Humble Port Alfred couple, Megan and Jason Sharrock, wins the second season of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.

A humble, beautiful Port Alfred couple, Megan and Jason Sharrock from the Eastern Cape was announced the wedding winners during the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday evening, grabbing the most viewers' votes and winning a true getaway fantasy honeymoon to the Seychelles to make up for the one they never really had.

The surfer-chic newlyweds from Port Alfred clinched a spot on the top five weddings during the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers produced by [SIC Entertainment], with presenter Jason Greer who announced that they scored the most votes in the pre-recorded, live-to-tape season finale that was filmed on Thursday evening inside the flower-draped Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg before a live studio audience.

Besides the 5-day Seychelles holiday worth R80 000, the Port Alfred couple also wins R250 000 in cash from M-Net, and  R100 000 in jewellery from Jack Friedman Jewellers.

The runners-up get prizes of R30 000 from Jack Friedman Jewellers as well.

Besides the most votes from viewers, Megan and Jason also scored the highest - 39.5 out of 40 - from the celebrity experts and wedding guests Bernelee Daniell, Denise Zimba, Zavion Kotze and Zola Nene who judged the fashion, entertainment, décor, entertainment and food.

The other contenders during the second season were Heather and Rafal Szejwallo with their Polish festivities (36.3); Danielle and Mario Gomes with their Brazilian Carnival celebration (34.6); Sue and Wesley Boonzaaier with their traditional Christian nuptials (32.6); and Janine and Xander Oelofse with their princess rose gold styled I do's (30.2).

Media attended Thursday evening's recording of the season finale with a press conference that took place on the set afterwards.

Megan revealed that she entered for their wedding to be possibly featured on The Wedding Bashers, without Jason's knowledge.

"I entered because I saw an episode of the first season on M-Net and thought this looks like such a fun show and I loved it and I thought that we should do that if we were ever to get married. Then we got engaged and a friend told me there's going to be another season of The Wedding Bashers and you have to enter."

"So I thought, 'Oh why not?"

All 5 of the couples had nothing but love for the [SIC] Entertainment production crew, with all five saying the presence of cameras and the celebrity experts didn't detract from their day or took attention away from them.

All 5 couples also said that they didn't feel exposed, scared, manipulated or intimidated by the production crews who attended and hovered on their big days.

"For our wedding they came in on the day before, on the Friday; we got to know them, we really have a soft spot for the crew for the way they were filming," said Megan. 

Kaye-Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local content, said that besides the possibility of a third season of The Wedding Bashers, M-Net will definitely consider doing some more of the special "give-back" episodes in which the wedding bashers bring their expertise, contacts and know-how to organise very special wedding days for deserving South African wedding couples.


ALSO READ: The Wedding Bashers weigh in before the second season finale as M-Net says the broadcaster is considering more of the special 'give-back' wedding episodes.
ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. Photos from behind-the-scenes of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.

IN IMAGES. Photos from behind-the-scenes of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.

On Thursday evening South Africa's press gaggle of TV critics and journalists covering television (and who are easily mesmerised by shiny things and bottles that even just look like they might contain the slightest whiff of liquor) all headed over for the recording of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net (DStv 101) that was broadcast on Sunday evening.

Jason Greer, who will be the host of The Bachelor SA starting on 14 February on M-Net and produced by Rapid Blue, was also the presenter of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers produced by [SIC] Entertainment.

The second season finale of The Wedding Bashers was filmed as a pre-recorded, live-to-tape episode on Thursday evening with the media who were part of the live studio audience at Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg.

Media arrived and mingled beforehand with sponsors, the top couples, family members, M-Net executives and The Wedding Bashers celebrities enjoying snacks, champagne and wine.

That was followed by the recording of the episode on-set, followed by more snacks, drinks and delectable desserts afterwards.

ALSO READ: The Wedding Bashers weigh in before the second season finale as M-Net says the broadcaster is considering more of the special 'give-back' wedding episodes.

ALSO READ: Humble Port Alfred couple, Megan and Jason Sharrock, wins the second season of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.

The Wedding Bashers weigh in before tonight's second season finale as M-Net says the broadcaster is considering more of the special 'give-back' wedding episodes.

