Idols (South Africa)
Encyclopedia
Idols is a television
show on the South Africa
n television network M-Net
, based on the popular British
show Pop Idol
. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in South Africa.
It was presented by Candy Litchfield and Matthew Stewardson in Season 1. Halfway through the season Stewardson was replaced by Sami Sabiti. After Colin Moss and Letoya Makhene hosted together in Season 2, Moss went solo for season 3. Liezl van der Westhuizen became the host in season 4 and was sidekicked by ProVerb in season 5 who hosted the semifinal rounds.
In 2006 the show had a spin-off on sister channel KykNet
where exactly the same format was executed. However the entire programme was in Afrikaans
as well as the songs that were performed. So far there has only been one season of Afrikaans Idols. It was hosted by Sean Else.
After several auditions the performers are narrowed down to 100 in the theatre rounds. After that the semifinalists perform live and are chosen by the audience to qualify for the round of the last 10-12 finalists. There were four judges (Randall Abrahams, Dave Thompson, Marcus Brewster and Penny Lebyane in season one; Brewster and Lebyane did not return for the second season and were replaced by Mara Louw-Thomson and Gareth Cliff) who provided critiques of each contestant's performance. Viewers have several hours following the broadcast of the show to vote by phone, SMS or online for their favourite contestant. On the following night's episode, the contestant(s) with the fewest votes is sent home.
Judges
English Series
Afrikaans Series
Presenters
English Series
Afrikaans Series
series that went on air. However the South African show did last shorter than the polish version and therefore Heinz Winckler
became the second Idol winner worldwide on June 17 2002. He triumphed over Brandon October who came second and Melanie Lowe who finished third.
who was given the nickname The Kimberley Diamond by the viewers during the show.
Half of the judging panel were replaced as were the two hosts, with Colin Moss and Letoya Makhene now hosting. It was also the first time worldwide on an Idol show that only two male singers managed to advance to the top 12.
, Johannesburg
on 27 November 2005 between Karin Kortje
and Gift Gwe. Each contestant sang a favourite song chosen by them, a favourite song chosen by the judges, and a brand new single. After a record number of votes cast, Karin Kortje was crowned as the 2005 Idol with 62.58% of the votes.
to sister station KykNet
) and therefore changing the lingua franca of the show from English
to Afrikaans as KykNET
is solely an Afrikaans network.
In addition to upping the heat of the selection process the strict a capella rule was abandoned. Instead auditioners were allowed to bring instruments to the casting. The judges do not seem too pleased with the instruments, especially guitars which are very rarely played in tune.
On the official finale Sasha Lee Davids was announced the winner, with 52.77% of the votes. Four days later, Idols announced that there had been problems with the voteline, and some of the votes that were sent before the cut-off time were not counted. The investigation hit the front page of the Times on 8 May 2009 and later in the day it was announced on www.mnet.co.za/idols/ that the recount had showed that Jason Hartman had received 200000 more votes than Sasha Lee Davids(of 2.3 million total votes in the finale (recount)). After discussion between M-Net and FremantleMedia (the format owners), Jason Hartman and Sasha Lee Davids were declared winners. They both received identical full prizes.
audition stages.
For the first time since Season 2 the jury has no impact on the outcome which now reflect a 100% viewer's verdict. On the 2nd November 2010, 30 year old Elvis Blue from George in the Western Cape was declared the winner.
finale that the show had been renewed for a seventh season in 2011. Auditions are to take place in February and March 2011. On 20 January 2011 it was announced that Mara Louw would not return to the judging panel for the seventh season. The decision came after she was reprimanded for mixing painkillers and alcohol before a show. She was also involved in a racism scandal after she said the show should be moved to SABC3 so that a black person could win Idols, as many black people did not have DStv
and could not send hundreds of SMSes to vote for their favourites. She was replaced by Metro FM personality and songwriter Unathi Msengana.
In Season 1, Matthew Stewardson was replaced halfway through the show by Sami Sabiti. Soon after that Stewardson checked himself into a drug rehab center.
