Babes Wodumo fails to fly to 2017 MTV EMAs

Cape Town – Babes Wodumo will not be at Sunday’s MTV Europe Music Awards 2017 despite her public promise last month that she would.

Channel24 can confirm that the 23-year-old Durbanite, whose real name is Bongekile Simelane, will be a MTV Europe Music Awards 2017 no-show where she has been nominated in the Best Africa act category. 

This comes after Babes in mid-October promised that "I will definitely be attending the MTV awards. I have sorted out the visa. I am going".

This is the latest news in a string of "fake news" from the upcoming singer that has damaged her industry reputation with a series of bizarre mistakes and publicity decisions.

Last month Babes revealed that she will have a reality show on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) starting in November, something that M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel immediately denied.

Babes was supposed to apply for an American visa in person to attend the BET Awards in America in June, but did interviews and attended parties, like the send-off party from the eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, using taxpayers’ money. Babes ended up unable to go.

Recently Babes implored the South African public to help her search for her missing USB, that according to her, carried the link to a new song of hers.

The 24th edition of the MTV Europe Music Awards 2017 will take place in London on Sunday and will be broadcast on MTV (DStv 130). 

Besides Babes, artists like Nyashinski (Kenya), Nasty C (South Africa), Wizkid (Nigeria), Davido (Nigeria) and C4 Pedro (Angola) have been nominated for the 2017 MTV EMAs in the Best Africa category.

Babes took to Instagram on Saturday to wish all the nominees good luck for the awards show on Sunday.

See her post here:

Thank you to BET Africa and Viacom for recognizing my effort and talent. Finally received my 2017 BET Nominees Gold Coin today. So proud & look forward to building on my international success and pushing Africa to the next level. Crossing fingers for all the African nominees at this weekends 2017 MTV EMA Awards. I'm honored to be recognized amongst such talented individuals. Hard work does pay off. Great story for SA and continent.

A post shared by Bongekile Simelane (@babes_wodumo) on Nov 10, 2017 at 8:07pm PST

Babes wanted Viacom Africa to foot the bill and to pay for her flights to London and her hotel stay – an expense that Viacom Africa says is the responsibility of individual artists.

In response to a media enquiry, Alex Okosi, executive vice president and managing director of Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa), says Viacom Africa received written confirmation from Babes Wodumo's team that they "elected to not attend the MTV EMAs".

Viacom Africa was asked if they helped Babes after she missed the BET Awards in June because of her visa issues.

"Our communication to all artists has always been equal and clear that VIMN Africa does not fly nominees to the MTV EMAs. We have confirmed this with all the nominees. As it relates to talent, we only fly performers to the MTV EMAs awards show," says Alex Okosi.

VIMN Africa says it supports local talent at the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards and that tent-pole events like these are indicative of VIMN Africa's commitment to elevating and unlocking Africa's artistic talent.

Viacom Africa says The Come Up host Luthando “Lootlove” Shosha will document the EMA journey for MTV Base along with uMswenko host Nomalanga Shozi.

Presenter Bontle Modiselle has also joined the MTV EMA "social squad" that includes 7 global social media influencers.

She will be streaming content from the weekend, alongside Brazil’s MTV Ridículos star Hugo Ross, Geordie Shore's Sophie Kaseai, Just Tattoo Of Us presenter Charlotte Crosby and two influencers from Germany, the vlogger Marcel better known as KsFreak and the YouTube sensation Manuel "Krappi" Krappinger.

Babes Wodumo's management couldn't be reached for comment on Friday.