Idols SA was cancelled from airing this year, and the news about its axe received mixed reactions from Mzansi. Many were heartbroken that the show was cancelled, while others trolled it for being an irrelevant singing competition. Sizwe Dhlomo then took it to his Twitter account to defend the show from trolls. He wrote:
“Guys, Idols made stars. Maybe ke you didn’t like them or something, you can say that, but they made stars.”
https://twitter.com/SizweDhlomo/status/1622990069408866305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622990069408866305%7Ctwgr%5E9d2ffd9a3a3e736c00f7de6392e1a75b3026ec1a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeslive.co.za%2Ftshisa-live%2Ftshisa-live%2F2023-02-08-guys-idols-made-stars-sizwe-dhlomo-defends-show-after-cancellation-announcement%2F
In his mentions, some of his followers agreed.
“Yip! Even those that didn’t necessarily win. And then there are those who broke into another art form, like acting, as a consequence of being on Idols… Sihle Ndaba and Gail Mabalane come to mind. I’m sure there are many other examples. But ke people choose to focus on the negatives,” a Twitterrati wrote
21 years and zero superstars created. https://t.co/Sd3xiKdpwn
— Malome Tap (@DJAnkletap) February 6, 2023
Idols, SA trolled for the second time
In September 2022, Idols SA was also trolled for producing useless stars without a promising careers. The trolls were sparked when Mzansi compared the show’s season 18 contestants to the one from season 16. Mzansi pointed out that Idols SA winners are useless stars who are not making waves in the entertainment industry compared to the Qwabe Twins, who never won but are now supper stars.
The comparisons did not end with Qwabe Twins, but Mzansi also mentioned Mmatema Moremi, who won the hearts of many during her reign as an Idols SA contestant on season 11. Moremi never won, but she is now a famous gospel singer. Many Idols SA contestants could not secure the grand prize and are taking the entertainment industry by storm with their melodic vocals.
On the other hand, they are bonafide vocalists like Yanga Sobetwa, who was the champion in Idols SA season 14, and her career ended there without dropping her original songs. Rumours have it that Yanga is struggling to make ends meet, and the medal from Idols SA is not settling her bills. As of late, she is a Tik Tok star with less than 120k followers.