Michelle Botes (born 12 October 1962 in Cape Town) is an award-winning South African actress, language teacher, and aromatherapist. Being able to wear other people’s personalities is not an easy job, but Michelle has a way of making it look so easy.
She has not a newbie in the movie industry and gained popularity after she was cast as Cherel de Villiers-Haines in Isidingo. Michelle played the role of the villainous character for nine years (9) starting in 1998 and left in 2007.
After three (3) years, she returned to the SABC3 show in 2010 and made another return in 2019. It is no doubt that the actress is among the long-serving actors in the show.
The actress boasts of over ten years of experience in acting, little wonder she is so good on television. Her impressive acting skills have earned popularity and today she is a household name in the entertainment industry.
Profile
| Name | Michelle Botes |
| Born | 12 October 1962 (age 58 years) Cape Town, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Birthday | October 12 |
| Gender | Female |
| Education | Speech and Drama, Education |
| Profession | Actress, language teacher, and aromatherapist |
| Husband | Ian Roberts (div. 1999) |
Age
Her date of birth is on 12 October 1962 and the place of birth is in Cape Town, South Africa. Michelle Botes is 58 years old.
Education
Upon a successful matric, she enrolled at Stellenbosch University. In the institution, she studied for a Performer’s Diploma in Speech and Drama (Bilingual).
She also obtained a degree in Education Diploma from the University of Cape Town (UCT). During Michelle’s first job, Touring the Cape, she used Library Tours to present literature. Later, she played the role of Princess in Eagles, an Afrikaans show.
In 1998, she was cast in the popular South African drama series, Isidingo. She remained in the show for nine years before she left in 2007.
Husband
In reality, Michelle was married to Ian Roberts. She got married to her man at the age of twenty-seven. The couple met during her working days on the set of Eagles. Their union did not get a “till death do us part” ending, in 1999 the couple called their marital relationship a quit.
The marriage lasted for eleven years and Michelle has two (2) children; one daughter and one son. Even after ending their marriage, Michelle and her ex-husband Ian are friends.
Michelle was in a romantic relationship with Chris Beasley (Len Cooper), a fellow Isidingo actor. According to Youth Village, their relationship did not last more than a year. They ended their relationship following irreconcilable differences.
Career
She is a popular South African actress and her role as villainous Cherel de Villiers-Haines walked her to the spotlight. She played the role in Isidingo (1998-2007, 2010).
For three (3) years, she played a starring role in Binneland Sub Judice starting in 2007. Michelle was cast as Ingrid Jordaan on M-Net Afrikaans-language soapie and left the show in 2010.
Roles on TV
- Binnelanders (Sesaon 3-16) – Ingrid Louw-Koster
- Family Secrets (Season 1) – Dawn Pretorius
- Isidingo (Season 1) – Cherel de-Villers Haines
- Konings (Season 1) – Santie
- Legacy (Season 1) – Angelique Price
- Onder Draai die Duiwel Rond (Season 1 and 2) – Kietie Bosman
- SAMA (Season 12) – Presenter
- Triptiek (Season 1 and 2) – Bibi Brinkman
Recognitions
In 2002, she was recognized and placed in the top ten on TV for the newspaper Star’s Top-hundred. After three years, in 2005, she was named the Most stylish South African celebrity. Michelle was named by JFPI Corporation, Elle magazine, and the Sunday Times newspaper.
Still, in 2005, she has received the Duku Duku Awards four times consecutively. One of the awards includes Best Onscreen Villain, she is.
In the year that followed, 2006, G-sport named her Woman of the Month. On the nineteenth yearly Avanti Awards, the Best Actress in Isidingo.
She also bagged the Best TV Couple in Isidingo with Robert Whitehead who played the role of Barkes Haines. Three times now, she has taken home the Best Actress, the Crystal Award.