On Thursday 13 February at 19:00, M-Net viewers will see how South Africa’s man of the moment, handsome Marc Buckner, meets the 22 ladies who will be vying for his heart in Season 2 of The Bachelor SA. One of these phenomenal women is Rikki Brest (34) from Johannesburg, whose spectacular red-carpet entrance – a secret at this point – will rev up the romance!
You'll be instantly mesmerised by Rikki’s piercing blue eyes, long raven-black hair, and enchanting smile. Equally head-spinning is her list of accomplishments and impressive CV. Who can say they have co-presented a show with the legendary Top Gear team; played many prestigious DJ gigs alongside DJ Zinhle, Euphonik, Gareth Cliff, and Ricardo da Costa; drummed up a storm in popular South African bands; had her own radio show; and crafted a successful career as a marketing expert and lecturer?
Rhythm is an essential part of Rikki's DNA. Who else would take drumming as a school subject? She maintained distinctions throughout her studies. After school, she developed her talent further by majoring in drums at the Campus for Performing Arts, where she also taught Stage Craft. Enterprising Rikki then co-founded Chix with Stix, an all-girl percussion trio that performed in the industry for nine years. And yes, she was that bundle of energy who rocked the drum set in the popular band Evolver and many others.
Rikki’s performing career soon branched out to other fields. You’ve seen her in numerous music videos and commercials; she was picked as one of the three lead cast members in an international TV series; played the lead role in SA-made movie Eternity, and has appeared in several South African soaps, including Isidingo, 7de Laan, and Generations.
To top it off, this driven busy bee is an enthusiastic petrolhead: she knows her cars – the faster the better – and shone in seven seasons of the motoring show Petrolheads (Ignition TV on DStv), several programmes on SuperSport, a radio slot, and the most enviable of them all, pit lane reporter and track presenter of the Top Gear festival in Durban.
Doing all of this requires a stringent work ethic. Rikki completed a bachelor’s degree in marketing at UJ and developed a marketing syllabus geared towards the entertainment industry. She opened the Beat that Drum School, to teach the drum syllabus she created, and lectures her marketing syllabus to third-year students at the Academy of Sound Engineering.
Another decided plus factor: She is no typical girly girl, who takes hours to do her make-up or nails. She would rather be on the racetrack or go drifting or drag racing.
When she’s back home, she enjoys spending time with her cat, Djembe, named after an African drum. Beyond her self-reliant exterior is an empath whose dream is to do anything to make her parents’ lives better. And when there’s any free time in her packed schedule, she fosters rescue kittens and leads the volunteers at a weekly soup kitchen.
When adventurous, thrill-seeking Marc became the Bachelor SA, he stipulated that his dream partner would be an independent woman. Rikki clearly fits the bill. The question is: will he be able to keep up with this fast-moving gal? And will their hearts beat to the same drum?
The Bachelor SA Season 2 will be screened on M-Net from Thursday 13 February at 19:00.
DStv Premium viewers can also catch all the romance on Catch Up or stream the episodes live via their mobile devices on DStv Now.
Fans can follow breaking news and watch exclusive videos around the show on The Bachelor SA page.
Join the conversation with #TheBachelorSA on Twitter (@MNet), Instagram (@mnettv) and Facebook(@MNet).
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