Gagasi FM presenter Felix Hlophe launches 'Runaway Bride' Comedy Tour following marital turmoil
Gagasi FM presenter Felix Hlophe transforms his recent marital controversy into comedy gold with his upcoming 'Runaway Bride' tour that will kickoff in in Pietermaritzburg on January 31.
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Gagasi FM presenter Felix Hlophe, who is currently on extended leave until next week, has turned his recent personal turmoil into what he knows best; comedy.
Hlophe made headlines in December following a Christmas Eve altercation involving his wife, Tracy Smith-Hlophe, and her friends. Now, at the end of the month, he is set to embark on a comedy tour that will kick off in Pietermaritzburg.
The tour, titled Runaway Bride, appears to be a tongue-in-cheek take on his own experience, following reports that his wife left their marital home after he allegedly asked her to organise a celebratory feast for his delegation’s successful lobolo negotiations with another woman.
In a statement issued after the drama, Hlophe said his wife had accepted an invitation from a friend to go out with the children, and that he later went to fetch them.
He claimed that emotions ran high when he arrived, but insisted he never laid hands on his wife or anyone else, adding that the family later spent Christmas peacefully together.
The incident saw Hlophe miss Gagasi FM’s highly anticipated New Year’s Eve Crossover show, which he was due to co-host with broadcasting veteran Linda “Mr Magic” Sibiya and Selbeyonce, after the station put him on an extended two-week break.
He is expected back on air on Monday, January 19, 2026, on the breakfast show, The Uprising, which Siyabonga "Heazy" Madida has been co-hosting as a stand-in alongside Minnie Ntuli.
Hlophe’s Runaway Bride show will take place at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on January 31. He said the comedy production explores themes of love, culture, choice and the courage it takes to walk away from what is expected of you when it no longer feels right.
“The show is about jokes, and about unpacking the fairytales we follow about marriage, manhood and the role of women when things don’t go the way we imagined,” said Hlophe.
He added that he would also touch on what he has witnessed and experienced, the conflicting opinions around his situation, the truth, disappointing the public and choosing silence.
While he has not yet announced dates for other cities, Hlophe said he deliberately chose Pietermaritzburg, his wife’s hometown, as the starting point of the tour as a sign of respect.