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I can exclusively break the news that the open auditions for Survivor SA Maldives that kicked off in Cape Town yesterday lured way over a thousand wannabee contestants, some of whom got their first challenge in determination by waiting as long as 17 hours.
Similar to M-Net's Idols auditions, a staggering number of people showed up for the Cape Town open audition call for Survivor SA Maldives, which means that Durban (up next) and Johannesburg can brace themselves for a flood of entrants. Nico Panagio visited the audition process. He will be returning as host for a second time. ''It was as big a crowd but another type of crowd,'' Lani Lombard, M-Net's head of publicity tells me. ''The open auditions pulled people who are really very determined to be a part of the show. Those who were not determined enough and who were not prepared to wait long enough, eventually went home.'' Lani Lombard tells me the contestants were from all age groups.
''Some did presentations, some arrived in full Survivor gear. One or two made as if they were other people; another one tried to 'break into' the room where the panel sits. Someone else distributed pamphlets very early in the morning that stated that the audition venue has moved to the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Signed: The Survivor team.'' Some showed up in bush attire, one had a rope around the neck, another a feather in the cap and a lot of contestants were ''smeared'' and dirty. And they waited.
''Contestants need to know and be prepared for a long process,'' Lani Lombard tells me. ''People must not pretend to be something they're not or be what they think the producers are looking for. People need to be themselves. Survivor SA Maldives is looking for a diverse group of people, so people need to show who they really are but still stand out.''
A lot of contestants were camping out from Friday night at the Riverside Club in Observatory for their chance to impress the Survivor SA Maldives panel on Saturday, with several call-backs happening today. The Survivor SA Maldives auditions will move to Durban (28 Aug, Sahara cricket stadium, Kingsmead) and Johannesburg (4 Sep, Bidvest Wanderers cricket stadion, Sandton) next.
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