Rose Melembe: I don’t think Idols is as exciting anymore; maybe it is because we are used to the show and it is something we expect every year. The show uncovers new talent every year, but I feel like they should introduce new elements. The show has become predictable – it does not have that “va-va-voom” anymore. Picture: Supplied
As the excitement builds up to the grand finale of Idols SA, so are the show’s ratings.
Today one of the remaining five contestants in season 14 – Thando Mngomezulu, Thato Makape, Yanga Sobetwa, Basimane Boys “King B” Melato and Niyaaz Arendse – will bite the dust.
In its 14 years of its existence Idols SA is still one of the most watched shows in the country.
Despite many critics saying it needs to be refreshed with new ideas, statistics show that its popularity is not dwindling.
Last month’s episode of the top 16 was the third most watched show on DStv behind The Queen and Our Perfect Wedding, according to the Broadcast Research Council of SA.
It attracted more than 1.2 million viewers who wanted to see who had made it to the top 10.
Last week’s episode got more than 11 million votes and at the rate it is going it looks as if it will do better than last year.
A quick survey by City Press indicated that the show is still as popular as ever but needs more “va-va-voom”.
What the people say...
Mthokozisi Mbokodo: I think Idols gives young people a platform to showcase their talent. But I feel when it comes to choosing the top 16, the judges become more personal and they do favours. I wish that could change and they could be fair.
Mongi Matyholo: I enjoy Idols but not every season – it depends on the talent they have. The last time I enjoyed Idols was in 2015 when there was Mmatema [Moremi] and Karabo [Mogane]. If I were to change anything, I’d change Randall [Abrahams] because he is not a musician at all. I do not understand why we have judges who are not musicians because how do you see talent if you cannot sing yourself?
Thabo Simango: I have been watching Idols ever since I was in grade 1. This season is different from all the seasons and my favourite contestants are King B and Xae. What I enjoy the most about the show is that there is a lot of talent.
Trudy Mashiloane: Idols is the biggest talent show in South Africa. This season my favourite contestant is Thando. If there’s anything I would change, it’s the audition. I would make sure they visit all the provinces because there are people who can sing and Telkom pop-up audition visits only selected places.
Sylvia Motau: They should let the professionals who work with the contestants choose songs for them, because they like complaining about their song choices.
Vusi Gwambe: I think there is less talent and the judges were a bit lenient; they were generous with the tickets. There were too many golden tickets that were given away cheaply in the past couple of seasons. I think the age group should be taken to 18 (18-30) instead of 16 because there is a problem if, at some stage of the competition, the judges should decide if a certain contestant is old or mature enough.
Tshidy Kekena-Manganye: I like the way they take the competition seriously. When each singer comes on stage there is a lot of work but good effort. What I would add is that the person who got the least votes should get a chance to perform for the last time to say thank you to those who voted. They spend all the days of the week rehearsing, so they should sing and go home after the competition.
. Catch Idols every Sunday on Mzansi Magic (161) at 5pm
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