SA’s most opinionated puppet secures Sunday news show

Chester Missing – South Africa’s most vocal and politically-opinionated puppet – is joining eNCA with a brand new show, Almost News with Chester Missing, which will air weekly at 19h30 from this coming Sunday, 25 November.

The show will take an irreverent look at the current affairs landscape and put high-profile politicians through their paces in interviews only the country’s most famous puppet can get away with.

Conrad Koch is South Africa’s top comedy ventriloquist, and possibly the only one, and is a double International Emmy nominated comedian. His most famous puppet, Chester Missing, has won numerous awards in his own right, including being the first recipient of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Anti-Racism Award.

Chester Missing is, of course, delighted: “I have my own TV show. I’m a puppet. Have any of you realised how crazy this is? Someone tell Hlaudi. He broke ground for puppets everywhere.”

Chester Missing has interviewed most of South Africa’s political elite and has held a number of regular radio and TV slots, and even wrote an award-winning book. Conrad’s live shows have received wide political acclaim, and are a regular feature at arts and comedy festivals, including at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. The truth is, with a master’s degree in social anthropology, talking to puppets was his only career option.

Koch, is equally thrilled: “Chester and I are hugely excited to be creating this show with South Africa’s best news source, eNCA, and the amazing award-winning team at Diprente. South Africa has huge room for incisive, hilarious satire as we move towards elections next year. We want to make Almost News with Chester Missing both well researched and really, really funny.”

The new show will be airing on eNCA (also referred to as eNews Channel Africa), a 24-hour television news broadcaster, owned by e.tv, focusing on South African and African stories. The broadcaster became South Africa’s first 24-hour news service when it launched in June 2008.

eNCA’s Editor-In-Chief, Mapi Mhlangu, adds: “Over many years, Chester has become an integral part of the political firmament and has asked questions of our leaders no one else would dare to. And with one or two exceptions, politicians and business leaders love the interchange and are happy to participate. Chester also provides a release valve for South Africans who need to laugh at each other and themselves.”

But be warned, Chester will always have the last word. “You thought the elections were going to be serious? Ridiculous! Almost News with Chester Missing will solve that, comrades. We will bring you 24 minutes of 100% undiluted ‘tjatjaragness’, every single week.”

Catch Almost News with Chester Missing from Sunday, 25 November at 7:30pm on eNCA (DStv Channel 403).

Sources: eNCA

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