Meet TPF’s intolerant judge: Ian Mbugua

Tusker project fame Judge Ian Mbugua is known for his, tough and some times mean remarks on the ongoing music reality show. Ian is likened to South Africa’s Thato Bryan Matlhabaphiri, a.k.a Scar, who was ranked the toughest and meanest judge in last year’s Mnet Africa Pop Idol search. In his capacity as a judge, he has occasionally trashed the contestants on stage dubbing them “Horrible”, and that their singing is pathetic: “You’ve bad singing habits”, he has been quoted as saying, “You’re moving on stage as if you want to go to the loo”, and so forth. He has on numerous occasions likened the regional show to a music festival and the contestants into a sham with little promise in the music industry. His motto he says is’ Tell it like it is’ one that will not waiver based on fear or favour. We would love to hate him but still adore his egoistical critics and his no so called for emotional tantrums. So we wonder how he earned the right to be a judge of music talent. The rare talented Mbugua is a music teacher at Brook House School an international school in Kenya; he possesses expertise in both theatre and vocals with many performances across the globe. The critical Ian posses an admirable voice As a judge in tusker project fame, throughout season one and two, and even as three roll on, his comments keep contestants on edge and the audiences at disdain. His outright hostility towards the contestants has him coded “Emotional” by the academy teachers but he still maintains that he does it for the students. “Some people ask for your opinion but when you give them, they don’t like it. I like being honest and forth right,” says Ian. The drama king has stared in a South African acclaimed drama ‘Egoli’ and is currently on ‘changes’ by Mnet. Besides teaching Ian is also currently a theatre Director of Phoenix Players in Kenya. Ends

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Meet TPF’s intolerant judge: Ian Mbugua