Cape Town — Former Idols presenter and renowned radio personality Unathi Nkayi has recently clarified why she will not return to radio, revealing that the medium “broke me”.
In a recent interview on the Podcast and Chill episodewith MacG and Sol Phenduka, the household name opened up about her career in radio in detail.
As reported by IOL, Nkayi was fired from Kaya959 after a heated dispute with fellow radio jock Sizwe Dhlomo and her station manager at the time, Sibongile Mtyali.
The conflict, which escalated in 2021 at the Kaya959 headquarters, led Nkayi to file a complaint against Dhlomo for verbal abuse. The situation worsened when recordings of the altercation were leaked, ultimately resulting in Nkayi’s termination, the report said.
In her candid chat with MacG, the podcaster asked if the former radio mogul would consider returning to the industry. She shared her reluctance and explained how the tensions caused by the station’s manager had significantly affected her mental and physical well-being.
“Why would I want to go back to a place that constantly hurts me? I had to walk away from MetroFM because of one woman, and an institution allowed her to behave that way,” Nkayi said.
Watch the full episode down below:
She also revealed that Mtyali became the station manager at Kaya959, where she had moved from Metro FM. Despite this, the station continued to allow Mtyali to mistreat her.
Nkayi further recounted a past incident where she had embarrassed Mtyali in front of former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng. This confrontation, she Sid, arose after Nkayi refuted Mtyali’s claim that she had not apologised for compromising the station’s public image, presenting evidence of her apology via email.
The case strained their relationship to the point where she ultimately decided to quit radio altogether.
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Compiled by Lauren Petersen
