South African actress, Enhle Mbali, boldly stuck her neck out for controversial media personality, Phat Joe, who recently came under fire for his new show, Cheeky Palate. The Loving Thokoza actress took to Twitter on the morning of Thursday, 15 October 2020 to defend the host, but quickly back tracked by removing the tweet from her timeline. In a since-deleted post, Enhle stated, “Let’s give Phat Joe a break. He’s amazing on screen. Is SA To sensitive?”.
Her comment caused an uproar on Twitter with fans and followers questioning her on why she would be supporting someone who insulted the LGBTQ+ community. The actress has done her best to keep out of controversy that does not involve her, making Tweeps wonder what was so special about Phat Joe, that caused her to make a statement which would obviously warrant her some backlash.
One follower tweeted, “Enhle Mbali really wants to take smoke for Phat Joe? Phat Joe?!”. Enhle’s tweet opened up a can of worms for her, as people began bringing up her previous controversies as well. A tweep stated, “What do u expect from someone who mocks people with disabilities? I will never forget how she played with a black hand on set demonizing #BlackCoffee. Enhle Mbali is trash.”, and Asemale added, “Enhle Mbali could've really kept quiet, but now not only is she called out she's gas lighting.”
Cheeky Palate, a new show which airs on 1Magic, hosted by Phat Joe, has landed itself in hot water after allegations of a homophobic first episode have gained momentum. The first episode, which aired on Friday, 9 October 2020 centred around the topic, Spirituality, and included guest; Gerry Elsdon, singer Zwai Bala, traditional healer Gogo Dineo Ndlanzi, businesswoman Nobuntu Webster and motivational speaker Joshua Maponga who offered their controversial opinions on the subject matter.
The statement that got viewers the most riled up came from Gerry, who made a homophobic comments saying: “It is in the Bible. The word of God is very specific … The bottom line is the word of God is very clear that homosexuality is a sin. Having said that, the first command is to love … And in that it veins it wouldn’t matter who you are, homosexual or not, there is always place for you at the cross,”.
As host of the show, Phat Joe was of course condemned for orchestrating such a discussion and not defending the LGBTQ+ community. Perhaps Enhle should have just kept out of this one…
