Thousands upon thousands of people auditioned for Idols Season 8.38 were good enough to win Golden Tickets.
Only 18 survived Hell Week in Sun City to face the first public vote in last week’s Idols Big Weekend.
Idols fans voted in record numbers last weekend, casting more than 500 000 votes in 48 hours - the most ever at this early stage of the competition - and on Sunday night the viewers’ choice was revealed. The Idols Season 8 Top 10 are:
Chloe Kiley (24) from Cape Town
Dominic Neill (20) from Johannesburg
Khaya Mthethwa (25) from Durban
Melissa Allison (23) from Port Elizabeth
Monde Msutwana (30) from Pretoria
Nosipho Mngomezulu (22) from Shoshanguve
Obakeng Ramaboa (26) from Munsieville
Shekhinah “Sheki” Donnell (17) from Durban
Simphiwe Gwegwe (23) from Port Nolloth
Tshidi Tenyane (28) from Thokoza
Each of these talented performers wins the following amazing prize package, just for surviving the most brutal cut ever and making it to the Top 10:
• Branded Customized Luggage from Ford
• R10000.00 in cash from KFC
• A Keyboard or Guitar to the value of R5000.00 from Yamaha
• A R4000.00 fashion voucher from Truworths
• A Shure Handheld Wireless System (Shure PGX24) to the value of R7125.00
• A Galaxy SIII & Galaxy Note from Samsung
“The Top 18 are just so strong this year that they all deserve to be here,” Idols Randall Abrahams said to explain why the judges relinquished their power so early in the competition this year, “so it’s best to let the audience decide.” But that also means that the competition lost eight very good singers tonight, Unathi Msengana pointed out. But “I have the best job in the world!” she said once she saw the Top 10. “I get to see these ten people perform every week!”
“It’s obvious that the audience listened to me,” said a satisfied Gareth Cliff and Randall agreed. “From a Universal point of view, we’re looking very good,” he judged in his capacity as the new M.D. of Universal Music South Africa, the label that will give the winner a recording deal as part of the main prize.
But it wasn’t all tears and drama in the Soweto Theatre tonight – there was time for some levity as well as Zakes Bantwini performed live on the Idols stage for the first time, performing a mash-up mix of his hit “Bum Bum”.
South African superstar Arno Carstens was also a first-time Idols guest star tonight, performing “Two Dogs”, the first single from his upcoming new solo album, and the biggest winner at this year’s South African Music Awards, Zahara, was a popular guest star as well, singing her new hit “Theta Nam” along with Riot.
Next week the Top 10 moves into the traditional Home Of Idols at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands Johannesburg for the Spectaculars. The Top 10 Spectacular will be recorded at the Mosaïek on Friday, 3 August, and broadcast on M-Net, M-Net HD and Mzansi Magic at 17:30 on Sunday, 5 August.
Tickets are available now from Computicket.
Updates and further information can be found on the official Idols Facebook page at Idols South Africa, on Twitter @IdolsSA and on the official Idols Season 8 website at www.mnet.co.za/idols.
