What better way to celebrate National Braai Day than by watching the hilarious TV premiere of “The Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr” (Comedy Central, DStv channel 122, 24 September @ 21:00 CAT)?

Hallmarks of the first Comedy Central Roast to take place on African soil are a pimped out traditional ossewa (ox-wagon), a BBQ shaped throne and a deluge of cutting jokes, comic jabs and over-the-top insults.  Roastmaster Trevor Noah and roasters Casper de Vries, Kuli Roberts, Shaleen Surti-Richards, Anele Mdoda, David Kau, Minki van der Westhuizen and John Vlismas queue up to hurl dubious tributes and hilarious slurs at Hofmeyr, described by Noah in his introduction as the “most loved and hated man in SA”.

A celeb-packed audience was on hand to watch Hofmeyr triumphantly enter the stage of The Lyric Theatre towed by eight leggy Blue Bulls cheerleaders to a deafening chorus from his hit track, “Baas Van Die Plaas” (“Boss of the Farm”).

Among the audience were: Blue Bulls captain and Springbok player Pierre Spies; musicians Chris Chameleon, HHP, Simphiwe Dana, DJ Kent, Louise Carver, ChianoSky, Reason, DJ Euphonik and Glenn from The Parlotones; radio personalities Azania Mosaka, Poppy Ntshongwana, Sureshnie Rider and Thomas Msengana; designer Marianne Fassler; model Sashi Naidoo; TV presenter Elma Smit; “Idols” judge Unathi Msengana; comedians  Joe Parker, Chris Forrest, Tumi Morake, Loyiso Gola, Conrad Koch, David Kibuuka, Kagiso Ledigo, Tshepo, Mogale and Kedibone Mulaudzi, “Sevende Laan”’s Amalia Uys and  Motlatsi Mafatshe; MTV Base VJ Sizwe Dhlomo; Ashish Gandrapasad from “Isidingo”, Tumisho Masha, Ty Keogh and Hayley Owen from “The Wild”, Siya B from “Generations”; and Clint Brink, Lorcia Cooper and Dawn Matthews from “Scandal”.

Highlights of the hard-hitting comedy evening include a running gag between Trevor Noah and David Kau about joke-stealing.  Addressing Noah (who famously appeared on “Tonight with Jay Leno” earlier this year), Kau says, “People are always asking me when I am going to appear on Jay Leno, but I tell them, I don’t need to go on it  – my jokes have already appeared on Leno.”

A dapper, kilt-clad actor Robert Whitehead, a.k.a “Isidingo”’s notorious villain “Barker Haines”, sets the tone for the evening, flashing at Hofmeyr and getting the audience rocking with laughter by reading through a mock “contract” which allegedly listed all the rude names he isn’t permitted to call Steve Hofmeyer.

Acerbic comic John Vlismas kicks off his own “tribute” by parodying Mark Anthony’s famous speech from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, starting with the phrase, “I come to bury Steve, not to praise him”, before going on to mock Hofmeyr’s infamous gesture when he threw 5,000 Rand worth of U2 tickets in Jukskei river.

Shaleen Surti-Richards uses her speech to reveal a hitherto unsuspected crush on Steve Hofmeyr, expressing her disgust that the reputed womaniser has never tried it on with her on the set of Egoli when they worked together.  Surti-Richards finishes her speech by flinging a giant pair of ladies knickers at the singer..

Model Minki van der Westhuizen crowns her speech – in which she reminisces about being chatted up by Steve Hofmeyr at the age of 18 – by thanking Hofmeyr, saying “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be the dumbest blond in South African showbusiness.”

A blue-suited Hofmeyr, seated throughout the show on a BBQ “throne”, provocatively tricked out in the colours of the flag of the old Republic, appears to take the endless ribbing in good humour, smiling through japes about his broken marriage, his serial infidelity, his illegitimate children, his right wing politics, his derivative singing style and his outdated fashion sense.  The singer looks like losing his cool only once – during John Vlismas’ address – when the “Pampoen” singer crosses the stage and attempts to make Vlismas ‘eat’ his words.

Although being billed as the ”Roast” of Hofmeyr himself, none of the participants get off lightly at the event as insults fly thick and fast around The Lyric Theatre’s red and gold interior.

Comments Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, “We are delighted to push boundaries by versioning this classic Comedy Central franchise for a South African audience and context. The show got audiences rocking in the aisles and has proved the perfect vehicle for launching Comedy Central in South Africa.”

Comments Evert van der Veer, Head of Comedy Central, Africa, “Comedy Central is proud that our first Roast in Africa has been such a roaring success. Our Roastee, Roastmaster and Roasters all rise to the occasion beautifully and surpass all our expectations.  The Comedy Central Roast of Steve Hofmeyr is sure to go down in comedy history as one of the truly great Roasts of our time!”