The nation was rocked yesterday morning when Gareth Cliff announced that he would be leaving 5FM after an exciting and entertaining 10 years on air. Cliff was joined by the bulk of his morning team in leaving 5FM and fans of the controversial radio DJ expressed their sadness on Twitter. We had to hold our breath and be patient as we had an announcement of our own- but now that the month of March has finally ended, we have been given the legal clearance to announce the exciting news that 

Gareth Cliff will be joining ZAlebs from April 2014

It was a deal that took ages to complete as our negotiating team could not seem to reach an agreement with Cliff and his agent over the amount of hair gel that he would receive as a bonus each month. However, we are pleased to report that we got our man and that Gareth will be a part of the ZAlebs editorial team from today. Cliff was ecstatic as he conducted his first interview as a ZAlebs team member. In the interview with an unnamed publication, Gareth went on to say: 

"It's an exciting time for me in my life. Obviously leaving 5FM was never going to be easy, but ZAlebs presented me with an offer that was a little too good to turn down. I have dreamed of the moment that I could write for an entertainment publication for all my life and to know that I have achieved this dream at the peak of my career only excites me further." 

ZAlebs HQ is currently buzzing with excitement over the recruitment of an industry heavyweight like Gareth Cliff, and his inclusion in our editorial team will only boost our profile in the local entertainment industry. We faced competition from rival platforms and some of the country's biggest entertainment players to get his signature. 

"It's no secret that Generations wanted me. With the show's declining ratings, Mfundi Vundla had an amazing angle for introducing me, but I wasn't sold. Julius Malema also wanted me to join the EFF but my heart was set on joining ZAlebs." 

We would like to congratulate Gareth Cliff on joining the most exciting entertainment team in the platform and we look forward to many years of excellent service and dedication from him.