The Idols runner-up and “sore loser" Mthokozisi Ndaba (25) remains cloistered in Johannesburg and is under the care of medical professionals after struggling to deal with his bitter defeat against winner Paxton Fielies.
M-Net’s Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel that
broadcast Idols has no idea when Mthokozisi Ndaba from KwaMashu, Durban who has gone to
ground, will be doing interviews, with all media appearances and interviews
this week that abruptly got canned.
Mthokozisi Ndaba has been branded a "sore loser" by the
viewing public after blatantly storming off the stage at the Big Top Arena at
Carnival City in the East Rand after Paxton Fielies (17) from Bishop Lavis in Cape
Town was announced the winner at the end of Sunday night’s 13th season finale and sang her closing song surrounded by the rest of the top
contestants.
He suddenly refused to attend the post-show
press conference, the VIP prize-giving after party usually held in the Mardi
Gras room at Carnival City, and declined to do any media interviews.
It's the first time in the history of the
reality singing competition show that the runner-up refused to attend the
post-show press conference and to appear supportive of the winner with
Mthokozisi Ndaba’s behaviour, resulting in dueling negative headlines, that
has so far somehow overshadowed what is supposed to be Paxton Fielies’ victory
lap week.
According to reports Mthokozisi Ndaba already said
before the start of Sunday’s finale that if he didn’t win, he wasn’t going to
do media interviews.
After throwing open his life to the public
and courting their attention, votes and engagement, he now wants privacy.
There are now fears that Idols possibly
“broke” Mthokozisi Ndaba who is coming down from lofty expectations back to reality
after a magical high-life in fame’s spotlight the past few weeks and that
involved things like being surrounded by fluttering stylists, circling
producers and cameramen helping to make him and the other contestants look and
feel good and even a whirlwind tour to London.
In pre-finale interviews he already spoke of
what he was going to do with his winnings only to see Paxton Fielies win the
majority of the over 30 million votes cast during the final week of the show to
take home the prize package worth over R1.5 million.
Brand damage setting in for no-show artist
On Tuesday an unverified “press statement”
emerged allegedly from Mthokozisi Ndaba saying his behaviour was “a moment of
weakness since I had wanted and needed this so badly, not just for me but for
my family” and that he felt like he had let down those closest to him.
Nobody close to Mthokozisi Ndaba knows where the
mystery “press statement” comes from that started circulating on social media
and its authenticity couldn’t be verified.
Meanwhile brand damage is setting in for
Mthokozisi Ndaba with potential clients and corporates who would have booked him
for performances who will now think twice about whether they want a no-show
artist who is seemingly unable to life up to the showbiz world’s golden mantra
for stage performers of “the show must go on”.
With the runner-up getting prizes worth over
R150 000, sponsors will also be privately miffed with Mthokozisi Ndaba since
they’ve already lost out of the much-needed tit-for-tat exposure that comes
from things like hand-over ceremonies, photos and interviews the runner-up does
that include thanking sponsors.
Mthokozisi Ndaba’s manager, Kim Coppen, referred
media enquiries to Mzansi Magic, saying the TV channel is responsible for his
publicity until next week.
Nondumiso Mabece, head of publicity at M-Net
for local entertainment channels, told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry
that Mthokozisi Ndaba has not returned to KwaMashu but remains in Johannesburg
and is being cared for by medical professionals.
“Mthokozisi is still in Johannesburg and
under the care of medical professionals and the support of his family.”
“It is currently not clear when he will be
conducting interviews and we ask that he be provided the space and privacy to
come to terms with the show results”.
Mzansi Magic was asked when the channel realised
that Mthokozisi Ndaba wasn’t going to attend the post-show press conference and if
it’s true that he said he wasn’t going to talk to the media if he loses.
“Mzansi Magic realised at the point when the
press conference was meant to commence that Mthokozisi is requesting to be
excused,” says Nondumiso Mabece.
About the mystery statement purportedly from
Mthokozisi Ndaba the channel says “we are aware of a statement that was supposedly
from Mthokozisi but we cannot confirm this”.
Asked if Mthokozisi Ndaba is aware of how his
behaviour is impacting on Idols, Mzansi Magic and detracting from Paxton
Fielies’ winning moment but above all impacting on his own brand as a stage
artist, Mzansi Magic says that the channel “works with all the Idols
contestants from the audition phase until the end of the show, on how to
conduct themselves, especially during interviews and how to represent their
respective brands”.
"Paxton Fielies has been enjoying her first
few days as an Idols winner and has spent time conducting interviews, meeting
with her agent and will be meeting with her recording label before she travels
to Port Elizabeth where she will be performing at the end of the week," says
Mzansi Magic.
