Idols South Africa season 1 explained

Module1:	Judges: Dave Thompson Marcus Brewster Penny Lebyane Randall Abrahams Host: Candy Litchfield Sami Sabitiin Matthew Stewardson Finals Venue: Vodaworld Winner: Heinz Winckler Runner Up: Brandon October
Network:	MNet

Idols South Africa I was the first season of South African reality interactive talent show based on the British talent show Pop Idol. It started as the second international spin-off of the original series just days after the first Idol season in Poland. However, as it ended earlier the winner Heinz Winckler is the second Idol winner after the original Pop Idol Will Young.

Simon Cowell, judge of the original series was guest judging during the theater round when the Top 50 was chosen.^[1] The remaining contestants where then split in 10 groups of 5 where the most vote getter would move on to the top 10. However, due to a voting error during the first group's voting, Melanie Lowe, who closely trailed Brandon October, was saved by the producers, resulting in the top 11 instead.

In the beginning the show was hosted by Matthew Stewardson and Candy Litchfield. However halfway through the season Stewardson was axed and replaced by Sami Sabitiin. Soon after that Stewardson checked himself into a rehab center.^[2] The show saw a tragic incident when the programme's main photographer suddenly died during the competition.^[3] In the course of the season complaints about the results of votings and technical problems became loud and created a mistrust from the audience which eventually lasted over the upcoming seasons.^[4]

Finals

Finalists

Finalist	Age *	From	Status
David Fourie	21	Bloemfontein	Eliminated 1st in Week 1
Nicole Billingham	23	Ferndale	Eliminated 2nd in Week 1
Rian Swanepoel	20	Hatfield	Eliminated 3rd in Week 1
Lyndle Kearns	17	Rocklands	Eliminated 4th in Week 2
Cindy Bester	19	East London	Eliminated 5th in Week 2
Ezra Lingeveldt	21	Sea Point	Eliminated 6th in Week 3
Ayanda Nhlangothi	19	Durban	Eliminated 7th in Week 3
Bianca Le Grange	20	Johannesburg	Eliminated 8th in Week 4
Melanie Lowe	26	Vredehoek	Third
Brandon October	25	Johannesburg	Runner-up
Heinz Winckler	24	Stellenbosch	Winner

• as of the start of the season

Heats and live shows

Results summary

+ Legend
Did Not Perform	Female	Male	Top 50	Wild Card	Top 12	Winner

Safe

Saved first

Saved last

Eliminated

Stage:	Semi	Finals
Week:	04/14	04/21	04/27	05/05	05/12	05/20	05/27	06/03	06/10	06/17
Place	Contestant	Result
1	Heinz Winckler				Top 11						Winner
2	Brandon October	Top 11							Btm 3		Runner-Up
3	Melanie Lowe	Saved					Btm 5			Btm 2	Elim
4	Bianca Le Grange			Top 11						Elim
5-6	Ayanda Nhlangothi				Top 11				Elim
	Ezra Lingeveldt					Top 11		Btm 3
7-8	Cindy Bester	Top 11					Btm 4	Elim
	Lyndle Kearns					Top 11
9-11	Rian Swanepoel		Top 11				Elim
	Nicole Billingham		Top 11
	David Fourie			Top 11
Semi- Final 10	Boitumelo Masemola					Elim
Hybre Africa
Lauren Laing
Mallisan Scholtz
Semi- Final 9	Gugulethu Shezi
Monique Steyn
Nombulelo Mntaka
Zure Classen
Semi- Final 8	Dalen Jooste				Elim
Liana Van Zyl
Chad Saaiman
Semi- Final 7	Darren Green
Karlien Husselman
Kim August
Lize Nuttall
Semi- Final 6	Francois Mulder			Elim
Michelle Williamson
Nicola Warwick
Vanessa Grebe
Semi- Final 5	Angelique Campher
Bulelwa Ngomane
Lauren Chesling
Rebert Roodbol
Semi- Final 4	Duke Motlanthe		Elim
Elana Forbes
Kim Milner
Philadelphia Shayi
Semi- Final 3	Cecilia Neer
Leanne Steenkamp
Tarryn Lamb
Tasmia Begbie
Semi- Final 2	Kerry Hiles	Elim
Lauren Matos
Lushe Killian
Yogin Khandoo
Semi- Final 1	Liesl Penniken
Malcolm Manuel
Rene Hunter

• Note: The results of every second semifinal group were announced together.

