They say “Heavy is the head that wears the crown…”
Whoever coined this phrase had clearly never met Zozibini Tunzi, who has made a habit out of wearing crowns with anything but heaviness! The 2019 Miss Universe and Miss SA might have shouldered a lot of responsibility during both reigns, but she has never lost the sense of lightness and bubbliness that has made her such a relatable figure to millions of followers across South Africa and indeed the world.
So you can imagine that when the Netflix South Africa team was looking for the perfect candidate to portray the role of Queen Charlotte at their upcoming Bridgerton Season 2 launch, Zozibini’s name stood out immediately.
Our cover feature with Coconut Kelz, who will be portraying Lady Whistledown at the same event, set the tone for what fans and visitors can expect this coming weekend, and in keeping with all things Bridgerton we had the privilege of speaking to Zozi about her personal love for the series and what she’s looking forward to on the day.
While others may have found the pressure of characterizing an entire Queen to be quite daunting, Zozi appeared to be excited about the affair.
Zozibini Tunzi on the Royal Bridgerton Affair
We’re talking all things royal, luxurious and exquisite – to launch the return of Bridgerton S2, Netflix is hosting The Bridgerton Affair this weekend. How did your involvement in this event come about?
It’s all very very exciting, I’m a big fan of the series and I think it also makes sense for me to be a part of it especially because they asked me to take on the role of the queen! I mean I have just stepped out of Miss Universe and I’m quite familiar-ish with that world, I was looking forward to taking on that role and being a part of it. So that’s how it came about and that’s my role in it, I can’t wait!
You’re quite familiar with wearing a crown, so it probably comes quite naturally!
[Laughs] It almost feels weird not to be wearing one right now!
We love it! Back to Bridgerton – a lot of South Africans loved the first season, were you one of them?
I was! I watched it with the rest of the world and I remember at the time thinking that it was such a refreshing series, it was so reminiscent of fairy tales, books and stories we grew up with. Whether it was the looks, the characters or the music – I was just in love with the whole thing. I was obviously rooting for the main couple to get together (I think we all were) and I just wanted to see how it would end. It was just a beautiful ending to a beautiful story!
Season 2 takes on a similar premise – we’ve got some new faces and some familiar faces. Judging from what we saw in the trailer it’s going to be tense! Have you had a chance to watch the new season yet?
I love how all of you think I have the keys to the kingdom! I can’t tell you what happens on the show because truthfully, I also don’t know how it’s going to end. I’ve seen bits and pieces of it. It is quite exciting but I think what I’m looking forward to in this one, in particular, is that the season not only looks at romance, it looks at sisterhood too. We see a lot of sibling relationships and I think that will be a fun element in season 2.
Netflix always does their launches in grand and gorgeous manner and for Bridgerton, they’ve put together something special this weekend for guests. You, Donovan Goliath, Coconut Kelz and several more personalities will be taking on characters from the show on the day. What can guests look forward to when they arrive?
Firstly, opulence, elegance, fun, music, entertainment – it’s going to be everything you imagine seeing at Bridgerton but with a little African flair because that’s how we do it down here! I’m very excited to see what everyone will be looking like, what everyone will be wearing, yeah I’m really looking forward to it I think it’s going to be incredible!
Since you’ve brought it up, I have to ask… what will you be wearing on the day?
All you need to know is it’s something fabulous! I’m working on something with David Tlale and we know he’s the king of drama so it is obviously going to be dramatic. It has to be regal, it has to be fashion, yeah all of those things! We have to try and make sure it’s not bordering on costume but rather it’s just a stunning outfit. I can’t wait for you guys to see!
We’ve read that you’re going to be making your acting debut, so we’re curious if you’re going to be in character and showing off some of your acting abilities on the day? Will you be Zozi or will you be Queen Charlotte?
Ummm I think more Zozi [laughs!] or maybe a bit of both? I’m NOT Queen Charlotte, I wish I was, but I’ll tell you what, even as Zozi I will still give you my interpretation of what I think a queen is. That’s what you’re going to be getting on the day!
Back to the series itself – once Bridgerton drops, are you going to binge-watch it all in one go, or will you pace yourself with one episode a night, or one episode a week?
What kind of person would watch one episode then go to bed? Never! I’m taking a whole weekend off so I can get through all of it! I want to watch the whole thing so I can talk about it with people and discuss the characters. I binged the first in a weekend and I’m definitely doing the same for this one! You can’t take your time with these things because on social media people may spoil it for you, they’ll be eager to discuss it. I want to be in the game, so I’ll definitely be watching it first!
We absolutely can’t wait for both the series and this weekend’s Bridgerton Affair. For everybody who wants to keep up with the action, where would you recommend they follow?
You can see me and my outfit on my social media pages @ZoziTunzi on all platforms, and you can use the hashtags and handles @NetflixSA #NetflixSA and #Bridgerton to join the conversation! We shall see you there!
Have you read our cover feature with Coconut Kelz? Check out the cover below and click here to read how she plans to bring Lady Whistledown to life!
