Three months ago, I watched the first three episodes of The Hot Seat and thought it was really good. Back then, I promised I would return with a full review after watching the entire season.
Well, here we are, and I can confidently say this is hands down one of the best roasts to come out of Kenya.
Yes, we’ve previously had other attempts, but this show is the boldest, funniest, and most unapologetically savage production I’ve seen from the country. The Hot Seat is what I’d call a celebrity ego slaughterhouse, designed purely for your entertainment.
This is a spoiler-free review. I won’t reference any material from the show because it works best when you have no idea what’s coming.
The basics
Before we get into it, my review is based on the edited episodes, not the live recordings. I’m looking at what’s been put together in the final 13 episodes.
From D&R Studios, The Hot Seat is a Kenyan stand-up roast series featuring a lineup of roastees, including household names like comedians Eddie Butita, Eric Omondi and Terence Creative.
The show also takes shots at content creator Kabi wa Jesus, comedians YY and MC Jessy, DJ Pierra, musicians that include Mejja, Willy Paul, and Sauti Sol’s Savara, journalist and entertainer Willis Raburu, outspoken media personality Andrew Kibe and fitness influencer Frankie JustGymIt.
Leading the panelist as Roast Master is the ever lively Emmanuel Kisiangani, supported by a lineup of seasoned Kenyan stand-up comedians that include Bashir Halaiki, Ruth Nyambura, Ty Ngachira, George Waweru (aka Chai Knees), Maina Munene, Nelly Wangechi, Marcus Douglas, Amandeep Jagde, Stan Saleh, Tonio Kibz, and Professor Hamo. Other notable appearances include Arnold Saviour, Titus Mutai, Oluoch Kariuki, Kelvin Wainaina, Gakoyo Gathimbo, Maina Murumba, Collins Darren and Mike One.
Where to watch
All 13 episodes are available on Showmax, each running between 45 to 50 minutes.
What I liked
This show is brutally funny. There are no playful jabs, it’s savage, sometimes dark, and relentless in its quest to make you laugh.
We live in a world that has been subtly censoring stand-up comedy, even in the West, where it feels like certain lines can’t be crossed. This season of the The Hot Seat doesn’t care about lines or boundaries nothing and no one is off limits.
I thought the first three episodes were brutal, but those were tame compared to what comes later.
I honestly don’t know how these celebrities agreed to this. Their egos get torn apart.
The roastees' insecurities get flipped into jokes in ways that make you laugh and wince at the same time. Even the celebrities in the crowd which include Eugene, the show creator, aren’t spared.
The panelists, in particular, seem to take a lot of joy and pride in roasting each other. They go to places that make you laugh as much as cringe, yet they keep it entertaining. For personalities like YY, Eric, Kibe, Jessy and Raburu, a stage like this isn't new.
It's safe to say they have a "thick skin" when it comes to ridicule. But when I saw certain celebrities, like Pierra, Mejja, Savara, and JustGymIt, I thought for a fact that it was not going to be an easy watch.
Even when the show ventures into darker territory, what makes it work is how smartly structured the sets and bits are.
The panelists put in the work in terms of research. They dig up every insecurity, think physical insecurities, relationships, career choices or anything that was ever said or done publicly, they bring it up. What makes it different is how they set up the jokes, time the punchlines and deliver them.
Now, as much as a roast is basically ridicule and insults, the panelists are professionals. Everything is done with respect, and almost all roastees understand this, except, interestingly enough, stand-up comedians like Jessy and Eric. Eric, surprisingly, was the pettiest of the roastees. I didn’t expect him to have such a delicate ego. That, or Bashir just did a great job.
Another thing I like is the quick thinking and improvisation. A lot of bits are developed on the fly simply based on observation, and the panelists blend everything together so well that it makes for some incredibly flawless sets.
Either most of these comedians are naturally quick-witted, or they’ve been doing this long enough that adapting on the spot is second nature.
With each episode running nearly 50 minutes, there’s enough time for every comedian to deliver a solid routine. Despite some of them appearing multiple times, like Kisiangani, Bashir, Ruth, Ty, and Chai Knees, the show stays fresh. They always find new angles, new approaches, and new ways to roast each other.
But after Episode 3? That’s when they really went all out. They fully embraced what a roast is supposed to be.
An interesting observation
Something I noticed, and you might too, is a clear distinction between comedians conditioned by the "Churchill Show" formula and those who do proper stand-up.
The Churchill Show style comedians rely on personality-driven delivery, dramatic stage presence, and sometimes unnecessarily long pauses between jokes.
You can even see it in their choice of costumes, which match their stage personas.
On the other hand, the stand-up comedians focus more on well-structured material, tight pacing and nonchalant delivery. It’s a different approach, but the contrast is fascinating.
Savage moments
While all the comedians bring their A-game, each episode has at least one moment that will leave you crying from laughter. Everyone is great but each episode has a stand-up comedian who steals the show.
Here are my picks , yours may vary, comedy can be subjective at times.
- In Terence’s episode, Ty stole the show. - Raburu’s episode had standout performances from Titus, Bashir and Arnold. - Kabi wa Jesus’ episode saw Nyambura, Ty and Bashir deliver some of the strongest sets. - Kibe’s episode was brutal from start to finish, with Nyambura as a standout. - Butita’s episode had Nelly killing it, and Chai Knees had a great bit around "Insider Magazine". - Savara’s episode was one of the best, with Munene delivering some of the most brutal roasts. - Eric’s episode had Bashir so savage that he successfully got into Eric’s head. - Mejja’s episode, Mejja was thehighlight, of all the roastees he handled himself impressively in relation to the nature of the show and even had a short but solid routine. - JustGymIt’s finale was an all-out war, with Munene and Nelly delivering some good bits about his relationships. Kisiangani as the host did a great job as the wild card, jumping in during transition and roasting anyone and everything.
What didn’t work
While the picture looks much more polished and the venue is decent, the editing is inconsistent and doesn’t match the quality of artistry on display by the stand-up comedians.
The main issues I had were the same ones I mentioned in my early impressions article.
The audio quality is rough, though you can tell the production team is working overtime to improve it with each episode.
On editing, like in Butita’s episode, transitions feel choppy. Some episodes feel like they were thrown together, with hard cuts and awkward fade-to-black transitions that can be jarring at times.
The panelist have notes, but sometimes it looks like they are carrying exercise books, there is a noticeable presence of papers. Am sure there is a smart way dealing with this.
Conclusion
There were multiple moments where I had to pause just to process what I’d heard. Whether because of the absurdity of how far they pushed the envelope or just how funny some moments were, this series is a unique comedic experience.
Full of dark, relatable, and familiar humour, it’s definitely not for children or the faint-hearted. You’ll be laughing just as much as you’ll be sitting there, jaw on the floor, in shock.
I can confidently say this is one of the funniest roasts I’ve seen from the continent. It’s savage, it’s brutal, and it features some of the best stand-up performances from an all-Kenyan lineup.
