Tag: entertainment
Malawi talent storms Zikomo, Caribbean Awards
Malawi is quietly making a big noise on the continental stage, with a wave of home-grown stars now in the running for honours at the 2026 Zikomo Africa and Caribbean Awards.Among the Malawians nominated is football star Temwa Chawinga, who is in contention for Best Zikomo Footballer of the Year.Miss Malawi 2026 Ireen Navicha has...
Kell Kay’s ‘Ndalira’ storms YouTube
Fans of Kell Kay have finally got what they have been demanding, with the Afro R&B star dropping the official video for his latest hit, ‘Ndalira,’ amid a wave of excitement.The video has already pulled 196,000 views on YouTube since its Friday release, showing the huge appetite among fans who pushed the award-winning singer to...
Press Corporation pays Joshua Chisa Mbele K5.3b for Mpaladizo
Malawi’s largest conglomerate, Press Corporation plc (PCL), has paid outspoken activist and businessman Joshua Chisa Mbele K5.3 billion to acquire a 70% controlling stake in Mpaladizo Resort Limited. PCL announced the acquisition in a statement dated 10 September 2026, describing Mpaladizo as a recently incorporated private company developing a premium hospitality resort along the lakeshore...
At China's Hottest Comedy Show, 1,000 Scalper Tickets Were Turned Away at the Door
Fu Hang's stand-up show issued 1,300 tickets and enforced strict real-name entry, leaving roughly a thousand tickets bought for resale useless outside the venue. The stunt ignited a national argument — with Luo Yonghao attacking the ban as economic illiteracy and fans defending it as the only guardrail they have.
The Left Ear Returns as a Short Drama, This Time With a Happy Ending
Youth-literature author Rao Xueman is reviving her classic novel The Left Ear as a short drama starring Li Bara, the doomed heroine whose fate broke a generation of readers. The transmigration premise — a fan rewrites the story from inside the book — shows China's booming short-drama industry coming for millennial nostalgia.
Ireen Navicha gets royal treatment
Miss World Malawi 2026 Ireen Navicha has added another glittering moment to her post-pageant journey after receiving a special audience with India’s High Commissioner to Malawi, Amararam Gujar.Navicha met Gujar at the Indian High Commission in Lilongwe on Wednesday, in what became another recognition of her growing profile after making Malawi proud on the Miss...
Red Fruit, China's Short-Drama Giant, Now Outdraws the Big Four Streamers Combined
The vertical mini-drama app Red Fruit has reached 168 million daily users, more than iQiyi, Youku, Tencent Video and Mango TV combined — and at the height of its growth it is banning its own hit genres, from supernatural plots to AI-generated 'toddler palace' dramas.
Vision Pageantry finale gets fresh backing
Vision Pageantry Malawi’s grand finale is expected to be a major platform for young people to showcase their talent and ambition, following a sponsorship boost.Shamboko Beverages has provided K5 million towards preparations for the October 3, 2026 grand finale at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe.The sponsorship is expected to help organisers meet some of the...
Qi Wei's AI Double Stars in a Zombie Film, With the Actress Keeping Control of Her Face
The actress Qi Wei licensed her AI digital double to star in "Doomsday in Midsummer", a zombie thriller whose trailer premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The deal's real innovation is contractual: her likeness was not sold, but licensed for review-approved use — a template in a market full of stolen faces.
Kell Kay’s new single “Ndalira” drops Friday
Malawi’s Afro R&B sensation Kelly Kambwiri, better known as Kell Kay, is poised to release a new song this Friday. He will boldly drop the single “Ndalira” while his current chart-topper “Wale” still dominates the airwaves.Breaking the mold, Kell Kay has decided to bypass the usual industry playbook. While most artists wait for a hit...
The C-Drama Finale That Crossed the Taiwan Strait: 'Early Spring Sunshine' Ends on Top
The romance drama 'Early Spring Sunshine' (早春晴朗) ended its run this week with a proposal, a record-breaking streak on Youku — and a response from China's Taiwan Affairs Office, after the show became a rare mainland hit in Taiwan. Its 'old-fashioned' formula is doing the explaining.
