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.

M-Net's The Wedding Bashers replaces two presenters with Zola Nene and Bernelee Daniell, adds 4 specials from April before the 2nd season starts in June.

The Wedding Bashers on M-Net (DStv 101) that is returning for a second season in June is replacing Cindy Nell-Roberts and Siba Mtongana with the former Miss South Africa Bernelee Daniell and celebrity chef Zola Nene.

The second season of The Wedding Bashers for which people can enter now, will start on 3 June on M-Net at 17:00 covering more diverse and eclectic South African weddings, but before that the show produced by [SIC] Entertainment will be doing 4 special episodes from Sunday 29 April.

The Wedding Bashers Specials ... With Love will start on 29 April at 18:00 in which the presenters do all of the wedding planning themselves for 4 couples about to get married and who hand over the reigns to the presenters for their big day.

While wedding planner Zavion Kotze and socialite Denise Zimba are back for the second season, Bernelee Daniell and Zola Nene are replacing Cindy Nell-Roberts and Siba Mtongana.

BREAKING. The Wedding Bashers on M-Net renewed for a second season, looking for wedding contestants for the new season.

M-Net (DStv 101) has renewed the adorably diverse wedding competition complete with hilarious schadenfreude commentary, The Wedding Bashers, for a second season with South Africans planning to get married in 2018 in a Batsuit, among fairies in the woods, or planning a day long cow slaughter to celebrate, who can now enter.

It's not yet clear which of the four delightful wedding commentators will be back, although socialite Denise Zimba, Food Network's Siba Mtongana, the former Miss South Africa Cindy Nell-Roberts, and the former Survivor SA Champions star and wedding planner Zavion Kotze are all likely to return after working well during the first eye-popping season in 2017.

In The Wedding Bashers, the wedding crasher foursome show up at jaw-dropping weddings across South Africa and judge various aspects. Weddings are not necessarily expensive but are definitely out of the ordinary, showcasing the flair and creativity - with mixed results - of South Africans tying the knot.

Produced by [sic] Entertainment and executive produced by Gavin Wratten, the first season of The Wedding Bashers that was a ratings and social media success for M-Net, had viewers in stitches over the wide array of eclectic and interesting South African weddings that were featured in the show.

People interested in having The Wedding Bashers come to their wedding celebration with the chance of winning prizes can now enter here for the possibility of appearing in the second season.

IN PICTURES. M-Net unveils The Wedding Bashers with the biggest flower show spectacle any South African TV show launch has ever seen.

It wasn't the Chelsea Flower Show. It was bigger and better.

M-Net on Thursday morning had a media launch for its new reality show, The Wedding Bashers, starting on M-Net (DStv 101), Sunday 17 September at 17:00.

For the event, M-Net, with the help of Zavion Kotze, created the biggest, most eye-poppingly beautiful, and totally over-the-top flower show media launch spectacle that any broadcaster or TV channel has ever put on in the history of South African television.

Besides everything dripping with gold, silver and flowers everywhere that included an unbelievable flower-wall, each guest got two hand-made, personalised flower arrangements.

Men received a boutonnière and women a corsage that were pinned on at arrival at Zavion Kotze's flower table.

When guests left, everyone received a little golden bag filled with cosmetics, some treats and personalised little cards from each of the presenters, as well as, again, a beautiful flower arrangement.

Scattered all over next to beautiful floral arrangements were portraits of wedding couples, frames from, I thought, Mr Price Home or Boardmans with the stock photography the frame comes with, to enhance and fit the theme.

"No love," I was told. "These are photos of the actual couples who will be featuring their wedding in The Wedding Bashers on M-Net".

The press - who for once actually dressed up a bit as instructed to please do in the (wedding) invitation - were so truly bowled over by the amazing "wedding day/flower show" presentation at M-Net's The Wedding Bashers media launch at the Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, that a large number of them decided to simply stay.

More than a dozen and a half media kept socialising for at least 2 more hours after M-Net's event ended as the champagne kept flowing and the media excitedly kept chattering.

Long after M-Net did a Q&A with the press and showed a specially edited preview of the show with outtakes from several of the upcoming episodes, members of the media simply refused to leave the posh Sandhurst enclave - utterly enticed and dazzled over the magical atmosphere M-Net's The Wedding Bashers created.