The outcome of Idols I was followed by a row of complaints about Heinz Winckler
s victory as many viewers saw the result as injustice and racially biased.
Season 3 winner Karin Kortje
was not so lucky in her personal life after the contest ended as her boyfriend was charged of robbery and murder just months after the show. In difference to the other finalists of her season, Kortje was not invited to take part of the final of the next season.
In the final showdown of Season 5 there have been problems with the voteline, and some of the votes that were sent before the cut-off time were not counted. The investigation hit the front page of the Times on 8 May 2009 and later in the day it was announced on the official Idols website that the recount had showed that Jason Hartman
had received 200 000 more votes than Sasha Lee Davids, who was originally declared as the winner on the grand finale, with 52.77% of the votes. Four days later, Idols announced that After discussion between M-Net
and FremantleMedia
(the format owners), Jason Hartman and Sasha Lee Davids were declared winners. They both received identical full prizes. This was the first time a win was shared on an Idol show.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show on the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n television network M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
, based on the popular British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
show Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
. The show is a contest to determine the best young singer in South Africa.
It was presented by Candy Litchfield and Matthew Stewardson in Season 1. Halfway through the season Stewardson was replaced by Sami Sabiti. After Colin Moss and Letoya Makhene hosted together in Season 2, Moss went solo for season 3. Liezl van der Westhuizen became the host in season 4 and was sidekicked by ProVerb in season 5 who hosted the semifinal rounds.
In 2006 the show had a spin-off on sister channel KykNet
KykNet
kykNET is a South African television channel, which broadcasts in Afrikaans. Owned by pay-TV operator M-Net, it was launched on the DStv satellite service in October 1999.-Programs:Some of the programs broadcast on kykNET:*DKNT*Trompie...
where exactly the same format was executed. However the entire programme was in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
as well as the songs that were performed. So far there has only been one season of Afrikaans Idols. It was hosted by Sean Else.
After several auditions the performers are narrowed down to 100 in the theatre rounds. After that the semifinalists perform live and are chosen by the audience to qualify for the round of the last 10-12 finalists. There were four judges (Randall Abrahams, Dave Thompson, Marcus Brewster and Penny Lebyane in season one; Brewster and Lebyane did not return for the second season and were replaced by Mara Louw-Thomson and Gareth Cliff) who provided critiques of each contestant's performance. Viewers have several hours following the broadcast of the show to vote by phone, SMS or online for their favourite contestant. On the following night's episode, the contestant(s) with the fewest votes is sent home.
Judges and Presenters
Bold denotes current Judges and Presenters.Judges
English Series
- Randall Abrahams (2002-present)
- Marcus Brewster (2002)
- Dave Thompson (2002–2009)
- Penny Lebyane (2002)
- Mara Louw (2003–2010)
- Gareth Cliff (2003–present)
- Unathi Msengana (2011-present)
Afrikaans Series
- Taliep PetersenTaliep PetersenTaliep Petersen was a South African singer, composer and director of a number of popular musicals. He worked most notably with David Kramer, with whom he won an Olivier Award.- Career :...
(2006) - Deon Maas (2006)
- Mynie Grové (2006)
Presenters
English Series
- Matthew Stewardson (2002 first half)
- Candy Litchfield (2002)
- Sami Sabiti (2002 second half)
- Letoya Makhene (2003)
- Colin Moss (2003–2007)
- Liezl van der Westhuizen (2009–2010)
- ProVerb (2010–present)
Afrikaans Series
- Sean Else (2006)
Season 1
The first season of Idols South Africa started in March 2002. Auditions were held in January. After Poland, it was the second international spin-off of the original Pop IdolPop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
series that went on air. However the South African show did last shorter than the polish version and therefore Heinz Winckler
Heinz Winckler
Heinz Carl Heinrich Winckler was the winner of the first series of South African Idols.Born the eldest of three children in Stellenbosch, South Africa, he went on to study law at Stellenbosch University...
became the second Idol winner worldwide on June 17 2002. He triumphed over Brandon October who came second and Melanie Lowe who finished third.
