Downright funny side of comics
Kunene to host ‘Roast Battle’ which will turn the heat up
WHETHER it’s a belly laugh‚ a snort‚ a chuckle or a giggle‚ there’s nothing better than a TV show that will lift your spirits. Well‚ that’s according to Kenny Kunene‚ who will be among the celebrities who will judge Comedy Central’s new comedy show Roast Battle.
Premiering in June‚ Comedy Central’s Roast Battle is a seven-part TV series in which South Africa’s top comedians will go against each other in a series of quick-fire comedy battles.
Their only weapons: original one-liners‚ insults‚ jokes and more. No physical contact is allowed. Their quest? To out-joke‚ outdo and ultimately defeat their comedy comrades.
Speaking to TMG Entertainment‚ an excited Kenny Kunene revealed he’s looking forward to the side-splitting punchlines and seeing comedians battle it out.
“We always see comedians making fun of other people‚ so to see them making fun of each other is going to be interesting‚” he said.
In each Roast Battle‚ six comedians go head-to-head‚ with three pairs of comedians armed with five jokes each with which to “burn” their opponents.
Kenny believes this is a great concept that will encourage comedians to take their careers seriously. In addition‚ he made reference to how these platforms – similar to the show – have helped the likes of Trevor Noah‚ David Kau and Kagiso Lediga elevate their careers.
Speaking of how the opportunity arrived‚ the Sushi King – who braved the hot seat on The Roast of Kenny Kunene in 2014 – said he has a good relationship with Comedy Central.
“When they approached me to become a judge on the show‚ there was no way I could say no‚” he said.
The Roast Battle host‚ guest judges and studio audience then decide who will proceed to the next round.
Six monthly heats will be followed by a grand final event at the end of the year at which Comedy Central will crown the Roast Battle champion.
“During apartheid‚ laughing and making fun of each other kept us going.
“So now as our country is facing a lot of challenges‚ we have to look to comedy to lift our spirit‚” he said.
When asked what kind of judge he’ll be‚ Kenny said that he’ll be a balance between “academic and easy-going”.
“I’m not a fan of malicious humour or promoting agendas. I just want to see and experience clean‚ good-hearted humour.”
The first episode of the TV show premieres on Comedy Central on June 13 at 9pm.