Just when we thought Sedgefield couldn’t possibly produce another superstar, someone else steps in to soak up the limelight.

This time it is Pelican Lodge owner Ian Perryman who has literally ‘stolen the show’ by starring in, and indeed winning, the first program in the newly relaunched series of BBC’s hit reality show Come Dine With Me SA.

Come Dine With Me is an exceptionally popular and high-ranking show, which takes viewers into the homes of four contestants on four consecutive nights, each being given the chance to wine, dine and entertain the other three. At the end of each evening the three guests get to secretly judge the meal and give their host a score out of ten.

Whilst many locals knew Ian Perryman had made the cut to be in the show, and thus gathered round their TV sets to watch on 15 February, the fact that he had won was a very well kept secret that even his nearest and dearest were unaware of.

It all started back in July last year, when the guest lodge owner’s good friend Kathy de Wet discovered that BBC were planning to relaunch the famous Come Dine With Me in South Africa, and that the producers were inviting people to audition. Being an avid fan of the series, and knowing of his stage presence in local dramas, she immediately called Perryman and suggested he try out.
“I said ‘No ways, you must be CRAZY!’” he later told us.

But she kept on at him and eventually he reluctantly agreed to take the first step, as long as she handled all the paperwork.
“If I get in, I get in.” he said.

But as soon as she started filling in the forms, she had to call him – there were some very strange questions.

When it was finally complete, they submitted his online application on 1 August, and Perryman was quite surprised to receive a phone call from the show producers two days later, telling him that he had made it past the first cut and asking if they could do a telephonic interview?
“I told them I was actually having lunch with friends in Franschhoek at the time, so they should call back on Monday, which they did,” Perryman laughed.

The telephone interview went well and two weeks later the producers called him again to say he was through to the next cut, and asking if they could set up a screen test for both him and his home.
As everything was to be filmed at his ‘Second Home’ in Pretoria on 21 August, Perryman flew up to meet with the production team, and once again, all went swimmingly.
“That’s when I put across the concept of appearing as an ‘alternative persona’ – either Lady Scarlet or Miriam Makeba,” he said. His screen test and details of his idea were sent over to UK where everything was ‘vetted’ by the BBC, and at the beginning of September he received another call “Well done – you’re on the show, and you will be cooking on 7 October!” By this time he had certainly picked up on the excitement of being on TV.

Perryman explained that the filming of each episode takes five days, which includes the ‘profiling’ of the four contestants ie – who they are and what they are about. Each gets a full day in the hands of one camera crew as he or she prepares the meal and gets dressed up for the occasion. Then a second crew arrives to film the arrival and subsequent entertainment of the other three guests, which includes, of course, numerous quirky comments, a bit of behind the back criticism, and anything else that makes for good viewing.

“Every part of the show that is shot is directed,” Perryman said, going on to explain how they weren’t allowed to discuss anything ‘off camera’. Though nothing the contestants said was falsified, the crew definitely steered the round table conversations, with pre-set questions and suggestions as to who asked what of who: “Nonnie, ask Carmi about her pole-dancing”.

They would also regularly pull each person off to the side to ask what he or she thought of the meal or the other contestants, once again asking leading questions in an effort to get interesting, if not a little scandalous sound bytes.

On Perryman’s night of entertainment, he suggested that guests should arrive dressed up as their ‘alternative persona’, and of course his outrageously extravagant ‘ Lady Scarlet’ outfit did more than set the tone for the evening.

And Lady Scarlet’s meal more than assured she would be the ‘Hostess with the Mostest’. A beetroot potage starter served with parmesan croutons, followed by a main course of stuffed baby poussin with a side of baby vegetables, and a red velvet trifle dessert, scored a delicious 22 out of 30. This put ‘her’ a single point ahead of runner-up Nonhlanhla Ntwasa, the next evening’s hostess, and Perryman/Scarlet were declared the winner of the R10 000 prize.

Perryman, who has been a Sedge resident for 13 years, said he absolutely loved this opportunity to enjoy “15 minutes of fame”, and his only regret was that the editors cut out any reference he made to Sedgefield. When the show was broadcast for the first time he invited a huge crowd of family, friends (and, dare I say, fans?) to Pelican Lodge to watch with him, and was overjoyed that everyone could share the experience in a light-hearted and uplifting evening.

The quick action of two lifeguards, on holiday in Sedgefield from the Channel Islands, saved the life of a 29-year-old man. The man must surely have had a guardian angel watching over him – because there was not only ‘passers-by’ to raise the alarm AND two visiting life-guards coincidentally on the scene, but other medical personnel who also just happened to be in the vicinity.

