Taking The Reins

Dineo Ranaka is over the tantrums and family drama – she’s back on radio co-hosting Metro FM’s The Bridge and fans love it.

- Khosi Biyela

SHE new she had big shoes to fill, taking over from South Africa’s It girl and media darling Bonang Matheba. For three years Queen B had kept listeners tuned in to Metro FM’s mid-morning break fast show, The Front Row, and fans were taken aback when she recently quit abruptly amid controversy.

So when Dineo Ranaka was asked to take the reins of Metro’s revamped show The Bridge alongside co-host Lerato Kganyago, she was aware there would be some kind of backlash – and she needed to figure out a way of handling it. But in the end it was easy, she says: she just put her head down and got on with her job.

“I can’t care about other people’s drama; my mandate is I’m employed to execute good radio,” Dineo says.

“Whatever drama Bonang and Lerato are/were in on social media, I can’t get involved in that,” she adds.

“I can only be involved in signing my contract and listening to what my bosses require of me.”

Speculation was rife that Queen B turned her nose up at sharing the airwaves with Lerato (Friends or foes? 20 April) and listeners were disappointed when she upped and offed.

But Dineo (33) is doing an excellent job of stepping up to the microphone in her place, and she and Lerato (34) seem to be a winning formula. It’s been a month since the pair has been at the helm of the show and listeners love their on-air chemistry.