Fifth E! Host contestant axed after awkward Trevor Gumbi interview

Cape Town – The Search: E! Host SA upped the ante with one of the toughest challenges to date. 

This week the top 4 contestants had to write, produce and insert a guest for a lifestyle insert. 

David Tlale, Trevor Gumbi, Kimberleigh Stark and Jonathan Boynton-Lee were the featured celebrities.

For the contestants there were some hits and a lot of misses. At the end of the challenge Katleho Sinivasan was announced the winner and Jessica Tims was asked to turn in her mic.

The Safta nominated TV host failed to engage Trevor during the interview making her the 5th hopeful evicted from the mansion.

We chatted to Jessica about her experience on the show. 

What was your experience on The Search: E! Host South Africa like?

The experience was truly life-changing. Never before had I been in an environment where my craft and talent were tested to such an intense degree. It was like the ultimate presenting exam. A large part of my career had always been about mentoring young people to greatness, and this time it was me and my potential that needed some sharpening. 

What was it like staying under the same roof as your competitors?

We were all in the same frying pan, so naturally we all leaned on each other for support. However, there were many moments where the lines of competition were clear and I was not oblivious to that. I remained very guarded at times, and chose to simply to focus on my lessons and what my next move would be to get ahead in the competition. In spite of all of this, the friendships I have made on this journey truly are golden and I am grateful for every day that I was part of this incredible journey with the contestants.

How did it feel making it exactly half way in the competition?

I was disappointed in myself because I fell one spot short of my goal to be in the top 3. Perhaps “half-way” is a metaphor for where I feel I am at in my life and career. I am certainly not where I started, but I still have a long way to go to reach my goals. I am also somewhat proud that I made it this far but I know that I was capable of so much more.

For the first time on the show you were asked to write, produce and present – how confident were you going into this task?

I was extremely confident because I had done it before when I’d worked with some youth empowerment companies.  However, I function at my best when I am given a considerable amount to time to research my ideas, structure my interviews and decide where and how I will execute my task.

Were you familiar with Trevor Gumbi before the first challenge?

I knew him from a distance and admired so much of his work as a comedian, writer, voice artist, and on-screen talent, but I had never interviewed him before.