[Submitted via press release]
The Close Up returns to e.tv and on the eNews Channel with a hotter celebrity line-upTX: Saturday, 2 June at 7:30PM on e.tv and 10:30PM on the eNews Channel After a bumper first season, The Close Up is back with an all-new crop of famous faces ready to share their secrets from Saturday 2 June at 7:30PM on e.tv and at 10:30PM on the eNews Channel.
Among the celebrities featured in the new season are: Freshlyground front-woman Zolani Mahola, actress and beauty ambassador Terry Pheto, television presenter Jeannie D, former Miss Universe Michelle Mclean, Idols Judge Unathi Msengana (nee Nkayi) and model turned socialite Gina Athans.
While beautiful women dominate the line-up this year – the celebrities representing the men are no less enthralling. They include actor Tony Kgoroge, SAMA award winning rapper and producer Amu and funnyman Leon Schuster.
Series Creator Nicky Greenwall says: “We are delighted to be able to bring audiences another season of The Close Up. We had such a great time producing the last series which included interviews with Locnville, Tamara Dey and Kenneth Nkosi, to name a few. So, it was a no-brainer to do it again."
In each episode of The Close Up one local celebrity tells their life story in their own words. The stories are compiled from hours of interview footage and coupled with never-before-seen archive material and images of each celebrity before, during and after their rise to fame.
The new show will be one of three entertainment related programs produced by Greenwall Productions for e.tv this year. The others are the entertainment countdown show The Ten (Season 2 starts in November 2012) and a brand new soon-to-be-released celebrity talk show called ScreenTime With Nicky Greenwall.
The 2nd Season of “The Close Up” airs from 2 June - 4 August at 7:30PM on e.tv, and 10:30PM on the eNews Channel.
THE CLOSE UP SEASON TWO SYNOPSISTX 2 June - The Close Up: Terry Pheto
The real-life Cinderella story of one of South Africa’s most prominent actresses. Entertainment journalist Nicky Greenwall follows Terry Pheto’s journey from the township to the Oscars Red Carpet and discovers how the loss of one of her closest family members changed her perspective on success.
TX 9 June - The Close Up: Jeannie D
An in-depth look at the rise to fame of one of South Africa’s most recognizable television personalities. Nicky Greenwall pulls back the curtain on this much-talked-about local celeb and reveals how her jet-set life isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
TX 16 June – The Close Up: Amu
Known to his peers as “The Godfather of the JHB rap scene” this 30-minute documentary tracks Amu’s journey from high-school rapper to award-winning music producer. Nicky Greenwall delves into his personal and professional life to uncover the real story of how he became one of South Africa’s most sought after music makers.
TX 23 June- The Close Up: Zolani Mahola
The true-life story of the lead singer of one of South Africa’s most successful homegrown bands – Freshlyground. In this 30-minute documentary, discover how Zolani Mahola went from being a township girl at a Catholic School to becoming one of the country’s most in-demand performers.
TX 30 June- The Close Up: Gina Athans
At the time her wedding to a Jordanian Billionaire was one of the most-talked-about events of the year – only to be trumped by her high profile divorce two years later. From her days as a runway model to her stint as a PR consultant for the Libyan government - Greenwall discovers the truth behind this socialite and former Miss Teen SA’s rise-to-fame.
TX 7 July – The Close Up: Tony Kgoroge
The story of how a former ANC rally marshal became one of the most in-demand South African actors in Hollywood. Greenwall reveals the secrets to how this one time soap-star has managed to live out every local actors wildest dreams, sharing the big screen with some of the world’s most recognizable stars.
TX 14 July – The Close Up: Leon Schuster
A thought-provoking account of how a boy who grew up wanting to be a rugby commentator became one of South Africa’s most famous comedians. In this exclusive interview Greenwall discovers exactly how Leon Schuster went from radio prankster to one of South Africa’s most prolific filmmakers and discovers the real man behind his slapstick persona.
TX 21 July – The Close Up: Michelle McLean
A documentary about the life of former Miss Universe Michelle McLean Greenwall reveals how this Namibian-born model turned TV personality has spent much of her life trying to live down her pageant past.
TX 28 July – The Close Up: Unathi Msengana
SA Idols Judge and Radio DJ Unathi Msengana talks frankly to entertainment journalist Nicky Greenwall about the highs and lows of her career. From her “surprise” pregnancy to her controversial departure from YFM this documentary reveals how she went from Springbok hockey player to one of SA’s best-loved performers.
TX 4 August – The Close Up: Guest TBCABOUT NICKY GREENWALL
Nicky has worked extensively in the television industry since she developed and hosted e.tv’s first dedicated entertainment news program in 2002. “The Showbiz Report" which first aired on South African television in 2005, continues to enjoy an audience of over 1 million viewers every week.
In April 2009 Nicky opened Greenwall Productions. The company has produced a number of television shows including The Showbiz Report, The Style Report, The Close Up, Inside Art and the soon to be released celebrity talk-show ScreenTime With Nicky Greenwall.
As eNews’s dedicated entertainment journalist Nicky has conducted one-on-one interviews with some of the biggest names in showbiz including; Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, P Diddy, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jim Carrey to name a few. She has reported live from The Academy Awards, The Cannes Film Festival, The Venice Film Festival, and Nelson Mandela's 46664 concert.
Apart from producing, directing and writing her own television shows - Nicky is also a published journalist and illustrator. She has contributed to The Sunday Times, Glamour Magazine, Men's Health, Seventeen, Good Taste, and Elle and her radio contributions have been featured on SA's national broadcaster 5fm and the BBC's World Service. As an MC she has hosted a number of high profile functions including The Style Awards, and Glamour Magazine's Oscar Party.
She was nominated in the 2003 Elle TV Style Awards, the 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 People Magazine Crystal Awards for Best Television Presenter, and was the recipient of The Most Stylish Presenter Award at the 2004 Style Awards in Johannesburg. In 2007 Nicky was chosen to represent international hair care brand Pantene in their South African TV campaign.
Nicky lives in Cape Town with her partner Robin Fryer and their daughter Georgina.