The celebrities judging the various weddings on The Wedding Bashers weighed in on the second season before the broadcast of the second season finale on Sunday at 18:00 on M-Net (DStv 101), with the pay-TV broadcaster saying that besides a possible third season, it's definitely looking at doing more of the special "give-back" episodes.

Jason Greer, who will be the host of The Bachelor SA starting on 14 February on M-Net and produced by Rapid Blue, is also the presenter of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers produced by [SIC] Entertainment, that was filmed as a pre-recorded, live-to-tape episode on Thursday evening with a live studio audience at Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg.

In this evening's second season finale, the top 5 couples return who got the highest scores from the bashers, with the couple who received the most votes from viewers who will win fantastic prizes including cash, jewellery and a sponsored fantasy island honeymoon to the Seychelles.

The second season of The Wedding Bashers, a hugely popular original concept production, was changed to feature one wedding per episode, as well as an amended leaderboard to show the scores from the experts with Bernelee Daniell and Zola Nene who replaced Cindy Nell and Siba Mtongana.

"I enjoyed being part of people's love stories because I love going to weddings, and secondly to have done this with the three other bashers. They are like friends that have become family," fashionista and former Miss SA Bernelee Daniell told TVwithThinus before the recording on Thursday night of the second season finale.

"When there were long periods between weddings, we would really miss each other. We would go: 'When's our next wedding?"

"I've learnt a lot about weddings - especially from the other bashers - like Zavion who taught us what an oasis, the wet floral foam, is and how you're not supposed to see an oasis, Denise with entertainment, Zola with food - I really, really learnt a lot about how a wedding should run smoothly. Heaven forbid I ever get married again, I'd know what to do," said Bernelee Daniell.

"From us travelling to weddings to the bantering that goes on in the car, to the bantering in hair and makeup, to the mischief that we get up to at weddings, I could never single out a favourite moment with any of them. I had the best time."

Zavion Kotze, wedding planner, said "we got along so well; love the two new bashers, they're like family".

About the second season following after the special give-back episodes in which the bashers organised and put together weddings for special, deserving South Africans, Zavion Kotze said "it was weird not organising weddings anymore, and I really miss them; and as for the wedding we did go to they were just so much fun."

"It was an eclectic mix of couples this season and that's what I liked the most because it was a huge variety."

Was there something new the celebrity wedding maestro learnt about weddings and doing them? "I didn't see anything in the second season that I learnt new, I often find that people do what is currently on trend and I like to think that sometimes I think ahead of trend, but all the couples did amazingly and I'm super happy with what I saw, and I think the couples had fun. I hope none of them hates me."

"The road trips were the best," said Zavion Kotze when asked for his favourite moment between the celebrity bashers.

"The jokes that happened on the road and those hours and hours spent in car rides are the best stories that you just can't retell for obvious reasons. But just getting to know each other was the best part of everything."

Celebrity chef Zola Nene told TVwithThinus that "what I enjoyed the most about this season was being part of people's love stories and just to witness their love for each other. And working with my fellow bashers has been such a ride, I had so much fun".

"I keep saying to people the fact that I can call going to weddings and having fun a job is like a dream, really, so I've loved every minute."

"What I've learnt is that people don't seem to realise how important a part the food is at a wedding. They seem to trials and taste cakes and do all of that stuff, but they never actually taste-test the food. So they're always surprised at their wedding when the food is bad which is so bizarre to me because it's an important part - it's something that people remember."

Asked about the funniest part for her this season Zola Nene said "was watching Denise reacting to the bird - I cried laughing. I mean, I'm scared of a bird too but the way that she was scared of the bird was insane. We had so many fun moment and we do have many laughs."

About the season's changes, Kaye-Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local content, said that "when you do come up with these local original productions, you're constantly tweaking it from season to season and looking at what worked and what viewers' responses were".

"We also did a focus group as well throughout the country so we got a lot of feedback on the first season of The Wedding Bashers. About a possible third season what we do is we look at the ratings, we look at our schedule, we look at our budget and then we'll make a decision about a season 3."

Kaye-Ann Williams said she was in love with The Wedding Bashers special episodes "probably because I got married as a poor student with R10 000, so you understand how difficult it is and how cash-strapped you are and how important the day is. So what the focus of the specials are is really giving a wedding to people who really need it."

