IT’S Time once again to take your singing talent out of the shower and queue up to become South Africa’s next Idol or Wooden MIC contender.
M-Net and Mzansi Magic have announced a ninth season of the reality singing competition with auditions kicking off in Cape Town at GrandWest on February 2.
Season nine promises to follow the success of the previous season which boasted the highest viewership in the history of the competition.
“There will also be some surprises later on in the season, which I cannot reveal now,” said M-Net spokeswoman Lani Lombard.
Last year, Khaya Mthethwa’s win was greeted by enthusiasm from local audiences.
Mthethwa, pictured, promptly released his first studio album titled For You, with his single Move receiving a warm reception.
“He is currently shooting production for Clash Of The Choirs, a Mzansi Magic show. This is a great honour for Khaya as choirs are where he comes from,” said his spokeswoman Pumza Nohashe.
Season six runner-up, Lloyd Cele, has also garnered post-show popularity and has scooped a SA Music Award for Best Pop Artist in 2012.
“My life has been completely changed since I was the runner-up in Idols 2010. It’s been a whirlwind, and I have never looked back,” said Cele.
The very first Idol Heinz Winckler enjoyed success at the peak of his career. Winckler’s first single, Once In A Lifetime, reached double platinum status in 2002. He also performed Chasing Shadows, the theme song for the Disney movie Treasure Planet that same year.
Perhaps the most controversial Idol, Karin Kortje fell from grace after being entangled in legal woes. Soon after winning the competition, her career was marred by a murder case involving her then-boyfriend Cheslin Williams.
Thereafter, Kortje broke her silence and admitted to having a drug and drinking problem, disappearing from the music industry.
All South African citizens between the ages of 16 and 30 are eligible to enter and must bring their ID books in order to register.