SA Hotties Battle It Out For Club 808 Hosting Gig

Beleaguered Red Pepper produced etv music variety show, Club 808, is going through another change. The show is ditching one of its presenters and the search for a replacement is hotting up.

I had a chat with the new MD of etv, Marlon Davids, recently about the show and he assured me that it was still very much a flagship program for the channel. When I pressed Davids for some acknowledgement that the numerous changes to the show has hurt its appeal, he insisted that the show is doing good enough for the channel. 

Davids also exclusively confirmed during our chat that Club 808 was safe on the etv schedule until March 2017. Good news for the production team but unfortunately for Cyprian Ndlovu, he wont be around til then. 

I am being told by various sources that Cyprian Ndlovu has been dropped by the show, though the official word I am getting from the channel via his management is that he is withdrawing from the show to focus on his studies and his YFM gig.

Cyprian Ndlovu, who hosted Club 808 since 2015, will be pursuing other opportunities in the entertainment industry as well as his studies. e.tv would like to thank Cyprian for his great contribution to Club 808. We wish him all the best. A new presenter to host Club 808 alongside Boity Thulo, will be announced in due course.

I am inclined to believe that he may have been dropped, given that his relationship with famed PR company Capacity Relations was terminated after the star allegedly failed to adhere to the terms of conduct set pout by the company. He is now represented by Total Exposure. But there are two sides to every story.

The battle to replace Cyprian has seen Selimathunzi presenter Sphe Vazi being roped in to take over but I am told he turned the offer down. No surprise there. It would have been foolish for him to leave a 3 million viewers show on the biggest channel in South Africa to host a show that is in deep decline. 

Lotto presenter Lawrence Maleka has also auditioned for the show but I am told he has not gotten the 'you're hired' call yet. Personally, I would not have pegged him for a Club 808 slot. The guy is on the rise and Club 808, to me, would be slumming.

Maleka is a talented guy who has proven his prowess in front of the seen but he has not gotten the recognition he so deserved, so I can understand the lure the show might have because it would put him on etv on a more regular basis beyond the few minutes with lotto and working with Boity might raise his profile.

iJob iJob but I actually don't think doing the show would have added any value to these gentlemen's careers beyond what they are now.

Boity is still continuing on as the host. By the way, where are her fans? Why are they not tuning in to watch the show. More people watch Lotto Powerball draw than Club 808. If the argument for constantly hiring "it" girls is that they bring viewers, well that's clearly false. Only 1.6 million viewers on a free to air channel. That is bad. 

No word yet on who will be joining Boity as the new male host as the search apparently is still on. 

Your pick?