The Wedding Bashers, produced by [SIC] Entertainment with Gavin Wratten and ProVerb [Tebogo Thekiso] as co-executive producers, will feature 22 weddings that are attended and judged by Zavion Kotze, Cindy-Nell Roberts, Siba Mtongana and Denise Zimba (who didn't attend the event) as the 4-some presenters.

Here's M-Net's The Wedding Bashers media launch in photos:

 

It's 'I do' for wedding shows on SA television as new M-Net reality series, The Wedding Bashers, gets ready to judge South African weddings.

M-Net is getting in on the wedding wonderful craze sweeping South African television with its new reality show, The Wedding Bashers that's gearing up to film - and judge - various South African weddings with the show set for broadcast during September.

It's definitely a case of "I do" when it comes wedding shows on South African television.

While viewers simply can't get enough of the lavish South African celebrity weddings that continue to be featured on Top Billing on SABC3 and the buzz-worthy, spectacle prone reality series Our Perfect Wedding on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), TV channels are ramping up their wedding programming for 2017.

Despite criticism that it's cheapening the act of getting marriage, A+E Networks UK will debut Married at First Sight South Africa on 3 February on Lifetime (DStv 131), while kykNET (DStv 144) is working on Ons Sprokiesbruilof.

M-Net is now countering with The Wedding Bashers, produced by [sic] entertainment and Gavin Wratten also responsible for Idols, in which South Africans can win big by having their weddings judged by a party of celebrity wedding crashers who will weigh in on all aspects of weddings ranging from R20 000 to over R1 million.

For The Wedding Bashers M-Net and [sic] entertainment are using someone old, someone new, someone borrowed and someone blue: former Survivor South Africa host Mark Bayly as the "best man" presenter, socialite and V-Entertainment presenter Denise Zimba, Food Network chef Siba Mtongana, fashionista and former Miss South Africa Cindy Nell-Roberts, and former Survivor SA Champions star and wedding planner Zavion Kotze who also has a show on VIA (DStv 147).

The Wedding Bashers - in a cross between Come Dine with Me SA and Four Weddings South Africa - will see Denise Zimba snark over the wedding entertainment, Siba Mtongana judge the food, Cindy Nell-Roberts weigh in on the fashion, with Zavion Kotze, who recently got married as well, who will be giving his view about the decor.

People getting married have until Valentine's Day - 14 February - to enter their wedding to be judged.

'The whole idea behind The Wedding Bashers is that we've all been to weddings," said Gavin Wratten.

"We all have sat with a bunch of people that we may or may nor like. We all sit and mind our p's and q's while the wedding is on, but then when we get in the car on the way home and we go: 'Oh my goodness, did you see what she was wearing?"

"So our wedding bashers are going to be going to weddings and judging each wedding. And while the show is called Wedding Bashers, it's actually The Wedding Bash. We're not really really there to try and rip everybody's wedding apart," said Gavin Wratten.

"They're going to be honest - and they're going to love some moments of the weddings but they're also going to comment on parts of some weddings they find questionable."

MultiChoice adds VIA from Media24 to DStv as a new Afrikaans lifestyle and entertainment channel focused on women and their families.

DStv is adding a new lifestyle and entertainment TV channel called VIA from Media24 that will broadcast in Afrikaans and be geared towards women and their families.

VIA will launch on 9 November at 16:00 on channel 147 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform as the 5th Afrikaans TV channel in South Africa.

VIA launches with 22 new locally produced shows ranging from food and diets to covering relationships, style and a sprinkling of reality programming.

The channel will broadcast a three hour premiere block of new episodes every weekday between 16:00 and 19:00 which will loop and repeat during the rest of the week and over weekends.

VIA, with channel head Cheryl Uys-Allie, will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa and Namibia.

Via hails from Media24 - unlike ASTV available on the StarSat and Platco Digital's OpenView HD platforms and the M-Net Afrikaans channels like kykNET, kykNET Nou and kykNET & Kie supplied to MultiChoice for its DStv platform.

Media24 will use both its print magazines and Afrikaans newspapers to market and cross-promote VIA, as well as leverage some of its existing titles to introduce new local TV content, for instance using established brands and editorial talent at magazines like Huisgenoot and Sarie as new on-air extensions and to present and appear in certain shows.

In South Africa VIA as a new Afrikaans channel will compete with the likes of existing channels like BBC Lifestyle, TLC Entertainment and Fine Living in the lifestyle entertainment and reality genre.

VIA will also likely further chip away at the eroding audience share of the SABC's Afrikaans viewers. While the public broadcaster is producing little in fresh Afrikaans content to cater to this market segment, Media24 has made a big investment in producing several brand-news shows aiming to attract female Afrikaans viewers and their families.

VIA's creation has been a boon for South African production companies and Afrikaans TV programming. Both established production houses ranging from Quizzical Pictures to newer ones like Afrokaans have been commissioned to make shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town for VIA ranging from reality competition and style shows to food, diet and lifestyle programming.

"They have worked under enormous pressure to deliver fresh, local content in a remarkably short time," says Cheryl Uys-Allie.

"VIA's content strategy is to delight and entertain our audiences with shows that resonate with their lives," says Pat van Heeden, VIA's head of content. "We offer a glimpse of the lifestyles of others, we see the remarkable characters in our midst and we celebrate the quirkiness in the ordinary."

"We are extremely excited to launch VIA and proud that we can treat our Afrikaans audiences to a brand-new Afrikaans channel," says Esmaré Weideman, Media24 CEO.

"We are delighted to include TV as another platform where we can serve our audiences working closely with our magazines, newspapers and digital platforms".

VIA shows at launch include Zavion, a reality show following the Survivor SA contestant Zavion Kotze, juggling his job as events coordinator organising weddings with decathlons.

In Kom Ons Braai three couples huddle around the coals to see who can outdo the other, while three brave women tackle three diets over a period of 30 days in the hopeof fitting into their swimsuits before summer in Die Eet Oorlog.

My Droom-trourok gives brides a chance of taking home a designer wedding dress but only if her guests agree on the winning gown.

In Stylstryd two contestants with dreams of seeing their decor talents in TUIS magazine will duel it out. With a decor blogger alongside them, they will decorate an empty room according to a set challenge.

Inspirasiekos met Sarie sees the women's magazine's food editor Herman Lensing looking for the best ingredients, while Carmen Niehaus, the Huisgenoot food editor choose the best one out of three aspiring chefs who get their recipe featured in the magazine in Jy het 'n Wenresep!.

Rapport newspaper journalist Hanlie Retief has a profile interview show, 'n Halfuur met Hanlie in which she introduces viewers to people who interest and inspire her.

Amore Vittone is the referee in Skoonma se Tong in which the age-old unease between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law is on the table. The man they share is blindfolded and tastes both their dishes - and must choose his favourite.

In Nikki Sê Nee, Nikki Roos, the mother of four who knows how to make the most of her rands and cents, shares her tips to help viewers save money and time.

Other VIA shows at launch include Familiefoto, Kersie op die Koek, Mooi van Binne, Maak My Nuut, Brood & Botter, Deur Dik & Dun, Vrydag 4 uur, Ken Jy My?, Ruil My Styl, Hartskos, Padkos and Die Kliek.

'Shouldn't we be going towards a hole?' Zavion Kotze realises that silence is golden on Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net.

Watching Real Desperate Housewives of Miami in Atlanta, if you think about it, you'll realize that there's one thing which is the cause of all the trouble: the mouth - people who cannot help but mouth off, constantly, saying what they're really thinking.

The funniest moment in the second episode of Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net on Sundays at 17:30 for me is this one: contestant Zavion Kotze who is captured by the camera wanting to say something - but just sitting there with his mouth agape.

The funny thing is ... Zavion Kotze didn't need to say anything. The viewer knows and gets exactly what he wanted to say and express - but clearly decided to hold back. How so very not Real Desperate Housewives of Beverly Hills like!

The hilarious moment (and I rewound and rewound and rewound it multiple times to laugh at it again and again on my PVR) started on the Selatan tribe when Zavion Kotze, Corne Krige and Philip Dickson tried to start a fire.

Zavion Kotze starts rubbing the stick on a piece of plank, Corne Krige blows, and Philip Dickson holds wood fibres in an attempt to start a fire. But its not working.

"Shouldn't we be going towards a hole?" enquires an exasperated Zavion Kotze, the tone of his voice equal parts comment and question.

"It doesn't matter because its all open/over," says Philip Dickson. That's when Zavion Kotze makes the classic face of a person who wants to say something - but somehow succumbs to the gentler gods. Oh the humanity!

Philip Dickson of course doesn't see Zavion Kotze's facial expressions - although the viewer does: the eye-roll with eyes cast to the side and then downwards, and the literally jaw-dropping face - a clear non-verbal indication of exactly what Zavion Kotze is really thinking of Philip Dickson and the absolutely ridiculous situation!

