14th season of Idols set for bigger ratings, more votes – and scandal

Cape Town – The 14th season of the ever-popular reality singing competition, Idols, kicks off on Sunday 8 July at 17:30 on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

Idols - produced by [SIC] Entertainment with director and executive producer Gavin Wratten and Tebogo Thekiso (ProVerb) as co-executive producer who is also the host - remains a South African television ratings, social media engagement and online voting tour de force that saw more than 30 million votes cast during just the final week of the 13th season. 

The new 14th season of Idols on Mzansi Magic will very likely once again up the ante in terms of ratings and voting numbers and serve up a controversy or two.

.@Somizi, @ProVerbMusic, Randall and @Unathi_Africa trekked across SA in search of our finest, budding stars! Get into all the gems they unearthed when #IdolsSA Season 14 premieres on 8 July at 17:30. @MzansiMagic pic.twitter.com/shgLlklhwn

— Idols South Africa (@IdolsSA) June 25, 2018

The 13th season finale saw the scandalous flame-out of Mthokozisi Ndaba from KwaMashu when the runner-up's dramatic fall from grace made sensational headlines and almost overshadowed the win of the Bishop Lavis teen, Paxton Fielies who is once of the local headline acts for the upcoming Mzansi for the Divas 2018 concert tour starting 27 July.

With the judges Randall Abrahams, Somizi Mhlongo and Unathi Msengana, the 14th season will kick off with auditions that took place in KwaZulu-Natal at the North Beach Amphitheatre with the winner of the 9th season, Musa Sukwene, as guest judge. 

The second episode will showcase the Cape Town auditions at Century City Conference Centre where DJ Cleo was the guest judge, followed by Pretoria in episode 3 where musician Dr Malinga joined the judges.

The 4th episode will showcase the Johannesburg auditions where Rebecca Malope sat in as a guest judge.

M-Net will be running the Idols Extra channel that will go live on DStv 198 at 19:00 after the first episode of Idols on Mzansi Magic.

Idols Extra will show auditions from the past, wooden mic contenders, Golden Ticket winners and I was on Idols, including highlights of the show as well as contestant auditions that were not included in the Idols episodes shown on Mzansi Magic.