Hollywood Starts Copying China's Vertical Short-Drama Playbook
Fox and NBCUniversal are moving into vertical short dramas, the phone-first serial format Chinese teams industrialized into a global export business. The next phase will test whether the format's inventors or its new American imitators can localize it better.
‘Cancel Blantyre Food Festival’ — fury erupts over teen drinking, fighting
The Blantyre Food Festival is facing mounting calls for cancellation after its latest edition sparked outrage over the behaviour of some teenagers who attended the event.Critics say the festival has drifted from its original purpose and is increasingly becoming associated with excessive drinking, fighting and alleged indecent behaviour involving young people.The calls follow the latest...
Gwamba walapaso
“Moti nthawi yoseyi mumatsitsimula miyoyo kwinaku mukukonkha?” Achuluka mafuso pa zomwe woyimba nyimbo zauzimu koma zogwira palisani, Duncan Zgambo, wotchedwaso kuti Gwamba wanena.Woyimba Gwamba waulura kuti wakhala akukokera anthu ku ufumu wa Mulungu kwinaku akukonkha chakumwa chaukali.Izi ndi malingana ndi zomwe “Landlord” walemba patsamba lake la fesibuku. Lolemba madzulo, Zgambo yemweso amadzitchaso kuti G.O.A.T adadzidzimutsa...
'He Warmed Everyone but Couldn't Warm Himself': A Drama Death Grips Chinese Social Media
The suicide of Sun Yuanzhu, a fictional character in the hit Youku drama 'Early Spring Sunny,' has driven millions of mourning posts — even as the show's marketing is attacked for selling 'sexual tension.' The double conversation says a lot about how Chinese idol dramas are made, sold and grieved.
Guo Degang Show's Organizer Fined Over 600,000 Yuan for Altering Wartime Classic
Regulators in Wuhan have fined the organizer of one of Guo Degang's stage shows more than 600,000 yuan in combined penalties for distorting a beloved wartime song, turning a comic riff on a red classic into a nationally followed test of where China's performance boundaries lie.
Sean Morgan’s “Saturday” wins the internet
In a stunning turn of events that has left the internet pleasantly confused, the Malawian entertainment scene has hit pause on the drama to unanimously agree on one thing: Sean Morgan’s new track "Saturday" is an absolute banger.Released just 48 hours ago, the Afro-dancehall star’s latest single has already racked up nearly 100,000 views on...
Proactive Transparency: Addressing institutional hurdles in Malawi’s 2026 Miss World Journey
The participation of Ireen Navicha at the 75th Miss World Festival was meant to excitedly mark Malawi’s return to the international pageant circuit after a 14-year absence. While Ireen demonstrated strong individual competence, yes she tried her best, particularly during the Head-to-Head Challenge, she even reached the Top 40, her failure to succeed further was...
Navicha exits Miss World
Malawi’s representative at the Miss World 2026 competition, Ireen Navicha, has bowed out of the global pageant after failing to advance from the Top 40 to the Top 20.Navicha’s elimination ends her campaign at the competition currently underway in Vietnam, but she has nonetheless made history by becoming the first Malawian contestant to reach the...
Miss Malawi Organization hits back over Thandi controversy
As the Miss Malawi controversy surrounding reigning queen Thandi Chisi continues to deepen, the organisation has pushed back against claims that have placed the pageant and its leadership under scrutiny.The Miss Malawi Organisation has rejected claims made by Miss Malawi Thandie Chisi over unpaid prizes, blocked international opportunities, contractual changes and an outstanding payment linked...
Miss Malawi fallout: Thandi Chisi spills the beans
...Miss Malawi contract deliberately changed ...Queen told to borrow money for pageant licence Reigning Miss Malawi Thandi Chisi has spilled the beans on the controversy surrounding her snub for Miss World 2026. First Princess Ireen Navicha, the daughter of Cabinet minister Mary Navicha, was sent to represent Malawi in Vietnam instead. Chisi says the Miss...
Miss Malawi Thandi quits Miss Universe
Malawi’s Miss Universe dream has been thrown into controversy after reigning Miss Malawi Thandi Chisi pulled out of the international pageant.The withdrawal follows an email in which Chisi informed officials that she had decided not to proceed with her participation in the international pageant.“After careful consideration, I have decided that I will not be proceeding...
