Get Uncancelled: Gareth Cliff and Eugene Khoza launch a new initiative designed to engage and provoke debate
The candid engagements South Africans used to have on talk radio and TV chat shows seem to be a thing of the past. Cancel culture has made people afraid to air their views and, in a country known for its unfettered dialogues on just about every subject, that’s a pretty sad state of affairs.
The South African entertainment and lifestyle scene is changing. Cancel culture has made people afraid to air their views and, in a country known for its unfettered dialogues on just about every subject, that’s a pretty sad state of affairs. There are not enough places to keep diverse audiences engaged and included in discourse that affects our lives.
Having launched CliffCentral some years ago for this very reason – uncensored, unscripted…unradio – the irreverent Gareth Cliff is now expanding this offering to include a live monthly event with an audience, raising the bar when it comes to thought provoking content.
Co-produced by award-winning comedian and writer, Eugene Khoza, the new current affairs and entertainment series will open the floodgates on pent-up views about life without electricity to hilarious human behaviour.
“It’s about the most topical issues in South Africa and around the world,” says Gareth, “and to get people talking! We want to encourage progressive thinking and spark debate; whether they agree or disagree!”
The Weekly ‘Cliffhanger’ topics will feed into a monthly event called Gareth Cliff unCancelled, which will be a live, ticketed show held at a venue and featuring local and international guests.
“It’ll follow a similar format to the Joe Rogan Experience and Real Time with Bill Maher,” says Eugene. “We’ll bring our own unique flavour to it, of course, but the objective will be to ask, engage and inspire thought-provoking exchanges.”
The first guest on UNCANCELLED was the embattled broadcaster Unathi Nkayi, who was fired from Kaya 959 in 2021 after an alleged argument with a colleague. She has also recently hung up her mic at the community radio station, Star 91.9 FM, where she and Justin Toerien have been co-hosting All Star Drive for the past year.
The confab between Gareth and Unathi will take place before a live audience and will be the headliner in a show that will feature a balance of comedy, current affairs, and real life. And, as we know, Gareth will be doing things differently. These won’t be interviews like any others; he’ll be asking his guests for their opinions and engaging them in frank discussion on all sorts of issues. And here’s the kicker: the audience can participate in the conversation.
“We want to get people thinking but we also want to entertain them and, especially, for them to be an integral part of the show,” says Gareth. “Since Zoom became the default way of communicating, people are hungry to sit face-to-face again and have real conversations”.
“Too many things are going unquestioned in the world today. We’re afraid to share our opinions for fear of being unpopular or, ultimately, of being cancelled. So we’ve set out to create a space for curious and inquisitive people who’re piqued by unconventional thinking and conversations.”
So, as the saying goes, what/watch this space!
By Pontsho Ngwato
