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'Idols SA' kicks off on TV

The eighth season of 'Idols SA' kicks off on Sunday 3 June.

The first episode sees judges Gareth Cliff, Unathi Msengana, and Randall Abrahams arriving at the first auditions in style, ready to search for that one elusive superstar who will be South Africa's next Idol.

'Idols SA' is a co-production between M-Net and Mzansi Magic this season and on all the Sundays in June, viewers will see how the search took the judges from Sandton and Soweto in Gauteng to the sunny shores of Durban, encountering a batch of new contestants along the way - the good, the bad, and the tragically misguided.

The Johannesburg auditions, which took place in Soweto and at the Sandton Convention Centre, will be the focus of this Sunday's show, while the auditions at Ushaka Marine World in Durban will take centre stage on Sunday 10 June and the Cape Town auditions at the Table Bay Hotel on Sunday 17 June. The highlights of the audition tour will be screened on Sunday 24 June.

"Viewers can look forward to the most spectacular and entertaining 'Idols' auditions to date," says M-Net Communications Manager, Lani Lombard. "The backdrops of the venues bring an extra dimension to the series, adding more drama to the already high-tension surroundings and its evident right from the start that the variety of contestants are adamant to live the 'Idols' dream.

"Everybody wants to be the next Idol, so be prepared to experience all the emotional ups and downs as the contestants receive their Golden Ticket or get those honest opinions from the judges."

But who will it be? Two contestants who have already received some media attention are Rethabile Khumalo and Dumi Masilela. The 17-year old Rethabile Khumalo, who believes music is her destiny, is the the daughter of Afro-pop legend Winnie Khumalo, so music runs in her blood. Multi-talented 23-year-old soccer star, Dumi Masilela, who sees no conflict in a dual soccer and singing career, has been praised for his talent and charm.