Lake of Stars Festival pushed to 2027
Financial challenges have forced organizers of one of Malawi’s biggest arts and entertainment events to rethink their plans for this year.The Lake of Stars Malawi Arts Festival will now return in 2027, with organizers citing the country’s difficult economic environment and inadequate financial support.In a statement, organizers said rising operational costs, foreign-exchange shortages, funding cuts,...
Special honour awaits Navicha
Malawi’s Miss World representative Irene Navicha is set to receive a special honour from her former school after making the country proud on the international stage.Maranatha Academy says it is preparing to recognise Navicha for her impressive performance at the Miss World competition, where she finished among the Top 24 contestants globally and Top 6...
Nearly 50,000 Complaints Flooded a Chinese City's Hotline Over Concert Stage Pairings
Xuzhou's 12345 citizen hotline received 48,795 demands in ten days tied to four concerts by the boy band TOP Landing Boys — 47.5 percent demanding an end to two-person 'pairing' stages, a third demanding they stay. The episode showed how Chinese fandom warfare can colonize the infrastructure of everyday governance.
Gaba breaks silence on Anita Mabedi ‘romance’ rumours
Flames striker Gabadinho Mhango says he wasn't in love relationship with coach Patrick Mabedi's daughter, Gabadinho
Eight Sponsors Before Air: Divas Hit the Road Returns as China's Most-Argued-Over Franchise
Mango TV has announced the 2026 season of Divas Hit the Road with a seven-member cast and eight title sponsors signed before a single episode airs — the latest turn in the franchise whose ruinous 2015 season became China's most-studied reality text.
How an Eight-Hour Video Essay Made a 2015 Reality Show China's Most Studied Text
A fan-made eight-hour video essay about a 2015 travel reality show drew 11,000-plus simultaneous viewers on Bilibili. A decade on, 'Divas Hit the Road: Season 2' has become 'Flower Studies' — China's most dissected text on group dynamics — and the cast is responding on livestreams.
China's Spy Agency Co-Produces Its Own Prime-Time Drama, 'Jiao Feng'
'Jiao Feng,' a twenty-year cross-strait espionage thriller created under the leadership of the Ministry of State Security, premieres on CCTV-8 on September 6. Early screenings suggest a candor the genre has never had — and the author is the state's own spy-catcher.
A Classic Chinese Cop Drama Returns as a Prequel, and Fans Are Demanding the Original Ji Jie Back
'Major Crimes Unit Six,' the police procedural that defined Chinese prime-time drama in the 2000s, returned on Monday as a prequel on Beijing TV — and the instant verdict on its recast heroine, the pioneering female detective Ji Jie, was a trending cry of 'give us back Ji Jie.' The new version is also a record-breaking short-form drama, which is its own story about where Chinese TV is going.
Navicha makes Top 24 at Miss World
Malawi’s representative at Miss World 2026, Ireen Navicha, has secured a place in the Top 24 finalists of the Beauty With a Purpose competition.Her achievement puts her among the leading contestants in the challenge, with Navicha also ranking among the six representatives from Africa who have advanced to the Top 24..Navicha’s achievement has been welcomed...
Recently in August '26
August is now coming to an end and, with it, the summer. This has been an unusually hot summer in the Netherlands, and I'm quite happy we're now approaching colder times. This month wasn't as eventful as I thought it was, but let's recap.
Two Years After Filming, a Youku Reality Show's Props Are Still Littering a Hainan Beach
A video blogger picking up trash on a Hainan beach found the set of 'This Is My Island', a 2024 Youku reality show, still lying where it was filmed. Youku's parent company says the production team has now gone to inspect the site; Weibo is asking why it took two years and a viral video.
AI is covering untalented musicians — Blak Jak
Musician Blak Jak says AI is covering untalented musicians
The Whisper Man Ending Explained: Killer, Pete & Final Twist
James Ashcroft’s film adaptation of The Whisper Man delivers a chilling exploration of inherited trauma, grief, and generational fracture. When young Jake Kennedy vanishes in the sleepy town of Garretton, an old nightmare resurfaces with terrifying intimacy. The final act twists a standard whodunnit into a brutal reckoning between fathers and sons that lingers well...
