Singer Laika has replaced Baby Gloria on the reality TV series Kampala Creme a month after Gloria quit the show citing a toxic working environment among other concerns.
Multichoice, the executive producers of the show that airs on Pearl Magic Prime unveiled Laika as having joined the cast. In recent weeks, the PayTv giant has been teasing the public with several names of female celebrities in the lead-up to the announcement.
Last month, to the shock of many, Baby Gloria announced she had taken a decision to leave the show just a few weeks after the show premiered
She cited a number of issues behind the decision. Among which was not being appreciated, favoritism and disrespect. She said the work environment had increasingly become toxic, causing her trauma. She also alleged that the show was heavily scripted, so much so that sometimes she was asked to fake crying.
Adding that the producers were in the habit of eliminating certain scenes with an intention of projecting the rest of the cast – Etania, are Mami Deb and Zahara Toto – in good light.
Now, it remains to be seen whether Laika will exceed let alone match the performance that Gloria brought to the show.
RELATED: Baby Gloria’s exit from reality TV series ‘Kampala Creme’: A case of a lost opportunity?
Set in Kampala, Kampala Creme is about the glitzy and glamourous lives of affluent, youthful, sassy and outgoing Ugandans. It is Multichoice’s attempt to “revolutionize storytelling by documenting real-life events” thereby ushering in a new era in Ugandan television.
In a statement on Monday, Multichoice said; “With her mesmerizing voice and electrifying stage presence, Laika has been making waves in the East African music scene, and now she’s set to light up our screens in a whole new way.”
“Kampala Creme has never been one to shy away from the juicy details of its cast members’ lives, and with Laika in the mix, we can expect the drama to reach unprecedented levels. From steamy romances to fierce rivalries, there’s no telling what’s in store for viewers as Laika dives headfirst into the world of reality TV,” the statement adds.
Laika launched her music career towards the end of 2020 when she released her debut single My Type. But it wasn’t until she released Overdose during the Covid lockdown that she began to gain steady popularity. Another single Nzuuno released mid last year has also performed well.
Whereas she is popular and brings appealing looks to the table, her personality strikes as the most reserved of all the Kampala Creme cast. But who knows? Perhaps she will leave eyebrows raised just like Gloria did.
The show has been receiving mixed reviews online. While some laud its departure from the orthodox genre – drama – that has dominated Ugandan TV for long, others say they find the cast’s performance rather too plastic.