Garth Dominy, NSRI Wilderness Duty Controller, reported that at 19h29, Monday, 29th January, NSRI Wilderness duty crew were activated following eye-witness reports of a drowning in progress in the surf off Myoli Beach, in front of Pili Pili Restaurant, Sedgefield.

Angelika Freiwald and daughter Kirsten had been walking along the beachfront, when they saw a man in trouble in the surf, seemingly being swept out to sea by strong rip currents. Dillon, a young lad who had been swimming with the man, was on the beach screaming for help.
The women ran into the restaurant to raise the alarm. and the two young visiting lifeguards, Finlay Whitmore and Ben Ralph, rushed down to the beach and into the surf to his aid.
Meanwhile another bystander had taken the NSRI’s Pink Rescue Flotation Buoy to the water’s edge, but by that stage the two UK lifeguards had already hauled the casualty, a 29-year-old Johannesburg resident Mtupuzi Thakatha onto the sand.

When NSRI’s Warren Page and Conrad Potgieter arrived on the scene they found the exhausted Thakatha on the beach in the care of the two British lifeguards. They quickly fetched the medical jump bag and oxygen from the NSRI Wilderness auxiliary station container in Sedgefield. At that time Ryan Childs, a blind BAA medic from Cape Town who had been on the beach with family members, offered his assistance, and between them they commenced medical treatment for non-fatal drowning symptoms.

Then another bystander arrived to assist:- Dr. Sheryl Rajpaul, a young recently qualified medical doctor who had been eating dinner at the Restaurant at the time. Between the doctor, Childs the BAA medic, the two NSRI crew members and the two British lifeguards, the patient was in good hands and was soon stabilised.

When ambulance services and the Fire and Rescue team arrived Thakatha was further assessed, but by that stage he was feeling much better and declined transportation to the hospital. He was strongly advised to see a doctor as a precaution for secondary drowning.

NSRI commended the ladies who raised the alarm, the two lifeguards, the Cape Town ambulance medic and Dr. Sheryl Rajpaul for the selfless assistance given.

Picture by Kirsten Freiwald: Angelika Freiwald (in peach shirt) flanked by the two UK lifeguards Finlay Whitmore and Ben Ralph, with the recovered Mtupuzi Thakatha standing to the right and a relieved young Dillon, in front. 

On behalf of Sedgefield we would like to thank ALL emergency services for working so tirelessly in the background and ensuring Sedgefield and surrounds a relatively safe festive season.

There were moments when things could have gone wrong, with beaches closed several times due to shark sightings or extreme conditions during Spring tide, but for the most part locals and visitors were able to relax, with the general feeling that their backs were covered.

Picture:- Among those ‘Manning’ our beaches this season were Sedgefield lifeguards Annika, Amoré and Angelique Heunis, who made SA history by being the first set of triplets to pass their Life Guard Award Examination at the same time.

Monday morning saw locals waking up to the exhilarating news that our ex Sedge Primary head girl, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, had been crowned Miss Universe!
Many stayed up until the wee hours of Monday 27 November to watch TV coverage of the glamourous pageant, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and there was no shortage of tears when the beautiful Miss South Africa was crowned by the 2016 Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere. This ended South Africa’s 39-year wait to claim this prestigious title.
According to reports of the event, Demi impressed the judges with her self confidence and her determined stance on gender equality. When addressing the panel, the twenty two year old raised issues regarding equal pay and conquering one’s fears:
“Women earn 75% of what men earn doing the same thing. I believe in equal pay for equal work. As Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are. Miss Universe has to overcome her fears and teach others to do the same. And nothing is ever too much to ask for. That is exactly who I am,” she said.
The moment she claimed the crown was an emotionally-charged celebration for both Demi and the cheering crowd. Clearly, she had won over the audience in Nevada, who erupted when South Africa was declared the winner, leaving Colombia’s Laura Gonzalez, and Jamaica’s Davina Benett to take the runners up positions.
Demi later tweeted “South Africa, thank you for support and love throughout my Miss Universe journey. I may be the new Miss Universe but I will always be your Miss South Africa – we did it!”
We caught up with Demi’s mother, Anne-Marie, later in the day. She and husband Johan were at the pageant in Las Vegas, and understandably still bubbling with excitement.
“It really is a fairytale,” said Anne-Marie, “Our little bare-foot girl from Sedgefield has the universe at her feet!” She told us that shortly after the crowning Demi had been whisked off to New York, where she will be based for the next year.
“We are so proud and grateful – this was Demi’s set goal, and she achieved it!”