‘Brooke’ gets acquainted with Bay – and fans
bold and beautiful
Before jetting in to Nelson Mandela Bay to compete in the gruelling Isuzu Ironman 70.3 World Championships, Katherine Kelly Lang – or The Bold and The Beautiful’s Brooke Logan, as millions know her – was unaware that she had a massive fan base in SA.
And while some jokes have been made on social media about South African women locking up their men, Lang said she had never taken much flak for her TV character’s amorous and active love life.
“The funniest encounter with a fan was when this lady tried to warn me about [love rival] Taylor [Hayes] coming for my man,” Lang said.
“She really believed the show was real.
“Otherwise, my fans have always been really loving.
“The last time I was here [SA] – to judge Miss World about 29 years ago – the show was quite popular here but it was fairly new.
“I never thought it would be this popular now.”
While Lang received a warm welcome from fans at the Port Elizabeth airport, it was a creepier critter that welcomed her to her luxury room at The Boardwalk Hotel – a spider had her scuttling for help.
“It was hysterical! And it
took a long time trying to figure out what to do with a spider,” she said jokingly.
That aside, Lang said her visit to the Bay had been pleasant and she was looking forward to exploring the area more fully before Saturday.
Among the highlights in the short while that the actress has been in the city was trying to do a traditional Xhosa dance with dancers who welcomed her at the airport, and getting a history lesson at the Donkin Reserve.
“Getting to learn about the history of it was beautiful,” Lang said.
Visiting daycare centres, helping to paint schools in the Bay with the Ironman Foundation and a safari are on her todo list during her stay.
Lang’s sports background is as impressive as her showbiz career, having grown up in a family proficient in both fields.
“I was raised in an athletic family, with my dad in the Olympics for skiing and my mom for swimming, so we did all kinds of different sports,” she said.
“I loved sports from young. “I continue to work out and I like to set a goal to take part in triathlon to keep motivated.”
Lang said participating in triathlons not only gave her self-confidence, but also empowered more women to take part in formerly male-dominated sports.
And while she is not gunning for number one at the finish line on Saturday, she is determined to give a good account of herself and have fun.
“I’m aiming to do the race in a good time and enjoy myself while doing so,” she said.
“The last race I did was a year ago in the last world championships and it’s exciting that this year’s [world championships] are in South Africa because I’ve been wanting to come back here – it’s been a long time.”
Lang leaves for Johannesburg shortly after the event and will fly out of the country on September 9.