Season 2
The second season ran from June to October 2003 and was won by then 20-year old Anke PietrangeliAnke Pietrangeli
Anke Pietrangeli is a South African singer who was the winner of the second season of popular talent search series Idols in South Africa in 2003. Like her predecessor, Heinz Winckler, Anke also had a nickname: The Kimberley Diamond. Pietrangeli was convinced to enter by her brother, Sven, who was...
who was given the nickname The Kimberley Diamond by the viewers during the show.
Half of the judging panel were replaced as were the two hosts, with Colin Moss and Letoya Makhene now hosting. It was also the first time worldwide on an Idol show that only two male singers managed to advance to the top 12.
Season 3
Season three aired in the second half of 2005 with an unchanged judging panel and Colin Moss as the only host of the show. The Grand Final took place at Gold Reef CityGold Reef City
Gold Reef City is a large amusement park in Johannesburg, South Africa. Located on an old gold mine, the park is themed around the gold rush on the Witwatersrand. Park staff wear period costumes of the 1880s, and the buildings on the park are designed to mimic the same period...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
on 27 November 2005 between Karin Kortje
Karin Kortje
Karin Kortje is the winner of the third season of Idols in South Africa.With her in the final was Gift Gwe.After announcing the winner on 27 November 2005, M-Net released the voting results for the top 12...
and Gift Gwe. Each contestant sang a favourite song chosen by them, a favourite song chosen by the judges, and a brand new single. After a record number of votes cast, Karin Kortje was crowned as the 2005 Idol with 62.58% of the votes.
Season 1 (Afrikaans Idols)
In 2006 the English format of Idols took a break to make room for the Afrikaans version. Season 1 of Afrikaans Idols represented a unique change in Idols format on a global scale by replacing all previous judges and hosts, moving networks (M-NetM-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
to sister station KykNet
KykNet
kykNET is a South African television channel, which broadcasts in Afrikaans. Owned by pay-TV operator M-Net, it was launched on the DStv satellite service in October 1999.-Programs:Some of the programs broadcast on kykNET:*DKNT*Trompie...
) and therefore changing the lingua franca of the show from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to Afrikaans as KykNET
KykNet
kykNET is a South African television channel, which broadcasts in Afrikaans. Owned by pay-TV operator M-Net, it was launched on the DStv satellite service in October 1999.-Programs:Some of the programs broadcast on kykNET:*DKNT*Trompie...
is solely an Afrikaans network.
Season 4
On April 13, 2007, M-Net announced the series would return to their network for a fourth season in English. The initial auditions were completed on August 6 with the judging and public vote stages due to start on 19 August. The results from each show display a merge of the judges (49%) and audience (51%) vote. Jody Williams, a 17 year old from Cape Town, emerged as the eventual winner. Her best performances included moving ballads such as "Greatest Reward" by Celine Dion and "Dance with my Father" by Luther Vandross. However, she proved her versatility and impressed the judges with excellent renditions of more up-tempo songs such as "Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston and "Ain't no Other Man" by Christina Aguilera. Her first single, which she and fellow finalist, Andriette Norman, performed at the finale, was called "Love is All Around" and was sold out the day after the finale.Season 5
M-Net announced a fifth season of South African Idols which premiered on Sunday, 1 February 2009, with a summer vibe and new rules.In addition to upping the heat of the selection process the strict a capella rule was abandoned. Instead auditioners were allowed to bring instruments to the casting. The judges do not seem too pleased with the instruments, especially guitars which are very rarely played in tune.
On the official finale Sasha Lee Davids was announced the winner, with 52.77% of the votes. Four days later, Idols announced that there had been problems with the voteline, and some of the votes that were sent before the cut-off time were not counted. The investigation hit the front page of the Times on 8 May 2009 and later in the day it was announced on www.mnet.co.za/idols/ that the recount had showed that Jason Hartman had received 200000 more votes than Sasha Lee Davids(of 2.3 million total votes in the finale (recount)). After discussion between M-Net and FremantleMedia (the format owners), Jason Hartman and Sasha Lee Davids were declared winners. They both received identical full prizes.
