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Cape Town – E! Entertainment's first ever local reality show premieres on Wednesday, 1 February, at 20:55 on E! (DStv 124).
The Search: E! Host South Africa will showcase local up-and-coming talent as they compete to become the first E! South Africa host.
Well-known presented Andile Ncube will host the six-part reality show.
A seasoned presenter he has fronted the music show LIVE, Vuyani Mzantsi, Soccerzone and Soccer 411 and more recently the X Factor SA.
We chatted to Andile about the show, the challenges, who his all-time favourite presenter is and his biggest onscreen blunder.
What do you think makes a good presenter?
What makes a good presenter is personality more than anything else. You can teach people to look into the camera – anybody can look straight into the camera and speak. But what makes one a good presenter from the other is something that none of us can alter and that's personality, something that you’re born with. That's what separates the Bonang's and Ryan Seacrest from the rest.
What are some of the challenges the contestants will be doing?
One of the challenges was to interview one of the biggest stars in Africa. They had to get in there with their research and they were given a specific topic to discuss. It can be very difficult especially if it is something they don't really want to talk about. It becomes difficult – how do you connect with the celebrity, how do you give the viewers something new and do it in a tasteful way.
How do you think you would fare if you had entered the competition?
If somebody had to take me back and put me into that house and start me all over I am not sure how well I would do, I'm not sure if I would go through right till the end. We pick up so many habits as we go along it has disabled us from being great presenters and we forget the very basics. I don’t think I would have fared any better in the challenges, I would have just been as nervous every day when it came to elimination as they were.
Do you still get nervous when presenting?
(Laughs) The day I don’t get nervous any more I will go work at the post office. Now the nervousness isn't about being scared but wanting to do and deliver the best. Can you top your last gig, can you deliver the best for those watching?
Did you have any presenting role models growing up?
I really respected Vinolia Mashego from Jam Alley. At the time she was pop culture, she broke every rule of presenting she was very unconventional and she connected with every South African on every walk of life. I still think what she was able to do is yet to be done again. She was the Brenda Fassie of presenting, she was just amazing.
What's your top presenting tip?
Stand up straight, look into camera and deliver your lines. Once you've mastered that they will say to you play with your hand, once you mastered that moves your torso. And so you build onto the character that is the presenter in you. In the end you'll have your personality that has been raised and nurtured properly.
What has been your most embarrassing moment on camera?
At the time I was presenting a soccer show and I remember we had Marks Maponyane. I was speaking into the camera being my loud self and then my phone rang on live TV. It was the highest level of unprofessional I kid you not I shat myself. I took it out of my pocket, switched it off and there you go everyone wants the scoop ahead of you and I carried on with the show. I have never made that mistake again!
There's been some backlash on social media over #openuptheindusty and the fact that some of these contestants have been on TV before. What’s your take on it?
I saw that and I am all for open up the industry. Why did we go with established talent rather than new faces? These are up and coming local presenters who have proven their skills and their ability to compete for the highest coveted job at E! We wanted people who had some experience who could hit the ground running. E! wants to invest in Africa there is a lot of talent that has come up and this is one of the many things that they have planned that will open up the industry.