Survivor South Africa Champions: Zavion and Corné - And a brand-new bromance blossoming on TV (which always starts with a shoulder slap).

There's a brand-new bromance blossoming on South African television, and its playing out - thanks to the content directors and a reciprocating shoulder slap - between Corné Krige and Zavion Kotze on Survivor South Africa: Champions on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sundays at 17:30.

Viewers tuning in to the new fifth season of the local version of the international reality show would have seen the insta bromance which is developing between the former Springbok rugby captain and the former rugby player wedding planner.

And the other Survivor South Africa: Champions contestants have picked up on the Joey-Chandler camaraderie it too.

"I just want to get picked by Corné. That's all. If I'm on Mark's team I will be quite upset. Corné please pick me, pick me, pick me," narrated Zavion Krige to camera in the first episode.

And indeed Zavion Kotze ended up being picked second by Corné Krige ("The guy at the back with the blonde hair and the straw hat and blue shirt.") during the first episode last week. Zavion responded with a "Yes! I'm on Corne's team. Yes!")

"Zavion. I won't forget your name because you cleaned them up," said Corné Krige later when the Selatan tribe properly introduced themselves.

"We've got a connection in terms of rugby. I used to play rugby with the Sharks Academy for two years after school. And we've got that to connect on, and I'm hoping that its going to carry through getting to know him better, so he can root for me to won," said Zavion."

Oh, and how to viewers' delight is that little bromance not blossoming on that island in the South China Seas.

Not just sitting together at the Selatan camp, Cor and "Big Zav" were also sitting together and right next to each other at tribal council (yes, it could be that they were set up that way by the content directors), but from their non-verbal body language you can clearly see who the leaders in this season is at the moment.

Where you sit, how you sit and who you sit with - given a choice - is one of the most obvious non-verbal cues of who we like and who we don't like. People try to sit close to (and stand and interact with) the people who they have an affinity for.

"Zavion and Corne are very tight. They're like a bromance," remarked Shona during Sunday evening's second episode.

People look but they often don't really see. Observe closely, and you will see how friends blatant mimic each other's non-verbal body language and facial expressions for instance, without even being aware of it.

You can quickly work out who's friends with whom, even if you've just arrives at an event or enter a group and don't know anybody, by looking at what people are a mirror of each other's faces.

Do you still have Sunday's episode of Survivor South Africa: Champions on your PVR or DStv Catch-Up or On Demand?

Go back to the first tribal council and look at Zavion's face and Corne's facial expressions.

They constantly make the exact same facial expressions, given the same verbal cues, even when they're not looking at each other - for instance leaning forward, gazing down, even when they're not looking at each other (go see if you can spot it).

Fascinating huh, when you know what to specifically look for.

One swallow does not make a summer, but once you notice a repeat pattern you can trust it.

So you'll quickly see, and would be able to gauge the level of the friendship between Zavion and Corne. It's clear they are much better friends with an instantly high level of trust from the outset than any of the other remaining contestants on either tribes.

They sit the same, they shoulder slap the same (doesn't it always start with a shoulder slap?) and the adorable burly duo even make and echo back the same little laugh in the clip above if you study it closely for your sociological perusal.

Yes. Now do you see how the one gorilla is signalling to the other gorilla that they're running the show together?

And speaking of sociology, lets get to Survivor South Africa: Champions' first tribal council. The whole of Selatan - including Corné Krige - were answering dishonestly. Lying, lying, lying.

Look at how someone would shake their head from side to side in the negative while trying to give a positive to an answer.

Look at how they "uhm" in the middle of a sentence just before blurting out something they have to make up (a lie or half-truth or justification); the eye-blinking while talking (I want to hide with my eyes because what I say with my mouth is fake), the quick downward gazes (admitting defeat or your body non-verbally admitting you're "caught in a lie"), the shoulder shrugs.

It's all too much, yet fascinating television. With Zavion Kotze and Corné Krige as the first very strong relationship in Survivor South Africa: Champions, it will be interesting to see what other strong relationships take shape on that island.


(PS: A long time ago before I had a Samsung Galaxy, far, far away, when Survivor SA first came to South Africa, this journalist was one of the journalists who played a real-life version of the game in Media Survivor, and actually managed to win. And yes. I study micro-expressions since having watched Lie to Me.)