The joy of radio is that allows audiences to use their imagination and create an idea in their mind about how the people behind the voices look and act in their day to day lives.

Encore recently sat down with the 5FM Breakfast team to chat about everything from crazed fans to where they see themselves in the future.

Firstly, I’d like to get some background on how you all got into radio and how the youth could go about getting their foot in the door if it were their passion?

Mabale: “If I were to give anybody any advice it would be to sleep their way to the top”

Leigh-Ann:  “I’d say drink your way to the top.”

Gareth:  “Well, I got fired and I’m quite unemployable so radio was my only option.”

Sias:  “Oh, I’m just the token ginger.”
    
Obviously, you are all very busy people, but after 9:00 am, your audience has no idea how you spend your day. Could you give us a run-down of what you do?

Gareth: “I do nothing but sleep all day…”

Sias: “I just apply sunscreen continuously.”

Mabale: “I sleep until my next shift which starts at 10 pm on Oxford street, which involves clear heels.”

Leigh-Ann: “I whip up some cocktails, groom my cat, work on the 5FM website and play Farmville.”

On air, each of you has your own ‘role’ or persona and they gel nicely with each other, but is that really you? Or do you feel as though you have to play up your characters on air to make for a better show?

Gareth: “No, we are the same people on air as we are off. You saw who we were when you came out for breakfast with us, we are all exactly the same. You can’t pretend to be someone else for three hours a day for four years straight without someone catching you out.”

Sias: “Well, I dress up as a black woman before each show to get into character. [Laughs]”

When you aren’t in studio or working, what do you do for fun or to relax?

Damon: “I play Scrabble once a week.”

Gareth: “I’m interested in politics, architecture and art.”

Leigh-Ann: “I take long showers with my pincher Joey and I’m into MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)”

Damon: “Which, if you were wondering, does not mean it involves mixed races, it means mixed exercises.”

Mabale, congrats on your new Love Life campaign, how did you get into it and what are your plans for it in 2011?
 
Mabale: “I was approached by Love Life a while back and I thought it was an excellent campaign to align myself with. It’s still a fairly new relationship and there are quite a few people are on board, so it’s a really good group effort.”

Leigh-Ann, you are an avid animal lover, any new campaigns you’d like to talk about, such as a “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign?

Leigh-Ann: “I’m currently involved in Husky Rescue South Africa. I was recently apart of the confiscation of a husky from surrounding suburbs. What people don’t realise about these special breeds is that they are actually more feline than canine in the respect that they don’t obey commands as well as other dogs do, so people tend to abuse them more because of that.”

[To the team] Gareth is known for his strong views and opinions, do you often feel obligated to agree with them on air?

Leigh-Ann: “Never! Admittedly, I think he’s right most of the time.”

Sias: “I disagree the most.”

Sias and Damon have taken the plunge down the aisle, do the rest of you see yourself following in their footsteps in the future, if not, why? What are your views on marriage?

Leigh-Ann: “Been there, done that, got the settlement.”

Gareth: “I’d rather be single than divorced.”

There is often a lot of banter aimed and Leigh-Ann and her so called ‘drinking problem’. Is there truth around this? Did you really go to rehab?
 
Leigh-Ann: “Of course I have! But I consider myself a functioning alcoholic. In all honestly, I find people very boring unless I’m drinking. [Laughs]”

Sias, you take the heat for being a ginger quite often, do you ever secretly take offense to it or has it actually given you more exposure?

Sias: “I think I got so much abuse at school that I decided to just move on. And sure, being a ginger has definitely given me more exposure. I just show that being a ginger is not a death sentence, and we do have souls.”

Mabale, Gareth always rips you off for coming from Qwa-Qwa and your relationship your pet donkey, where do you actually herald from?

Mabale: “I am actually from Qwa-Qwa, it’s a small town in the Free-State about 20 minutes from Harrismith. And yes, I grew up with the donkey, his name is Motlalepula, he was my first BFF and we are very close.”

Being live every morning can be a stressful environment to work in, especially if something goes wrong technically. What is the most embarrassing or stressful moment you have experienced since doing the show, dead-air aside?

Gareth: “We have been doing the show for so long that nothing really embarrasses us or stresses us out anymore”

Sias: “The worst thing that has ever happened in studio would be when Damon farted, this happens often!”

If you weren’t in radio, what careers do you think you would have gone into?

Mabale: “If I weren’t on radio, I’d probably be doing my honours to become a biological scientist.”

Damon: “I’d be a chiropractor, making one hundred and fifty thousand rand a month…. I’m not bitter.”

Sias: “I’d probably be a PE teacher.”
 
Leigh-Ann: “I’d be reading the news on 5FM, making cocktails and grooming my cat.”

Gareth: “I’d probably be some boring academic, writing some boring diatribe.”
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 Where do you all see yourself in 10 or 20 years? Still doing voice-overs like Alex J?

Gareth: “Very, very, very, very, very, very rich! I wouldn’t care if I’m lonely, if I didn’t speak to anyone, even if my children and grandchildren hated me, as long as I’m rich.”

Damon: “Coaching my 10 year old daughter, Julia, for Wimbledon.”

Sias: “A sports goods millionaire.”

Mabale: “A business woman.”

Leigh-Ann: “Making cocktails, grooming my cat.”

What do you ultimately want your listeners to take away from the show?

Gareth: “Nothing. Everything is ours. It’s not available.”

Have you guys ever had any crazy stalkers? How do you deal with those crazy fans?

Leigh-Ann: “I have, I faxed a lawyers letter to his boss.”

Damon: “I had sex with two of mine.”

Gareth: “I’m so rude to people, it doesn’t take them long to realise I’m not interested.”

Mabale: “Leigh- Ass and I went out on a Valentine’s Day date once as part of a joke, with Damon as a chaperon. Leading up to the date the guy seemed really decent, and then afterwards, he became a bit of a freak. He didn’t stop emailing me and became quite scary. Damon actually sent him a really rude email, but it didn’t stop him. Eventually, the SABC security had to deal with him. It’s amazing how normal people can seem but they are real sicko’s.”

Sias: “Gingers don’t get stalkers, only fans.”

On a scale of one to 10, how much do you all really hate Damon?

Leigh-Ann: “118!”

Mabale: “Hate is a strong word, I’d say I dislike him and give him a 5.”

Gareth: “I don’t hate Damon, however, I gave him this job and let’s just say, I often regret it.”

Sias: “I can handle him in small doses.”

Damon: “Can I just say something? I think I’m like uranium; I’m really good in small doses like for curing cancer but too much will kill you.”

What are your goals for 2011?

Sias: “Make money and grow the ginger species.”

Leigh-Ann: “I have no goals… Wait, I’d like to improve my MMA.”

Mabale: “Make more money.”
   
Gareth: “I’m going to publish a book this year and release a CD. Ultimately, I’d like to do something good for South Africa.”