South African actress and fashion favorite Linda Mtoba is stepping out of her usual roles and into the high-stakes, hilarious world of dinner parties. As one of the stars featured in the star-studded edition of Come Dine With Me South Africa, Linda gets candid about what goes into creating the ultimate host experience
GLAMOUR: What appealed to you about being part of this experience?
Linda: I think the first thing is that I genuinely love hosting. I enjoy interacting with different people, and, funny enough, I actually love cooking. So, the opportunity to host people, cook for them and interact with different personalities was something that really appealed to me.
GLAMOUR: When you think of a perfect dinner party, what are the three non-negotiables that make the evening memorable?
Linda: One, something to do; two, something to feel; and, of course, the food. I feel like it has to be an experience from start to finish. There has to be an introduction to the evening that sets the tone, a delicious main course that gives you something to feel and taste, and, of course, dessert to round it all off. For me, it's also about the atmosphere and the people. If I have a theme, then you have to carry it through from the starter to the main course and all the way to dessert.
GLAMOUR: How would you describe your relationship with food? Are you someone who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, discovering new restaurants or sticking to your tried-and-tested favourites?
Linda: I absolutely love food! I enjoy tasting different types of dishes and exploring with my taste buds. I love being in the kitchen just as much as I enjoy discovering new restaurants. But there's also nothing wrong with sticking to something you've had a couple of times before and know you enjoy.
GLAMOUR: What do you think makes someone a genuinely great host? Is it the food, the atmosphere or the ability to make everyone feel at home?
Linda: I think it's the ability to make everyone feel at home that makes someone a great host. You must be able to make people feel comfortable enough in your space, your home or your presence to relax and feel at home. That's the most important thing.
GLAMOUR: You are used to being in front of the camera, but this experience puts you in a different environment. Was there anything about the format that surprised you?
Linda: What surprised me was just how long television production takes! Making TV is always such a long process, I suppose. I thought it would be shorter, but making television is never an easy thing.
GLAMOUR: Without giving anything away, what was the most exciting part of taking part in the show?
Linda: I loved everyone's evenings, and I also really enjoyed being in the presence of other people. I found everyone surprising in the most pleasant way possible.
GLAMOUR: The celebrity edition brings together 24 personalities from different walks of life. What makes you enjoy meeting and connecting with people outside your usual circles?
Linda: I enjoy meeting people outside my circles because it makes my circle bigger. It's really nice to interact with different people from different spheres who are also like-minded. I enjoy getting to know other people's perspectives, their lives and their experiences. I'm always very intrigued by other human beings.
GLAMOUR: Are you naturally competitive? Did the prospect of a little friendly competition make the experience even more exciting?
Linda: It definitely made the experience quite thrilling. I realised that I'm slightly competitive as a person, ever so slightly! But I'm also, of course, a gracious loser if needs be. The most important thing for me is always having fun. Whatever I'm doing, I must have fun and enjoy it.
GLAMOUR: When it comes to entertaining, how much thought do you put into the visual experience, from the table setting to the overall ambience?
Linda: I put a lot of thought into entertaining. It has to be an experience because one thing we know is that we eat with our eyes before we do with our actual mouths and taste buds. So, the food must look appealing. It must look like something you want to try, something you find interesting.
GLAMOUR: What’s your ultimate dinner-party soundtrack? Are we talking smooth R&B, old-school classics, Amapiano or a little bit of everything?
Linda: I'm definitely giving you smooth R&B, and then old-school classics towards dessert. That's when we stop playing the classics, everyone can start singing along and we can all get into it. While we're eating, I want to play something smooth so that people can enjoy their meal without concentrating too much on the music. Sometimes, when you're eating, the music can become a distraction. So, I'd say save the sing-alongs and the songs everyone knows for towards the end of the evening.
GLAMOUR: The series also gives contestants an opportunity to raise money for a charity close to their hearts. How important was that aspect of the experience to you?
Linda: I think donating to charity is always such a big thing, and it's something that one must do. A lot of us do it in one way or another, almost every day. It's not about virtue; it's about how we live our lives and how we give to people, whether it's our time, money, clothes or other things. It's something that's very close to my heart. As much as it's all fun and games, it was also for a worthy cause.
GLAMOUR: What do you hope viewers discover about you when they watch you on Come Dine With Me? Is there a side of Linda they don't often get to see?
Linda: I think people don't realise that I can cook or host, but I actually do, pretty much every weekend. I've been doing it since I could cook! I've hosted and cooked almost every weekend of my life because I genuinely enjoy it. It's just not a side of me that I allow people to see.
GLAMOUR: Finally, why should the GLAMOUR SA audience make a date with the show when it premieres on the 18th of November?
Linda: I think you should make a date to watch because you're in for a fun and very interesting evening. You also get to see a side of me that you've never seen before. I hope you enjoy it because it was so much fun making it!
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A snapshot of our November Issue Cover Story featuring Gaisang Keaikitse Noge, Gezelle Magerman and Thembeka Zondo-Cele alongside Gail Mabalane
A snapshot of our November Issue Cover Story featuring Gail Mabalane
