When the nation loves your character so much that they threaten to boycott your TV series if you leave, then you’re doing an exceptional job as an actor.
And if there is a character on Mzansi Magic’s The Queen who is adored by South Africans, it’s Uncle Brutus, played by Themba Ndaba. (And our beloved Petronella, of course!)

If you’re not an avid viewer of The Queen, you might wonder why the rest of us are so fond of Uncle Brutus. He’s a typical chauvinist with a foul mouth and questionable taste in shirts. Oh, and let’s not forget his homophobia.
If you’re a liberal individual and have the misfortune of meeting Uncle Brutus, pray your paths never cross again, because there’s no doubt he’ll push your buttons.
Spend a week with him, though, and you’ll realise that under that hardcore persona is a loving uncle and father who will stop at nothing to protect his family.
Here are some of the reasons we love Uncle Brutus.
He’s a family man
When his elder brother passed on, Uncle Brutus went to live with his sister-in-law, his nephews and niece to keep them safe.
Yes, the Khozas are a family of criminals, and he may have ulterior motives for living in his brother’s house, but Brutus is all about being a protective uncle and upholding the family name.
Remember when his niece Kea was in an abusive relationship with Tebogo, and Brutus and his nephews took it upon themselves to handle Tebogo in the most just of ways?
Or how about his most challenging dilemma to date, when he realised his first-born son was gay? Although Brutus doesn’t understand homosexuality and has said some hurtful things to his son, we’ve
He keeps us guessing with his sexual innuendos
No one enjoys talking about sex like Uncle Brutus; his sexual innuendos are one of the most hilarious things we’ve ever heard on television.
You might be fooled into thinking Brutus is speaking about a particular topic when in fact he’s engaging in a very detailed conversation about sex.
Here’s a prime example:
You might think twice about watching The Queen with your parents when Uncle Brutus appears on the screen. You never know what may come out of that mouth of his.
He has a fiercely loyal fanbase
Remember when everyone thought Uncle Brutus was dead in that boat explosion? For several episodes of The Queen, he was nowhere to be found.
During his time of absence, viewers threatened to boycott the show until their beloved Uncle Brutus returned.
We sincerely hope the writers of The Queen never write Uncle Brutus out the story; we may have to declare a state of national emergency.
Stream The Queen on Mzansi Magic on DStv Now or catch every episode express from the DStv broadcast on Showmax.