"I think M-Net will definitely consider doing that again; it's such a feel-good thing to do but it's not without drama and conflict and entertainment."


ALSO READ: IN IMAGES. Photos from behind-the-scenes of the second season finale of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.
ALSO READ: Humble Port Alfred couple, Megan and Jason Sharrock, wins the second season of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net.

No snakes in the second season of M-Net's wedding reality competition show, The Wedding Bashers, promises Zavion Kotze.

Viewers will have to make sure they get to the church on time for the second season of The Wedding Bashers starting today on M-Net (DStv 101) at 18:00, with judge Zavion Kotze promising more diverse weddings - without snakes.

The second season of The Wedding Bashers, produced by [SIC] Entertainment, has some format changes, following after the first season as well as a special 4-episode miniseries The Wedding Bashers: With Love, in which the judges became organisers to surprise deserving couples across South Africa and helped them to get the wedding day of the dreams.

The decor-guru and resident "headboy" Zavion Kotze is back, along with "entertainment specialist" Denise Zimba, as well as the chef and food stylist Zola Nene judging the food, and the former Miss South Africa Bernelee Daniell, who will be weighing in on the fashion and style of the weddings.

Zola Nene and Bernelee Daniell replaced Siba Mtongana and Cindy Nell during the 4-episode With Love specials and continue on in the second season.

The second season of The Wedding Bash(ers) is also introducing a new spinning rating wheel representing levels such as "OMG Amazing" and "Ho Hum".

On top of the rating wheel, the judges will also rate each wedding with an overall experience score at the end of each episode that, when added together, will determine the top 5 weddings that make it to the finale of the competition.

The Wedding Bashers was conceptualised by Gavin Wratten, with Gavin Wratten and ProVerb (Tebogo Thekisho) as executive producers.

The second season of The Wedding Bashers on M-Net will have 15 episodes, as well as a 16th live finale with viewers who are going to be choosing the winning couple of the second season.

The couple that receives the best viewer rating from the bashers walks off with the title of Wedding of the Season and will unwrap some amazing wedding gifts.

The winning couple will take home a R250 000 cash prize from M-Net, R100 000 worth of jewellery from Jack Friedman Jewellers and a 5-night second honeymoon from Seychelles Tourism worth R80 000.

The second season of The Wedding Bashers will also feature just one wedding couple per episode instead of the two in the first season.

"We want to give the audience more of a chance to get to know the couple - we felt that that was missing in season one. It's a great season," said Zavion Kotze.

Zavion Kotze spoke to the media and took questions after a special M-Net press screening for TV critics and press of the first episode of the second season this week held inside the MultiChoice City cinema auditorium in Randburg, Johannesburg.

Explaining the scoring changes, Zavion Kotze said "for the flower and decor, the fashion, the food or the entertainment it's no longer as 6.3 or a 5 - it's more a catchphrase wheel".

"And at the end of each episode it's different from the first season because you can see the overall experience is actually revealed to the viewer. So there's an actual leader board throughout the season where you can see how your favourite couple is doing, which is a nice added touch."

"Everything flows exceptionally easily in the second season because I think it's a format that now works and we kind of know what it is. It's much easier to have commentary and you can pinpoint what to comment on."

"Weddings are so different, each one of them that they just throw you with all kinds of different things,so I really have to say The Wedding Bashers is a show where the content is not directed or scripted, it happens organically and naturally which I think is a very nice thing about the show. It's going to be a great, great season."

TVwithThinus asked if, after switching to active agents as the organisers of weddings in the four-episode special The Wedding Bashers: With Love, is was difficult to go back to being passive judges of attending weddings the four bashers didn't help to organise, and had to suppress the urge to help.

"I always have to suppress the urge to help!" says Zavion Kotze. "There's always something I see that I would have done differently, or changed or assisted with, but obviously if you're judging you can't dabble."

"I think the girls got quite a shock as to how much work actually goes into planning and executing a wedding from the give-back With Love episodes we did. So I think they quite enjoyed just being judges again."

"The second season of The Wedding Bashers is a really, really lovely season. There are wonderful, diverse weddings - viewers will see a lot of different weddings - and no snakes. I really think viewers are going to respond to it."

Viewers will also be kept informed of the top five weddings throughout The Wedding Bashers' second season, with the leader board that will be updated weekly.