South African entertainment power couple Salamina and Howza Mosese have been in the spotlight individually for many projects during their illustrious careers.
But for the very first time, they have decided to work together as a married duo on the local version of the widely popular Netflix dating show, “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On.”
They follow in the footsteps of Nick and Vanessa Lachey, who host the US edition of the reality show.
The Mzansi iteration of the global hit social experiment is set to drop on the global streaming platform on Friday May 10, and the Mosese’s are thrilled that they chose this show as their first career collaboration.
Speaking to Independent Media Lifestyle, they explained that they are well placed to host this kind of show, as a couple who have been married for 16 years and who have two children.
“We were excited at the prospect of getting to work together, both as talent, for the first time, as a married couple,” they explained.
“Additionally, we are always open to the possibility of learning new things about relationships.”
And despite meeting on the set of popular local soapie, “Backstage” around two decades ago, the Mosese’s insist that they can still improve their union and learn from other couples.
“No matter how long we have been married, we think all couples can offer something new that we could possibly learn from to apply for ourselves.”
“The Ultimatum South Africa” follows the success of the series in the US, France and the “Queer Love” version.
The nine-part series will see six couples undergo a test of trust, true love, desire and honesty as they get a life-changing opportunity to get a glimpse into two different futures.
One partner in each couple will issue an ultimatum about either getting married or moving on but before they are ready to answer this question, they will each choose potential new partners.
“In a not-so-traditional dating show format, ‘The Ultimatum South Africa’ requires one partner ready for marriage to issue an ultimatum to their partner who’s wary of taking a trip down the aisle and saying ‘I do’,” a statement read.
“During the experiment, the six couples breakup, date their co-stars and finally choose one person to enter into a trial marriage with, putting their love lives through the wringer as new relationships form and old relationships hang by a thread,” it added.
“Once the trial marriage is completed, couples enter into a second trial marriage with their original partner where they have to decide if they’re in it for the long haul or if they want out.”
As hosts of “The Ultimatum South Africa”, the actress and her musician and media personality husband will encourage couples to put their love to the test, while having encounters with other potential matches over eight weeks.
They explained that they enjoyed interacting and getting to know the couples, who are an “interesting mix of personalities”, on the show.
“Our conversations with them made an impact on us and often entertained us as well.”
As the reality show’s hosts, the Mosese’s explained that their main role “was to serve as a sounding board for the couples, and at times to ask the hard questions that the viewers would themselves want to ask.”
“This gave us a front-row seat into their lives and their dramas.”
And despite show business’s glitz and glamour, they admitted that being the show’s hosts was challenging.
“This was not always easy to do but also, we really admired how committed everyone was to the experiment because this adds to the success of ‘The Ultimatum South Africa’.”
The Moseses are also impressed with how “vulnerable, honest and brave” the show’s couples were throughout the social experiment.
“They really put it all out there and wore their hearts on their sleeves.”
“We ourselves were gripped by the drama and the beautiful love stories, it had our hearts racing and we even found ourselves rooting for some of the couples,” they admitted.
“We think there’s a lot for people to debate and there is plenty of entertainment, especially for those who love reality television.”
They also believe that content of “The Ultimatum South Africa’s” nature is sure to resonate with people from all walks of life.
“Love is universal and most people in society have the desire to get married and build a life with someone who is as excited about them as they are.”
“We think people across the world are fascinated watching others finding love, testing that love and then hopefully ending up together, even against all odds. This makes ‘The Ultimatum’ interesting to watch.
The Moseses described their hosting duties on “The Ultimatum South Africa” as an “unforgettable experience” and said that they are proud to have been part of it.
“We also really loved working with the Urban Brew production team and crew; it’s always inspiring to work on a set where everyone is dedicated to giving their absolute best for the production.”
“The Ultimatum South Africa” will air on Netflix from May 10.