Jeremy Mansfield is a South African television and radio personality who has entertained millions of listeners and viewers with his humour, wit and charisma.
He was also an author, philanthropist and political activist who made a difference in his country and beyond. He died in 2022 after a long battle with liver cancer.
File
- Full Name: Robert Jeremy Clayton Mansfield
- Date of birth: August 15, 1963
- Date of death: October 31, 2022
- Age: 59 years old (time of death)
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Grahamstown, Cape Town, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Occupation: Radio presenter, TV presenter, journalist, author
- Height: 1.85 m
- Parents: Peter and Veron Mansfield
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: Cornelia Agnes Schulz (1988-1997), Jacqui Thompson (2003-2019)
- Partner: Karen Corbett (2019-2022)
- Children: Gabriella Mansfield
- Relationship status: None
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Jeremy Mansfield, 59 at the time of his death, was born on 15 August 1963 in Grahamstown, a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
He was the only child of Peter and Veron Mansfield, both teachers. He grew up in a loving, supportive family that encouraged his creativity and curiosity.
He attended Kingswood College, a prestigious boarding school in Grahamstown, where he achieved academic excellence and participated in many extracurricular activities such as drama, music and sport.
He developed a passion for radio and broadcasting from an early age and would often listen to his favorite radio shows and imitate the hosts’ voices. He also enjoyed reading, writing and performing comedy skits.
After graduating from Kingswood College, Mansfield enrolled at Rhodes University in Grahamstown to study speech, drama and journalism.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. During his university studies, he began working for Durban-based radio station Capital Radio 604, where he gained valuable experience and insight into the radio industry.
He also won the AA Vita Award for South Africa’s Most Promising Young Actor in 1985 for his role in the play The Real Inspector Hound.
Personal life
Jeremy Mansfield has had two marriages and one long-term relationship in his life. His first wife was Cornelia Agnes Schulz, whom he married in 1988.
They had a daughter, Gabriella, born in 1990. The couple divorced in 1997 but remained on good terms and co-parented their daughter. Mansfield’s second wife was Jacqui Thompson, a former park ranger and author, whom he married in 2003.
They had a lavish wedding in Kruger National Park, attended by many celebrities and friends. They co-wrote two cookbooks, Zhoozsh! and Zhoozsh! Faking It, both of which were bestsellers.
They also collaborated on radio and television projects such as Laugh Out Loud and Mansfield’s Moneysense. However, their marriage ended in 2019 when Thompson filed for divorce. They were not officially divorced before Mansfield’s death.
Mansfield’s last partner was Karen Corbett, whom he met in 2019. They fell in love and supported each other through Mansfield’s terminal illness.
Corbett was by his side until his last breath. She had two children from a previous relationship, Cameron and Maddi, whom Mansfield loved and treated like his own.
Mansfield and Corbett enjoy traveling together and spending quality time with family and friends. Mansfield often posts pictures of them together on her social media accounts and calls her “true love” And “Beautiful Karen”.
Career
Jeremy Mansfield has had a remarkable career spanning over three decades. He has worked as a presenter for many radio stations and presented numerous television shows and inserts for popular television magazine shows.
He is known for his distinctive voice, sharp wit, hilarious jokes, creative characters, insightful interviews and engaging style.
He is also a talented writer, author of several books, mostly humorous ones. He is a philanthropist who has initiated and supported many charitable activities, such as the Christmas Wish List, Blanket Drive and the Smile Foundation.
He is a political activist who joined the Democratic Alliance in 2017 and expresses his views on many social and political issues.
Some of his career highlights include:
- In 1990, he left Capital Radio and joined M-Net, where he was a sports presenter for SuperSport. He also joined John Berks’ sports show on 702 Talk Radio, where he became a popular personality.
- In 1993, he became a regular host of Saturday Afternoon magazine on channel 702, where he demonstrated his versatility and charisma.
- In 1995, he took over as afternoon host on 702, where he attracted a large and loyal audience.
- In 1997 he moved to 94.7 Highveld Stereo where he created and hosted the hugely successful weekday breakfast show, The Rude Awakening, which at its peak was the most commercially successful show in South Africa.
He worked with co-hosts Samantha Cowen and Darren “The Madman” Simpson entertained millions of listeners with his humor, music, jokes, interviews and social commentary.
