Share

We go behind-the-scenes at the Expresso show


Cape Town – It's Monday morning 4:40am and I’m driving down the N1, even for this early riser it’s a bit too early.

I arrive at my destination, take the lift to the 7th floor and it’s like its 10:00am instead of 05:00am.

The smell of coffee, the murmur of voices, the chirpy ‘good mornings’ ringing out are all very different from the quiet office I walk into most mornings.

In no time there’s a cup of coffee in my hand. Sigh. Bliss.

It's around 05:40am and things start getting busier, the crew is setting up, guests are arriving, presenters are getting dressed and I hear the sound of a blow dryer coming from the back somewhere.

I finally meet Paul who introduces me to everyone. I get a quick run down of where I can stand and what not to do.

One of the presenters say, "we might just strap a mic on you" and I say, "okay".

"Good answer," she says!

The countdown begins, the floor manager says quiet on set and in 5,4,3,2,1 we’re live!

I’m on the set of the feel good morning show, Expresso. The morning lifestyle show recently celebrated its 1 000th episode.

For four years the team and crew have been part of the morning routine for many South Africans.



The show’s unique brand of infotainment makes it different from anything else that’s currently on offer in the morning programme category.

The presenters are an integral part of making the show so successful. Katlego Maboe, Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp, Ewan Strydom, Graeme Richards and Leigh-Anne Williams work together like a well oiled machine.

I stand in a safe spot careful not to step on the red cables and take it all in. And it’s amazing to watch a live show in action. Standing on the sidelines watching it all I’m in awe at how everything runs so smoothly.

While a segment is being done in one part of the studio the presenters are going over the lines in various other spots.



Over in the kitchen a crew member preps, in the band area the live performance scheduled for the day is doing a sound check and outside the floor manager is trying to determine whether the next segment can be done outside or if the infamous Cape Town wind is just too strong.



And that’s the beauty of a live show; you roll with the punches and get on with the job.

The studio situated on the 7th floor at the Equinox building in Sea Point is surrounded by some of the most beautiful views in Cape Town.

The open flowing plan allows the presenters and camera crew to move around fluidly, which is very different from the conventional studio set up.

About the show

This is a tight run ship and in total there are 100 members of staff.

The content and production team are made up of 30 staff members.

Four chefs plan and prepare the delicious food and recipes on the show every day.



Keeping the team looking stylish and fabulous is a wardrobe stylist and three make-up artists and hair stylists.

There are 10 members in the camera, sound and lighting crew.



Show format

The show's segments comprise of news, sport, traffic, weather, feel good stories, entertainment news, music, tech, health, fashion and beauty and the very popular food insert.

On average studio guests will range from anywhere between two to 50 people!



It's 08:30am, the cameras stop rolling, the buzz has died down and finally everyone exhales.

For the presenters the day doesn’t end here as some of them are off to do voice overs, location shoots and prep for the next day.

And tomorrow morning they get up and do it all again.




- Channel24

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE