Missing from the press release about voter statistics, was viewership figures and the number of free votes which saw Khaya Mthethwa (25) from Durban win and make headlines from Amanpour on CNN International (DStv 401) last night to The New York Times in New York and The Guardian in London.
According to M-Net, Idols' 7th season pulled 8 411 869 votes in total, and season 6 of Idols had 8 053 612. For the just concluded 8th season of Idols votes were possible through Mxit, SMS as well as the Idols mobisite and website.
Khaya Mthethwa was the biggest vote grabber during each of the Top 10 rounds.
"Our main mission with each season of Idols is to produce a fire-cracker television series for the enjoyment of our diverse audiences and to provide a launchpad for successful careers in the highly competitive music industry," says Lani Lombard, M-Net's corporate communication manager.
