Actor and singer Phila Madlingozi, who plays the role of Ntando in the first isiXhosa telenovela Gqeberha The Empire.has been fired from the show following "public scrutiny about the quality of his acting and alleged diva tendencies," according to insider.

REPLACED!

He played the role of Ntando, Zimkhitha's son played by Zandile Msutwana. He got the role while mourning his late mom and it helped him to grieve. A trusted source on the show tells ZiMoja that his contract has been terminated and Oros Mampofu will replace him. "After he was fired. The company looked for other candidates that would best suit his role and Oros was the best out of everyone."

DIVA TENDENCIES

According to the source, Phila was fired for arriving late for work. "He was always late for production," the insider says. "He would arrive drunk for work and sometimes hungover. He thought he had arrived and this was highly unprofessional. He is also diva on set and makes unreasonable demands," the source says. Phila tells ZiMoja that he has moved on to other projects. "I don't want to entertain drama," he says. "I have moved on to other things. I'm shooting another show for Showmax. I can't say what happened as I don't want to entertain this. Things were supposed to happen the way it did. I am done shooting the show and I am working on other projects."

RETURNING OF SEASON TWO

After a back and forth with the channel and the production company, Tshedza Pictures, have decided to reinstate the show, which will return for season two. "Oros will be joining from season two. They started shooting mid-November," the source says. "The show will continue being shot in Gqeberha." Another actor on the show who does not want to be mentioned hopes that, "the issues faced in season one will improve." Some actors previously complained about the production, mentioning issues of accommodation, salaries, talent and the storyline were an issue. "But things have improved. We hope for the best for the new season."