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Mark Bayly |
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| Birth Date: |
Friday, November 20, 1970 |
| Gender: |
Male |
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Mark Bayly is a South African television presenter best known for presenting the M-Net reality competition series Survivor South Africa, from 2006-2007. He was replaced as host by Nico Panagio from the third season onwards.
He was also the host of the M-Net magazine show All Access, from 2009-2011.
Mark was born in Mowbray, Cape Town, on 20 November 1970.
He was Head Boy of Cape Town High School, where he was a member of the swim team and waterpolo team, but he also took part in school plays and received honours for Pro-Arts.
Outside of class and off-stage, young Mark could be found on the beach, which he still today regards as his “sanctuary”.
After school Mark visited Minnesota in the USA as a Rotary Exchange student. Upon his return to South Africa he studied Law at the University of Cape Town, “but I soon realised that I didn’t want to be a lawyer when I saw that it wasn’t going to be like L.A. Law!”
Instead Mark graduated with a BA degree, majoring in English, and he started his career working in several restaurants and managing a hotel in Bantry Bay.
When the travelling bug bit he took seven months off to see the world. He also took part in the demanding Cape To Rio yacht race with a friend.
For four years Mark turned his love for Cape Town into a career, when he and a friend started a business showcasing the beauty of the Cape to overseas visitors.
Eventually he was headhunted by his current employers, an Internet outsourcing company, where he looks after international VIP clients.
Mark had been with this company for two-and-a-half-years when he heard that M-Net was producing a South African series of Survivor and auditioned to be on the show. He was offered the role of presenter instead.
After a second audition in Johannesburg he was announced as the host of Survivor South Africa: Panama on Sunday 16 July.
Bayly has played bit parts in three movies shot on location in Cape Town, South Africa. His roles to date are:
- Minister (The Groomsmen, 2001)
- Pentagon security guard (The Global Effect, 2002)
- Senior Officer (Charlie, 2004)
He is also recognisable to South African viewers from two television commercials - the first was a Microsoft ad, in which a busy father picks up the wrong kid, and the other was an ad for SA Home loans, in which a family are enjoying a picnic next to the pool. When the real home owners return, the picnic squatters have to bail over the wall.
He lives in Seapoint, Cape Town, and is married to Gabi Christy, a past Springbok synchronized swimming champion who owns her own PR Agency. The couple have two children: a son, Cooper (born 2008) and a daughter, born in 2011.
Bayly is the son of Peter Bayly who owns Peter Bayly Wines in Groenfontein, Calitzdorp, on the famed Cape Wine Route.
His star sign is Scorpio and he drives a 1982 Golf convertible.
He loves the beach, surf skiing and his father's port farm, "where Port is made in the traditional Portuguese way."
Related Articles
A One-On-One With Survivor SA's Mark Bayly
Mark Bayly's Survivor Fandom
Mark's TVSA Celeb Q&A
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Mark Bayly Quotes
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Bayly admits to being a huge fan of the US Survivor series and says that although he studied Jeff Probst in great depth before leaving for Panama in early June 2006, he intends to bring his own style to the show.
"I can learn from him (Probst), but it's important to project my own personality. Otherwise it would come across as phoney and unbelievable."
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On the fact that he dreamed of being on television from a young age, but chose a career in IT instead:
"I have many friends who are in the acting profession and I know how tough it can be. I wanted to afford a home, a car and petrol”.
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On the fact that during filming of Survivor on location in Panama he felt as though he belonged in showbiz:
“After wanting this for so long, and putting it out of my mind for practical reasons, it just feels right.”
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On the difficulties of trying to make it as an actor in South Africa:
“I always wanted to be in the entertainment world and I did get a couple of roles in locally-produced movies and commercials.
"I’d love to have been more successful at it, but it’s just too sporadic. You’d get a fantastic commercial and get paid a fortune, then not work again for four months.
"I wanted to be able to buy an apartment and pay it off and buy a car and pay it off and at least get that squared away, and then decide if I wanted to pursue something that is a little less predictable.”
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On the audition every actor dreams of:
“I’m a huge Survivor fan, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that a South African would have the opportunity to compete.
“I entered immediately, and I also called up my old agent and said, ‘You have to get me in front of these people!’
"So I auditioned and fortunately for me, they were looking for a new face.”
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On the strict confidentiality clauses he had to sign before leaving for Panama:
“My parents knew, of course, and my girlfriend. “And my boss, because I had to take leave. But no-one else knew what I was doing.
"When I’m not travelling I work in an office with 250 people, and they all found out about it in the newspapers!”
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On the fact that his life is about to be changed by the Survivor experience:
“Being chosen as the Survivor host is a tremendous opportunity, obviously. And I want to make full use of all the opportunities that come my way because of it.
"But we’ll see how it goes. I would very much like to stay in Cape Town, if possible – I’m passionate about Cape Town.
"The beach is my sanctuary – it’s where I’m happiest.”
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His prediction for the show's success:
“I think the show’s local flavour is going to captivate the audience.” |
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