Live show details

Heat 1 (10 March 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Brandon October	"She's the One" (Robbie Williams)	Advanced
2	Rene Hunter	"You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)	Eliminated
3	Liesl Penniken	"One Moment in Time" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
4	Malcolm Manuel	"I Turn to You" (Christina Aguilera)	Eliminated
5	Melanie Lowe	"Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield)	Saved

Heat 2 (17 March 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Lauren Matos	"I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)	Eliminated
2	Yoganathan Khandoo	"We Are the World" (USA for Africa)	Eliminated
3	Kerry Hiles	"Special Star" (Mango Groove)	Eliminated
4	Cindy Bester	"How Do I Live" (LeAnn Rimes)	Advanced
5	Lushé Killian	"Angel" (Sarah McLachlan)	Eliminated

Heat 3 (24 March 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Tarryn Lamb	"It Must Have Been Love" (Roxette)	Eliminated
2	Cecelia Neer	"The Greatest Love of All" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
3	Leanne Steenkamp	"From a Distance" (Bette Midler)	Eliminated
4	Tasmia Begbie	"I'm Outta Love" (Anastacia)	Eliminated
5	Nicole Billingham	"Breathe" (Faith Hill)	Advanced

Heat 4 (31 March 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Kim Milner	"Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel)	Eliminated
2	Rian Swanepoel	"When a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge)	Advanced
3	Duke Motlanthe	"I Swear" (All-4-One)	Eliminated
4	Philadelphia Shayi	"I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
5	Elena Forbes	"Saving All My Love for You" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated

Heat 5 (7 April 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	David Fourie	"This I Promise You" (NSYNC)	Advanced
2	Laurene Chesling	"Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)	Eliminated
3	Buli Ngomane	"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
4	Rebert Roodbol	"I Love the Way You Love Me" (Boyzone)	Eliminated
5	Angelique Campher	"Baby Can I Hold You" (Tracy Chapman)	Eliminated

Heat 6 (14 April 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Nicola Warwick	"Think Twice" (Celine Dion)	Eliminated
2	Bianca Le Grange	"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)	Advanced
3	Francois Mulder	"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Andy Williams)	Eliminated
4	Michelle Williamson	"Un-Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton)	Eliminated
5	Vanessa Grebe	"There You'll Be" (Faith Hill)	Eliminated

Heat 7 (21 April 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Ayanda Nhlangothi	"(Something Inside) So Strong" (Labi Siffre)	Advanced
2	Kim August	"Woman in Love" (Barbra Streisand)	Eliminated
3	Darren Green	"Your Song" (Elton John)	Eliminated
4	Lizé Nuttall	"Again" (Janet Jackson)	Eliminated
5	Karlien Husselman	"Walking in Memphis" (Cher)	Eliminated

Heat 8 (28 April 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Dalen Jooste	"How Deep Is Your Love" (Bee Gees)	Eliminated
2	Letoya Makhene	"Declaration of Love" (Celine Dion)	Eliminated
3	Chad Saaiman	"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams)	Eliminated
4	Liana Van Zyl	"I Will Love Again" (Lara Fabian)	Eliminated
5	Heinz Winckler	"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (Train)	Advanced

Heat 9 (5 May 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Zure Classen	"Eternal Flame" (The Bangles)	Eliminated
2	Nombulelo Mntaka	"Moments Away" (Mango Groove)	Eliminated
3	Monique Steyn	"Fields of Gold" (Sting)	Eliminated
4	Lyndle Kearns	"All the Man That I Need" (Whitney Houston)	Advanced
5	Gugulethu Shezi	"Over and Over" (Puff Johnson)	Eliminated

