From her friendship with Somizi and exiting Kaya 959 — Unathi Nkayi gets candid in tell-all interview

01 March 2023 - 13:37
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Former 'Idols SA' judge and radio personality Unathi Nkayi bares it all.
Former 'Idols SA' judge and radio personality Unathi Nkayi bares it all.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

Unathi Nkayi has finally lifted the lid on the many questions her fans have  wanted her to address.

The media personality had a tell-all interview with her friend and industry colleague Gareth Cliff on a new podcast titled Uncancelled. In it she spoke about lost friends, her relationship with her ex-husband, and her dating life.

Here's what she had to say:

LIFE AFTER KAYA 959

In November 2021, Unathi was fired from Kaya 959 radio station after her dispute with Sizwe Dhlomo.

Unathi said "everybody stopped calling" her and giving her business and she stopped paying her mortgage for a year after the saga.

"If I hadn't paid my mortgage ahead in 2007, my house would've been taken from what Kaya did to me. For the past year I didn't pay my mortgage at all because I was so ahead."

In an Instagram post, Unathi said she had lost everything after the saga and had to go to therapy. 

“I have been through the most vigorous and painful year of therapy of my life because I lost everything due to a one-sided story that many were too keen to believe.” 

IDOLS SA

The revamping of the judging panel for season 18 of Idols SA in 2022 saw Unathi axed after being on the show for 10 seasons.

Announcing the new panel, the director of local entertainment channels for M-Net Shirley Adonisi said the show was taking a fresh approach, expressing her gratitude to Unathi and Randall Abrahams.

“Mzansi Magic would like to thank both Randall and Unathi for their contribution to discovering new talent and launching the careers of so many. We salute these great icons of South African entertainment and thank them both for a great innings on Idols."

During their interview, Gareth revealed Unathi found out she was no longer a part of the show through the media. 

FALLOUT WITH SOMIZI 

There has been speculation on the reasons why her friendship with Somizi ended.

The Nguwe hitmaker claimed Somizi chose sides after her divorce from Thomas Msengana.

"Thomas and I got divorced. You [Gareth Cliff] and Randall Abrahams didn't choose sides and he did. Even when we sat on the judging table and I was professional, he was choosing sides. It was fine for him to go on boy's trips with Thomas, but we said you don't cross this line now. He'd come back and speak smack about me on the same reality show, so now you're showing you're choosing sides." she said.

"I don't hate him, we haven't fought, we just don't have a relationship because he chose sides."

DIVORCING THOMAS 

"We get on very well and we've always got on. We've realised we love each other better differently. We have lunch now, we have dinners, he comes over, he bakes. It's wonderful now. 

"He's my greatest love. With great loves, you have to allow them to evolve as you evolve. I'm not the Unathi who he fell in love with at YFM. And he's not the Bad Boy T  I fell in love with at YFM".

DATING LIFE

Unathi said she is not ready to date anyonet 

"Dating traumatises me. The door is closed. It is locked right now."

"I've got my phone. I've got my trusted, I don't want to say army."  



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