SOUTH AFRICA'S NO.1 CELEBRITY WHORE

Visit www.claytonmorar.com

2010-08-11T18:50:00.005+02:00

Hey peeps, I'll no longer be blogging on this website. Please rather visit my new official website www.claytonmorar.com - where I'll be updating DAILY!

No more whorey behaviour!

2010-08-06T17:51:00.000+02:00

It is with sadness that I have to no longer use this site to update my readers with all my latest celeb exploits and news. As from today, you can follow my celebrity whore behaviour, stories and gossip on my new website, www.claytonmorar.com

Thanks to all my readers and followers for the support you've given me over the past year! Do please continue to support me on my new site and I am sure you'll love what I have to offer. The whorey behaviour shall continue!

Riding the press waves

2010-07-22T08:50:00.002+02:00

This past month has been yet another bumper experience of press and media in the world of SA’s Celeb Whore. From my World Cup in-person celebrity success, to my 5 000 autographs in my collection, I’ve been getting the attention of SA’s media and one’s gotta love it! All the hard work I’ve poured into my hobby is finally paying off and I hope this press and exposure will lead to bigger and better things – and even inspire people on how to reach their very own celebrity.

I’ve been featured in online, print as well as radio media including the likes of Rapport, TVSA, The Socialite, MFM Radio as well as having a telephonic interview on 3Talk to name a few.

For those of you who missed out on all the recent glamour, excitement and fun, here’s a recap of some of the media entities I’ve been featured in:

RAPPORT

Check out the article online: http://www.rapport.co.za/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Na-lang-wag-gesmeek-teken-Leo-die-diva-tog-20100710

TVSA

Check out the article online: http://www.tvsa.co.za/default.asp?blogname=tv&ArticleID=14566

THE SOCIALITE

Check out the article online: http://www.thesocialite.co.za/2010/07/meet-sas-celeb-addict-clayton-morar/

There are more interviews planned soon, which I’ll share as they are published. You aint seen nothin’ yet, folks!

Keep watching this space as the excitement continues to grow in the life of SA’s Celebrity Whore!

Autograph Successes: June & July

2010-07-19T18:55:00.001+02:00

As you may have guessed, I’ve been super busy running around trying to get some lovely in-person autographs during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I was quite impressed with the amount of autographs I got and the international celebs I managed to meet in such a short period of time. Due to this, I haven’t had the time to share some of my other autograph successes received via mail or in person either, so here’s what autograph news you’ve been missing out on:

NONHLE THEMA

My homegirl, Nonhle, and I first met each other in 2008 when I attended a Channel O party at the Joburg hotspot, Taboo. The moment I saw her, I went into instant fan mode and made her sign a till slip my BFF Aneen had in her bag. While in Joburg last month, I literally bumped into Nonhle between filming my Selimathunzi insert and we caught up over a quick coffee. How weird was it that I actually had a photo of her in my bag, which I’ve carried with me always, hoping I’d finally get her autograph on a photo (instead of just having it on that blank till slip)? And believe me, she was surprised too! Now I at least have a decent autograph for the collection!

BONANG MATHEBA

I love everything Bonang Matheba stands for! She’s sassy, confident and is a role model to so many young people in SA. I finally got to add her autograph to my collection as well, getting her to sign this hot photo I printed off her website www.bonangmatheba.com. I called it first peeps! Watch this space for this dazzling SA superstar to explode!

BOW WOW

This one is great to have in the autograph stack! I didn’t personally get this autograph but thanks to my friend Maud Nale at TV broadcaster M-Net, she managed to get Bow Wow to sign this postcard for me when he was in town for the fifth season of Big Brother: Africa last year December. He was such a diva, I hear, but signed the postcard nevertheless.

CYNTHIA NIXON

And then there were two! Seeing that the sequel to Sex and the City: The Movie was released earlier this year, I’ve been buzzing with everything that represents Sex and the City (which to me means glamour, sex appeal and fun). Knowing that I already had secured the autographs of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristin Davis in my autograph collection, I just needed Kim Cattrall and Cynthia Nixon’s signatures to complete the foursome cast. Well, just days after seeing the sequel, I discovered a working mailing address and to my surprise, just over a month later, I received this lovely colour 8X10 inch autographed photo, made out to me in name! Looks like it’s up to my favourite character, Samantha, to complete my obsession with everything Sex and the City.

EWAN STRYDOM

This hunky model and All Access presenter was a great success to add to the collection. Having met Ewan earlier this year at the J&B Met Race in Cape Town, I managed to get him to sign a photo, but that was before he appeared in the 2010 Cosmo Sexiest Man Calendar. With my copy of the calendar already signed by some of the other featured models, I took the calendar with me to the All Access one-year birthday bash in Joburg last month and of course, being the sweet, gentle soul Ewan is, he gladly signed the calendar!

KERISHNIE NAICKER

I’ve always wanted to meet the former Miss South Africa pageant winner. Ever since I first saw Kerishnie on stage during the Miss SA pageant, I was mesmerised by her beauty and intelligence. She’s a lovely person who has substance, business acumen and is also very much down-to-earth, and getting to meet her at the All Access party was undoubtedly a real highlight for me!

SA-born party planner Colin Cowie is a man of class and style

2010-07-13T13:06:00.002+02:00

Now that the 2010 Fifa World Cup spectacular has come to an end, and my team Spain triumphed in the final, I thought I’d share one more World Cup celeb success story with my readers.

More than a week ago, on the same evening I obtained Leonardo DiCaprio’s autograph at the One&Only Hotel in Cape Town, I also managed to get an in person success in the form of international party planner to the stars, Colin Cowie.

I’m in complete awe of this man’s career and meeting him at Sol Kerzner’s World Cup bash of the same evening Uruguay and Ghana competed in the quarterfinal leg of the tournament was a real highlight.

Colin, who originates from the Eastern Cape (my home province), was in town to lend his support to the World Cup but to also host some parties, one of which was the premier of the locally made film, String Caesar.

The film was shot on location in Pollsmoor Prison (South Africa’s most notorious prison) and was produced by Alice Krige (also from my hometown of Port Elizabeth and who has made quite a successful career in Hollywood). Some of the movie stars include John Kani (another acting legend from the Eastern Cape), Isidingo soapie star Grethe Fox as well as Grant Swanby.

The movie tells the timeless story of a young man’s quest for power, for the meaning of freedom and to know himself, to live his dreams, to achieve his ambitions.

I first became a fan of Colin’s the moment I saw him on Oprah’s talk show a few years back. He was giving viewers advice and tips on how to plan the perfect party or how to be a good host. I was intrigued to learn he originated from South Africa and now lives in New York. That’s quite a big deal!

Anybody who’s famous in the US has used Colin’s services when it comes to planning a party and interior decorating: John Travolta, Jennifer Lopez, Jerry Seinfeld and Nicole Kidman – you name them! Of course, fans of Colin will also know that he throws Oprah Winfrey's Legend's Ball every year – where some of the world’s biggest stars, musicians, politicians and actors attend. I sure hope to crack an invite to that event someday!

I’d previously contacted Colin via email this year for an autograph for my collection, and he sent me one just a few weeks after my birthday.

I had no idea he was going to be at Sol’s World Cup bash at the hotel, and the moment he walked past me (while many of the party’s guests were watching the soccer match on the hotel’s giant TV screens), that’s when I got excited. I knew I had to go up to him and get a photo taken, seeing that I’d already added his autograph to my collection.

Of course, these events took place much earlier in the evening before I was going to have my intense moment with Leonardo, but I knew that getting to chat to Colin would be a personal highlight for me – whether I was going to be successful or not with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Mick Jagger.

So I snuck up the courage to chat to Colin about ten minutes after I first spotted him, that’s when I went up to him to introduce myself. “Excuse me Mr Cowie, my name is Clayton Morar. I would love the opportunity to have a photo with you, if that’s fine,” I uttered.

I expected him to be a diva-type personality having making it big in the US, and of course, I know Colin knows important people, so he could have easily been aloof towards me.

That’s when I saw his SA roots come out and he responded. “Well, sure I’d love to!” I also proceed to let him know about the autograph he sent me earlier this year and he gladly took his time to make sure a perfect photo ensued.

