‘Beloved’ Arendsvlei actor Ceagan Arendse (34) dies from suicide after losing his battle against depression.

by Thinus Ferreira

Ceagan Arendse (34) known for his portrayal of the character Woelag in the Afrikaans soap Arendsvlei has died from suicide after he lost his battle against depression.

The actor from Paarl died this weekend. According to TV industry insiders who spoke to TVwithThinus, Ceagan Arendse took his life in a nearby Goodwood park where he hanged himself at a tree, following braai with family and friends.

Besides his role in Arendsvlei produced for kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) by Penguin Films, he also appeared in kykNET's Suidooster as Frankie and Projek Dina as Theo, as well as SABC2's miniseries Riemvasmaak in 2008 as the character of Willie Hendriks.

He was also recently a prison guard in the British series Bulletproof seen on Universal TV (DStv 117) when it filmed a new season in Cape Town. 

He's also set to appear in the new 13-episode Showmax Original series, Skemerdans in the role of Warren, the black sheep of the family.

Suzaan Keyter, kykNET spokesperson, described Ceagan's passing as "an enormous shock" to the kykNET family.

According to kykNET "we received the bad news this weekend that actor Ceagan Arendse has passed away. He was a beloved actor who appeared in several series like Arendsvlei, Suidooster and Projek Dina. We're thinking of his loved ones and family".

Roberta Durrant from Penguin Films says "Penguin Films and the Arendsvlei family are devastated to hear about Ceagan's passing. It was always a pleasure working with him on various productions. He will be remembered as a kind, hardworking artist. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time".

The family in a statement confirmed that Ceagan Arendse died from a suicide.

In the statement, the family says that "It is with sad and heavy hearts we inform friends and fans that our beloved Ceagan Arendse passed away early hours of Sunday morning, 14 February 2021. Ceagan unfortunately lost his battle with depression and succumbed to the disease through suicide".

"He leaves behind his wife Ziggy Arendse, children, his parents Desmore and Bertram and Bevan Arendse, his brother. We wish to take this time to thank everyone for their condolences and although we are unable to respond to everyone at this time, we appreciate the well-wishes."

■ If you or someone you know needs help with suicide, anxiety or depression, call the South African Depression and Anxiety Group's 24-hour helpline at 0800 456 789 or 011 234 4837 or the Whatsapp chat number 076 882 2775, the Suicide Crisis helpline at 0800 12 13 14, or Lifeline SA at 0861 322 322. 

Showmax renews Julia Anastasopoulos comedy for a second season entitled Tali's Baby Diary, rolls out Kelly Khumalo reality show and commissions two new drama series.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's Showmax has renewed Julia Anastasopoulos' Tali's Wedding Diary for a second season entitled Tali's Baby Diary, will launch a new reality series with Kelly Khumalo and has commissioned two new local drama series to be released in 2021 as the video streaming service ramps up local productions to add to its content carousel. 

"We’ve deliberately ramped up emphasis on local content," says Candice Fangueiro, Showmax’s head of content.

"If you look at something like the first view metric, which asks what’s the first show someone watches after signing up for Showmax under the assumption this is probably what convinced them to join, three out of the top 5 first view pieces of content are now local."

As expected, the award-winning Tali's Wedding Diary has been renewed for a second season, Tali's Baby Diary, produced by Sketchbook Studios.

The second season of this first-ever Showmax Original when it launched in December 2017, will be released in 2021.

In Tali’s Baby Diary an unexpected pregnancy forces Tali into a desperate pivot from Insta-influencer to "momfluencer", as Darren (Anton Taylor) and Rael (Glen Biderman-Pam) navigate the choppy waters of the Cape Town property game. 

As the 9-month clock ticks down, Tali and the boys are forced to face the bigger questions about life, love and parenthood.

Showmax will release the reality series Life With Kelly Khumalo, on 6 August that will revolve around the South Africa singer. It's produced by BarLeader.

Showmax says Life with Kelly Khumalo will offer viewers "an intimate glimpse at the woman behind the headlines: a single mother of two who is juggling parenting with the build-up to the release of not just her new album, Undithatha Kancinci, but also her first gin".

Showmax also commissioned two new drama series that will be released in 2021.

Skemerdans, from Nagvlug Films is described as "a Cape Flats neo-noir set at The Oasis, a jazz club and after-dark entertainment venue that becomes the centre of a power struggle between two brothers, a scorned widow and an organised crime syndicate".

"As opposing forces fight to gain control of Glenn Fortune’s legacy, an ongoing murder investigation gets closer to the inconvenient truth." Amy Jephta serves as executive producer and showrunner on the 13-episode Skemerdans, co-directing alongside Ephraim Gordon.

In Dam, a prodigal daughter returns home to the Eastern Cape to bury her father, only to be tormented by spirits in the house as she wonders whether they are real or imaginary. 

Dam is being written and directed by Alex Yazbek, with Picture Tree producing.