Mdoda leaves ‘OPW’ for future in movies
IT’S BEEN a busy couple of days for presenter and actress Thembisa Mdoda. She is leaving the reality show, Our Perfect Wedding; won two awards at the inaugural DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards, and has confirmed she will soon start shooting a movie.
Mdoda described the experience as “overwhelming”.
“As soon as the awards were over, I took my two statuettes and went home, kissed my children and relaxed with my family.”
Mdoda won the favourite presenter and ultimate viewers’ choice awards. “I was up against such formidable people who are extremely popular and have millions of fans, so for me to get the most votes from the public was not expected at all,” she said.
Having fans willingly spend their money on voting for her was a humbling experience. “Data is so expensive, so to have people vote for me is truly a honour,” she said.
Mdoda became a household name after she joined Mzansi Magic’s wedding show, Our Perfect Wedding (OPW).
“I had been doing a lot of theatre work before OPW. At the time, Tumi Morake was the presenter and she put my name forward to the producers. I went for an audition, but I didn’t get the job (this was for season 5),” she said. But she did get called back for season 6 and has been presenting the show for two years now.
“When I joined OPW, I was also shooting The Road – in fact, I got both jobs at the same time. So my schedule was crazy, I had to learn good time management really quickly. I would go from learning my script for The Road to preparing my own script for OPW,” Mdoda said.
After only a few episodes, Mdoda was embraced by viewers and her fan base grew. “I actually wrote down what I wanted to change about the show as a presenter and what I could bring to it. It was also extremely important that I was myself, that I was genuine in my presenting and (in my) interactions with the couples and their family members.
“OPW is a people show and you have to be very careful when working with people. I always prepared very well and would even try and get to know the couples off screen so they could be comfortable. I really learnt so much and made such beautiful connections on this show. I grew, as a person and as a presenter, and I think when you have grown, you must hand the reins over to someone new,” she said.
“I have been with the show for two years and I think now is the time to leave – on a high note.”
With the departure of Mdoda from OPW, Mzansi Magic is now looking for a new presenter. They are holding auditions across the country and Mdoda will be on the panel of judges looking for new talent.
“It’s really exciting. I can’t say too much, but I can give this piece of advice: If you want to audition, just do it and make sure you prepare. Preparation is key.”
On her future plans, Mdoda said she will be focusing on her acting. “I studied acting and it has always been my first love and now I want to focus on it. I start shooting a film this week. It is a local film that is written and directed by a very talented woman and it tells an authentic South African story that has a global theme. I play the lead character and all I can say is that it will be released in SA and the US.”
I studied acting and it has always been my first love