He seemed really genuine and interested in what I had to say to him, and it once again validated my thinking of celebrities – no matter how famous you are or not, being humble and appreciative of fans goes a long way in life.

Personally meeting him is an indelible memory I’ll always cherish and he gets my nod as a real talent who deserves all the successes life that comes his way! Classy and stylish indeed. All in all, it’s been a fairly successful World Cup for me where autographs and celebs are concerned!

SOCCER LEGEND SIGHTING: Liverpool soccer legend John Barnes

2010-07-07T12:58:00.002+02:00

Just over a week ago, when I travelled to Joburg to attend the All Access party and film my insert on Selimathunzi, I was hoping to add my first soccer autograph during the 2010 Fifa World Cup to my collection – and I managed to do just that!

Former Liverpool soccer star and England player, John Barnes, has been in the country for the past month commentating on all the live games in studio for Supersport, and when I knew I was going to be in Joburg for the weekend, I made it my mission to go to the M-Net studios to try and meet him in person.

John and a host of other former soccer greats such as Kevin Keegan (Newcastle United), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Paul Ince (Liverpool) and Dwight York (Manchester United) to name a few, are in the country to watch the soccer or serve as commentators throughout the memorable event. Getting the access to these greats, is just as strict and intense like the current soccer stars, but I’ve learnt that being at the right place and right time and having sheer chutzpah, could lead to a successful opportunity.

Upon my arrival in Joburg for the weekend, I only had a few hours to prepare before the All Access bash, and because I was staying at a hotel close to the M-Net studios, I figured I had to go and visit some friends there – while also using the time to get John’s autograph in person.

I knew I was going to be in the same building as John, so I had to whore myself out for the opportunity! Little did I expect the security around the studio he was working in was going to be a little bit of a mission to enter – even though my friends at M-Net had access to the building.

Each live match starts at 4pm on match days, so the commentators usually have a call time of 3pm to prepare for pre-match commentary. Once the 4pm kick-off on screen takes place, the commentators move outside of the studio to another green room area to watch the match, taking notes in a more chilled environment, so that they can be prepared for the cross over to studio during half time and at the end of the game.

I decided to get to the studio just after 4pm, where we saw John and Supersport host Gary Bailey outside in the green room area, where the Supersport team were chilling – with a gazillion security guards and measures in place.

And then I thought: “Oh hell no, not another celeb diva moment just to get John Barnes’ autograph!” But after exchanging a few words with some of the security members, explaining that I just quickly wanted a photo and autograph of John, Gary Bailey came outside to meet me and my two friends, wanting to know more about my request and what I was doing there.

Within minutes I found myself being introduced to “The Man Himself” and John was absolutely relaxed, forthcoming and very much happy to honour my request. And he could see I was serious about the autograph, when I presented him a photo of him during his Liverpool glory days to sign. He even dedicated it “To Clayton, Best Wishes, John Barnes.”

John proceeded to say. “So are you guys big Liverpool fans? I hope you are!” He joked. That's when we rekindled some highlights from his illustrious career.

He was quite touched by the request and quickly posed for photos, while trying to watch the soccer match – for the life of me, I have no clue who was even playing that day. It didn’t even matter, because all I wanted in that moment was the autograph and photo!

Once he signed the photo and took the photos, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and walked away with the feeling that despite his legendary status, he still has the appreciation for fans and people who respect and value his work and career. I think Leonardo DiCaprio, and so many other stars, could learn a thing from John when it comes to dealing with fans in person.

One peculiar thing I noticed was that while he was all dressed up in a grey suit for camera, he was walking around in slops and showing off his big toes. Not exactly something I would do in public but he was so chilled about being there, he seemed to be having a good time and didn’t care. Makes me realise the next time he’s commentating a game, whether he’s actually wearing slops and shoes behind the studio counter on screen.

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is unfriendly towards SA fans and paparazzi

2010-07-05T13:42:00.007+02:00

Hollywood A-Lister, Leonardo DiCaprio, clearly hasn’t come to terms with being a celebrity! And I suggest he gets with the programme pronto or quit Hollywood for good!

The famous Titanic actor, who is one of the many international celebs currently in SA for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, has managed to dodge fans and paparazzi in the country so far with his bad boy attitude – and also refuses to allow anyone near him with cameras or even taking autograph requests from fans.

But I can’t proudly say I have finally broken that dry spell, as I managed to get his autograph in person this past weekend in Cape Town, at the plush six-star One&Only Hotel – where Leonardo and Mick Jagger attended a hot celebrity party hosted by hotel owner, Sol Kerzner. But getting the autograph was not as easy as Paris Hilton getting acquitted of dope possession in my hometown of Port Elizabeth!

Leonardo has always had the reputation for being a Hollywood bad boy and is known to refuse any photo or autograph requests from fans. In fact, he’s constantly made the list of Autograph Magazine in US’s “Worst Signers List” due to being so arrogant and unaccommodating. In July 2005, I can recall how a fan from Chicago spotted him at the airport and she approached him for an autograph. He blatantly refused and insisted she pay for it. So when I knew he was going to attend the party, I expected it to be a huge mission to even come within a 10 metre radius of this guy, let alone get his autograph. But I was determined to get it!

Back to the party now! Various industry folk, celebrities and the “who’s who” of SA celeb culture attended Sol’s party on Friday night, with the hopes of catching a glimpse of Mick and Leonardo. Paris Hilton was also rumoured to join the party, but when she got arrested earlier in the day, the only international celeb prospects ended up being Leo and Nick and I knew I had to go home with at least one autograph for the collection.

I managed to print a photo of these two mega stars just in case I would get up close and personal with them, and also went along with some blank cards as a back up. I’ve heard these stars would sometimes refuse to sign photos, fearing they could end up being sold on eBay or something.

About two hours after I arrived at the party, and mingled with the social butterflies of the industry, I was alerted that Leo was at Nobu restaurant at the hotel, having drinks at the bar. Here he had a team of at least five or six bodyguards trying to remove any unwanted person from the area – and making sure he drank, smoked and partied in peace. But of course, being a ladies man, Leo was surrounded by a bevy of beauties all night long – which he seemed to enjoy!

After about an hour of watching his every move, I saw his bodyguards move Leo downstairs to a quiet table inside the restaurant – away from the masses of opportunistic women, fans and “trespassers” (according to his bodyguards) who all wanted to be seen mingling with him.

The next two hours became an anxious experience for me, as I saw him venture about seven times outside to the smoking area, away from the party and paparazzi. Anxious because I wanted my approach and timing to be immaculate and not piss him off. Who knows what anger management issues he could have been carrying on the day.

It’s here where I decided to first go within 20 metres of the star – before being approached by his bodyguard, who happened to be bald like me. “Excuse me sir, I’d love for Mr DiCaprio to sign an autograph for me. What’s the possibility he could do it sir?” I ask.

The bodyguard replies: “Uhmm, he’s really busy right now, but what’s your name?” At this point I’m thinking: “He’s texting a message to someone, with a cigarette in the other hand. What’s so difficult about signing a blank card?”

Then I remind myself who I am dealing with here – Leonardo “asshole” DiCaprio! The man, who refused any press, paparazzi or fans to come near him at the party (and believe me the media arrived in droves hoping to snap photos of him) – not even taking a photo with for the hotel’s records who are hosting him. And then I am humbled of my moral high horse by his arrogant behaviour and just what an asshole he can be with the public.

The bodyguard then proceeds to tell me I should “come back in ten minutes”. I then retreated to my friends at another section of the party, but I still managed to keep tabs on Leo’s whereabouts.

Nearly 30 minutes later, I saw Leo and his team saying goodbye to the guests at their table including Mick Jagger (whose bodyguard also prevented him from signing an autograph for me) and I make my way back to the smoking area, where I first spotted him. Hovering around the area, I saw Leo and his bodyguards exit the restaurant’s side door, before smoking one final cigarette and that’s when I approached the same bodyguard for the autograph.

Looking rather irritated, he then suggested I stay where I am (which is five metres away from Leo) and he’ll get Leo to sign the card, made out to me. He reminded me that no photos are allowed as well and this was all I was going to get.

At this point, Leo removed the cigarette from his mouth and signed my card, before giving it back to the bodyguard – but not even making any eye contact with me.

