Keeping the flame burning
● Guess which newlyweds toasted the first weekend of the lockdown with a candlelit picnic on their living room floor?
And can you name the former playboy who is as adept with a mop and broom as he is with whipping up culinary delights for his family and mother-in-law?
Those are two of the titbits I picked up this week as I snooped around the self-isolation habits of some of the land’s A-List lovedup couples.
Yes, I know we do have more pressing matters to ventilate in a world turned upside down by a brutal virus, but with Isidingo and Top Billing canned, who doesn’t want to hear about a little home-grown romance?
First up, the couple whose nuptials broke viewership records when they were aired on streaming service Showmax earlier this year.
It turns out that, off camera, showbiz couple Somizi Mhlongo and Mohale Motaung are still keeping the romantic flames alight.
“I decided to organise an indoor picnic on Saturday,” explains flamboyant Idols judge Somizi. “I put blankets on the floor, and that’s where we had dinner with candles lit all around.”
Somizi’s gig as a Metro FM presenter is deemed an essential service so he’s been able to leave the nest every day, leaving Mohale to his own devices.
And it seems that the Wits student cum entrepreneur has been spending a lot of his time glued to the teachings of spiritual leader Dr Dharius Daniels.
“He watches him almost the entire day, and I’ve found myself joining him [when I am home]. Now I understand where he gets his motivation from,” says Somgaga.
Unlike “Somhale”, recently married couple Dineo Langa (née Moeketsi) and her rapper husband Solo have not been apart — and they’ve been putting the time to good use honing their new joint venture.
The actress says “patience, goofiness and food are the key elements to surviving lockdown as a couple”.
Subscribing to the dictum that the couple that plays together stays together are former South African cricketer JP Duminy and his wife Sue.
The couple, who have two daughters and will have been married nine years in June, are exercising and showing off their TikTok dance moves together during self-isolation.
They’re also tackling a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
“Sue gets very frustrated, wanting to get it done ASAP, whereas I find it more relaxing,” says the left-handed batsman.
On to that former polo-playing man about town, Nicky van der Walt, who, since midMarch, has self-isolated with his wife LeeAnne Liebenberg, their two daughters and Lee-Anne’s mom (at Nicky’s insistence!).
Nicky says he’s found a new respect for his wife’s discipline in helping elder daughter Gia with her home-schooling.
“I glanced at some of it and ran away; she is much braver than I am,” he admits.
The self-confessed romantic says that, 10 years down the line, the glam couple who own the Dr Swiss range of CBD oils are “more in love now than ever”.
Date nights, after sending “Granny and the kids to bed”, are the order of the day.
“This may be our second honeymoon, with our kids,” he says.
Meanwhile, Lee-Anne revealed the secret skill practised by her dark-haired beau.
“He’s incredibly handy with a mop and broom!” she gushes.
Mind you, with reports that Chinese divorce rates skyrocketed after all that confined couple time, I had to ask these celeb duos how they handle the niggles that invariably crop up.
“We write stuff down to each other, and exchange notes. That way, we make sure that, no matter what happens, peace is restored,” says Somizi.
“You need to be able to understand the sort of partner you have, and what they like doing, to create a happy home,” says Mohale.
For the Duminys, it is all about showing each other respect.
“We find ourselves in a highly stressful environment, so people are going to react differently.
“Let’s respect each other’s views, and the way we each process this in our different ways,” says JP.