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'Idols SA' twins exit drama: There's a lot more to the story!

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Virginia and Viggy Qwabe on 'Idols SA'. (Photo supplied: Mzansi Magic)
Virginia and Viggy Qwabe on 'Idols SA'. (Photo supplied: Mzansi Magic)

Cape Town - It turns out there was a lot more to the Qwabe twins' exit from the 15th season of Idols SA than the public was first led to believe. 

After Mzansi Magic on Twitter stated earlier this week that "THERE WAS NO BULLYING or any physical altercations among contestants in the house" it has now come to light that there was indeed drama behind-the-scenes which let to both Viggy and Virginia Qwabe leaving the show. 

On Monday Mzansi Magic announced that Viggy had withdrawn from the competition after her sister Virginia did not secure enough votes to get her a spot in the top 4 and denied any "bullying" or "physical altercations". 

Despite the channel's statement, audience members reported a different version of events.

In the latest scandal to engulf Idols SA, there was however a chaotic showdown behind-the-scenes of the show on Sunday between the Qwabe family and Mzansi Magic production, with one of the show's publicists allegedly threatened by family members.

Things got so heated behind-the-scenes that the South African police service was reportedly called in and arrived at the show to intervene.

Channel24 reached out to the Qwabe family independently for comment on the allegations but did not receive feedback by the time of publishing this article. As soon as comment is received this article will be updated.

The twins' father, Laurence Qwabe, told the Daily Sun that he advised his daughters not to talk to the media. He further added that both of them were home in KwaZulu-Natal where he has "kept them in a safe place away from everyone, including the media". 

He further alleged that the Idols SA voting process was rigged and that the family felt like they were "wasting money" by keeping the twins in the competition and voting for them. He said that they decided to remove both sisters from the competition because "they were going to lose their minds.”

In a statement to Sowetan Live, Laurence also declined to comment on the backstage ruckus. 

Philly Kubheka, the head of publicity for M-Net's local entertainment channels, said "the Qwabes are not available for interviews as we currently don't have access to them".

Mzansi Magic was asked for comment about the alleged showdown that took place behind-the-scenes and the police's intervention, to which Kubheka responded: "The Qwabe family and some of the fans were aggressive and demanded to have the twins removed during a live broadcast.

"The police had to be called as they threatened violence, and this is a public event, and we have to ensure everyone is safe."

On allegations made by the family that Virginia's exit was rigged, Kubheka responded with; "Mzansi Magic, is satisfied as to the credibility of the Idols SA Season 15 voting process. The vote count and ranking on contestants were independently computed by Deloitte and Touche and confirmed against the vote results determined by M-Net. 

"While the judges provide predictions and commentary on the show, they can in no way alter the computation and outcomes of the public vote. Mzansi Magic is also satisfied that the show is managed in a manner that respects our talent and crew and that no bullying is tolerated.” 

ALSO READ:

'Idols SA' shocker: Viggy withdraws after her twin sister Virginia gets eliminated

'Idols SA' sets the record straight about twin exit drama

Compiled by: Herman Eloff, Leandra Engelbrecht, Thinus Ferreira

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