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Cape Town – DStv's fledgling TV channel Comedy Central recorded its highest ever ratings with the premiere of The Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr on Monday 24 September – which coincided with the national holiday Heritage Day in South Africa, the channel announced on Friday.
The show saw firebrand Afrikaans singer, actor and activist Hofmeyr subjected to a series of barbs about his political views, musical career, many adulterous affairs and children, from a panel of celebrity roasters.
The 18 age-restricted and profanity-laden Roast dominated the airwaves during its broadcast from 21:00-22:45 on Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) achieving the comedy channel's highest ever rating of 5.99 – which equates to 379 097 actual viewers – among DStv Premium viewers aged 20-49.
'Major TV comedy event'
Comedy Central went unchallenged during the broadcast as the highest ranked channel in the DStv bouquet in terms of ratings and audience share, with nearly one in four Premium viewers aged 20-49 tuning in to watch.
Roastmaster Trevor Noah led the charge, and introduced a panel that included fellow comedians John Vlismas, Casper de Vries and David Kau, socialite Kuli Roberts, soapie actors Robert Whitehead and Shaleen Surtie-Richards, model Minki van der Westhuizen, and radio DJ Anele Mdoda.
"We are delighted that South African audiences have welcomed the Roast concept so warmly to their hearts," said Evert van der Veer, Head of Comedy Central Africa.
"Steve Hofmeyr, Trevor Noah and our Roasters all rose to the occasion, helping us to create a major TV comedy event and ensuring our first ever Roast on African soil was more successful than we could have imagined."
The Roast also conquered the Twittersphere on Braai Day, accounting for nine of the Top 10 Twitter trends for more than 12 hours, with some of SA's most prominent personalities – like Gareth Cliff, Loyiso Gola, Minnie Dlamini and Riaad Moosa – sharing their views during the show's broadcast.
Hofmeyr himself took to Twitter throughout the Roast, ironically advising his mother not to watch: "Right, mom, time to switch over to History Channel! You gonna hate @ComedyCentralAF" (sic).
After the end credits rolled, Hofmeyr commented, "The Roast is the most violent thing that can happen on TV, without actual bloodshed."
Watch clips from the Steve Hofmeyr Roast (via www.comedycentralafrica.com) here:
The Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr will be rescreened on Comedy Central on Friday 28 September at 22:55 CAT, Saturday 29 September at 20:40 and 00:40, and Sunday 30 September at 21:45.
The show saw firebrand Afrikaans singer, actor and activist Hofmeyr subjected to a series of barbs about his political views, musical career, many adulterous affairs and children, from a panel of celebrity roasters.
The 18 age-restricted and profanity-laden Roast dominated the airwaves during its broadcast from 21:00-22:45 on Comedy Central (DStv channel 122) achieving the comedy channel's highest ever rating of 5.99 – which equates to 379 097 actual viewers – among DStv Premium viewers aged 20-49.
'Major TV comedy event'
Comedy Central went unchallenged during the broadcast as the highest ranked channel in the DStv bouquet in terms of ratings and audience share, with nearly one in four Premium viewers aged 20-49 tuning in to watch.
Roastmaster Trevor Noah led the charge, and introduced a panel that included fellow comedians John Vlismas, Casper de Vries and David Kau, socialite Kuli Roberts, soapie actors Robert Whitehead and Shaleen Surtie-Richards, model Minki van der Westhuizen, and radio DJ Anele Mdoda.
"We are delighted that South African audiences have welcomed the Roast concept so warmly to their hearts," said Evert van der Veer, Head of Comedy Central Africa.
"Steve Hofmeyr, Trevor Noah and our Roasters all rose to the occasion, helping us to create a major TV comedy event and ensuring our first ever Roast on African soil was more successful than we could have imagined."
The Roast also conquered the Twittersphere on Braai Day, accounting for nine of the Top 10 Twitter trends for more than 12 hours, with some of SA's most prominent personalities – like Gareth Cliff, Loyiso Gola, Minnie Dlamini and Riaad Moosa – sharing their views during the show's broadcast.
Hofmeyr himself took to Twitter throughout the Roast, ironically advising his mother not to watch: "Right, mom, time to switch over to History Channel! You gonna hate @ComedyCentralAF" (sic).
After the end credits rolled, Hofmeyr commented, "The Roast is the most violent thing that can happen on TV, without actual bloodshed."
Watch clips from the Steve Hofmeyr Roast (via www.comedycentralafrica.com) here:
The Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr will be rescreened on Comedy Central on Friday 28 September at 22:55 CAT, Saturday 29 September at 20:40 and 00:40, and Sunday 30 September at 21:45.