I couldn’t believe I achieved the impossible! Getting his autograph was one of the most scary, exhausting and terrifying experiences – simply because he hates being in the public eye and I know how he hates signing autographs. Now I have to ask, why does he live in Hollywood and act in a career that puts you in the spotlight? Signing autograph requests and meeting fans is something he signed up for when he chose this career! Deal with it Leo!

I sincerely hope Leo changes his attitude very soon and becomes more accommodating to his fans. Despite not getting a photo, Leo’s autograph is number 5095 in my collection!

CELEB WHORE does a DUKU DUKU on SABC1 magazine show, Selimathunzi

2010-07-02T13:10:00.002+02:00

While visiting Joburg last weekend to attend the glamorous birthday party of the M-Net magazine show, All Access, I was also in town to film a segment for the local entertainment show, Selimathunzi. And my filmed segment is set to air on TV tomorrow evening (Saturday) on the show on SABC1 at 6pm. All the soccer fans need not worry, it won’t interrupt your daily soccer match dosage – it’ll air after the match on SABC1, so you can just continue sitting in front of you TV screens after the match finishes.

Selimathunzi, which I’ve been a fan of for ages and is now hosted by Zizo Beda and Kaos Matu, heard all the whorey details about my life as an autograph collector – and wanted to profile my 5 000 autographs and my experiences with both local and international celebs on camera.

So when they heard I was due to visit Joburg for the weekend, the show’s production team worked out a secret plan to get me access to a surprise celebrity event at Hyde Park in Joburg. I had no idea what was going to happen at the event, or who even was attending, but all I was told was to bring my pen and paper with to add some autographs for the collection.

Along with my bff Domenico Deidda, I headed to the venue last week Saturday where I had a call time of 6pm to meet the production team. To my surprise, I found myself attending the premiere of the soccer documentary Soccer: South of the Umbilo, which is directed by John Barker – son of former Bafana Bafana national soccer coach, Clive Barker.

The premier drew some interesting soccer names including Clive and John Barker, Moroka Swallows soccer hotties Ryan Botha and Shaun Haschick as well as soccer veteran Linda Buthelezi to name a few. Other local celebs in attendance included Binnelanders Sub Judice actor Carl Beukes, comedians Loyiso Gola and Joey Rasdien as well as actress Terry Pheto (from Tsotsi fame).

Comedian Joey Rasdien

With former Bafana Bafana soccer coach, Clive Barker

Former SA soccer great, Linda Buthelezi

Actor Carl Beukes (above and below) signs my Bafana Bafana T-Shirt

Moroka Swallows hottie Ryan Botha

Actress Terry Pheto

Selimathunzi host, Kaos, was on hand to cover the event where he did a cool interview with me at the premiere, getting me to reveal some anecdotes and personal experiences with some of the celebs I’ve encountered over the years. I’m not going to give all the details away as I expect you to catch it all on the show tomorrow evening on SABC1 at 6pm.

Selimathunzi host (above and below) Kaos Matu

Comedian Loyiso Gola

There were two fabulous highlights from the experience with Selimathunzi, which I enjoyed a lot! Firstly, they surprised me with a Bafana Bafana T-shirt on which I could get all the celebs to sign on (which you’ll also get to see on camera). And the second memorable moment happened on camera when they handed me a lovely 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup souvenir as a present – a hand-crafted FIFA soccer trophy. Catch it all on the show tomorrow evening on SABC1 at 6pm!

For all of my whorey behaviour, mingling with the celebs and chatting to Kaos on the evening, don’t miss Selimathunzi tomorrow night (Saturday) on SABC1 at 6pm.

M-Net's top celeb magazine show ALL ACCESS turns ONE!

2010-06-28T20:34:00.006+02:00

This past weekend the fabulous M-Net entertainment magazine show, All Access, commemorated its one-year anniversary on air – and I flew up to Joburg to feast the occasion in person with the show’s seven anchors, production house and some of South Africa’s top celebs.

The weekly TV show, together with M-Net, hosted a plush birthday party at Scarlett Ribbon at the Stoneridge Lifestyle Centre in Edenvale on Friday, where the “who’s who” of South African A-listers were all in attendance, dressed up to the nines! It was a perfect opportunity for me to whore and add some more autographs to my collection, schmooze with SA’s top celebs and get some photos too!

The moment I arrived at the venue, I saw the red carpet being filled with celebrities such as Kerishnie Naicker, Terrence Bridget, Vanessa Carrera, Vanessa Haywood, Jacques Terblanche, Graeme Richards, Shaun Haschick and Ryan Botha, Brumilda van Rensburg and Miss SA Nicole Flint. That’s when I knew this was going to be THE party of the year (based merely on the celeb and media turn out), and indeed it was - despite the chilly evening. Many of the celebs opted for warm clothes, with women either wearing pants or winter dresses, while the men opted for suits and blazers. Singer Loyiso perform his new single Wrong For You (sounds like a hit to me) while teen music sensations, Locnville, as well as Snotkop provided the entertainment for the evening.

With All Access host Pabi Moloi on the dance floor

With my bff Tammy-Anne Fortuin

The show’s presenters Mark Bayly, Pabi Moloi, Tammy-Anne Fortuin, Ewan Strydom, Bridget Masinga, Jason Greer and Koula all looked radiant in their designer outfits and greeted their VIP guests on the red carpet before the festivities took place. Later on the All Access presenters, crew and producers all took to the stage to commemorate the festivities and saluting the show’s success, before digging into the birthday cake and kicking off the evening's celebrations.

All Access host and model Ewan Strydom

The event, which was filled with invite-only VIPs, was put together by party planner extraordinaire Edith Venter – who really knows how to throw a party. I take my hat off to her for creating such a glam event and party at a fairly new venue in Joburg – which from what I hear is a breath of fresh air, compared to the regular hangouts where VIP events are held these days. More people should use Edith’s services as I’d say this birthday bash was the SA celeb event of the year so far!

Jason Greer from All Access and Brandon Eilers La Riche

Hot soccer stars Ryan Botha and Shaun Haschick

The red carpet was the ideal spot to celeb whore and track down all the stars – as they all arrived looking glam and ready to party! Of course, to maintain my composure and ensure I was ready to join in on the festivities, I managed to throw back a Cosmopolitan drink or two, which helped me to deal with the fact there were at least 600 celebs in one venue – and made the celebrity stalking fun and less stressful for me.

Guests were served with Krone champagne as they toasted to All Access’ one-year birthday, while they also feasted on complimentary cakes and wines.

TV presenter Graeme Richards and singer Jacques Terblanche

A personal highlight for me was being able to feast this show with my bff, Tamm-Anne Fortuin (All Access producer and presenter), the All Access crew and my other bff’s Domenico Deidda and Khwezi Magwaza – who all were there to feast to the show’s great success over the past year with our pal Tammy.

My bff's All Access presenter Bridget Masinga, Khwezi Magwaza, Tammy-Anne Fortuin and Domenico Deidda

Nadia Valvekens from Binnelanders

Domenico and I with Binnelanders stars Hykie Berg and Rolanda Marais

With Miss SA Nicole Flint

The show has elevated itself into the position of being one of the most popular, credible and entertaining magazine shows currently airing on TV and I think they’re going to get only stronger!

Another highlight for me was being able to meet former Miss SA winner, Kerishnie Naicker, whom I’ve always longed to meet. She was kind enough to sign an autograph and pose for a picture with me – and of course, I told her all about my whorey behaviour and how much I admired her and her fabulous career. (which she loved)

With peeps Bridget Masinga, PR and fashion extraordinaire Thulane Hadebe, Khwezi Magwaza, Ntebs Rajuili, Domenico and myself enjoying the party

Spinning on the decks during the evening was All Access host, Koula, who knows how to get the party jamming. She played some classic R&B, hip-hop and dance tunes that had my friend, Thulane Hadebe, and I strutting our stuff on the dance floor to Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love – with an audience cheering on.

The whole event was so well executed, classy, glitzy and was fitting to a show that clearly shows a lot of class, scoops and entertaining interviews – which I am such a HUGE fan of!

May All Access feast many more birthdays to come, and if the first one’s anything to go by, I can’t wait to feast the second one come 25 June next year.

NOTE: To catch all the birthday party fun and which A-listers managed to break it down on the dance floor, tune into All Access this Friday (2 July) on M-Net at 19:30.

