TOP 30 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IN CELL C’s #BreakTheNet LIVE SHOW

Cell C, along with Blink Pictures, announced #BreakTheNet (#BTN) Top 30 finalists in a reality show broadcast live on Sunday 23 October on the Cell C Reality App.

Over the last month hundreds of participants entered a countrywide search with their original one minute YouTube videos, all vying for the chance to win R250 000 and a trip to Hollywood and the title of South Africa’s next YouTube Sensation.

Finalists from all over the country have been selected to take part in the next phase of the Cell C #BreakTheNet reality show. Each week participating contestants will be given a task to include in the filming of their videos and will be selected to continue week by week based on the number of views that they receive for each video.

The top 30 participants, who will be mentored by local social media celebrities including Suzelle DIY, cinematographer Ofentse Mwase and YouTube personality Theodora Lee. Derick Watts and the Sunday Blues will anchor the show while Darren ‘Whackhead’ Simpson will take on the role of taskmaster, where he will issue tasks to be completed by the contestants during the weekly reality show. South African actor Blessing Xaba will participate as a “celebrity” contestant.

Says Odette Schwegler, director of Blink Pictures: “The celebrities, who have been chosen for their high entertainment value, are going to encourage contestants to not only deliver on exciting material but also learn the challenges faced in the industry. We want people to tune in to a never before seen digital flow of content online, unprecedented addictive reality.”

The top 30 contestants entered one minute videos which ranged from footage of singers, rappers, comedians, video animators, magicians, and even our very own South African Crocodile Dundee.
Finalist Leewin Chen, from Bloemfontein, entered a video which he dubbed ‘Asian South African’ whereby he shows his life as a Taiwanese South African. Ian Morrison from Johannesburg shows off his DJ’ing talents while ‘Bored on a Flight’, and Quincy Mojela sows off his football skills with ‘Soccer my Everything’.

The Top 30 Finalists are:
Umar Abrahams (Rondebosch East, Cape Town) with “X-Factor Greatest Auditions”
Ursula Botha (Parktown, Johannesburg) with “How to Speak South African”
Ian Morrsion (Greenstone, Johannesburg) with “Bored DJ on a Plane”
Hloniphiswe Coleman (Rondebosch, Cape Town) with “I Call It…”
Daniel Rademeyer (Mayville, Pretoria) with “Live Life Full”
Tristan Edwards (Waterkloof, Pretoria) with “Trick Shots with T-man”
Dylan Gous (Murrayfield, Pretoria) with “Half Past Awkward Hot”
Ryan George Griffiths (Wynberg, Cape Town) with “Cell C #BTN entry”
Phephelo Fakude (Clydesdale, Pretoria) with “News with JAG”
Klara van Wyk (Gardens, Cape Town) with “Pretina’s Inescapable Truth”
James Keenan (Pinetown, Durban) with “Card Forfeits”
Kelly Ernstzen (Belhar, Cape Town) with “Songs Gone Wrong”
Werner Labuschagne (Florida Hills, Johannesburg) with “Language Barriers”
Waydene Laing (Johannesburg) with “How to be a YouTuber”
Leewin Chen (Woodlands Hill, Bloemfontein) with “Asian South African”
Nondwe Maqubela (Edenberg, Johannesburg) with “Know your Crazy 8”
Quincy Mojela (Clayville, Olifantsfontein) with “Soccer my Everything”
Puleng Moeketsi (Roodeport, Johannesburg) with “That is me trying diumb Life Hack”
Sibu Mpanza (Forest Hill, Cape Town) with “Sipu Mpanza - #BTN”
Eben Odendaal (Bryanston, Johannesburg) with “60 with EB and Dave”
Ade Omole (Vereeniging, Gauteng) with “Justin Bieber Cover”
Riaz Orrie (Plumstead, Cape Town) with “How to get a Girlfriend”
Nick Redlinghuys (Somerset West) with “Stop.Motion.Coffee”
Nduduzo Shandu (Soweto, Johannesburg) with “The Interview”
Sandile Sibuyi (Kwathema, Gauteng) with “South African Love Story”
Jeandre Strydom (Lorraine, Port Elizabeth) with “Smartydom – One Klap Man”
Troye May (Cape Town) with “#Beertime”
Thiko and Tsiko Nudau (Benoni, Gauteng) with “TweelinZA”
Graham “Dingo” Dinkelman (Hillcrest, Durban) with “How to catch a Crocodile”
Lindy Vermaak (Alberton, Gauteng) with “MAK3UPGeek”

Says Doug Mattheus, Executive Head: Marketing of Cell C, innovation leaders in the telecoms space: “South Africa has its own crop of social media celebs with a loyal local and international following. From wildlife spectacles to Afrikaans rappers, South Africans have contributed a lot to the online sensation of YouTube. We as Cell C want to provide the platform to allow people to make their dreams become a reality.”

#BTN aims to change the face of reality shows, and ultimately bring South Africa to the forefront of social media enhancement. With Cell C, believing is now a reality. - release by NineSquared