April. We're looking forward to seeing the chemistry between the celebrities and the consumer contestants".

Clover revives Tropika Island of Treasure for a 7th season as the advertiser-funded show jumps from SABC1 to SABC3; returns celebrity contestants.

The Island of Treasure advertiser-funded show is returning for a 7^th season and is now looking for contestants as its switches from SABC1 to SABC3.

The show, known for its bad production values over the years, reached its bottom with the 5^th season in February 2013 when the SABC and Clover went ahead with the tasteless broadcast starting two days after Reeva Steenkamp who was a celebrity contestant in the show, was brutally shot and killed by the paralympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius.

A forgettable and very badly done 6^th season followed that had no celebrities. 

Now the brand campaign show is trying again, switching away from SABC1 to SABC3's more upmarket audience, returning celebrities who will take part with members of the public, upping the production values with a new production company, adding creative changes and increasing the season episode order to 13.

I requested publicity and marketing images from the Clover produced show but days later after the PR company told me there isn't any and will send when they're available, basically what there appear to be available is the show logo for the upcoming Seychelles season.

Minnie Dlamini will be the presenter of the new 7^th season of Tropika Island of Treasure set to be filmed in October in the Seychelles, with Top Billing presenter Jonathan Boynton-Lee in a new role as the "Games Master" who will encourage and talk the various teams through the challenges that will include physical and mental puzzles.

The celebrity contestants for the 7^th season include Siv Ngesi, Zakeeya Patel, Maurice Paige, Karlien van Jaarsveld, EmTee, Anga Makubalo and Jessica Nkosi.

"We are so excited about the new season of Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles," says Miantha Padayachee, brand group manager for Tropika.

People have to buy the fruit juice between July and September for the packaging barcode in order to be able to enter, and indicate what celebrity they want to team up with.

After that the celebrity contestants will choose the member of the public they want to try and win the competition with, as the seven different teams compete against each other in the Seychelles.

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.