US reality star– and mega diva – Kimora Lee Simmons delivers FABULOSITY in Cape Town

2010-06-24T12:19:00.000+02:00

The moment I heard reality TV star, former model, mother and business woman, Kimora Lee Simmons was due to visit Cape Town for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, I knew I had to meet this global icon! And last night, I managed to do just that!

Yesterday myself and my bff Khwezi Magwaza (Seventeen Magazine editor) braved the 2 000 plus crowd and fellow Kimora groupies who all swarmed in and stampeded around her Baby Phat clothing store at Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Cape Town to try and get a glimpse of the star – who was in town to add her support to the Soccer World Cup and check up on her business interests in SA. And all I can say is: Kimora is diva-lish personified but one of the coolest celebs ever! She’s exactly what I imagined her to be, having religiously watched her show on The Style Network on DStv, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane.

Kimora, who arrived last weekend in Cape Town, was due to hold a meet and greet with her fans from 5-7pm, and was due to have a cocktail party with the local media from 8pm till 11pm last night. Myself and Khwezi attended the event with the sheer hopes of meeting Miss Kimora – whom my gay friends have aptly named me after – as well as getting the chance to possibly meet her lovely hubby, Djimon Honsou (whom I fell in love with after I saw the Hollywood blockbuster Blood Diamond).

Once we arrived at the venue, Khwezi and I were greeted by thousands of Kimora fans, some of whom waited outside the store from 9am just to meet her. It got so chaotic at one point, after we realised that Miss K had arrived 3 hours – in true diva/Kimora style – after her scheduled time (8pm), hence causing the chaos amongst the fans. Everyone was pushing and shoving in order to get the chance to meet her, and the media had trouble trying to get inside the venue. After an hour’s wait, and much drama, Khwezi and myself finally were allowed inside, where we saw Kimora posing for pics and signing autographs with her fans. And she truly loves her fans!

My first impression of her was: she’s exactly the person her fans get to see on TV. Secondly, she is MUCH thinner and even more fabulous in person and she really loves connecting with people. And thirdly, she can multitask like a real mother does. When the fans were lining up inside the store at one point, Kimora began chatting to her assistant Sandra (whom viewers of her show will recognise) and giving instructions to do for a project, that’s when we all heard her utter the line: “I will not have my people confused at all,” before swishing her body to face the cameraman saying “Smile, ladies!” Can we say DIVA! This made me laugh indeed.

Soon afterwards, Khwezi and I spotted Djimon in the store and we began our mission to get a photo with him. Of course, like I always do, I printed photos of both Kimora and Djimon to sign for my collection.

The meet and greet ended up going on for over two hours and by then, the fans had fizzled out and it was just media awaiting their turn to get a moment to chat with Kimora. By the time the groupie session was over, Khwezi had already managed to get Djimon to pose for a pic with her! The jealous whore in me knew I had to get both pics pronto! And before I knew it, I was personally introduced to Kimora where I had a few moments to chat to her.

She was lovely and told me she wanted to buy a house in Cape Town. She appreciated the fact that I was a fan and liked the photo I gave her to sign for my collection!

So with one celeb ticked off, next on the list was to get Djimon. Within ten minutes of me meeting Kimora, I saw Djimon making plans to leave and that’s when I had to make sure I met the guy! I was introduced to him and he was very eager to pose for a photo (I’m the only person he seemed willing enough to pose for, even giving me a thumbs up) and he signed my photo too.

Within minutes, he and Kimora were escorted out of the shop by security and off they went home. Reason being was because Djimon has early work commitments to do today and Kimora had some of her own business interests to sort out.

What an accomplishment bagging two massive US celebs on the same night, despite the frenzy, chaos and drama Khwezi and I had to endure. Once again, it just proves that the life of SA’s No.1 Celebrity Whore is not always glamorous but it makes everything worthwhile living in the FAB LANE!

A cancer-free Ethan Zohn celebrates the Soccer World Cup in SA

2010-06-14T13:06:00.003+02:00

I’m excited to report that my friend Ethan Zohn is cancer-free, healthy and his much-loved curly hair is finally growing back! (Even if they're small curls!)

Ethan (who won Survivor: Africa) and his sexy girlfriend Jenna Morasca (Survivor: Amazon winner) are both in SA to enjoy the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup over the next few weeks, and I just spent some time with them yesterday at the Fifa Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha township in Cape Town.

Catching up with him and Jenna made my heart smile as Ethan, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma last year, underwent chemotherapy and a number of other cancer treatments to fight the disease before finally beating cancer.

He’s looking really great and I’m so thrilled that he’s in town to spend some time with underprivileged kids from Khayelitsha as well as cash in on the soccer mania!

Ethan’s hair is softer than ever before and there are clear signs of his trademark Afro returning!

His charity Grassroots Soccer (GRS), which he established after his win on Survivor in 2002, is hosting soccer camps during the World Cup, providing education and soccer skills to underprivileged kids from Khayelitsha.

From what I’ve seen in person, Ethan loves to hang with the kids, put smiles on their faces and act as a beacon of hope to fight any obstacles they may face in life. He’s really making a difference in the world and I feel more people can do the same right now!

And he hasn’t lost his touch with dribbling a ball, as he spent quite a bit of time on the field yesterday playing soccer with kids and dancing – African style. Maybe I should teach him how to do the Single Ladies moves?

At the centre, GRS together with RED (an organisation which raises awareness and funds for the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa) are hosting soccer and life skills camps throughout the World Cup – which will keep the kids off the streets this month.

Both he and Jenna are enjoying Cape Town and have already done some shopping and sightseeing at various malls and places in the city. I know she’s a huge sushi fan, so I’ve promised to take them both out on a sushi date soon. I may even take Jenna up on her stripper aerobics classes she’s doing while in SA. Apparently a few lessons on the pole will leave you having “a sick body”. :-) Not that Jenna doesn’t already have a body to die for!

This is the first time the twosome are spending more than 10 days in the country and are really enjoying their visit during the soccer mayhem. Jenna’s even gotten her very own vuvuzela too!

So who are these two Survivors supporting to win the crown? Ethan’s rooting for the USA and Jenna wants the Italians to kick ass of course. But while the soccer glory is bringing all the excitement to their lives, the two plan on travelling outside of Cape Town to see the rest of SA as well over the next few weeks.

We’ll see who will end up taking home the crown! For now, that sushi date is calling! The stomach has spoken!

Burger Le Roux is the Supersterre winner!

2010-06-14T12:55:00.001+02:00

For those of you who missed Friday night’s episode of Supersterre on SABC2, Robertson high school student Burger Le Roux was crowned as the third Supersterre winner – pipping Giovanni Divito at the post.

The finale was actually recorded last week Tuesday at Carnival City in Joburg – amid the Soccer World Cup chaos and vuvuzela mayhem in the streets, where I was one of a few press members flown up to attend the singing spectacular.

I must admit Joburg is the place to be this month! The atmosphere is electrifying and it was the perfect setting for a singing showdown between the top two singers in SA. The finale was recorded over three or so hours, as the two singers performed a few numbers on stage, together with the Supernova contestant (the finalist who was voted back into the competition), Marsha Lombard.

Then some of SA’s top singers also took to the stage to entertain the 4000 audience members including Manuel Escorcio, Theuns Jordaan, Bobby Van Jaarsveld, Heinz Winckler, Steve Hofmeyr and Bianca le Grange

Burger with his Supersterre coach Manuel Escorcio

Here with Patricia Lewis

As always, it was great to see Patricia Lewis aka Patsy – who created the show to give up-and-coming Afrikaans talent a foot in the door of the music industry. She’s also looking really great these days, having lost 3kgs and has changed her eating habits since her throat cancer scare last year.

With Supersterre runner-up Giovanni Divito

With legendary SA singer Manuel Escorcio

With Supersterre co-host, Brandon October

Here with winner, Burger Le Roux

With singer Bianca le Grange

I’ve always wanted to meet Bianca, seeing that I was a huge fan of hers since Idols in 2002. And she didn’t disappoint. Once the finale wrapped up, I managed to schmooze my way with some of the celebs, where I managed to snap some pics and get a few autographs for the collection as well.

And so my star stills glitters!

US rapper Akon takes Cape Town by storm

2010-06-07T12:28:00.004+02:00

With the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup just four days away from kick-off, the country is abuzz with US celebs and all the international footballers gracing our shores.

