Felix Hlophe steps back from Gagasi FM amid personal turmoil

Gagasi FM has announced that popular breakfast show host Felix Hlophe will be taking a temporary break from the airwaves following the circulation of a viral video and allegations relating to his personal life.

In a statement released on Monday, the Durban-based radio station said Hlophe, who hosts The Uprising from 6am to 9am, will be off air for the coming week to allow the station to further assess the matter being discussed on social media and in various publications.

“This will also give Felix the space to attend to personal matters requiring his attention,” the station stated.

The station revealed that after the current period, Felix will be on scheduled leave for an additional two weeks. Furthermore, the station stated it would refrain from any speculation or comments while the issue is addressed through internal processes.

Felix expected to return to air on 19 January 2026. In the interim, Heazy will stand in as host of the show, while Selbyonce and Linda “Mr Magic” Sibiya will present the crossover show.

The station’s announcement comes after Hlophe broke his silence over allegations circulating on social media, following the release of a video linked to an incident involving his wife, Tracy Hlophe.

The video, which has been widely shared online, sparked claims that the radio personality was involved in a physical altercation with his wife on December 24, 2025. It was further alleged that Tracy fled with their children to a neighbour’s home for safety and that Felix later arrived at the property, hooting aggressively while demanding the children be returned.

In a statement shared publicly, he denied that any physical violence had occurred.

“I formally acknowledge the statements that have been made about me on social media by an associate of my wife,” he said, adding that he had referred the matter to his legal representatives.

Felix further confirmed that the events took place on Christmas Eve, explaining that his wife had accepted an invitation from a friend to spend time away with their children.

“Accompanied by my mother-in-law, I went to fetch my wife and children,” he said.

He also admitted that emotions escalated during the encounter and that he was heard hooting outside the property but insisted there was no physical assault.

“During this interaction, emotions ran high on all sides, and an unfortunate confrontation took place, but there was no physical violence,” Felix said.

He added that the circulating video clips do not show the full context of the incident and reflect only a partial account of what occurred. According to Felix, private security and the South African Police Service were called as a precaution, and no arrests were made.

He also noted that security personnel and SAPS officers expressed concern about insults directed at his mother-in-law during the exchange.

Despite what he described as a “distressing moment”, Felix said he, his wife and their children returned home safely and spent Christmas together.

“We spent Christmas together peacefully and joyfully as a family, including my mother-in-law,” he said.

The radio station said it would provide further updates only once its internal processes have been concluded.

amahle.luke@inl.co.za

Saturday Star