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Cape Town – Vinette Ebrahim, for decades known Charmaine in SABC2's 7de Laan, is slamming the soap after producers told her they've run out of stories for her character.
Vinette will now be seen in rival Afrikaans soap Binnelanders on kykNET (DStv 144) where she will start on 7 November, for a 6-week guest appearance role.
The character of Charmaine, who has been a part of the show since the first episode on SABC2 on 4 April 2000, bowed out on 24 October.
"In long-running television series, it often happens that a character's journey comes to an end. After evaluating past and current storylines of 7de Laan it has transpired that all potential stories around Charmaine and Vivian have been exhausted," the production said in its July statement.
READ MORE: 'Charmaine' says goodbye to 7de Laan after 19 years
The announcement came after the news of the exit of Annelisa Weiland (Hilda) and Theodore Jantjies (Xander).
While the production said in July that "the time has, however, come for her to bow out with grace and flair" in relation to the Charmaine character, it turns out that Vinette's exit wasn't that gracious behind the scenes, with the actress who is sounding off about her departure in the latest 30 October issue of Kuier magazine that is on sale now.
In the cover article, Vinette unburdens for the first time about being forced to start a new chapter of her life, aged 62, in South Africa's cut-throat entertainment and TV industry and how emotional she felt when she was told she no longer has a job on the SABC2 soap.
About her abrupt 7de Laan exit, Vinette tells Kuier that "it's been coming for a while" but is unwilling to share more specific details.
"There was a long run-up, and I had a feeling that something was about to happen. But to say that there were no more storylines for Charmaine made me laugh out loud. It's the weakest excuse ever. Then get better writers!"
She tells the magazine that her first 15 years with the soap was her happiest time. She says she misses Ingrid Paulus (Vanessa), Hildegardt Whites (Bonita), Christo Davids (Errol) and Theodore Jantjies (Xander).
"I miss them all terribly, as well as the people who did my hair and make-up. I miss them so much, and it makes me so sad. It's 19 years of my life that's just suddenly gone ..."
Danie Odendaal Productions in a media enquiry was asked for comment about Vinette's magazine interview but didn't respond.
Read the full interview in Kuier, on newsstands now.
