Jennifer Hudson cast as Winnie Mandela; Janet Jackson’s full ABC interview, Oprah done in 2011 & 2010 World Cup updates!

Yebo guys & dolls,

World Cup 2010 fever is at an all time high and all roads lead to South Africa June 2010…

This photo is blazin’! Taken by photography genius based in South Africa, Rushay Booysen

I am by NO means a soccer aficionado but I do know that only 32 countries can compete for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. As the host country, South Africa automatically qualifies to compete. For the African region, the following countries have qualified…

1. Algeria

2. Cameroon

3. Côte d’Ivoire

4. Ghana

5. Nigeria

One word for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa…BANANAS!!

And in casting news, Jennifer Hudson has been cast to play the role of Winnie Mandela in a dramatic feature called “Winnie”.

Andre Pieterse, Darrell J. Roodt and Paul L. Johnson wrote the script based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob’s biography entitled “Winnie Mandela: A Life”. This must-read book is an intimate biography of the enigmatic former wife of South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela.

According to Variety, production on the movie commences, May 30th, 2010 in the South African locations of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Transkei [where my "ouma" is from] and Robben Island, where the future president spent 18 of his 27 years in prison.

“Winnie” will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, the veteran South African filmmaker whose 2006 film “Yesterday” was Africa’s Best Foreign Film nominee, and who also directed “Cry, The Beloved Country,” and “Sarafina!”

The movie is being made with South African and Canadian money,with Andre Pieterse producing it with Michael Mosca of Canada’s Equinoxe Films.

*sighing…I heart Jay Hud! But surely they could have found an actress in South Africa to play the role of Winnie. I do understand the economics behind casting decisions, but it is a let down to know that we cannot play in movies that depict our stories! Seriously…

Anyway, Janet Jackson recently sat down with Robin Roberts for an interview on ABC’s In The Spotlight. Here is the full interview which aired on Wednesday…

This was Janet’s first television interview since the death of her brother, Michael. She dishes about her break-up from Jermaine Dupree, why she addresses her dad by his first name, Joseph, Michael’s use of drugs, her failed marriages to James DeBarge & Rene Elizondo…

Her new music video, “Make Me” aired on ABC last night. Janet Jackson will also perform for the 2009 American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California on November, 22nd.

Say it ain’t so!

I think CNN broke the news. One of my BFF’s called me from Chicago to tell me about Oprah Winfrey’s big, big news…[she also wanted to see if I could get tickets to the show, since you know]… Now this is coming from a chic who has been to the Oprah show more times that I can count! I on the other hand, have only been on Ms. Winfrey’s show one time…ONE beautiful & memorable time!

I digress…point of this is that I am in disbelief that Oprah’s show will be coming to an end, September 2011.

According to CNN, Oprah Winfrey will announce on Friday’s [TODAY]“The Oprah Winfrey Show” that she will end her talk show, said a spokesman for Winfrey’s Harpo Productions. The show will end on September 9, 2011, as its 25th season draws to a close, according to a letter from Harpo Inc. that President Tim Bennett addressed to partners and obtained by CNN affiliate WLS-TV…

No disrespect CNN, but I gotta hear this from the Queen of daytime talk herself!

Toodles!

Photo: Jennifer Hudson, FIFA World Cup, Rushay Booysen