Ellis Park Stadium is deserted. Confetti strewn all over the floor, the set is bare and an eerie silence fills the air. Just hours before it had been filled with thousands of screaming fans and the sound of Jody singing out the winning song. I can still hear it in my head.
Suddenly I see
What you mean to me
And what we lost is found
Love is all around
Do you think of me
like I think of you
Can you hear the sound
Love is all around The Idols experience is fast becoming a faded memory but our Season 4 winner has promised us that she will not.
And after watching her perform her heart out on Sunday, I believe her.
Being part of the live audience was awesome. Even before the show started the energy and the vibe was contagious and soon everybody was chanting: Jody, Jody, Jody!! I think Andriette's name was too long... Seriously. Because even though no-one was screaming her name, every time she performed, the crowd went through the roof!
Andriette
 |
THE question was on everyone's lips? Who do you think is going to win? And I had refused to commit myself to an answer. Deep down I wanted Jody to win but I knew that if Andriette was going to take it, she would be a worthy winner. Not everyone thought so though, it was their idol who had to win it, or it was just going to be a whole wasted season. Which is something I don't get. Sure, I would have been disappointed if Jody didn't win but one has to give credit where credit is due. BOTH of them are extremely talented performers...
Jody
 |
As the show started, I watched with bated breath as Yummy Colin first stepped onto the stage and I could not take my eyes off him. MAN that man is too good looking for his own good! He introduced the show and the contestants, and we roared with delight.
Yummy Colin
 |
Actually, we were prepped as to how we were to behave for the night, being on live television and all, and we were good at it too. I had always wondered what went on behind the scenes, what you don't see and what happens every time they cut to an advert... And now I know.
Yummy Colin gets more make-up.
I swear.
Touch Up
 |
Not only him, but the judges too, although I did see Randall shoo away someone with a rouge brush and Gareth Cliff actually took out his own make-up kit. OK, maybe not really a whole kit but he definitely had more eye shadow applied.
Extrememe make over
 |
Oh, and even from my seat I could see that Mara was coming out of uniform. Again!
Mara and her girls
 |
The other thing we get too see as part of the audience is how the Idols perform for the camera, working it in as part of their routine. I am again struck at how much thought and preparation goes into making an episode and I was wondering where they get the time to practice when their schedules have been so hectic.
Whatever they're doing it seems to work because all the performances were good weren't they?
The boys
 |
Seeing the top 10 was kinda surreal because we write about them and talk about them but seeing them in the flesh makes them human and not just contestants on a reality show, if you know what I mean. I am still a bit sore about Munro not being in the final but it was just great to see him perform. The audience were practically climbing over each other just to get a touch of him.
Munro
 |
The best performance of the night has got to be the duet between Jody and Andriette. The hair on my arms was standing on end! I was blown away by the power of their voices and for once even the (very) loud crowd could not drown out the sound.
The worst performance is thanks to NKD. Whose idea was it to put them in a band together anyway? Girl bands are so Spice Girls and when they opened their mouths to speak, eyes rolled!
Actually, wait, I take that back. They were the second worst of the night. The very worst is undoubtedly Cliff Frikken Jennings.
I cannot believe that they brought him back. It wasn't funny when he walked on stage with his camera man and was even more WTF? when the music played and Colin had to "pull the plug" and plunge us all into darkness. Cliff Jennings was a bad idea from the start. Sure, we found out about it and I had forgotten (and forgiven) them for trying such an idiotic stunt. By bringing him back at the finale it was like reopening healed wounds and rubbing salt into them. In very bad taste IMHO.
And who can forget the wardrobe malfunction during the FINAL SONG? For a nano-second I was expecting to see a star covered nipple a la Janet Jackson. Thankfully, she rescued herself and even had a good laugh at her own expense.
Other than those 3 incidents, the finale was AMAZING.
As soon as the show was over, I was whisked away to the press conference where the official handing over of the prizes took place.
We also got some pressing questions answered:
Like
- why didn't Karin perform at the finale? The answer we got was that they wanted to try something different. They decided to use Idols who were in the news recently (and apparently an article about your boyfriend in prison is NOT considered news to them)
-
Why are Anke and Karin fading into nowhere? Official answer is because not everyone has the same hunger and drive to make it big.
-Talking of drive, who's going to drive Jody's car seeing as she doesn't have a licence? Her dad, seeing as he drives her around anyway
- What is Andriette going to do now? Move to JHB to pursue her singing career
- Is Jody going to finish school? Off course, she'll be home schooling because she wants to finish her Matric.
- Is she moving to JHB as well? Not immediately but possibly in a years time.
- When opening for Celine Dion next year will she be singing songs off her new album? Possibly one or two new songs but they're sure the audience would like to hear the songs that made her famous (as if!)
I just don't think it's possible to have a whole album done by Feb.
OH and apparently they're thinking of doing an East African Idols next.
And you guys will never guess who standing practically next to me the entire time!!!!!!
NO, not Yummy Colin. Not everything revolves around him you know. *said not too convincingly*
None other than Gareff Cliff, whom I promptly ignored and was not tempted even once to take his pic (except when I saw him and a blonde chatting very intimately in the corridor, possibly about the use of a darker eye shadow)
The after party was disappointing. And yes, NOW it's all because of Colin. We waited for the Idols and judges to make their appearance, only to have just Jody and Andriette pitch up.
Apparently there was a party for the production team, to say good bye and all that, which was separate from the after party, so all the other contestants, the judges and even Colin went there instead. Go figure.
I did get to see - and touch - and speak to Mandla (you know, from SURVIVOR). There were these 2 girls from Egoli who was trying to convince him to watch the show, telling him that as they watched him all the time when he was on Survivor, he HAD to watch them. Sorry, I don't know who they are as I don't watch the show.
So, for me, it was a fitting finale for a very exciting season of Idols, and I got to see it up close and personal.
Singing out
 |
ONE MORE GRIPE: Why did they not have a song especially written for the Idols. "Love Is All Around" is actually from Australian Idol (2005) winner, Ricky-Lee Coulter's
Brand New Day album. It's the first time I have heard the song but I just wish they had done something original, just for them.
(BTW I have decided that when Colin says "Amazing" he is thinking about me - how can he not????? The script writers just refuse to put the -ly in there because of some insane jealousy issues over never being mentioned in any of my columns)
Over and out.