The Masked Singer South Africa’s amazing Mielie was pop star Bobby van Jaarsveld
Afrikaans music icon and actor Bobby van Jaarsveld blew The Masked Singer South Africa’s detectives away disguised as the crazy television singing contest’s cream-of-the-crop costumed performer, Mielie.
Since the moment Mielie planted himself on The Masked Singer South Africa stage, the top-secret show’s supersleuths – J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe – swooned over Mielie’s amazing voice, perfect falsettos and flirtatious personality.
That’s why the foursome unanimously saved the kernelled heartthrob when he landed in the danger zone in the previous round, and this week, a smitten Somizi, who wanted to marry Mielie, even highlighted their chemistry by wearing a matchy-matchy outfit.
Still, the detective panel struggled to put a name to their beloved Mielie. In a wild guess, only J’Something identified Mielie as the platinum-selling Afrikaans pop star.
However, one can’t blame the detectives for missing the mark. Throughout the series, Mielie sprinkled the most obscure clues to hide his true identity – from having a connection to Evita Bezuidenhout to growing up on the country’s spice route but now jogging among the sugar canes, romancing people’s ears and eyes, winning many awards, and attending eight schools. Apparently, Mielie was also shocked by rumours that he belonged to a secret society and wanted to become a nature conservationist.
Furthermore, Mielie often flexed his muscles, and it was obvious that he was a health freak who loved his fruit and veggies. But what bamboozled the detectives the most was a photograph of Mapps Maponyane popping up in the clue package on the night Mielie was unmasked.
After Mielie’s first appearance on the show, delighting the detectives with his performance of “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo, Sithelo and J’Something thought the award-winning celeb might be comedian and actor Siv Ngesi, while Mielie’s voice led Somizi to Jesse Clegg and Skhumba to Danny K.
Then, in the second round of the competition, once Mielie had performed “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, J’Something moved into a different field, believing they were dealing with a rugby player. As Mielie disclosed that he loved a dive in the deep blue ocean, J’Something reckoned the sweetcorn might even be wearing a red Speedo inside his Mielie costume as Faf de Klerk would do. Meanwhile, Sithelo changed her mind to madcap Afrikaans singer Jack Parow.
The Mielie identity “corn-undrum” continued in the show’s Top 10 phase, where Mielie revealed that he could walk on his hands. J’Something reverted to Siv Ngesi, while Mielie’s smooth moves, which made Somizi grin from ear to ear, made him wonder if it was not Mzansi’s sexiest dentist, Dr Smile. Somizi knew for a fact that the hot Dr Alexander Abedian-Rahwani was not only a social media sensation but could sing.
For this week’s Top 8 showdown, Ready Steady Cook South Africa host Moshe Ndiki joined the confused group of The Masked Singer South Africa bloodhounds as a guest detective. However, Moshe’s assertions sowed even more seeds of doubt. Based on Mielie’s sassy legwork during his rendition of “We Are Young” and mentioning that he loves collaboration, Moshe was convinced Mielie was a politician and, to be more precise, the people’s beau Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who also happens to be easy on the eye.
Meanwhile, the popcorn frequenting Mielie’s clue package and references to wearing masks in his day job signalled to Sithelo that it was movie star Christopher Jaftha. On the other hand, Skhumba focused on Mielie’s hint that he has collaborated with many “greats“. Danny K made magic with Madoza and many celebrities according to Skhumba.
Even though J’Something concurred with Sithelo about Christopher Jaftha, he started to wonder about the possibility of Mielie being Bobby van Jaarsveld. But confusion set in again after the show’s infamous Men in Black brought in a huge lever, revealing more clues about the masked singer in question.
Just because Sithelo went with Christopher Jafta, J’Something put Jonathan Boyton-Lee in the mix. At this stage, the new clues about beaches and volleyball also swayed Somizi to pick Kyle Deutch, who collaborated with Shekinah on the hit song “Back to the Beach.”
Unfortunately, when it was time for the difficult audience vote, Mielie lost the battle of notes against Butterfly, which sent him to the danger zone where Gold, outshined by Diamond, was already waiting.
Before Mielie’s unmasking, the detectives could lock in their final vote. Not knowing which of the many names he considered across the season to choose, J’Something hesitantly locked in Bobby – a decision he regretted and wanted to change when Sithelo said Christopher Jaftha. Somizi still besotted with Mielie, settled on Kyle Deutch, and Moshe and Skhumba stayed with their original guesses, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and Danny K.
So huge was the surprise when Bobby showed face, and finally put J’Something on the detective scoreboard.
Bobby confessed that The Masked Singer South Africa allowed him to be a little wilder than what people expect from him. “I was the Mielie, you know… But pulling off those “wildgat” rock star moves wasn’t easy. That was one heavy mask, and I nearly tipped over more than once.”
For those who haven’t worked out why Maps Maponyana was in Mielie’s clue package, Maps and Bobby have been brand ambassadors for the same brands. And his connection with Evita Bezuidenhout? Pieter-Dirk Bezuidenhout created Evita, and the name on Bobby’s birth certificate is Pieter.
The Masked Singer South Africa is screened on Saturdays at 18:30 on S3 (formerly known as SABC 3) with rebroadcasts on SABC 1 on Thursdays at 21:00, as well as on S3 on Fridays at 22:00.
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