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Riaad Moosa replaces Michael Mol

Cape Town – In a highly embarrassing bait-and-switch exercise with no announcement or explanation to the press, Dr Michael Mol has disappeared from the SABC3 line-up while the production company behind The Dr Mol Show suddenly replaced him with stand-up comedian Riaad Moosa.

At the same time SABC3 continues to refer to the lobotomised medical lifestyle show on schedules as The Dr Mol Show - even though it's been renamed Doctor's Orders with Moosa as its anchor, who is a qualified doctor.

SABC3 issued a press statement on Wednesday for the first time since approached on 3 April with queries about the fate of The Dr Mol Show, saying that "laughter is the best medicine" and that Moosa "has taken over from Dr Michael Mol who has left the show to pursue his passion for broader health education".

Insiders told Channel24 at the beginning of April that Mol was leaving the popular lifestyle health magazine show midway through its current 5th season, which started out as Hello Doctor and morphed into The Dr Mol Show.

Neither the production company, the SABC nor SABC3 responded with answers after numerous media enquiries were made about the late mid-season switch.

Second TV personality missing from TV screens:

Mol's sudden departure from The Dr Mol Show marks yet another high-profile media personality leaving TV screens in SA this year. 

The show now joins 3rd Degree on e.tv which abruptly ended when Debora Patta unexpectedly quit in early May announced her controversial investigative show would no longer continue – also without any real explanation.

SABC2 then lost popular broadcaster and Morning Live co-anchor Vuyo Mbuli when he died on 18 May after a suffering a pulmonary embolism.

Sources told Channel24 that The Dr Mol Show can't officially be renamed Doctor's Orders on schedules yet because Mol left from episode 19 of 26 and the show, which has been sold to advertisers by the SABC as such, has to keep the name until the end of the fifth season's run.

It's highly unusual for an on-air personality whose name is attached to a show to suddenly disappear from the screen through the remainder of a season. It is a situation which has created a massive identity and credibility crisis for the programme produced by Tswelopele Productions in Cape Town, which is also responsible for Top Billing and the morning show Expresso on SABC3.

Dr Mol reacts in statement

Mol has, according to the SABC3 statement, "set his sights on giving every South African individualised health education, care and advice through direct and affordable access to healthcare professionals through Hello Doctor, a mobile healthcare company."

Meanwhile, new TV doctor Moosa, who is also an actor who starred in hit comedy Material and will next be seen in the Nelson Mandela biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom said: "I am going to be stepping into the shoes of a role model of mine," says Moosa in the statement from SABC3.

"I have the utmost respect and admiration for Michael and hope to be able to build on what Michael has achieved."

"I have enjoyed every single minute on The Dr Mol Show and know that Riaad is going to break new ground and build on the show's success," said Mol.

The Dr Mol Show airs on SABC3 on Fridays at 15:45.

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