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. 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. The show saw a tragic incident when the programme's main photographer suddenly died during the competition. 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.
Finals Finalists Finalist Age * From Status David Fourie 21 BloemfonteinEliminated 1st in Week 1 Nicole Billingham 23 FerndaleEliminated 2nd in Week 1 Rian Swanepoel 20 HatfieldEliminated 3rd in Week 1 Lyndle Kearns 17 RocklandsEliminated 4th in Week 2 Cindy Bester 19 East LondonEliminated 5th in Week 2 Ezra Lingeveldt 21 Sea PointEliminated 6th in Week 3 Ayanda Nhlangothi 19 DurbanEliminated 7th in Week 3 Bianca Le Grange 20 JohannesburgEliminated 8th in Week 4 Melanie Lowe 26 VredehoekThird Brandon October 25 JohannesburgRunner-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 SafeSaved firstSaved lastEliminated
Stage:SemiFinalsWeek: 04/14 04/21 04/27 05/05 05/12 05/20 05/27 06/03 06/10 06/17 Place ContestantResult1Heinz Winckler Top 11 Winner2Brandon October Top 11 Btm 3Runner-Up3Melanie LoweSaved Btm 5Btm 2Elim4Bianca Le Grange Top 11 Elim5-6Ayanda Nhlangothi Top 11 ElimEzra Lingeveldt Top 11Btm 37-8Cindy BesterTop 11 Btm 4 ElimLyndle Kearns Top 119-11Rian SwanepoelTop 11 ElimNicole BillinghamTop 11 David Fourie Top 11 Semi-Final 10Boitumelo Masemola ElimHybre Africa Lauren Laing Mallisan Scholtz Semi-Final 9Gugulethu Shezi Monique Steyn Nombulelo Mntaka Zure Classen Semi-Final 8Dalen Jooste ElimLetoya Makhene Liana Van Zyl Chad Saaiman Semi-Final 7Darren Green Karlien Husselman Kim August Lize Nuttall Semi-Final 6Francois Mulder ElimMichelle Williamson Nicola Warwick Vanessa Grebe Semi-Final 5Angelique Campher Bulelwa Ngomane Lauren Chesling Rebert Roodbol Semi-Final 4Duke Motlanthe ElimElana Forbes Kim Milner Philadelphia Shayi Semi-Final 3Cecilia Neer Leanne Steenkamp Tarryn Lamb Tasmia Begbie Semi-Final 2Kerry HilesElimLauren Matos Lushe KillianYogin KhandooSemi-Final 1Liesl 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) Result1Brandon October"She's the One" (Robbie Williams)Advanced2Rene Hunter"You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)Eliminated3Liesl Penniken"One Moment in Time" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated4Malcolm Manuel"I Turn to You" (Christina Aguilera)Eliminated5Melanie Lowe"Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield)Saved Heat 2 (17 March 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Lauren Matos"I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor)Eliminated2Yoganathan Khandoo"We Are the World" (USA for Africa)Eliminated3Kerry Hiles"Special Star" (Mango Groove)Eliminated4Cindy Bester"How Do I Live" (LeAnn Rimes)Advanced5Lushé Killian"Angel" (Sarah McLachlan)Eliminated Heat 3 (24 March 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Tarryn Lamb"It Must Have Been Love" (Roxette)Eliminated2Cecelia Neer"The Greatest Love of All" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated3Leanne Steenkamp"From a Distance" (Bette Midler)Eliminated4Tasmia Begbie"I'm Outta Love" (Anastacia)Eliminated5Nicole Billingham"Breathe" (Faith Hill)Advanced Heat 4 (31 March 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Kim Milner"Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel)Eliminated2Rian Swanepoel"When a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge)Advanced3Duke Motlanthe"I Swear" (All-4-One)Eliminated4Philadelphia Shayi"I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated5Elena Forbes"Saving All My Love for You" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated Heat 5 (7 April 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1David Fourie"This I Promise You" (NSYNC)Advanced2Laurene Chesling"Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)Eliminated3Buli Ngomane"Where Do Broken Hearts Go" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated4Rebert Roodbol"I Love the Way You Love Me" (Boyzone)Eliminated5Angelique Campher"Baby Can I Hold You" (Tracy Chapman)Eliminated Heat 6 (14 April 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Nicola Warwick"Think Twice" (Celine Dion)Eliminated2Bianca Le Grange"Bohemian