For years fans of The Real Housewives of Durban have complained about the fact that the hosts of the anticipated reunion shows are always men and their cries seem to have fallen on deaf ears as producers, once again, chose a man to host the 2023 reunion show.
RHODurban gets its first host from Durban
MultiChoice streaming service Showmax announced on Wednesday that the platform would be airing a two-part reunion on 3 May 2023 and 10 May 2023 hosted by media personality and self-proclaimed “conversation curator” Mthokozisi Cele (popularly known as MaBlerh).
Commenting on the opportunity, MaBlerh said: “I jumped at this opportunity as a Durbanite. The reunion of The Real Housewives has never been hosted by someone from Durban before, someone who understands the landscape and social dynamics of us as Durbanites”.
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He also tried to differentiate himself from past The Real Housewives of Durban reunion hosts Phat Joe and Donovan Goliath by emphasising that he was “a big fan of the show”. This is something that the past two season’s reunion hosts have been criticised for.
He also credits himself as one of the first people to publicly ask for a “Housewives” show that focuses on the ladies in Durban.
“During the airing of the first season of The Real Housewives of Joburg, I tweeted that we need The Real Housewives of Durban because I knew that the Durban ladies would deliver the goods. My wish came true and I have been glued to the screen since the pilot.”
Will he ask the tough questions?
MaBlerh assured fans that he will not take his new job lightly.
“It’s been a hard-hitting season, so it would be remiss of me and a disservice to the fans of the show to go in there and not ask hard-hitting questions. Nothing is off limits and everything that was on the show will be put on the table. Viewers should expect a host who will fully represent them. A host who’s a fan of the show. A host who will try his best to get the clarity we all need on everything that has happened during this season.”
Why MaBlerh
The producers of The Real Housewives of Durban also got a chance to explain their decision for reunion host, claiming that they were driven by the mandate to find a host who was also a fan of the show.
“We chose MaBlerh because he is a big fan of the show,” said Sam Kelly, Let it Rain Films’ executive producer.
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“He understands the world of The Real Housewives, which has become a pop culture phenomenon, and is genuinely interested in it. We believe that he will bring the strong presence we need to host this reunion with care, tact and maturity, as the conversations will tackle the themes that have come up throughout the season.
“Our housewives [on The Real Housewives of Durban] this season are all strong women and we need someone who will not be afraid to engage and ask the questions that need to be asked.”
Where you may know him from
According to Showmax, MaBlerh is no stranger to the spotlight.
“He’s the smooth voice behind Kaya 959’s popular show The Weekend Update with MaBlerh. He’s also a TV fave, having been a panellist on Mzansi Magic’s Black Conversations, the co-host of the SABC3 talk show Trending SA, and in the cast of Isibaya as Justice Mnguni. The former publicist and blogger has a Bachelor of Economics from Rhodes University.”
Where we left things off
The season three finale of The Real Housewives of Durban dropped on Showmax last week, once again topping the charts on both Twitter and the African streaming service.
During the finale, the ladies drew a line in the sand regarding their friendships.
On the one side, Nonku and Jojo have made it clear that they are okay with moving on with their friendship without the other ladies. On the other side, Annie, Slee, Sorisha, Maria and sometimes Sane have formed a friendship that is separate from the two ladies.
Mbali has tried to stay on the fence, avoiding taking a stance on the “team” she’s in.
In the final scene of season three, apologies were made but the “last supper” confrontation between Nonku and Slee is what sparked the most conversations online.
The first season of The Real Housewives of Durban set a then-record on Showmax for the most first-day views and went on to be released in 28 territories outside Africa on hayu, not to mention on Peacock and Bravo, the original home of The Real Housewives franchise.
Season two was one of the 10 most streamed titles on Showmax last year and is currently streaming on hayu.
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