Fiona Coyne hosted the South African version of the Weakest Link from 2003 to 2007 for SABC 3. who was best known to television viewers as "that bitch in black" Fiona was also an author, a renowned playwright, and an actress. After retiring as a hostess, Fiona moved on to become the author of her own autobiography called "Who Moved My Ladder? The Working Woman's Guide to Success in 2009," where she mentioned the Weakest Link and how it affected her life.
Fiona was born in Springs, South Africa, on June 22, 1965, to John and Dolly Coyne, who immigrated to South Africa from Ireland and Scotland. When she was younger, some of her main passions were writing, helping people, giving speeches, and being on stage. In 1986, at the age of 20, Fiona performed in English and Afrikaans at the CAPAB Drama Company based in Cape Town. She took a break nearly six years later and temporarily moved to Kenya to help support the country's animals. Upon returning in 1992, Fiona began to write her own plays, along with continuing her career as an actress.
Some of her award-winning playwrights included As the Koekie Crumbles (1998), Glass Roots (2000), Dearly Beloved (2001), The Shadrack Affair (2004), and Careful (2009). Some of her plays were inspired by the slowly growing LGBTQ+ community in South Africa, which has legalized same-sex marriage since 2006.
In 2007, Fiona was asked by "Life & Family Wellness Magazine" about the show around the time of its cancellation. At first, she questioned why such a show as the Weakest Link would grow in popularity. "We all essentially love insulting others, kids do it all the time, however as adults we have been socialized not to, yet deep down we are thinking 'yay' when we see an adult doing it really it is a childish show. And great as a job goes, I get paid to make people believe I am an obnoxious bitch, which makes me a sitting duck for hate mail. I guess that is what I get for being a smart arse."
Sadly, on August 18th, 2010, Fiona's life came to a tragic end after she took her own life in her home in Fish Hoek. The news of her unfortunate death had devastated all of her friends, family, and fans who adored her, she was only 45 years old. Though she enjoyed a long and productive career as a playwright and actress, fans across the country know she was taken far too soon.