Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa gets dragged for defending Phat Joe after homophobic comments on his show

Actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa has landed in hot water for "defending" Phat Joe amid outrage over homophobic comments made by a guest on his TV show, Cheeky Palate. 

In a now-deleted tweet, Enhle questioned whether South Africans were "too sensitive", and said Phat Joe should be given a break as "he's amazing on-screen".  

The first episode of Phat Joe's show sparked outrage when it reignited the controversial discussion about people using the Bible to justify homophobia. 

His guests included pastor Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon, sangoma Gogo Dineo, author Nobuntu Websta, author Joshua Maponga and musician Zwai Bala.

It was Gerry's comments about the Bible apparently being "clear" on homosexuality that had social media viewers fuming. Gerry, Phat Joe and the show were lambasted for the "homophobic comments". 

In the wake of the backlash, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA) confirmed to Sowetan that it had received eight official complaints after receiving countless grievances about Phat Joe’s new show. 

In a statement to TshisaLIVE, MultiChoice said: “Cheeky Palate is a new reality show on 1Magic hosted by Phat Joe in which participants are encouraged to express their views on a variety of topical matters” 

It said the first episode featured guests from different walks of life who were invited to speak about their experiences and thoughts on spirituality.

“We acknowledge concerns expressed by some viewers who may have been offended by some of the views expressed on the show, particularly about the LGBTQI+ community. The views expressed are not those of MultiChoice, which embraces diversity, equality and inclusion.” 

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