Sultry singer-turned reality TV star Londie London plans to strip herself bare to unearth her true and authentic self to the Real Housewives Of Durban (RHOD) viewers.

London, whose real name is Londiwe Siphiwokuhle Zulu, is one of the three new faces to join the cast of the second season of the reality show and with much excitement, the new mommy told Sowetan how ecstatic she is to finally own her narrative and show the world who she truly is.

The 29-year-old jewellery designer, who is the fiancée to business tycoon Hlubi Nkosi, is now ready to reveal her rather private life to the world through Showmax’s camera lens where she promises to be as authentic as possible.

Even though she’s not a wife yet, London hinted, although not yet final, that her storyline on the show might include her wedding special where she’ll finally tie the knot to the man of his dreams.

“The planning of the wedding is on screen but because we are still in the beginning phases of getting married, there’s a lot of functions that need to be held before the actual white wedding, which I talk about in detail on the show.

“I know people have never seen my son Uminathi’s face, so for the first time, they’ll get to see him. They will also get to see my hubby briefly appearing in some scenes – and some of the people around me,” she explains.

London and her bae first met when he booked her as one of the performers at his birthday celebration years ago, a move the singer believes was well thought out by her fiancé who knew his intentions with her at the time she was asked to come and sing.

“Along the way after meeting at his birthday party we became friends. Our friendship grew into the love we both share today,” London quipped.

After a couple of years dating, the romantic Afro-pop singer explains she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her son.

“I remember bursting into tears after I gave birth to Uminathi… it was the most beautiful moment ever. My baby was looking at me and I couldn’t comprehend how a real human being came from inside of me. I felt like I’ve stepped into another level of love and the understanding of life itself,” she says.

“I must say, parenting has not been easy but my husband and I always try to make it fun… in fact, Uminathi’s bubbly personality makes it much easier, which I hope viewers will get the chance to witness.”  

With just seven days to go to her big debut on the show, London tells me how highly anxious and worried she was, whether she’d be scrutinised or received well by the RHOD audience. She also explains she is friends with all the women in the show and without giving much away, London adds she has become strong allies with some of the cast members.      

“I’ve always wanted to do reality TV but only when I was at a point in my life where I was ready to show people who I really am and my positioning in life. When I first got the call to join the cast, I was a bit freaked out but I then reflected on my life as a new mother and fiancée, which made me realise that I actually have a story to tell.

“There has been a bit of confusion, whether I was still doing music or not, so I felt that this was the perfect time to let people into my reality.

“At the beginning of filming the show, I could sense a lot of fakeness because some of the old castmates didn’t know I’d be joining them this season. They were quite awkward at first but the ladies are great.

"I get along with all of them but people will get to see me form strong bonds with some of the women. However, what viewers won’t see is me fighting with any of them because I am not a violent woman,” the songwriter said.

Although she was born in Durban, London and her family moved to eMalahleni where she spent most of her childhood; this is where she grew a niche understanding of the arts that influenced her musically.

When she completed matric, she chose to move to Gauteng to further her studies by enrolling at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to study a jewellery design and manufacturing course, which she did not complete due to her desperate need for financial freedom.

“I dropped out in the third year, at that time all I wanted to do was work and make money. While I was looking for a job, I ended up doing music. I even did UJ Idols where I became the runner-up winner, so I always knew music was where my passion was.

“While I was busy going to the studio, I was then approached by Ambitiouz Entertainment in 2017, this is after my pictures went viral on social media. After joining the label, my music career picked up and I’m quite excited at where I’m headed, musically,” she said.

The excited new housewife describes her journey in the industry as “unpredictable”, stating that people will not guess what her next move will be. She says she will also shock and surprise the country even more with the plans she has for her future.

“Much like my addition on the reality show, I don’t think people will be ready for what I plan to do next in the industry,” she concludes.    

Season two of the Showmax Original The Real Housewives of Durban launches on January 28, with new episodes following every Friday.