From wingman to bachelor

The first season of kykNET’s (DStv channel 144) looking-for-love series for celebs, Op My Eish! was an instant success. Actor Neels van Jaarsveld (Ben van Wyk in die hit series Fynskrif) took the brave step to get to know 12 women in front of the camera to see if he could find his forever partner. And he did! He ended up with Florinda Hearn, a beauty therapist from Randfontein, and they are still a happy couple.

If Neels can do it, why not someone else? Actor Francois Jacobs (Sampie de Klerk in the film Vir Die Voëls) is now the one looking for someone to enjoy sunsets and adventure activities in Op My Eish Season 2!

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Adventure junkie

“If you don’t have a passport, please don’t enter! It’s a deal breaker,” says Francois in all seriousness. You only have to look at his Instagram page to understand what he means – adventure runs through his veins. The pics are an explosion of flying, bungee jumping, surfing, biking, skinny dipping and adorable moments with his best friend, his staffie dog, Choppa. “To travel and experience new things is a huge part of my life,” says Francois. “I want a woman I can share this with, who also has a passion for adventure and lust for life.”

Clearly this drives the 32-year-old actor, and there won’t be much time for sitting still – for him every day is an opportunity to discover something new.

Bachelor number two...

It came in a roundabout way that Francois is the lead man for Season 2. “I was actually approached to be the wingman for Season 2, like Henré Pretorius was for Neels in Season 1,” he explains. “But the search for the bachelor didn’t pan out and then the producers asked me if I didn’t want to be the bachelor. I though, ‘I’m single, so why not? It can be a beautiful story: From wingman to bachelor with a pretty woman by my side.’”

He describes his ideal person: “Breathtaking, adventurous, and someone who can challenge me and take the lead and not just wait for me to take the reins.” And who is going to be his wingman? “I’m not allowed to say anything! But it’s going to be a lekker surprise,” says Francois.

Clear mind, open eyes

Francois didn’t knock on Neels’s door for advice. “Ag nee wat, I don’t want anything to influence me. This experience I want to approach with a fresh head and open eyes and do it on my own, without any preconceived ideas and expectations.”

And what do his friends and family think of this brave choice and alternative way to find love? “Well, everybody only heard about it when the news broke in the media,” he says with a chuckle. “I did get a few calls, questions were asked, but at the end of the day everyone supports me – and it means a lot to me. Life is short, so I want to experience as much as possible. This series is one of those things to experience. I can’t wait to see what will happen!”

Behind The Scenes 

The producer of Op My Eish!, Gideon Eksteen, says he and his team enjoyed working on Season 1 immensely and they are equally thrilled about Season 2, which will kick off in April 2022 (if all goes well). It will run for 13 weeks. “The concept works and kykNET is happy with it. The series gets filmed in the area where the bachelor is living and looking for love. Neels was in Hermanus and Francois will be in Johannesburg.”

So willl there be a Season 3 with maybe a female celeb who’s tired of being on her eish? “It will depend on who is single then. It may be a woman. Or another guy,” says Gideon.

How to enter

If you want to enter, visit kykNET’s website and follow the steps for a chance of becoming one of the 12 women competing to win the grand prize: a Francois of her own that she can take home with her.

You must be a South African citizen, or if you’re Namibian, you’ll need to be a South African permanent resident. And you’ll need to be available for filming between 5 February and 6 March, 2022.

Enter here

kykNET (DStv channel 144) is available exclusively on DStv Premium and Compact Plus. To upgrade your existing package, click here. Or if you'd like to Get DStv, find a service that suits your needs here.

Op My Eish Season 1 is available on Showmax

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