BREAKING. Mishka Patel quietly dumped as co-presenter from Private Property, Plascon, Nedbank an LG's Win a Home on SABC3.

Miskha Patel who was "overwhelmed" to be the new co-presenter of the second season of Plascon, Private Property, Nedbank, LG and Mercedes-Benz' advertiser-funded production (AFP) Win a Home has been dumped shortly before the first episode aired this past Friday.

That's after Miskha Patel was already talking about how she was "excited for the journey ahead".

TVSA has the story of the shocking way in which Mishka Patel was unceremoniously cut from Win a Home after Expresso and SABC3 told viewers she is one of the presenters, and after Miskha Patel on social media gushed about the show and her presenting gig.

While Mishka Patel was previously announced, she was suddenly, embarrassingly, no longer a part of Win a Home's second season, with no word from SABC3, Tswelopele Productions producing Win a Home or any of the sponsors on why she was suddenly missing in action.

While imaging with Khanya Siyengo together with Mishka Patel and SABC3 branding appeared beforehand as well as other pictures of them together, and them being interviewed together on Expresso, Khanya Siygeno was suddenly the sole presenter.

Mishka Patel is gone.

"A revision of the show's format, aligned to the reality format, informs the programme's current look and feel," says Win a Home.

"Final testing with the client" apparently led to the axing of Mishka Patel for reasons unknown.

"It sucks and reveals just how hectic and ruthless the TV industry can be," writes TVSA editor Tashi Tagg.

"What's so especially shocking is about this particular situation is how it was so publicly confirmed by so many of those involved with the series. The Win a Home Twitter account retweeted Expresso's tweet about the two of them hosting together," TVSA reports.

"The situation also highlights what a huge problem it is when shows are at the mercy of sponsors in advertiser-funded shows."

The irony for many is how television and programming about beautiful things and about the creation and showcasing of beautiful things externally, often has a mostly hidden, ugly underbelly.

It's not clear why a show like Win a Home and SABC3 would trot out someone like Mishka Patel, have her talk on public television about being a co-presenter, then cut her in conjunction with a client or clients of the advertiser-funded production - and then not explain her sudden absence.

It leaves so many questions about the ugly brand damage inflicted on sponsors, a broadcaster and the business of creating beauty.

Win a Home back on SABC3 for a second season and a 'design' edition with 14 aspiring designers; Khanya Siyengo added as new presenter.

The advertiser-funded reality competition show Win a Home is back on SABC3 from tonight at 19:30 for a second season which will be a "design edition" and presented by Khanya Siyengo.

The real estate competition and design show from Tswelopele Productions returns for a second season in which 14 aspiring interior designers will compete against each other in difficult design challenges that will push them, and their imaginations, to the limit for the chance to win R100 000.

A viewer will once again get the chance to win a multi-million rand home.

With Maps Maponyane who previously presented now doing I Am South African on ANN7 (DStv 405), Khanya Siyengo is stepping as the new presenter who rose to prominence in the recent Presenter Search on 3 TV talent search competition.

SABC3 and Tswelopele Productions have now found success with nifty style and glamour TV that's resonating with viewers, cleverly exploiting the Friday evening timeslot where viewers now flock to and the end of a busy week to watch beautiful television combined with a competition and prize element.

In the second season of Win a Home which will be a "design edition" the 14 hopefuls will battle on a construction site as they pick their interior design themes before rolling up their sleeves to transform three living units into homes with cutting edge design aesthetics - together with mind-boggling deadlines.

The 14 will compete in individual and team challenges and those making it through will get another week on Win a Home.

The 14 contestants in the second season are Lesego Shika (an interior decorator who loves landscaping), Glorinah Mabaso (a freelance interior designer), Lance Surgeson (design-company owner and surfer), fashionista Kefiloe Sebati, Siyanda Mazibuko (carpenter), Jacoline Sema (interior designer) and Wanga Ngwane (a furniture and shoe designer).

The others are Renate Stuurman (the actress with a passion for design), Travis Hyde (an event management consultant), Sifiso Shange (a street art loving Durbanite), eco-conscious Rochelle le Roux, Bridgette Ramakhapele (digital fabric printing owner), Zimkhita Sidumo (an accountant turned interior decorator), and Larochelle van Rensburg (interior decorating student).

Every episode of Win a Home will visit a different top South African designer - ranging from product designers responsible for products like lamps to interior decorators - who will give insight into the creative process and join the judges, Anne Roselt and Simon Bray in deciding who stays and who goes.

Presenter Search on 3 reveals the Top 11 contestants who will now battle it out to become TV presenters across various SABC3 shows.

SABC3's reality TV competition show looking to find new TV presenters has revealed a Top 11, not Top 10, Friday night on Presenter Search on 3.

The list of telegenics includes eight TV competitors from Cape Town, two from Johannesburg and one from Pretoria.

Khanya Siyengo (Cape Town), Ziphozakhe Zokufa (Johannesburg), Mishka Patel (Cape Town), Danilo Acquisto (Cape Town), Leon Nieuwoudt (Pretoria), Sanda Shandu (Cape Town), Christopher Jaftha (Johannesburg), Jade Hubner (Cape Town), Caley van der Kolk (Cape Town), Nambitha Ben-Mazwi (Cape Town) and Zoe Brown (Cape Town) all made the cut.

None of the Port Elizabeth or Durban contestants made it.

The Top 11 will be whittled down over the next few weeks to find presenters to join SABC3's Top Billing, Expresso and a new lifestyle magazine TV show.

The Top 11 were unveiled at Cape Town's Fire & Ice hotel this past Friday. They will continue to battle it out with real TV presenter tests and challenges until the finale is broadcast on Friday 29 May and which will be recorded in Zanzibar.

Several of the Top 11 contestants have already found a level of fame. 

Danilo Acquisto is known as one of the Hectic Nine-9 presenters on SABC2 and is a DJ on Goodhope FM, Christopher Jaftha has won several best looking man awards, Mishka Patel was a Miss South Africa 2014 finalist and Ziphozakhe Zokufa as first princess took up the crown as Miss South Africa 2014 after Rolene Strauss became Miss World.

Nambitha Ben-Mazwi, who already tried her hand at TV presenting, acting and singing, was added as the wild card addition to make the Presenter Search on 3's Top 10 a Top 11.

Leon Nieuwoudt has worked as an international model, banker Khanya Siyengo is a basketball coach and radio presenter and Zoe Brown has a degree in international relations.

The UCT economics graduate Sanda Shandu is a musician and actor, entrepreneur and tomboy Jade Hubner is good at athletics and music, and Caley van der Volk who was born in Willowvale in the Transkei has already travelled the world.

The Presenter Search on 3, the third iteration of the show, has already with the latest season showed and successfully harnassed what real cross-platform potential and true media property synergy opportunities there exists within the SABC – something rarely tapped to the extent that it really can be by the public broadcaster.

Presenter Search on 3 contestants already visited SABC2's Morning Live and SABC3's Expresso and received advice and did interesting TV challenges behind-the-scenes.

SABC on-air talent ranging from Neill Anthony of Neill Anthony Private Chef, Three Talk with Noeleen’s Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu, Minnie Dlamini from SABC1's Soccerzone, former Eastern Mosaic’s presenter and Lotus FM DJ Jailoshini Naidoo and Morning Live’s Leanne Manas already appeared to give the contestants challenges and advice, all while giving viewers a fascinating glimpse every Friday night of the SABC's industrial TV complex at work and the hard work that happens behind the shiny lights.