Ahead of the official opening ceremony this week, and while the rest of the international celebs jet into the country, Senegalese-born US rapper Akon, gave a once-off performance in Cape Town over the weekend at Grand West Casino in Cape Town. And boy was it chaotic!

On Friday last week, I was on the media list to have one-on-one interviews with the rapping sensation in Cape Town but due to his late arrival in Cape Town a few hours earlier, all media interviews were canned at the last minute to cater for Akon getting some rest. That’s when I first had a hunch about some sort of his diva behaviour. We had to be on standby for Akon seeing that he was going to be doing a CD signing at the V&A Waterfront later that day, and could only squeeze us into his busy schedule later that afternoon.

So at around 4pm, I found myself heading to the interview venue, only to be told the allotted 10 minute interview was chopped down to five minutes! Say what? How does one write a story from a five-minute interview? But I soon learnt, it wasn’t Akon that requested this it was the demands of his management team. In fact, Akon was much more pleasant in person and was extremely media savvy and more than accommodating to take extra questions and requests from the media.

So when my interview time approached, I was introduced to the rapper and he was soon informed about my autograph collection. And he was immediately impressed saying to me: “Well then I gotta sign your photo now before the interview starts, then you have it!” And he did just that!

The five minutes were over before I knew it and in true CELEB WHORE fashion, I asked for a photo and he was cool to take it! He knows how to work the media and knows exactly what to give a journo for a story! By far, one of the most pleasant interviews I’ve had in ages!

Now, fast forward to the concert on Saturday evening! By this time I'd heard how Akon had infuriated journalists with his no-show for Saturday's media conference briefing, so I was very keen to see whether the concert would actually be a success. I ended up attending the concert with a very good friend of mine visiting from Australia, and as soon we got to the Grand West Arena, we witnessed how fans were irate with Akon for keeping them waiting with his show.

Locnville

In fact, as I moved to the bar to get me some alcohol to kick-start the party, I spotted local music sensations Locnville (the cute twins, Andrew and Brian Chaplin) in the queue and mobbed them for an autograph and photo too! They were awesome to chat to and I just know they’ll be huge in years to come! Their music is great and they’ve got ultimate star quality – even though they've just stopped using nappies

Back to Akon now! He kept the crowd waiting for almost an hour before eventually coming out on stage to perform! Lots of acrobats, dancing, crowd thumping numbers and his DJ was great at pumping the crowds up! I just felt he should not have resorted to singing snippets of his big hits and he should have not decided to throw himself inside a massive ball, only to be bounced in the air, up and down, by the members of the crowd. Great for trying to be close to his fans, not such a clever idea when thousands of people are stampeding in on the action!

Having seen him live in concert prior to this, I was somewhat disappointed with the performance! Clearly his die-hard fans could appreciate it better than I did! Despite this, I still managed to get his autograph in person and it worth having it in there anyway! I can officially now say that I’ve SMACKED THAT!

SPOTTED: Ugly Betty’s Eric Mabius in Cape Town

2010-05-27T18:58:00.005+02:00

Snapped with Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius and my friend Lynn Shaw

When you’re good, you’re good! What can I say? Well, last weekend I found myself in the most exciting position that any Ugly Betty (and celebrity fan) could ever find themselves in. . . .

My friends Domenico Deidda and Lynn Shaw

While attending the Super 14 rugby semi-final match between Stormers and NSW Waratahs at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, I found myself seated right behind Hollywood TV actor, Eric Mabius (better known to TV fans as Daniel Meade from Ugly Betty). I was sitting and chatting two my two friends Domenico Deidda and Lynn Shaw, when I was dumbstruck to see Eric wearing a Western Province rugby shirt, as he attended the match with two butch Afrikaans-looking rugby fans. Those rugby boy types,you didn’t want to mess with!

I didn’t expect the odds that I’d be encountering this hottie at a South African rugby match. Looks like the universe just attracts the celebs to me now – it makes my job of being a celeb whore much easier! [Laughs] It turns out Eric, who I love as the sex-manic magazine editor Daniel on Ugly Betty, is in SA to film the new BBC sci-fi series Outcasts. Something along the lines to do with aliens. Not my cup of tea. But who cares?

Of course, the moment I spotted him my heart palpitated with excitement, considering that I didn’t have to go far to spot him at all. I immediately SMSed a bunch of my closest friends about my discovery, who couldn’t believe my luck – or they thought I was pulling their legs. So, the mission was on to get the perfect moment of distraction, get the autograph for my collection and snap a photo as well. But there was just a small problem . . . I had no pen or photo for him to sign something with. I figured I could get him to sign my semi-final rugby ticket, but didn’t want to act like a crazed fan, so the mission was on to locate a pen. Pronto!

Throughout the first 32 minutes of the first half (for those non-rugby fans, the games comprises of two 40 minutes halves), he was virtually unnoticed by the crowds and rugby fans seated next to him. The main reason was because he was dressed in the WP Rugby shirt – and didn’t show off any star quality. He seemed like a regular South African, having fun at the rugby with his friends. He was polite, smiled at folks around him during the excitement – as he was clearly cheering for The Stormers, he even went gag over Lynn’s baby too and while he was excited by the game, he ended up bumping me with his elbow – before politely apologising. I tell myself that’s the moment when we “connected”. He seemed really happy to be here, and the conclusion I got from just watching him was that he was a genuine guy. And he couldn’t sit still in his seat too! That’s when I sneakily found time to snap some paparazzi photos of him – and his mighty fine ass!

As the game approached half time, Eric and his two friends left their seats, and I was filled with regret. I kept on telling Lynn and Domenico: “I hope he’s not leaving, as I have to get that autograph!” By this point, I hadn’t bothered to ask him, because if I did, it would attract the attention of the other rugby fans, who would then recognise the TV star as well – something I definitely wanted to avoid.

It’s now half time and I go in search of a pen. It came in the form of a SAMARITAN, when I stopped at a kiosk at the stadium and a very generous woman gave me her pen to use to get the autograph. Armed and ready to pounce on him the next time I saw him, Lynn, Domenico and I retreated back to our seats with much excitement.

Then five minutes into the second half – and after a ton of nerves, botching to my friends and some prayer – Eric returned to his seat for some more rugby fun and Mexican wave chanting. That’s when the drama began. Yes, drama! Two young girls seated next to him, finally realised who he was and they went bezerk! After shoving their camera phone in his face, he said: “Please don’t do that – I’d rather take a photo with you.” The next minute, the two opted to updating their Facebook status about their celeb discovery at Newlands.

Not too long afterwards, some female fans seated in front of him recognised him and immediately demanded photos and autographs – which then caught the attention of the entire stadium block were seated in. It wasn’t long before more rugby fans noticed the commotion around him, but when someone shouted, “Hey, aren’t you from Ugly Betty?”

He felt somewhat overwhelmed by the sudden, crazed attention and proceed to leave his seat when I tapped him on the shoulder saying: “Excuse me Eric, can you please sign my ticket.” He responded: “No problem, but I’ve gotta do this quick”.

Of course, that wasn’t all that I wanted from him! I asked for a photo too, and he gladly obliged, despite wanting to run away and disappear from the sudden attention.

I handed my camera phone over to Domenico, who snapped the photo! I scored!! :-) It may not have been a rugby try, but I scored another Hollywood star in person!

Little did I know that while I was getting snapped by Domenico, another friends on Twitter, Eloise Costandius, snapped a photos of me and Eric in action. Oh the power of whoring has its benefits!

He truly seemed like a nice guy and one of the most down-to-earth people I’ve encountered so far. Else why would he even brave the 50 000 person crowd to watch a rugby match in SA? All I know is, he ain’t no Ugly Betty and certainly knows how to put on the charm – SA style!

Latest Autograph Report - May 2010

2010-05-14T16:46:00.000+02:00

Hey fellow whores! I must first apologise for my sheer silence since my last update on meeting Ne-Yo. His concert was amazing and one of the best shows I’ve seen live. Since then, I’ve been busy with work and just getting into a routine for my personal life – seeing that it’s been busy all around. So that means I’ve had very little time to follow up on autograph requests via email and snail mail to the A-List’s of our Hollywood generation.