He also released five CDs featuring his on-air characters, jokes and songs, which were also bestsellers. He hosted the show for 13 years until his departure in 2010.
- In 1998, he began hosting A Word or 2, a word-based game show on SABC 2, which ran for 10 seasons. He also hosted several other television shows, such as Laugh Out Loud, a comedy show on M-Net, Toy Story 3, a local version of the Disney film where he voiced the character Lifer, Mansfield’s Moneysense, a finance show on CNBC Africa, and Mansfield2day, a YouTube channel where he shares his opinions and experiences.
- In 2009, he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and underwent nine months of treatment. He survived the disease and became an advocate for cancer awareness and research.
- In 2017, he announced that he would run for the Democratic Alliance in the 2019 elections after being persuaded by friend and DA member of the Eastern Cape provincial legislature, Ross Purdon.
He faced much criticism and backlash from some fans and the public, who accused him of various crimes, such as wife beating, money-grubbing, and betrayal of honor.
He defended himself and his decision and said he wanted to make a positive contribution to the country.
- In 2018, he returned to radio as host of the breakfast show Mansfield in the Morning on community radio station Hot 91.9 FM. He continued to host the show until his health deteriorated in 2022.
- In 2022, he revealed that his liver cancer was in the final stages and that he was receiving palliative care. He said he wanted to enjoy the time he had left and complete his bucket list. He also thanked his fans and friends for their support and kindness.
Net worth
Jeremy Mansfield has an estimated net worth of $5 million, which he earned from his successful career as a radio and television host, author, and entrepreneur.
He also invests his money wisely and supports various charitable causes.
Death
Jeremy Mansfield passed away on October 31, 2022, at the age of 59, after a long battle with liver cancer. He passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, friends and endless love.
His death was announced on social media by his friend and former colleague, Samantha Cowen. She wrote: “It is with great sadness that I inform you that Jeremy Mansfield passed away this morning.
He was surrounded by family, friends, and endless love. He fought a long and hard battle. He was brave, funny, kind, and generous. I will miss him every day because he was my friend for 25 years. Rest in peace, Jem. You were the one.”
His death was met with an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans, colleagues, celebrities, politicians and the public. Many shared their memories and condolences and celebrated his life and legacy.
Argumentative
Jeremy Mansfield is no stranger to controversy, as he often expresses his opinions and jokes on a variety of topics, sometimes offending or upsetting some people. Some of the controversies he has been involved in include:
- In 2000, he was reported by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission for using derogatory language toward black women on his radio show. He apologized and said he had no intention of hurting anyone.
- In 2006, he was accused of plagiarism by comedian John Vlismas, who claimed that Mansfield had stolen his jokes and used them in his radio show and CDs. Mansfield denied the accusations and said he was unaware of Vlismas’ material. He also said that he had a team of writers who helped him write his material and that he always credited his sources.
- In 2008, he was sued by former Springbok rugby player James Dalton, who accused Mansfield of defaming him on his radio show by calling him a “wife beater” and “thug”Mansfield said he was simply reporting the news and had evidence to back up his claims. The case was settled out of court, with Mansfield apologizing and paying an undisclosed amount to Dalton.
- In 2017, he faced a lot of criticism and backlash from some fans and the public, who accused him of many things, such as being a wife beater, a money-grubber, and a traitor, after he announced that he would run for the Democratic Alliance in the 2019 election. He defended himself and his decision, saying that he wanted to make a positive contribution to his country.
Social media
Jeremy Mansfield is active on social media and has a large and loyal following. Some of his social media accounts are:-
- -Instagram username: @jeremymansfield
- Twitter Username: @jeremy_mansfield
- YouTube Channel: Mansfield2day
List of movies played
- • One word or two
- • Laugh out loud
- • Toy Story 3
- • Mansfield’s Money
- • Rude awakening
- • Rude Awakening: The Sequel
- • Rude Awakening: The Final Chapter
- • Rude Awakening: The Reunion
- • Rude Awakening: Legacy
Book
- • Jeremy Mansfield’s Vrotter Jokes
- • Jeremy Mansfield’s Vrot Jokes
- • Awesome!
- • Pretend
- • The Rude Awakening: The Best of Jeremy Mansfield
- • Rude Awakening: The Worst of Jeremy Mansfield
