Motswana among three TLC presenter finalists

After a vigorous selection process and mentoring sessions, the search for TLC’s Next Great presenter is down to three hopefuls and Botswana’s Mpiwa Bagwasi is amongst them. The other two hopefuls are Star Khulu from South Africa and David Mbeha from Namibia.
From Wednesday, 28 October, viewers will choose TLC’s Next Great presenter by voting for their favourite presenter from the three finalists. The winner will be the channel’s first ever African presenter and will host TLC TOP 10, a brand new series coming to TLC Entertainment this December.
“For me it started off as a dream, and I was fortunate to find this opportunity which validated that dream. I’m extremely excited that TLC is giving Africans the opportunity to be recognized. The bootcamp validated to me that I was on the right path. It has been an amazing experience; the workshops, the judge’s feedback, as well as the practical sessions. I’m thrilled that what we learnt paid off in the end,” said Bagwasi.
For her part, Khulu said she could believe that she had made it beyond boot camp. “I feel so privileged to have been selected as one of the three finalists. TLC is all about celebrating real people and that is everything I’ve fought to be. I truly hope that Africa votes for me to become TLC’s Next Great Presenter and put this amazing continent on the map,” she said.
Mbeha expressed excitement at being selected as one of the finalists for a brand he described as unapologetic in its celebration of difference and as the one that told authentic stories. “Throughout this whole process, TLC has allowed me to be me and I thank them for that. This experience has been humbling and rewarding and I thank everyone for their support so far and I look forward to the next stage,” he said.
Head judge, Lee Hoobs, said the 12 semi-finalists were extremely talented and proved that they are all capable of having a successful career in the entertainment industry. “The decision was tough and the judging panel spent hours deliberating as everyone was so amazing. In the end, we chose our top three finalists based on their passion for TLC and how they came alive on camera. It’s now out of our hands, the final decision is left to our viewers. We can’t wait to crown our first African presenter,” he added.
Voting will open on October 28th and will close on 18th November. To vote, visit the TLC Next Great Presenter website: tlcnextgreatpresenter.dstv.com or follow TLC Africa on WeChat.