Rhapsody" (Queen)Advanced3Francois Mulder"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Andy Williams)Eliminated4Michelle Williamson"Un-Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton)Eliminated5Vanessa Grebe"There You'll Be" (Faith Hill)Eliminated Heat 7 (21 April 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Ayanda Nhlangothi"(Something Inside) So Strong" (Labi Siffre)Advanced2Kim August"Woman in Love" (Barbra Streisand)Eliminated3Darren Green"Your Song" (Elton John)Eliminated4Lizé Nuttall"Again" (Janet Jackson)Eliminated5Karlien Husselman"Walking in Memphis" (Cher)Eliminated Heat 8 (28 April 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Dalen Jooste"How Deep Is Your Love" (Bee Gees)Eliminated2Letoya Makhene"Declaration of Love" (Celine Dion)Eliminated3Chad Saaiman"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams)Eliminated4Liana Van Zyl"I Will Love Again" (Lara Fabian)Eliminated5Heinz Winckler"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" (Train)Advanced Heat 9 (5 May 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Zure Classen"Eternal Flame" (The Bangles)Eliminated2Nombulelo Mntaka"Moments Away" (Mango Groove)Eliminated3Monique Steyn"Fields of Gold" (Sting)Eliminated4Lyndle Kearns"All the Man That I Need" (Whitney Houston)Advanced5Gugulethu Shezi"Over and Over" (Puff Johnson)Eliminated Heat 10 (12 May 2002) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Boitumelo Masemola"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated2Lauren Laing"Hero" (Mariah Carey)Eliminated3Mallisan Scholtz"To Love You More" (Celine Dion)Eliminated4Hybre Africa"All by Myself" (Celine Dion)Eliminated5Ezra Lingeveldt"Get Over You" (Brian McKnight)Advanced Live Show 1 (19 May 2002) Theme: Movie Magic ArtistSong (original artists)ResultLyndle Kearns"Dancing Queen" (ABBA)SafeBianca Le Grange"Ben" (Michael Jackson)SafeNicole Billingham"Take My Breath Away" (Berlin)EliminatedRian Swanepoel"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)EliminatedMelanie Lowe"Little Bird" (Annie Lennox)Bottom fiveAyanda Nhlangothi"Kiss from a Rose" (Seal)SafeDavid Fourie"Hungry Eyes" (Eric Carmen)EliminatedCindy Bester"If I Can't Have You" (Yvonne Elliman)Bottom fourHeinz Winckler"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith)SafeBrandon October"Let's Stay Together" (Al Green)SafeEzra Lingeveldt"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)Safe Live Show 2 (26 May 2002) Theme: My Own Idol ArtistSong (original artists)ResultLyndle Kearns"Heaven's What I Feel" (Gloria Estefan)EliminatedBianca Le Grange"Fantasy" (Earth, Wind & Fire)SafeMelanie Lowe"Careless Whisper" (George Michael)SafeAyanda Nhlangothi"Black Velvet" (Alannah Myles)SafeCindy Bester"Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper)EliminatedHeinz Winckler"Higher" (Creed)SafeBrandon October"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Chicago)SafeEzra Lingeveldt"Rosanna" (Toto)Bottom three Live Show 3 (2 June 2002) Theme: Proudly South African ArtistSong (original artists)ResultBianca Le Grange"Substitute" (Clout)SafeMelanie Lowe"Acid Rain" (Wendy Oldfield)SafeAyanda Nhlangothi"Another Country" (Mango Groove)EliminatedHeinz Winckler"Shallow Waters" (Just Jinjer)SafeBrandon October"Hurts So Bad" (Danny K)Bottom threeEzra Lingeveldt"Starlight" (Grannysmith)Eliminated Live Show 4: Semi-final (9 June 2002) Theme: Judges' Choice ArtistFirst song (original artists)Second songResultBianca Le Grange"Superwoman" (Karyn White)"I Don't Want to Wait" (Paula Cole)EliminatedMelanie Lowe"Torn" (Natalie Imbruglia)"Shackles (Praise You)" (Mary Mary)Bottom twoHeinz Winckler"Every Breath You Take" (The Police)"Soledad" (Westlife)SafeBrandon October"Truly Madly Deeply" (Savage Garden)"Escape" (Enrique Iglesias)Safe
Live final (16 June 2002) ArtistFirst songSecond songThird songResultMelanie Lowe"Little Bird""Acid Rain""Every Single Thing"Third placeHeinz Winckler"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)""Soledad""Once in a Lifetime"WinnerBrandon October"She's the One""Let's Stay Together""Once in a Lifetime"Runner-up
References
External links Idols I website on IOL Profiles of the Top 50 contestants