In his partnership with fast food chain Nando’s, Cliff was part of a series of dialogues but pressed people’s buttons after a conversation on racism featuring DA leader John Steenhuisen and One SA Movement leader Mudzuli Rakhivhane.
After the interview, Rakhivhane went on social media to share that Cliff and Steenhuisen spoke over her and did not care for her opinions and experiences.
“Your personal experiences are completely anecdotal and unimportant to all of us,” Cliff said during the interview.
Shortly after the clip went viral, Nando’s spoke out against the invalidation of people’s lived experiences.. Nando’s parted ways with Cliff, ending their sponsorship and demanding he address the issue.
A week later Cliff apologised, saying erupting and being brash was part of his brand along with an acknowledgment that he could have done better by Rakhivhane.
“I could have been better. I could have treated her with a little more respect probably. I do treat everybody the same who comes on the show.”
From the Kolisis to Trump: 7 times Gareth Cliff was ‘controversial’
From his comments on Rachel’s race to claiming South Africans are ‘fat ugly girls’ when reacting to the US president, we look back at the podcaster’s misdemeanours
Former Idols SA judge and radio presenter Gareth Cliff has again found himself in hot water.
The podcaster was criticised for siding with US President Donald Trump’s recent X posts about the Expropriation Act. Humoured by South Africans’ reactions to Trump’s posts, Cliff said they were like “a fat ugly girl” who got picked for a dance “after being ignored for years”.
After a news outlet report featuring mineral and petroleum resources minister Gwede Mantashe’s stance that SA should withhold its minerals from the US due to recent Republican Party aid funding cuts, Cliff attacked the minister, saying he needs to “update” his brain software and have a better understanding of how trade works.
Cliff’s career, dating back to the late 1990s, has been marred by controversies and shock jock tactics that have seen him barred and removed from certain positions.
Here’s a look at some of his controversies that have not aged as well as he may have intended.
COLOUREDS AND THE KOLISI FAMILY
One of Cliff’s most recent gaffes includes a disconcerting take on SA’s high school sweethearts Rachel and Siya Kolisi after the announcement of their divorce. During an interview with actor turned MC Sunil Osman, the actor sparked reactions after saying his biggest shock about the announcement was that Rachel is white.
Cliff agreed, saying he would never have access to knowledge about her racial identity due to not watching sports. He said this made him upset for the coloured community, confusing many.
LIAM PAYNE’S SUICIDE
In the same interview with Osman, Cliff went on a diatribe about One Direction’s former member Payne, who died from multiple injuries after falling from an Argentinian hotel room. While the case is being investigated with five suspects charged, Cliff’s response was shock about how much Payne and other young stars like him had afforded themselves opportunities that led to death. He called the late award-winning singer “stupid and selfish” due to the emotions affecting loved ones.
MARA AND THE MINORS
In his tell-all autobiography, Cliff shared that the production team of Idols SA sometimes served them vodka before the show and admitted to handing a drink to Mara Louw. On a season six episode of the show, Louw had a heated reaction to the sound system which would garner her negative media attention. He went on to defend himself on his now-defunct blog and referenced a radio interview where she shared she had the drink after taking medication.
The issue would come back into the spotlight after allegations on a Twitter forum about Cliff giving alcohol to minors.
DEFENDING PENNY SPARROW
A social media furore broke out after a racist tweet by Penny Sparrow, who famously asserted her disdain for Durban’s packed beaches.
“These monkeys that are allowed to be released on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on to public beaches and towns obviously have no education whatsoever and to allow them loose is inviting huge dirt and discomfort to others”.
She said she would start calling black South Africans monkeys “as I see the cute little wild monkeys do the same by dropping litter”.
Cliff downplayed her malicious post as “free speech”.
Sparrow paid a R150,000 fine for her comments and died in 2019 after a battle with cancer.
Cliff said a year after the incident that he regretted his comments due to the losses his business suffered because of his comments.
CLIFF VS FALLISTS
During the initial stages of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, Cliff criticised the actions.
“I like the fact that King Shaka has an airport named after him. That doesn’t mean I have to like King Shaka. Cecil John Rhodes may have been the most successful imperialist agent of Victorian Britain, but his contribution to history (let alone education) is unquestionable,” he said.
Campaign leaders responded on Facebook that Cliff and many other white detractors were pointing fingers at the King Shaka statue and were missing the point behind the call to action.
“To put it simply, if Shaka had colonised Europe and we were debating taking his statue down in Leicester Square while his descendants earned on average six times more than native British people, and their children were being educated in the language of the conquerors, then we can start comparing. To pretend otherwise is effectively historical denial.”
CLIFF VS MBALULA
After Senzo Meyiwa’s murder, Cliff questioned the decision to hold a state funeral for the goalkeeper. Then sports minister Fikile Mbalula shot back, asking Cliff about state funerals for apartheid leaders Henrik Verwoerd and PW Botha and whether they deserved it.
“Regardless, we never asked because we respect the dead” Mbalula said in a post.
CATCHING FIRE WITH NANDO’S
In his partnership with fast food chain Nando’s, Cliff was part of a series of dialogues but pressed people’s buttons after a conversation on racism featuring DA leader John Steenhuisen and One SA Movement leader Mudzuli Rakhivhane.
After the interview, Rakhivhane went on social media to share that Cliff and Steenhuisen spoke over her and did not care for her opinions and experiences.
“Your personal experiences are completely anecdotal and unimportant to all of us,” Cliff said during the interview.
Shortly after the clip went viral, Nando’s spoke out against the invalidation of people’s lived experiences.. Nando’s parted ways with Cliff, ending their sponsorship and demanding he address the issue.
A week later Cliff apologised, saying erupting and being brash was part of his brand along with an acknowledgment that he could have done better by Rakhivhane.
“I could have been better. I could have treated her with a little more respect probably. I do treat everybody the same who comes on the show.”
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