Nevertheless, I’m happy to report some great successes that have arrived in my post box with the last week or so . . .

MARK SALLING

He’s one of the reasons I first became obsessed with the US TV show Glee. I decided to track down the contact addresses for the entire cast and after I received Matthew Morrison’s earlier this year, I felt I had to email Mark’s management team for a signed photo from this stud. I must admit, he’s one of the popular actors on the show and I figured I’d wait at least a few months before they came across my email, but Mark’s manager emailed me four weeks ago – responding to my autograph request – with the notion that he’d be sending me a signed photo of Mark. Kudos to you mister, as I received am 8X10 inch colour signed photo for the collection! I love Glee even more now. Sue Sylvester would be proud!

ERNIE ELS

He’s one the few golfing legends this country has produced and Ernie Els is one busy man. In fact I waited ten months before I received a reply from his management team, in response to my email. I was emailed early in May and this week I received a lovely 6X8 inch colour signed photo. A great one to have in the collection.

DENVER BURNS

He’s the hottest thing since sliced bread and has quickly become a regular at SA hot spots and party events, but this autograph in my collection is somewhat more personal than most autographs I have. As the current Mr SA, Denver Burns went to school with me in Port Elizabeth and it’s great to see such a good bloke reap all the rewards in life. I’m glad to add his autograph to my collection and I know he’ll go on to even greater things in life!

ERIC McCORMACK

This is by far my favourite comedy TV show EVER! Will & Grace is an all-time classic and I’ve always dreamed of of getting all the cast members’ autographs. Having crossed off Sean “Jack 2000/2001/2002/2003/2004/Just Jack” Hayes’ autograph on my list in 2000 (he’d be proud), I have found it extremely difficult to get signed photos from Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Eric McCormack over the years. Finally, after a very long wait – in fact it could be over a year or so – I recently received Eric “Will” McCormack’s autograph, inscribed and signed out “To Clayton”. It was definitely worth the wait. It’s such a gay thing to do of course, arrive fashionably late.

RENO HORN

The porn industry is very fascinating indeed and recently I decided to meet up with adult film star, Reno Horn, (aka Kurt Rodgers) in person in Cape Town to get the autograph. While the meeting was merely to just get the autograph in person, I came away with so much respect and admiration for the work he does – which, like any other job, has its advantages and disadvantages. He’s an international icon and I was “blown” away by the sheer confidence and guts it takes to work as an adult star in SA as well as the world. And yes, while many see porn stars as desirable objects, they’re also human – with feelings too, you know! It’s a very interesting career path indeed and it’s actually just a job like anything else. Oh well, that’s one more to the collection! Knee pads and all.

A CLOSER encounter with R&B star Ne-Yo in SA

2010-05-04T13:32:00.002+02:00

He’s regarded as one of the most hardworking musicians in the international music industry and finally, I’m so thrilled to have met him!

R&B singer, songwriter, actor and producer, Ne-Yo, is currently in SA to perform for his loyal fans in Joburg and Cape Town – and I was lucky enough to meet this R&B crooner in person yesterday

While his two-legged tour of SA only got some hype just under a month ago, the concerts where almost put in jeopardy when Ne-Yo arrived late in SA over the weekend – the day of his Joburg concert (on Saturday). He was originally meant to have arrived on either Thursday or Friday and when he didn’t pitch up at a press conference the day before his show last Friday, it sent media into a panic and frenzy.

If I was a member of the Joburg media, I would’ve been upset for him not pitching up and being told by the show’s organises he hasn’t arrived yet – that’s after they waited two hours at the venue for his arrival. While I was on my way to my hometown of PE, I witnessed an outrage from media members and devout Ne-YO fans, who tweeted and Facebooked about their mission to “Find Ne-YO” instead of “Finding Nemo”.

But despite the secrecy and cloud hanging over the heads of the show’s organisers for the concerts, Ne-Yo managed to arrive on time and even pulled off a kick-ass concert. All Access host Pabi Moloi SMSed me from the concert saying what a fab show it was and that I was bound to enjoy the CPT one. And that it was a MUST SEE!

So while Ne-Yo didn’t spend much face-to-face time with the Joburg media, I was invited to the CPT press conference at the Radisson Hotel near the V&A Waterfront, where I made sure I would apply my celeb whoring skills. Afraid I may encounter a “no-show” from this R&B star, whose music I’ve been a fan of since he penned the song "Let Me Love You" for Mario in 2004, I still went prepared with my camera and “Year of The Gentleman” CD, ready to pounce on him for an autograph.

His songs “Sexy Love”, “Closer” and “Can We Chill” are just a few of the many reasons why I was excited to interview him and meet him in person.

Upon my arrival, I immediately noticed him across the room having breakfast at the hotel so my nerves were calmed down and at least I knew I had a fighting chance to meet him.

I originally thought I may be dealing with a diva, seeing that he’s worked with my hero Mariah Carey, Beyoncé as well as Rihanna to name a few, but to my surprise Ne-Yo was very easy going and super down to earth – I was so pleasantly surprise and shocked to see just how approachable and humble he could be.

He didn’t mind answering questions from the press and by the time the press conference was completed, I immediately got Ne-Yo’s attention (that’s after I squeezed in a question about what it was like to work with Mariah) to sign my CD. He gladly obliged and while he was busy signing, I had my friend Misha Miles snapping away. And when I asked him to pose for a photo, he was more than happy to look straight into the camera and let my arms go around his neck for the photo.

I walked away thinking: “If only more celebs could be as more humble or down to earth, I’d be in heaven!”

Meeting him was a real pleasure simply because I genuinely am a HUGE Ne-Yo fan and to have met him was an indelible memory I’ll always cherish! Tonight is the Cape Town concert leg and with my tickets in hand, my bff Khwezi Magwaza and I are going to be screaming loud and proud at the Bellville Velodrome!

Surfing the Celebrity Tuesday airwaves on MFM 92.6

2010-04-29T17:49:00.005+02:00

“Another press coverage opportunity, another way for the whore to infiltrate the world of celebrity culture!” That’s how I’ve been mentally approaching all the fabulous press coverage opportunities I’ve been receiving within the last month or so, since I reached my milestone of 5 000 celebrity autographs.

And this week, the press haven continued when I was asked to appear as a celebrity guest on MFM 92.6 in Stellenbosch on Freedom Day – which rakes in over 35 000 listeners. It’s a fabulous community station situated and they’ve hosted a number of great international and local celebs on their show too. Just recently they had controversial Afrikaans singer Jack Parow as well as actor Stelio Sevante, who starred in Ugly Betty, on their show.

They too heard about all the press coverage I’ve been featured in and thought I’d make great conversationalist about celebrity culture and how to “stalk” the rich and famous for autographs.

I spent my Freedom Day with my peeps Domenico Deidda, Helga Loff, Kurt Herman and Bradley Goldman in Stellenbosch – going for wine tasting tours before I made my way to the MFM studios. I was hoping not to rock up smelling like a wine glass myself, but then again I wanted to some some sort of diva-ness in me on air as well!

Of course, all diva-like, I arrived with my entourage at the studios and with much excitement looked forward to my radio debut as a guest on the hour-long show, which is hosted by Cato Bekker and Deonette Theart.

One can't take the entourage no where - Domenico and Helga :-)

Bradley and Kurt chilling in studio

Hanging with Cato and Deonette in studio

What was great about this interview was the fact that listeners could get to know much more about my life, being a CELEB WHORE and why I am fascinated with the celebrity culture.

I ended up giving away a few valuable tips on how others could stalk the rich and famous and even got to intro and outro two of my favourite songs on air – Single Ladies by Beyoncé as well as Obsessed by Mariah Carey. I’ve never had so much fun in an interview before and got the opportunity to inform the show’s listeners about my blog – so keep on spreading the word!

During the broadcast, I got some further exciting news about me getting some more press coverage on a national level, so I can’t wait to share that soon. I promise you guys will love!

3Talk’s Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu celebrates 7 years on air!

2010-04-29T17:20:00.005+02:00

The date was 1 April 2003! The occasion, you may ask? Well, this was when South Africa was introduced to a new local talk show host in the form of Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu – resulting in the birth of 3Talk.

Seven years later, Noeleen’s become an integral part of South African TV audiences, broadcasting inside the homes of millions of viewers on SABC3 at 15:50 daily, and focusing on an array of topics from medical, to sport, politics, lifestyle as well as celebrity culture.

