The top entertainment stories which made headlines in 2017

2017 has been an interesting year in the entertainment industry and who better to ask what happened than the queen of entertainment herself. Honey!

So here goes, in no particular order, the top news stories which caught my eye and interest this past year:

The Royal engagement

The rumours had been flying around for a while about a possible royal engagement on the horizon, and now we know there will be a royal wedding in May 2018. Prince Harry popped the question to his girlfriend and Suits actress, Meghan Markle. It happened sometime between October and early November 2017.

Read: Prince Harry, Meghan set date for royal wedding

What is rather interesting is that he popped the question in the most relaxed way ever - at his cottage at the palace in Kensington over roast chicken. The Prince got down on one knee and before he could complete the proposal, Meghan had already yelled ‘yes’!

This by far has been the most exciting royal engagement for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, Meghan Markle is a Black woman and she will actually be the first Black woman to marry into the royal family. Secondly, as a couple, the two of them look perfect together and complement each other beautifully – I can’t wait to see their babies. Lastly, I remember when Harry confirmed their relationship to the press. It was a letter asking the press to stop harassing Meghan. He also then confirmed that he was indeed in a relationship with her and asked for respect and privacy. This came after racial slurs were thrown around in the tabloids about Meghan and their relationship. When Harry stood up for his lady in that manner, my heart was warmed for this relationship. 

The Kardashian pregnancies

Now we are still waiting for the Kardashian sisters to break the internet with pictures of their pregnancies. For now, we just have to wonder how long it will be before we get to see them? To be honest, I am most excited for Khloe because she, out of all the sisters, has really been wanting a baby for the longest time. Rumour has it that she is having a baby boy with her basketball bae, Tristan Thompson, while baby sister Kylie Jenner is reportedly in her second trimester with a baby girl by her rapper boo, Travis Scott. Neither of the sisters have confirmed the pregnancies, however all should be revealed sometime in early 2018. You can’t hide a growing bump from the paparazzi under big track tops forever, you know. #JustSaying

Micasa drops new album after almost splitting

Imagine life without Micasa? Scary thought, right? So, the group came out with a new album in 2017 and along with that, came the most shocking news ever - they almost split. Chatting to Ricky and I on the Coca-Cola Top 40, the group told us that earlier in the year they had considered calling it quits and from what I gathered, it seemed to have been lead singer J’Something’s fault. I just gathered that from what the group had been saying about what caused the attempted split. Nonetheless, J’Something wrote the song ‘Nana’ as an apology letter to his band members asking for forgiveness. That song fast became a big hit, climbing charts around the country, including to the top of the Coke Top 40. They clearly forgave him because the group is back on top with their latest album ‘La Famalia’. 

Read: Mi Casa's new music video will get you moving and shaking

Janet Jackson’s new baby and divorce - all in the same year

What a way to ring in the new year for Janet Jackson with the arrival of her baby boy Eissa on the 3rd of January. The excitement for her fans was short lived because midyear, the star told us all she was divorcing her billionaire hubby of five years. It was also reported that she could be getting close to $500 million (over R6-billion) in a divorce settlement which kept Janet and the divorce trending for several days after the announcement. While everybody has been trying to find out what could have possibly gone wrong for this power couple to pull the plug, many allegations have been flying of abuse and serious incompatibility between the couple. At this stage there is no clarity on whether the divorce is final or not. What we do know is both mommy and daddy have been spending time with baby Eissa, which is all that matters in my books.

Read: Janet Jackson was 'verbally abused' during her marriage

Minnie Dlamini’s fairytale wedding

KZN’s own Zulu maiden has officially tied the knot and is now affectionately known as #MrsJones. Minnie Dlamini got engaged in December 2016 to long-time love Quinton Jones and shared beautiful pictures of her ring and man on social media. Fast forward to this year, and she tied the knot in two lavish ceremonies. One at her parent’s home situated here on the East Coast, which took place back in July, and another picturesque ceremony in Cape Town on 16 September 2017.

Let’s talk more about the stunning white wedding attended by many celebs, family, and friends, shall we? Firstly, the backdrop was incredible, with the amazing Cape mountains and luscious green lawns of the venue. She had Micasa perform at her wedding and had TV and radio host Anele Mdoba as the MC. Her menu looked absolutely delicious, and not forgetting the impeccable attention to detail with all the décor. Minnie rocked two stunning Gert-Johan Coetzee wedding dresses and flew in a make-up artist all the way from Nigeria to do her make-up. It looked like a spectacular affair and we all got to ‘go to the wedding’ via her three-part docu-series, #BecomingMrsJones, which aired on Vuzu. The newlyweds are set to have cashed in a juicy R6-million for the rights to their wedding. That by far has to be the best wedding gift ever!

Antonio Banderas’ visit to South Africa

I had to throw this one in for my bragging rights. Yes, indeed, I had the honour of having Antonio Banderas smelling me and it was all caught on my Instagram page. I still can’t believe that I got that close to Zorro (without the mask). It was especially nice sitting down with him because earlier in the year I did report on how he had a heart attack and was hospitalised. To see him strong and visiting Mzansi was really special. Antonio was in Mzansi to promote his new perfume range called ‘Secret Temptation’. While here, he visited Nkosi’s Haven, a shelter for children living with HIV and AIDS. He held a gala dinner to raise money for the home, which was attended by celebrities and investors. The gala was able to raise over R1-million for the shelter. Of all the celebrities I have met, he was by far the most humble, kind, and down-to-earth celeb I have ever met. Meeting him was for sure a major highlight for me.

All in all, 2017 was a whirlwind of entertainment news and I can go on and on talking about countless stories. But for now, a cocktail is waiting for me on the beach.