The Funny Chef hits big time
RISING STAR: TLOKANA TELLS OF CHALLENGES TRYING TO ACHIEVE HER DREAMS
If it weren’t for changing a simple Facebook setting, Pretoria chef, comedian and actress Lebogang Tlokana, known as The Funny Chef, would not be a common face on the screen who is now the presenter of Mzansi Magic’s hit reality show, Our Perfect Wedding.
She made thousands of people laugh with her comedic videos in which she played different characters while adding the unique “Spitori” dialect, which led to her going viral. But the 31 year old faced serious challenges in her childhood.
Growing up in Theresa Park, north of Pretoria, she was the only black girl in an Afrikaans school, which made life difficult as she felt left out and experienced racism. And she disappointed her family when she failed Grades 9 and 10.
“My educational background was quite tricky because I failed high school twice, which is something that I really don’t like talking about. But if it is going to motivate somebody, then let it be known. I then left high school and went to college and got a qualification which is equivalent to a matric. I was doing marketing management.”
But she eventually lost interest in marketing and while sitting at home for a year, the Food Network became her favourite channel. This sparked a love for cooking, she said.
“I was in love with cooking – it really blew me away – and I started experimenting with food and my father decided to try one more time, and took me to a cooking school. That was literally his last money. After that he had nothing and couldn’t find a job. His last bit of money went to me and I think I did him proud because I passed.”
After working at a hotel, restaurants and a game lodge, The Funny Chef was created. While she was confident her videos would circulate, what was puzzling was that they were not.
“At that time, The Funny Chef wasn’t created yet. I just did these videos and had been doing them for quite some time. But they didn’t really blow up. They only started blowing up when I realised my account was private and no one could see my stuff. I changed my settings and funny enough, within a month, I was booming,” Tlokana said.
But she was confident more was yet to come and warned her parents that despite being a failure, she was going to do something unexpected and quit her job.
She quickly gained success, featuring in comedy movies with comedian David Kau, having a cooking show on SABC1 and landing a role in award-winning telenovela The River at the South African Film and Television Awards.
While reflecting on her first professional acting gig, she criticised herself for not infusing a bit of comedy into her character and her time on the set during her appearances in two seasons.
“I regret that and I wish I could go back redo it, and I would do it better. You are surrounded by people like Sindi Dlathu and Presley Chweneyagae and there is no joke. I am an overthinker but it’s a little too late. It put me out there. I want to do it again,” she said.
But she has returned to the screen to present Our Perfect Wedding, although she did not expect to win the audition. Her attempt to make the presenting role serious did not go down well and she was, instead, asked to include her humour and jokes.
“I was nervous because of my past on The River and I tried to be a presenter. They told me they don’t want that and how about we add a funny element? I did it and left there knowing I got it, even though there were big names that were also auditioning. And I got it. A month later I got a call that I was hired.”
Tlokana was, however, self-conscious about two things – body shaming and trying to speak isiZulu on the show as she already criticised herself on a daily basis.
“I will bring humour to the show but also the isiZulu. Me and isiZulu are not friends. I am looking forward to that and this weekend it is an isiZulu episode. I hope they don’t criticise me for not knowing or not being able to speak it fluently. I was also afraid of being body shamed because they take you on, on Twitter. Once it starts, I am going to deactivate my account because I criticise myself every day already and its going to break me.”
But she took pride in coming from Pretoria and speaking the street lingo and wants to give viewers the city’s experience through the show.
“But I am looking forward for people to see Pretoria and how we talk. We might sound aggressive and not soft, but this is how we are. Go to Pretoria and experience that yourself.”
Her aim is to eventually have her own production company and create movies and series. She will be releasing a cookbook during the course of the year.
As for her parents, they are still shocked by her sudden successes.
“I think it’s still a shock to them compared to how I grew up. I was very naughty. My parents cannot believe, even to this day. They would be grateful for the things I would provide for them and would pray for me. They are happy for me.”