Having feasted her seventh year on TV earlier this month, Noeleen decided to thank seven of her loyal viewers (plus partners) by feasting the birthday celebrations with her and her production team in Cape Town this past weekend – and of course, I was there too to finally have the chance of meeting Noeleen in person!

The festivities kicked off on Friday when I managed to meet up with Noeleen at the lovely new multi-purpose Green Point Stadium in Cape Town – which will host all the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer games in the Mother City. Noeleen, her crew and the seven lucky winners and their partners were treated to a tour of the stadium.

When I arrived there, I was introduced to her and she immediately knew who I was. “You’re the guy who collects autographs, right?” she asked. Of course, it proved the reputation of South Africa’s No.1 Celebrity Whore is clearly doing the rounds in the right circles!

The 3Talk team took later on hosted a seven-course dinner at the Cullinan Hotel for the winners and also went on a wine tasting tour at the wine farm of rugby player, Schalk Burger and his family – Schalk Burger & Sons.

It seemed like everybody was a in a celebratory mood – and let’s face it, the show has been a great success and Noeleen’s fast elevated herself into the position of being South Africa’s version of Oprah! One thing I took away from meeting her was the fact that she recognised the show wasn’t about her, rather about the viewers and guests on the show.

“The show goes beyond me. I work with a fabulous team of people who help make this show a success and together, we try to highlight topics that will hopefully change the lives of those out there watching. Even if a particular show just affected one person’s life, then it was all worth it.”

Let’s face it, Noeleen’s got the charm to get anyone talking and that’s why people tune in everyday! I couldn’t help but notice a number of people stopping her for a quick chat, autographs and even photos. My gosh, there are so many of me out there these days! (Laughs) And she does it with graces and ease, too! Happy birthday 3Talk and here’s to seven more years!

Quick fact: Noeleen’s favourite celeb interview was singer Lionel Richie and she lalso oved having R&B star Christina Aguilera on the show.

Monthly Autograph Report – April 2010

2010-04-23T18:39:00.004+02:00

Having reached my autograph milestone of 5 000 autographs towards the end of last month, I’ve been very busy writing away to various celebs – both local and international – to make sure I have a head start towards obtaining my next 5 000 autographs. I’ve sent out numerous emails and posted some letters and I hope they all make their way back to me very soon.

While this has been on the go, I’ve also started to receive some autographs which have now catapulted my autograph tally to 5030. Here’s just a few of the autographs which have arrived in my postal box this month:

ANELE MDODA

I actually hung out with the fabulous Anele Mdoda from 5fm last night. She’s in town for work purposes and we got to catch up over lamb cuisine and some drinks. It was great to chill but she was kind enough to share a copy of this months Destiny magazine – on which she’s the cover girl. Everyone should go out and buy it indeed! I always enjoy signed magazine covers – it’s a nice memento for the collection! You go Miss A!

GAVIN VAN DEN BERG

I have a friend in Port Elizabeth who also collects autographs and he managed to get in touch with legendary SA actor Gavin van den Berg, who signed a few photos for him. I benefited with this one for my own collection.

BJORN STEINBACH

Fellow whores, here’s a talent you should keep an eye out for! The name is Bjorn Steinbach and I am glad I have his autograph in my collection already. This Port Elizabeth-born actor (who now works and lives in Cape Town) has enjoyed roles in a number of Hollywood and BBC productions such as Invictus, Death Race 2 (due to be released later this year or next year) and Generation Kill. He’s also currently in The Philanthropist, which was shot in Cape Town in 2008, alongside Neve Campbell and Jesse L Martin. I met up with him recently and managed to get him to sign a photo for me! Great success!

CHRISTEL SMITH

Egoli fans: ever wondered what happened to Christel Smith? Well these days she works as a personal trainer and lives in the USA. After playing the role of Tarien in Egoli, Christel Smith moved to the US in the early ‘90s and is famous for getting actress Uma Thurman into shape for the Kill Bill movies. It wasn’t easy but I managed to track down an email addy of hers, and after some perseverence, I eventually received a reply from Christel – promising me an autograph! And voila!

PROVERB

ProVerb is way cool man! As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I met ProVerb at this year’s Idols auditions in Cape Town. He was super fascinated by my hobby of collecting autographs – let’s hope he backs down from his threat to steal that idea (Laughs)! He didn’t mind signing on a photo of himself which he said “was taken was when he was fat”.

REBECCA BORMAN

I love adding new Survivor autographs to my collection. And I waited almost six month for the autograph of Survivor: Cook Islands castaway Rebecca Borman to arrive in my post box. She posted it on November 29, 2009 and it arrived six months later. Say what? Either way, I’m just grateful the autograph package arrived in one piece. And another Survivor bites to dust!

It's in the Cosmo jeans!

2010-04-23T18:27:00.003+02:00

Cosmopolitan Magazine sure knows how to attract a crowd. Once you land an invite from Cosmo Mag to any of its functions, it’s guaranteed that there’ll be enough local celebs to keep you running around an entire room, whoring for photos and autographs.

Of course, that’s not the only reason I attended their latest event in Cape Town! I was also there to witness the hot new jeans and fashion looks on show (ummm, well at least that’s what I told myself) or rather the hot models on the catwalk!

While attending a Cosmo event hosted in Cape Town, the Mag can sometimes be a victim to hosting it’s usual a “rent-a-crowd” party – which can be way to overwhelming – leaving you with very little time and space to mingle because you’re constantly worried of being pushed over or trying to wipe away the sweat from your steamy hot bods in the venue!

However the latest Cosmopolitan Fashion Jeans launch in Cape Town this past Wednesday did prove to be a rather fun affair! The launch was hosted at Vaudeville – which is a sought-after burlesque club in the city centre and houses some great entertainment acts on stage.

While the acts were extraordinary, I was trying to spot the celebs in the crowd and I felt Cape Town’s A-List seemed to disappoint me again with their “no shows”! I don’t know if it was case of their fear of the rain or that they were genuinely working hard for their monies, but the celebs didn’t come in droves as much as I suspected. My bff, Khwezi Magwaza, and I hung out with talented SAMA-Award nominee Chad Saaiman, who I first loved from Idols in 2002. We met in 2008 and haven’t looked back since. While I’ve always managed to party with him and see him in action on stage, I never actually added his autograph to my collection – so finally I got him to sign my 2010 Cosmo Sexiest Man Calendar.

It turns out my only two other autographs I’d get on the evening were also models from the Cosmo Sexiest Man Calendar.

Chilling with Chad Saaiman

My peeps Khwezi Magwaza, Chad and his brother, Lee Saaiman.

Bryce Thompson and Curtis Hardin, who’s girlfriend is model (and my friend) Valene Sampson, also added their signatures to my collection! Bryce is HOT! And to be honest, while the fashion show may have been a tad bit long, Bryce was the only incentive for getting me through it.

Getting my moment with Bryce Thompson after the show . . .

With models Curtis Hardin and Valene Sampson

Last year's calendar hunk, Vincent Ntujna, was also in attendance and he too delighted on the catwalk!

Vincent Ntunja

With my girl and TV personality, Elana Afrika

Another highlight for the evening was catching up with Elana Afrika – she even modelled in the show and was the MC for the evening. The girl’s looking good as always.

With the sexy Reno Horn

And finally, after months of back and forth emails, I finally got to meet male porn star Reno Horn, owner and founder of the sole porn studio in Cape Town – Liberate Studios.

I’m still waiting for my autograph Reno, so I better make sure I add that one to my collection very soon.

The fashion show housed ranges from Foschini, Guess and Levi’s to name a few and by the looks of things, winter will be a fun season. That’s huge for me to admit, because I hate cold weather. But if Bryce was a poster boy for any clothing range, it may just become my hottest winter yet!

ANOTHER WEEK IN THE LIFE OF A CELEB WHORE . . .

2010-04-23T18:10:00.003+02:00

It seems people have been taking note of my 5 000 autograph milestone, as well as the extensive press coverage I've been getting so far, and I can proudly say the recognition for my long journey in collecting autographs - and whoring - is finally paying off!

