Celeste Ntuli talks about her one-woman show and her Honey TV gig

‘It’s been a beautiful thing to experience, seeing love unfold in many different ways’

29 July 2022 - 08:59
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Celeste Ntuli has come a long way and she said she always knew she could turn comedy into a career
Celeste Ntuli has come a long way and she said she always knew she could turn comedy into a career
Image: Colin Gayle

Award-winning comedienne and actress Celeste Ntuli is adding presenter to her name, and says she is the right fit for Will He Say Yes?, a show set to debut on Honey TV this Saturday. 

She's never been one to colour inside the lines and who better to present an unconventional show where women propose to their partners than Celeste, who told TshisaLIVE she didn't audition for the show.

“I like it because it's such a nice human story. The show speaks volumes on love and the rules that have been there that this one must do this, and that one must do that and the cultural clash that comes with it, inasmuch as you can say you can just propose but what do we do with lobola, that I found interesting. So I asked the people who came on the show, what do we do with lobola, because our show as  done this in a different way that what culture could've done. So I think that level is going to be interesting.

“I think I bring much more humour in terms of how these people are anxious to do this, so I had a great time to see them throughout the day much more confident and relaxed. We've also had a beautiful love story where a man cried and said 'wow I wish I did it first'. It's been a beautiful thing to experience, seeing love unfold in many different ways.”

Celeste is never one to mince her words, and she said from presenting the show she had her own personal moments of reflection. 

“I don't say women we've been honest about ourselves when we say we want 50% and we say we want rights and  freedom. Every right and freedom comes with responsibilities. You are a human bein. You must understand this thing with women when there is a separation, how many women do you know who have broken up with someone and they admit to their fault, so we have a problem. When someone says I don't want you now or I don't want to marry you, figure out what is it and half the time it's got nothing to do with you. We just put ourselves there, that he doesn't want me. If he doesn't want you then he wants someone else. Move onto the next. That's how love is. Love is not guaranteed. That's why they say umjolo wa nyisa, because you  want a guarantee, butthere's no guarantee.”

The comedienne has been touring with her Money and M en one-woman show and said she never tires of the unwavering support.

Her international stint alongside fellow comedian Thenjiwe Moseley that she plans to continue has her honoured for receiving the support.

“The support is amazing. You never know when you are going to get it, but the dream to be able to perform abroad has always been there. Comedy has that trajectory, that option is a sellable and importable that's music, performance, where you are able to share a language for the people you are performing for. I've always dreamed and thought of making sure I eventually perform abroad but the support is always amazing because you never tell people what to do or say. It's a humbling experience and it's a great feeling. You become honoured when you realise how much people love you. Love on its own doesn't come easy.

"or so many years I've never been able to go check and test because I was on this show, so I knew people have been asking when am I coming, and telling me some comediennes are here, Trevor Noah is here, we know you are as good as him, even South Africans who have known me from home and I thought let me just do it and see what happens  and it was successful .” 


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