Comic twist to celebrity showcase

CAN CELEBRITIES become comedians? This is the question the guys at Comedy Central want your help in answering. A new show, Famous Last Words, will air on the channel from Monday and promises to be great TV.

The show will follow a comedian and a celebrity mentee as they step into each other’s worlds.

Comedy Central VIMN Africa vice-president Dillon Khan said the aim was to showcase the skill set of comedians.

“We wanted to showcase South African comedians and the talent that they have to a wider audience,” he said.

Khan added that the premise of the show allowed audiences to see a side of the comedians away from the stage and get a glimpse of their personalities.

“You know the idea of how one can tell a funny joke during Christmas with the family is one thing, but would you be able to stand up to the pressure of a comedy club – just you and an MC? Would there be a laugh, a round of silence from the club or, worse still, boos?”

The idea of the show is to see the comics and celebs meeting and getting to know one another by going into one another’s worlds.

In the first episode, Top Billing presenter Jeannie D and Jason Goliath navigate a full-on wax. In another episode, Khanyi Mbau gets John Vlismas pouting in a photo-shoot with a python.

The comics “coaching” the celebs are Goliath and Vlismas as well as Joey Rasdien, Kagiso Lediga, Proverb, Rob van Vuuren, Mpho Popps and Nina Hastie.

“We will also see them in the Comedy Central writing room putting together the stand-up set for the celebrity to perform,” said Khan.

In the 10-episode show, personalities such as Jeannie D, John Robbie, Mbau, Kuli Roberts, Mark Williams, Robert Whitehead, chef Benny Masekwameng and Casper de Vries are paired with comedians in an effort to make them stand-up kings and queens for a good cause.

“Smile Foundation has been doing great work over the years and we wanted to support their efforts and shed light on what they do,” Khan explained.

He added that the gala event, where the celebs would showcase their newly acquired skills in a five-minute set, would be open to the public and all proceeds would go to the Smile Foundation.