FIGHTING with your partner is normal. Betting huge sums of money on your partner’s ability to perform extreme physical feats, not so much.
Eight South African couples will be doing a bit of both in the next five weeks, as filming for M-Net’s latest reality game show Power Couple SA started on Thursday.
Filling a sort of Fear Factor meets Survivor slot, with elements of feel-good romance and signature reality TV drama, Power Couple SA will see real-life couples competing in challenges that reveal just how much they know, trust, or love their partners.
Partners will wage funds on the likelihood of the other’s success in various tasks. The two pairs with the least amount of money and most failed challenges at the end of the week will face elimination at the vote of the remaining couples.
Show host Ryan O’Connor of Kfm radio said one the most entertaining aspects of the programme was that everyone could relate.
“If you get up in the morning and complain about the last person who drank all the milk, or didn’t fold the towel properly… no matter how old you are or what kind of relationship you’re in, you’re going to be able to relate to some of what you see here.
“But these are normal interactions that become a whole different ballgame when the microphones are rolling,” he said.
O’Connor called the scale of the production “incredible”, and said he had a feeling a lot of South Africans would be surprised at the spectacular filming locations showcased across the Western Cape.
“I think it’s going to be one of those huge shows that’s really captivating.”
In addition to the prestigious title of South Africa’s first-ever Power Couple, the last couple standing will walk away with R1 million, which could go far for a romantic getaway – or a really good divorce attorney.
Though popular in Israel and Portugal and with ongoing production in and Brazil, this is the first time an English-speaking country will produce the show.
Cape Argus