Mark Pilgrim (presenter)

Mark Pilgrim (born 20 September 1969) is a South African media personality who has hosted numerous radio and television shows, most notably as a DJ on 5FM, 94.7 Highveld Stereo and 94.5 Kfm.[1] He has also hosted the first season of Big Brother Africa and Power of 10.

Mark Pilgrim as the host of South Africa's Power of 10 TV game show

Radio career

Mark Pilgrim joined 5FM in 1995. In 2003 he left 5fm[2] and joined 94.7 Highveld Stereo in Johannesburg.[3] In October 2007, Pilgrim hosted a chart show broadcast on 2 radio stations simultaneously (KFM and 94.7).[4] He retired from radio at the end of June 2014,[5] but made a comeback several months later on the all new Hot 91.9FM in Johannesburg, initially just doing a Saturday morning show 9am-12pm, but eventually coming back to radio full time and also doing Monday to Friday 9am-12pm. In 2015, he won an MTN Radio Award for Best Weekend Radio Show in South Africa,[6] and in 2019 won the Liberty Radio Award for the Best Daytime Show in South Africa.

Television career
  • New Moves (e-TV: 1999-2000)
  • Big Brother South Africa 1 (MNET: 2001)
  • Big Brother South Africa 2 (MNET: 2002)
  • Big Brother Africa (DStv: 2003)
  • Retail Therapy (MNET: 2002 - 2005)
  • Face 2 Face (SABC2: 2004)
  • Sex Etc. (MNET: 2005)
  • Blue Wave (CORPORATE: 2004–2018)
  • What's Brewing (CORPORATE: 2007-2008)
  • Power of 10 (MNET: 2008)

Other work

He has been a regular DJ at corporate functions and nightclubs around the country.

As a voice artist, Pilgrim has spent many hours in post-production studios, narrating radio and TV commercials. Mark has performed as an MC for numerous corporate gala evenings.

He is also a motivational speaker, sharing his story on testicular cancer, how he overcame it and how it pushed him to follow his dreams.

Consumer researcher

Before getting involved in the entertainment industry, Pilgrim completed a B.Com in Industrial Psychology and Business Economics, and was a quantitative consumer researcher for 9 years. He started at Market Research Africa, and then moved onto Research International and finally Kauffman Levine. He was also the Johannesburg Chairman of the South African Market Research Association (SAMRA).

Personal life

Mark was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer in 1988.[7] It was an aggressive form of cancer and spread to his lungs and kidneys. After 9 months of chemotherapy, he was declared to be in remission. Mark is now an ambassador for CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa) and a friend of the Reach for a Dream Foundation.

On 14 July 2008 Pilgrim suffered a sudden and severe heart attack in his doctors office. Although he suffered permanent heart damage (10% of his heart has lost it's functionality), immediate medical intervention saved his life, and today he lives a full and healthy life. [8]

He married Nicole Torres in Mauritius on 7 July 2007 and after almost 13 years together, filed for divorce in 2020. [9] Their first daughter Tayla-Jean was born in April 2010, followed by their second daughter Alyssa in 2012. [10]


He completed his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) through Edinburgh Business School (Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom) in 2020. [11]

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References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Pilgrim axed from 5fm". News24. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  3. http://www.mio.co.za/article/mark-pilgrim-follows-alex-jay-to-highveld-stereo-2003-12-11
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "2015 MTN Radio Awards winners announced". www.bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  7. "Cancer survivor Mark Pilgrim embraces Movember - All 4 Women". All 4 Women. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  8. "Pilgrim: why the heart attack?". Health24. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  9. "Mark Pilgrim welcomes baby girl". Channel24. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  10. "Mark Pilgrim welcomes baby girl". Channel24. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. "Mark Pilgrim - Blog". www.markpilgrim.co.za. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
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