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Cape Town – It’s over for the best co-anchor TV news duo on South African television with Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti both leaving NewsNight by the end of next month.
The widely respected news duo have been eNCA's co-joined prime time faces for the past five years, with their imminent big exit being the latest visible eNCA on-air disruption, part of the ongoing sea of change taking place behind-the-scenes at the eMedia Investment run channel.
eNCA (DStv 403) hasn't named an anchor replacement or replacements for the nightly two-and-a-half hour show done from e.tv's Hyde Park newsplex in Johannesburg in which Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti showed and shared great personal on-air rapport.
"Both Jeremy and Iman have been key to the success of eNCA," says Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA news director. "We thank them for their loyalty, hard work and brilliance in bringing powerful news stories to our screens. This is a big change for the channel and our viewers, but also an opportunity to showcase talent in our newsroom and beyond."
Maggs, the former Who Wants to be a Millionaire? SA host, who anchored NewsNight since its debut on eNCA nine years ago, asked to be moved to an earlier timeslot on the channel.
He will be anchoring the lunchtime show Newsday from May and will also continue to do his marketing, media and advertising magazine show Maggs on Media broadcast on Sundays on eNCA.
Rappetti who started out in earlier eNCA timeslots before landing the plum prime time timeslot is exiting eNCA after 11 years to get out of night time for family reasons.
"It has been a heady, tough, rewarding, crazy ride," says Iman Rappetti. "Thank you for the gifts of professionalism, a platform to shine and unwavering support. The decision to leave is not an easy one but I need to put my family first."
Anton Harber, eNCA editor-in-chief says "Iman has contributed enormously to our success and is part of our channel's history. We are very sad to see her go".
Maggs says that "after anchoring well over 1 000 editions of NewsNight it's high time I pass on the baton to a new team and get home a little earlier in the evening".
"I've been in discussion with the channel about this move for the past year and management has been both understanding and sensitive to my need for a change. I want to pay special tribute to Iman, my co-host for the past five years. Every night on-air together has been a treat".