Heat 10 (12 May 2002)

Order	Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
1	Boitumelo Masemola	"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston)	Eliminated
2	Lauren Laing	"Hero" (Mariah Carey)	Eliminated
3	Mallisan Scholtz	"To Love You More" (Celine Dion)	Eliminated
4	Hybre Africa	"All by Myself" (Celine Dion)	Eliminated
5	Ezra Lingeveldt	"Get Over You" (Brian McKnight)	Advanced

Live Show 1 (19 May 2002)

Theme: Movie Magic

Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
Lyndle Kearns	"Dancing Queen" (ABBA)	Safe
Bianca Le Grange	"Ben" (Michael Jackson)	Safe
Nicole Billingham	"Take My Breath Away" (Berlin)	Eliminated
Rian Swanepoel	"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)	Eliminated
Melanie Lowe	"Little Bird" (Annie Lennox)	Bottom five
Ayanda Nhlangothi	"Kiss from a Rose" (Seal)	Safe
David Fourie	"Hungry Eyes" (Eric Carmen)	Eliminated
Cindy Bester	"If I Can't Have You" (Yvonne Elliman)	Bottom four
Heinz Winckler	"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith)	Safe
Brandon October	"Let's Stay Together" (Al Green)	Safe
Ezra Lingeveldt	"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)	Safe

Live Show 2 (26 May 2002)

Theme: My Own Idol

Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
Lyndle Kearns	"Heaven's What I Feel" (Gloria Estefan)	Eliminated
Bianca Le Grange	"Fantasy" (Earth, Wind & Fire)	Safe
Melanie Lowe	"Careless Whisper" (George Michael)	Safe
Ayanda Nhlangothi	"Black Velvet" (Alannah Myles)	Safe
Cindy Bester	"Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper)	Eliminated
Heinz Winckler	"Higher" (Creed)	Safe
Brandon October	"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Chicago)	Safe
Ezra Lingeveldt	"Rosanna" (Toto)	Bottom three

Live Show 3 (2 June 2002)

Theme: Proudly South African

Artist	Song (original artists)	Result
Bianca Le Grange	"Substitute" (Clout)	Safe
Melanie Lowe	"Acid Rain" (Wendy Oldfield)	Safe
Ayanda Nhlangothi	"Another Country" (Mango Groove)	Eliminated
Heinz Winckler	"Shallow Waters" (Just Jinjer)	Safe
Brandon October	"Hurts So Bad" (Danny K)	Bottom three
Ezra Lingeveldt	"Starlight" (Grannysmith)	Eliminated

Live Show 4: Semi-final (9 June 2002)

Theme: Judges' Choice

Artist	First song (original artists)	Second song	Result
Bianca Le Grange	"Superwoman" (Karyn White)	"I Don't Want to Wait" (Paula Cole)	Eliminated
Melanie Lowe	"Torn" (Natalie Imbruglia)	"Shackles (Praise You)" (Mary Mary)	Bottom two
Heinz Winckler	"Every Breath You Take" (The Police)	"Soledad" (Westlife)	Safe
Brandon October	"Truly Madly Deeply" (Savage Garden)	"Escape" (Enrique Iglesias)	Safe

Live final (16 June 2002)

Artist	First song	Second song	Third song	Result
Melanie Lowe	"Little Bird"	"Acid Rain"	"Every Single Thing"	Third place
Heinz Winckler	"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"	"Soledad"	"Once in a Lifetime"	Winner
Brandon October	"She's the One"	"Let's Stay Together"	"Once in a Lifetime"	Runner-up

External links

• Idols I website on IOL
• Profiles of the Top 50 contestants

Notes and References

1. Web site: Countdown to top 50 places.
2. Web site: Remember Matthew Stewardson?.
3. Web site: Idols photographer Hilton-Barber dies.
4. Web site: Idols fans angry over elimination results .