I’ve received further press recently in yet another two publications about my fascinating hobby:

http://www.rapport.co.za/printArticle.aspx?iframe&aid=11fb8c74-baae-4da0-8480-38c46e85f28e&cid=2400

The national Afrikaans newspaper, Rapport, featured me with a huge article spread in their newspaper almost four weeks ago, and now I can finally share the link with you guys. It was quite a cool photo shoot I did with them at my flat and I loved how they managed to show off some of the most prolific autographs in my collection.

Following on from my recent Channel 24 interview, their mother website, NEWS 24, ran they Channel 24 story link on their homepage – which allowed more people to read the story online. Some friends and family of mine (both near and far) got in touch with me after reading the link and were quite chuffed about the milestone. Some of those who congratulated me are people I’ve known since high school who first got accustomed to my unique hobby. It's phenomenal that getting press for my hobby has helped me reconnect with old school friends again!

It’s been fun riding this wave and I’ve got even more exciting news to share: I’ll be making an appearance on a national TV show next month as well being featured on another top notch entertainment website very soon. I’ll be sure to splurge all the info as soon as it’s available!

Autograph fame and fortunes . . .

2010-04-11T16:04:00.002+02:00

5 000 autographs! That’s a milestone I didn’t expect to reach anytime soon but now that it’s finally happened, I’ve been busy sending out new autograph request to hit my next target – 6 000!

In between whoring around with celebs and the autograph requests, I’ve been busy doing interviews with a few publications about my autograph feat!

Last week I appeared on an autograph Blog in the USA, Autograph Collectors Daily, which US collector Lon Strickler owns, to share the news with other collectors about me reaching the 5 000 mark.

http://stricklerautographs.blogspot.com/2010/03/scoring-my-5000th-autograph.html

On Thursday I was also featured in the Port Elizabeth newspaper, Algoa Sun, where they too shared some insight into some of my favourite highlights about my collection and who I’ve met to date.

And late on Thursday evening, while I attended the launch of a local sports show, I received an email from Channel 24’s Samantha Brighton about her write up about my celeb whoring talents on the Channel24.co.za website. She really did a cool job of showing off some of my most fun moments and even added a gallery of pics for visitors of the site to check out.

http://www.channel24.co.za/Gossip/Celeb-whore-Clayton-reaches-5000-autographs-20100408

May the celebrations continue and may my whoring continue to bring more success for the collection!

Idols fever hits Cape Town

2010-04-11T15:59:00.002+02:00

So Idols is back this year and there seems to be some changes. Firstly, host Liezel van der Westhuizen is back with a co-host – singer ProVerb (who fans will know form watching Survivor SA: Santa Carolina now on M-Net). Also the auditions are back to taking place in the middle of the year (not like summer during last season) and judge Dave Thompson’s empty seat has been replaced with guest judges through the audition phases – which will be filled by a number of SA music artists.

So last week Thursday, I went off to the Cape Town leg of the auditions where I managed to sit in on some of the contestants’ performances. For a moment I was tempted to sing myself, but the wrath of the judges scared me the most!

I can’t give anything away but I have to say the judges are brutal and more fierce this season. Gareth Cliff, Mara Louw and Randall Abrahams are back to scour the country and search for a new Idols winner. Freshlyground’s Zolani was the guest judge for the Cape Town auditions and she was lovely to watch as she gave contestants some constructive criticism when needed as well as generous enthusiasm and feedback on other occasions.

Liezel and I catching up

In between the auditions, I hung around with Liezel van der Westhuizen – who is a total health bunny! I so could learn a thing or two from her. She’s currently training to compete in this year’s Ironman event and she gyms up to five hours a day. I gave her advice on where to gym in Cape Town - and she managed to find time in her busy schedule to stick to her training schedule! Sjoe! I’d met her at last year’s Idols finale but it was great to chill and catch up without all the audience hype and chaos the show normally brings when the contest heats up.

With Proverb at the Idols auditions

What was very cool for me was to finally meet ProVerb. He’s lost a great deal of weight since being on Survivor and when I asked him for his autograph, he quirked: “Are you serious? That’s such a cool idea I’d never thought of (collecting autographs). I am so gonna steal your idea and start my own collection!” He’s really fun in person and works well on camera with the contestants.

I think he and Liezel will gel well on screen and so I can’t wait to see how this season pans out when the show starts around June/July. The highlight, as always, may very well be the quirky remarks from Gareth and Randall! There’s nothing better than a little drama to spice up the show, as they do best!

The Amazing Race stars Arti and Vipul Patel visit Cape Town

2010-04-11T15:50:00.003+02:00

I’m such a reality whore! I love the fact that Survivor and The Amazing Race (TAR), my two favourite reality TV shows ever, can unite many people from across the globe with the show’s stars – due to the global popularity of these hit TV shows.

Yes they’re not your Brangelina’s, Julia Roberts, R Patz or other Hollywood celebrities as such but meeting reality stars is fun for me! Ever since I first became a journalist in 2005, I’d already established contacts with a handful of TAR and Survivor folk, and thanks to me interviewing cast members from every season, I’ve managed to now hang out and became friends with a great number of these stars.

Having already met a few TAR and Survivor folk in person in South Africa – which is always such a thrill for me – my aim is to meet as many of them in person as possible. Recently, I had the chance to hang out with a TAR couple as they visited South Africa together for the first time in their married life.

Devout TAR fans should remember Arti and Vipul Patel from season ten of TAR – the season which models Tyler Denk and James Branaman won. Arti and Vipul were the second team to leave the show but the first eliminated pair on TAR that season.

Arti and Vipul on TAR 10

Tyler and James - winners of TAR 10

What’s interesting is that Arti was born and raised in Joburg, South Africa before she moved to Florida in the USA. She grew up in Lenasia and still has a huge part of her family living there. Vipul was born in India before he moved to Florida as well and their visit to SA marks the first time they’ve travelled to Arti’s homeland since they hooked up as a couple.

It was also their first visit to Cape Town, and they had so many great things to say about the place. I met up with Arti and Vipul for dinner at the Jewel of India restaurant at V&A Waterfront with her sister, baby Kayah as well as my friend Domenico. It was great to connect with someone from South Africa who raced on TAR and learning the ins and outs of how the show is put together.

With Arti, Vipul and baby Kayah

One thing I took away from the meeting was that TAR is really gruelling but also a lot of fun. Of course, like anyone, they were in it to win from the beginning but they were eliminated in China – when their taxi driver messed their plans up en route to the Great Wall of China (their pit stop for that particular leg of the Race).

Arti and Vipul managed to squeeze in some downtime in Cape Town, where they saw some hit spots around the city and even did some wine tasting in Stellenbosch. I know they both can’t wait to return with the hopes of visiting Robben Island on their next visit. And with me as their party liaison/tour guide, it seems it’s going to be another Race memory we’re going to cherish.

SCORING MY 5 000th AUTOGRAPH!

2010-03-31T15:50:00.002+02:00

OMG! It’s a milestone I’ve been dying to reach within the past year already, and now I can proudly say I have achieved it I have finally hit the 5 000 autograph benchmark, ladies and gentleman!

Earlier today I received a signed team poster of the South Africa Soccer Premier League club, Ajax Cape Town, whereby 25 of the club’s soccer stars all signed on the dotted line for my collection.

Having started the day off with 4975 autographs in my collection (which has taken me 13 years to accumulate thus far), the 25 autographs pushed my tally up to 5 000. What an amazing accomplishment and I’m super thrilled it’s reached it so soon in 2010. I can’t wait to add more soccer stars’ autographs in my collection during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. It’s going to be a lovely autograph haven where I’ll be like “a kid in a candy store”.

While toasting to my celebratory achievements, I also added my 5 001^st autograph to my collection today as well, when I received a signed 4X6 inch colour photo of Australian tennis legend, John Newcombe. It took ages for me to get a reply from him, and seeing that he’s one of the tennis greats of the sport, it’s nice to finally add his in my collection. His signature caps off a very sporty day indeed.

I know my achievement has already had some media folk talking and who knows where it could be featured soon, be it on TV or in the local newspapers.

I wouldn’t mind celebrating this achievement in style! I salute all the celebs that have obliged signing items for me in the past and to those who have declined, you’ve now missed out on the golden opportunity of being a part of history you suckers!

Here’s to the next 5 000 autographs and me hopefully aiming to make a world record!