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Johannesburg - Idols runner-up Lloyd Cele doesn't even have access to M-Net. In fact, his wife had to drive to a friend's house in Brookdale, Durban, for each Idols broadcast to see her husband in action.
This emerged after controversial Idols judge Mara Louw said a black contestant will never win Idols because there are not enough black people with access to DStv, and white viewers "only vote for white people".
Yet both Cele and Sindi Nene, 22, another black finalist, were viewers' favourites at different stages in the weeks leading up to the final.
"Although Elvis (Blue) received the most votes in the last week, both Lloyd and Sindi had been in first place shortly before the final. So the results would have been different if the competition had ended a week or two earlier," M-Net spokesperson Lani Lombard said.
She emphasised that Louw's comments reflect her own, personal opinion and not that of M-Net.
"The notion that a certain racial group only votes for contestants from the same racial group is quite dangerous."
Black viewership
Idols drew a far wider audience this year, with black viewership up by 17%.
The programme was also broadcast on AfricaMagic and M-Net Series - available on DStv Compact and Easyview - for the first time, said Lombard.
Whether or not Louw will be part of the show's next season remains an open question. "M-Net updates and refreshes Idols every year, and several elements, including the composition of the panel of judges, will be reviewed before the start of the next season. Whether Mara will be there or not cannot be confirmed at this time."
Louw has pleaded on Facebook for black people in townships to start voting.
No access
Cele confirmed on Monday that his family doesn't have access to DStv. "During the last few weeks my wife had to drive to my one friend's house to watch the show each time. Most of my friends don't have DStv," he said.
He did not want to comment on Louw's outbursts. "I care about those who like my music, whether they are white, black or coloured. For me it's about the music and nothing else."
Louw refused to comment.
Since the storm broke over Louw's controversial outbursts, thousands of viewers have contacted M-Net to express their dismay."They feel insulted by the comments about racism in Idols.”
"Such statements detract from the feeling of cohesion in the country which was especially prominent this year due to the World Cup," Lombard said.
A Facebook group has since been launched to gather support to have Louw removed as judge. The group "Please take Idols judge Mara Louw off the show" had nearly 2 700 supporters by 22:00 on Monday.
This emerged after controversial Idols judge Mara Louw said a black contestant will never win Idols because there are not enough black people with access to DStv, and white viewers "only vote for white people".
Yet both Cele and Sindi Nene, 22, another black finalist, were viewers' favourites at different stages in the weeks leading up to the final.
"Although Elvis (Blue) received the most votes in the last week, both Lloyd and Sindi had been in first place shortly before the final. So the results would have been different if the competition had ended a week or two earlier," M-Net spokesperson Lani Lombard said.
She emphasised that Louw's comments reflect her own, personal opinion and not that of M-Net.
"The notion that a certain racial group only votes for contestants from the same racial group is quite dangerous."
Black viewership
Idols drew a far wider audience this year, with black viewership up by 17%.
The programme was also broadcast on AfricaMagic and M-Net Series - available on DStv Compact and Easyview - for the first time, said Lombard.
Whether or not Louw will be part of the show's next season remains an open question. "M-Net updates and refreshes Idols every year, and several elements, including the composition of the panel of judges, will be reviewed before the start of the next season. Whether Mara will be there or not cannot be confirmed at this time."
Louw has pleaded on Facebook for black people in townships to start voting.
No access
Cele confirmed on Monday that his family doesn't have access to DStv. "During the last few weeks my wife had to drive to my one friend's house to watch the show each time. Most of my friends don't have DStv," he said.
He did not want to comment on Louw's outbursts. "I care about those who like my music, whether they are white, black or coloured. For me it's about the music and nothing else."
Louw refused to comment.
Since the storm broke over Louw's controversial outbursts, thousands of viewers have contacted M-Net to express their dismay."They feel insulted by the comments about racism in Idols.”
"Such statements detract from the feeling of cohesion in the country which was especially prominent this year due to the World Cup," Lombard said.
A Facebook group has since been launched to gather support to have Louw removed as judge. The group "Please take Idols judge Mara Louw off the show" had nearly 2 700 supporters by 22:00 on Monday.
