Press Release
The Idols 10 Top 7 became Top 6 last night (19 October) when the leggy blonde from Durbanville, Demi Lee Moore (24), failed to secure enough votes from the Idols fans to remain in the competition.
Competition was fierce this week as the fans battled to keep their favourites in the competition. More votes have already been cast in Season 10 so far than were cast during the whole of Season 9 last year.
7,253,971 votes were cast during Season 9 last year, and so far in Season 10 fans have already voted 8,342,084 times - a massive 15% increase. This week alone fans cast more than 2 million votes and there are still four shows to go before the Final.
Demi was in the Bottom 3 this week with London Louw (24) from Cape Town, who has been in the hot seat every week so far, and eMalahleni’s Musa Mashiane (27), who has never been. It marked only the second time in the competition that Demi found herself in the firing line, after she placed in the bottom half in the very first vote during the Top 11 Results.
Demi’s Idols journey was a dramatic one. After entering Idols in Cape Town in tribute to her best friend who had died during the previous year’s auditions, she was the very last contestant in Sun City Hell Week to find out that she had make it into the Top 16.
And then it took a Judges’ Save to keep her in the competition when Randall Abrahams, Unathi Msengana and Gareth Cliff exercised their Wild Card privilege to place her and 20-year-old Roxy McVean from Cape Town in the Top 11 back in September.
“This process showed me not to doubt myself,” Demi said about her Idols journey. “There are endless possibilities out there.”
The Top 6
Once Demi had left, the remaining six performed their Showstoppers and contestants took things to a whole new level, with pyrotechnics and special effects and dancers choreographed by Somizi Mhlongo, all coming together to produce one unforgettable showstopper of a show.
The show kicked things off in spectacular style at the State Theatre in Pretoria with a group performance of the Pitbull hit featuring Kesha, “Timber”.
Season 6 runner-up Lloyd Cele also returned to the Idols stage this week to perform a medley of songs from his latest release, along with Brian Temba and the Idols dancers.
And after another dynamic guest performance from Eastern Cape rap sensation iFani, eMalahleni’s
Musa Mashiane (27) kicked off the competition with his rendition of a Jamiroquai classic, “Love Foolosophy”.
“It wasn’t your tidiest performance but it was fun,” said Gareth Cliff, kicking off the judging. But Unathi Msengana thought this theme was too big for Musa. “Everything was bigger than you today and as the lead vocalist you have got to be the
leader of the bigness,” she pronounced.
And Randall Abrahams lectured that it might be easy to get distracted by the Showstopper theme, but the contestants still have to focus on the singing.
To vote for Musa fans can text his voting number for the duration of the competition,
07, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
Next up was professional performer
London Louw (24) from Cape Town with “Problem”, from Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea, which he concluded with a dramatic split.
“Welcome to the Top 5!” said Gareth. “If they didn’t know they gon’ learn!” Unathi grinned happily.
And Randall acknowledged that it must have been such a good feeling for London to know that the Showstoppers show was around the corner “and that you can do things that no-one else can do – and then do it!” he said.
To vote for London fans can text his voting number for the duration of the competition,
02, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
The worship leader from Pietermaritzburg,
Vincent Bones (29), kept it local this week with the Mzansi mega-hit “Pluto”, from DJ Clock featuring Beatenberg.
“You kept it really tidy, you focused on the singing,” said Gareth and Unathi “absolutely loved” the dance moves, but she admonished Vincent for ignoring half of his audience. And Randall commented that Vincent has his own style of singing “and tonight you weren’t able to bend the song to your will.”
To vote for Vincent B fans can text his voting number for the duration of the competition,
09, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
Lize Mynhardt (21) from Stellenbosch selected Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” as her Showstopper number.
“Lize, I think you were so lazy in the choreography!” Gareth laughed, but he commended her on being very focused and centered in that performance.
“You were in control and that’s the most important part of being a lead,” Unathi agreed. Randall thought the motorbike alone already got her votes. He acknowledged that she was very nervous about the dancing, “but all you need to do is enjoy yourself a little more,” he told her, reducing Lize to tears.
To vote for Lize fans can text her voting number for the duration of the competition,
08, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
Nelspruit’s
Bongi Silinda (24) also went with a homegrown hit this week, Mafikizolo’s “Happiness”.
“This is the best performance so far because it’s a lot more polished,” said Gareth.
Unathi agreed with everything Gareth said but “what also impressed me about it,” she added, “is that you made it your own – you were in control.”
“You sang, and then you danced,” Randall pointed out. “You kept people focused on why they like you and then you showed them another side to you.”
To vote for Bongi fans can text her voting number for the duration of the competition,
01, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
And finally, the sixth performer was
Kyle Deutschmann (27), the chiropractor from Durban, singing John Newman’s “Love Me Again”.
Gareth said he would give Kyle a prize for the tight choreography, but he took away the prize for the singing, he said.
Unathi agreed that Kyle was flat on the low notes. “Nothing much to add from my side,” said Randall. He also thought the spectacle on stage was “very arresting”, but he agreed that Kyle needed to focus on the singing more.
To vote for Kyle fans can text his voting number for the duration of the competition,
06, to 37400, or dial *120*33033# Fans can also vote for free on WeChat or on the Idols mobi site or on the Idols X website at
www.dstv.com/Idols.
And when Idols host ProVerb polled the judges for their performance of the night, all three of them picked “Queen Bongi”.
Voting for the Top 6 performances opened at the start of tonight’s show and closes at 22:00 on Tuesday, 21 October.
The results will be announced in next Sunday’s Spectacular [26 October], when one of the Top 6 contestants will be sent home.