Tim Curry Horror Movies Ranked: Worst to Best Iconic Roles
Nobody weaponized theatrical menace quite like Tim Curry. Across four decades, the legendary British actor transformed greasepaint, prosthetics, and camp villainy into pure cinematic gold. This definitive countdown tracks his most unsettling, hilarious, and immortal genre performances. 12. Ritual (2002) – Matthew Hope https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXnXbRGjGgk Tales from the Crypt Presents: Ritual had a messy production history,...
A Vocational-School Graduate Just Won China's Biggest Stand-Up Competition
Xiaoqi, who entered vocational school at 13 and worked as a hairdressing apprentice, carpenter and photo retoucher before taking up comedy, won the third season of "Stand-Up and Ta's Friends" — and thanked the audience for electing China's first vocational-school champion.
What Ireen Navicha’s World Designer Award dress symbolises
Ireen Navicha,Malawi's representative at the Miss World
Tributes pour in for Optimus Prime Voice Actor Peter Cullen
Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of Optimus Prime dies at 85
From sex tape scandal: Tiwa Savage in Malawi to ‘teach’ girls
…the curious world of celebrity activism arrives in Malawi LILONGWE — Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Tiwa Savage is in Malawi, this time not to fill a stadium or promote a new hit, but as the celebrity face of a United Nations campaign to protect women and girls from violence. Savage is visiting Malawi under the UN...
The Drama That Died With Its Star: Why 'Qing Zan Xing' Is Trending Again
A Tang-dynasty detective epic finished shooting in 2021 was shelved when its male lead, Kris Wu, went to prison. This week it charted twice in one day as fans debated reports of a 300-million-yuan rights fee — and whether Yang Zi's performance will ever be seen.
Gwamba accused of sinking Quest’s career
Gwamba is accused of Quest's career fall
Navicha’s Miss World Top 40 dream takes a hit
The road to the Miss World Top 40 has thrown Malawi another curveball, with Ireen Navicha missing a key chance to boost her campaign.Navicha failed to secure the World Fashion Designer Award for Africa, a setback that could make her battle for a coveted spot among the competition’s Top 40 even tougher.The award was won...
Justin Sun Sues Actress Jing Tian Over a 30-Million-Yuan 'Bride Price'
The TRON founder has taken actress Jing Tian to court over the return of what his lawyer calls a bride price, reigniting a public argument about money, romance and gender in China.
Fans Balk at Rumored 'iPartment' Return Without Chen He, Wang Chuanjun, and Jin Shijia
A leaked list claiming a 'iPartment' return season is in the works — without Chen He, Wang Chuanjun, and Jin Shijia — has reignited a generational argument about sitcom nostalgia and whether a show can survive without its original cast.
S Khrizzy bows to public anger over Temwa song
S Khrizy has apologized over a controversial story
From deportation to ‘I Do’: Nokwazi marries Rasheed
Deportation separated them from South Africa, but love pulled them together in Malawi as South African woman Ncuku Nokwazi followed her Malawian lover Rasheed across the border, only to shock everyone by sealing their romance in a Nikah ceremony.Nokwazi and Rasheed were living together in South Africa when xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals forced Rasheed...
Malawi First, Politics Later: Vote Ireen Navicha now
Malawians, wake up! Our national pride is on the line at the Miss World 2026 stage in Vietnam. For weeks, we have bickered, complained, and pointed fingers. Yes, we know the story. Ireen Navicha was selected instead of the reigning Miss Malawi, Thandie Chisi. Yes, we know the heavy speculation that nepotism played a role...
Navicha misses Head-to-Head Top 40 spot
Malawi’s Ireen Navicha has missed out on a place in the Top 40 of the Miss World 2026 competition after failing to win the African round of the Head-to-Head Challenge.Navicha had used the challenge to spotlight teenage pregnancy and early marriage, highlighting how the issues continue to disrupt girls’ education in Malawi.But, South Africa’s Romanda...