Tag Archives: News24

Beloved Carte Blanche presenter Derek Watts passes away.

Today Derek Watts, the well-known, respected, and loved Carte Blanche TV presenter, passed away. He was 74 years old. He was a presenter for 35 years.

News 24 writes, quoting his long-standing fellow presenter Ruda Landman:

‘Carte Blanche started in 1988, and although it was a difficult and tumultuous year, the changes were inspiring and filled with hope. We were always live in the studio, and I was always relaxed with him next to me. Nothing could faze him. Nothing caught him off guard and unaware’.

‘He was always ready. His jokes always caught me off guard. We were different personalities, meaning the show had a wider range and reached more of our viewers in their hearts, ‘she said.

Last year, Watts was diagnosed with skin cancer that then spread to his lungs’.

I met Watts in 2020 when he investigated the story about the misleading marketing of the SA Butler Academy, brave former student of the Butler Academy Lin Yang having alerted the Carte Blanche producers to the shenanigans of the Butler Academy.

As I had written about the misleading marketing of the Butler Academy on this Blog in 2013, Ms Lin, a past student, and I were interviewed. As it was during Covid, the interview with me was filmed at my home in Camps Bay.

Derek struck me as a kind and gentle person, making me feel relaxed before and during the interview. The Carte Blanche program highlighted the lack of credibility of the SA Butler Academy and its owners.

Carte Blanche exposes SA Butler Academy Marketing deception, first exposed on WhaleTales Blog in 2013!

My condolences go to his family. May he RIP.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323

Twitter:@Ulmenstein

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USA to remove Southern African countries from its Travel Ban List on 31 December 2021!

 

President Biden announced earlier this week by proclamation that the USA will lift its ban on travel into the USA from South Africa and its neighbouring countries from tomorrow, reports News24.

South Africa and its neighbours were banned by numerous countries after its scientists shared the detection of the new Omicron variant at the end of November.

The USA follows the UK, Australia, and a handful of other countries which have lifted their travel bans instituted against Southern Africa almost world-wide at the end of November.  The European Union and Germany in particular are still holding back on lifting their travel bans.

Continue reading →

Serial ‘cook or crook’ Chef Conrad Gallagher pulls a meaty payment scam and scandal!

 

It wasn’t more than a month ago that the opening of Chef Conrad Gallagher newest restaurant Bistro Vin De Boeuf in St Francis Bay attracted attention, focusing on meat and wine according to its name.

Now Wagyu meat is at the centre of another Gallagher scam to hit the proverbial fan, according to a News24 story entitled ‘Cook or crook? The celebrity chef from Gqeberha, the Saudi crown prince and R500000 Wagyu steaks’! Continue reading →

Franschhoek: From Gourmet Town to ‘Ghost Town’?: the effect of the Corona Virus pandemic!

 

News 24 published an article this weekend about the plight of businesses in Franschhoek. It paints a horrific picture of the once famous Gourmet Town, known for its top Restaurants and boutique wineries, to what one business owner speculated could become a ‘Ghost Town’ if tourists do not return to it soon.

Franschhoek, like many other towns and cities in our country, has been hard hit by the Corona Virus pandemic, the South African one-year anniversary of its Lockdown to be ‘celebrated’ later this week. The new South African Virus mutation has made our country very unattractive to visit by international tourists, which probably are the type of tourists South African tourism businesses would love to see return. Continue reading →