Annie Mthembu

Annie Mthembu’ is popularly known for starring on Real Housewives of Durban. Image via Instagram @mrsannbition

‘Sympathy card’: ‘RHOD’ fans not buying Annie’s ‘rebrand’

‘A mean girl will forever be a mean girl’: #RHODurban viewers are not convinced that Annie has truly changed.

Annie Mthembu

Annie Mthembu’ is popularly known for starring on Real Housewives of Durban. Image via Instagram @mrsannbition

Season three of Real Housewives of Durban (RHOD) came with many changes. Apart from the three new cast members — Slee Ndlovu, Mbali Ngiba and Maria Valaskatzis — as well as new friend of the show Sane Bhengu, viewers have noticed that Annie Mthembu has also changed and is no longer a “mean girl”.

ALSO READ: ‘Real Housewives of Durban’ S3 LIVE BLOG: All you need to know

ANNIE ‘THE MEAN GIRL’

In the past two seasons of the Showmax original reality TV series, the dancer and beauty salon owner was always making headlines for her “loud mouth” and her bad attitude.

ALSO READ: ‘It’s giving frenemy’: ‘RHOD’s’ Annie, Jojo attack each other

At the season two reunion, she bought Nonku’s mother, Niniza Ngcobo, a peace offering gift after insulting her that season over something she misheard.

The RHOD cast members, as well as the viewers, know that Annie says what she means and she has no filter. However, Annie seems to have died in season two as season three is four episodes in and there has been no drama from Annie. Instead, she says less and has avoided clashing with her co-stars, even when she has been provoked.

Annie Mthembu
‘Real Housewives of Durban’ star Annie Mthemb. Image via @mrsannbition/Instagram

IS ANNIE REBRANDING?

During Sorisha’s spa launch, she and Nonku had a chat about an incident at an event where Nonku felt disrespected by Annie. Instead of making it a big deal, the two ladies appeared to have listened to each other and poured cold water over it.

In addition, in the fourth episode when Jojo finally told her that Sane called her a “lousy PA who slept her way to the top” Annie did not seem too bothered by it.

ALSO READ: ‘She slept her way to the top’: Sane trash-talks Annie on ‘RHOD’

BELL’S PALSY AND BEING BULLIED

This season, it appears that Annie’s primary focus is getting surgery on her eye. After Jojo Robinson’s princess soiree event, Annie opened up about an eye condition she has called Bell’s Palsy. 

“All the muscles… like your face gets paralysed on the one side. Um, and I had it during my pregnancy with my first baby,” she said, speaking of her condition. 

She admitted that she feels uncomfortable and insecure about her lazy eye because people notice and ask questions. She also added that she gets bullied about it on social media.

Annie went on to reveal that she was also bullied as a kid when she lived in the UK.

“The way that I sort of grew up. Like, in the UK. I was bullied, like so badly. They would like hit me over the head with umbrellas and they would just like do anything to just sort of, you know, get at me,” she said.

“They attacked me for such a long time, and I would just like go into my own little space. I feel upset, I was alone as well because I was not accepted. So, during lunchtime I would literally just sit and read a book, just to stay out of the way of those people who are constantly attacking me,” she continued.

VIEWERS ARE NOT CONVINCED ANNIE HAS CHANGED

However, viewers think the new and laid-back Annie is not genuine.