The host who keeps it fresher than most

Published Jul 31, 2014

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IT’S BEEN a decade since Idols SA premiered and a lot has happened since then. We’ve seen several flashbacks which have taken us to the first season when Randall Abrahams was much, much younger. Although he has aged, was sometimes friendlier and the Idols SA set has been improved, one thing remains the same – there are people who can’t sing who still insist on auditioning for the show.

We caught up with the host and co-executive producer of the show, ProVerb (pictured), who walked us through what to expect this year.

“We are doing very well and the responses have been incredible. It is expected because the people have been longing for it since January. I am excited to be part of the 10th season,” said ProVerb.

ProVerb and his team are aware that they have to keep the show fresh. They have done so by adding a few things to the production which include special effects and more profound backstories.

“There is an inclusive creative process where we throw around ideas that might work. Some we can’t manufacture as the moment simply creates itself. “Other moments we conceptualise from the beginning,” explained the co-executive producer.

“I must say, Gavin Wratten is an incredible executive producer who has been doing this for 10 years straight. He usually has some crazy ideas and sometimes we bump ours off him, but for the most part he is the man to depend on,” he said.

At the auditions stage, the host is often not part of the action and Proverb said that it did not bother him at all.

“I understand what my role is. I understand that the judges’ role is to interact with the contestants on that level and my job is to sum it all up and bring it all together with how I chat with them once they come out of the room. As long as you understand what your purpose is on the show and how it will work for the viewer, it all works out.”

That said, he still has some personal highlights from the show so far and promised that it will only get better.

“To narrow it down to one is hard. We have had some magical moments which you could not script even if you tried. That is what I love about this show, every single season has something special to give. For this season so far I have to say Vincent Jackson stands out. There is the guy who did Via Orlando. The guy who said Professor stole his song from his mind. Pretoria, which comes up next, is also going to give us some good stuff,” said the host.

To anyone who watches the show, they will know that one signature thing that ProVerb does so well is to appear concerned when the contestants leave the auditions empty-handed.

“I empathise with people who don’t make it. I work in the business so I know what it feels like to be rejected. I genuinely feel for them. Also, I don’t like it when someone cries, especially when I am around and because of something that I am a part of. I think of how they have been broken by being told that their dream is not going to become a reality. So I always think of showing a bit of comfort,” he said.

• Idols SA airs every Sunday at 5.30pm on M-Net (DStv channel 101) and Mzansi Magic (DStv channel 161) and 24 hours a day on DStv Idols Extra (channel 198).

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