Season 6
Despite the previous seasons voting fiasco in the finale, M-Net announced a sixth season of South African Idols which premiered on 18 July 2010. Idols judge Dave Thompson did not return to the panel this season. During the auditions, which started in April, he was replaced with guest judges from the South African music industry, similar to the American Idol (Season 9)American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
audition stages.
For the first time since Season 2 the jury has no impact on the outcome which now reflect a 100% viewer's verdict. On the 2nd November 2010, 30 year old Elvis Blue from George in the Western Cape was declared the winner.
Season 7
It was announced during the Season 6Idols South Africa (season 6)
Idols South Africa IV is the sixth season of South African reality interactive talent show based on the British talent show Pop Idol. It premiered on July 18, 2010.For the first time Dave Thompson was not a member of the jugding panel...
finale that the show had been renewed for a seventh season in 2011. Auditions are to take place in February and March 2011. On 20 January 2011 it was announced that Mara Louw would not return to the judging panel for the seventh season. The decision came after she was reprimanded for mixing painkillers and alcohol before a show. She was also involved in a racism scandal after she said the show should be moved to SABC3 so that a black person could win Idols, as many black people did not have DStv
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
and could not send hundreds of SMSes to vote for their favourites. She was replaced by Metro FM personality and songwriter Unathi Msengana.
Controversy
The show has gone through a lot of controversies since its first broadcast.In Season 1, Matthew Stewardson was replaced halfway through the show by Sami Sabiti. Soon after that Stewardson checked himself into a drug rehab center.
The outcome of Idols I was followed by a row of complaints about Heinz Winckler
Heinz Winckler
Heinz Carl Heinrich Winckler was the winner of the first series of South African Idols.Born the eldest of three children in Stellenbosch, South Africa, he went on to study law at Stellenbosch University...
s victory as many viewers saw the result as injustice and racially biased.
Season 3 winner Karin Kortje
Karin Kortje
Karin Kortje is the winner of the third season of Idols in South Africa.With her in the final was Gift Gwe.After announcing the winner on 27 November 2005, M-Net released the voting results for the top 12...
was not so lucky in her personal life after the contest ended as her boyfriend was charged of robbery and murder just months after the show. In difference to the other finalists of her season, Kortje was not invited to take part of the final of the next season.
In the final showdown of Season 5 there have been problems with the voteline, and some of the votes that were sent before the cut-off time were not counted. The investigation hit the front page of the Times on 8 May 2009 and later in the day it was announced on the official Idols website that the recount had showed that Jason Hartman
Jason Hartman
Jason Hartman is a singer-songwriter and the 2009 co-winner of season 5 of the Idols . After a malfunction occurred with the text lines in the finals, it was decided that even though Jason was the official winner of Idols, the title would be shared between him and the runner up Sasha Lee Davids.-...
had received 200 000 more votes than Sasha Lee Davids, who was originally declared as the winner on the grand finale, with 52.77% of the votes. Four days later, Idols announced that After discussion between M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
and FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia, Ltd. is the content and production division of Bertelsmann's RTL Group, Europe's second largest TV, radio, and production company...
(the format owners), Jason Hartman and Sasha Lee Davids were declared winners. They both received identical full prizes. This was the first time a win was shared on an Idol show.
See also
- Season 3 voting resultsIdols South Africa Season 3 voting resultsIdols South Africa 3 was a competition held from August to November in 2005. The voting results were released on 1 December 2005.M-Net has followed up on its promise to release voting details for Idols 2005, which saw 11 contestants fall by the wayside and eventually revealed Karin Kortjé as the...
- Afrikaanse Season 1 voting resultsAfrikaans Idols South Africa Season 1 voting resultsAfrikaans Idols Season 1 was a competition held from June to August in 2006. The voting results were released on September 2, 2006.-Group 1 :* Danelle De Vries -- 22.10%* Jay Theron -- 21.61%* Valeska Smit—21.12%...