Celeb chef Benny Masekwameng tries his hand at comedy

19 September 2017 - 09:25 By Chrizelda Kekana
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Chef Benny Masekwameng attempts to do stand up comedy for a good cause.
Chef Benny Masekwameng attempts to do stand up comedy for a good cause.
Image: Supplied

Popular TV chef Benny Masekwameng has overcome a number of challenges to become one of the most popular faces in Mzansi, and plans to use these experiences as he tries his hand at stand up comedy.

Benny, who was one of several South African celebrities to take part in Comedy Central's Famous Last Words, told TshisaLIVE  he drew inspiration from his life story. 

"It's funny, because I know I'm quite a funny person, I can tell jokes but I only recently discovered that being a comedian is hard work. But, my mentor and very funny guy Rob (Van Vuuren) helped me understand that I am just telling my story but highlighting the funny parts.

"Rob had to teach me things like timing and how to choose a concept. I had to know where to put a funny spin on my life story but Rob is very knowledgeable and he helped me a lot," he said.

Benny explained that when he was younger he was often teased for his interest in cooking, even though once dreamt of being an electrical engineer.

The Alexandra born chef said the political violence pre-1994 resulted in their family losing everything and, with it, his dream to be an electrical engineer.

"We stayed really close to the (men's) hostels and when the political violence went up, we were forced to move from our house and lost everything in the process. The money that was set aside for my engineering studies had to help us get by, so I ended up helping my mother in her catering business," he explained.

Benny said these life events, although not all pleasant, also gave him a lot of material to use for his comedy.

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