by Thinus Ferreira
Not so fast, ProVerb. With tumbling ratings and with Idols having lost half its total audience on DStv, I reliably hear that M-Net bosses are shocked that Idols host and co-executive producer ProVerb went ahead and announced a season 19 for the viewership-gutted show.
During Sunday evening's season 18 finale, Tebogo Thekisho, known as Proverb, told DStv subscribers that the [SIC] Entertainment-produced show would be back for season 19 and that auditions would be held soon in 2023.
Mzansi Magic hasn't signed off or approved any season 19 for Idols which is done according to the Fremantle-format.
In the last moments of Sunday's season 18 finale after Proverb announced police trauma counsellor Thapelo Molomo as the season's winner, he also said "I am your boy ProVerb and I'm out but I will see you for season 19 next year. Audition days and info on the website soon, so get them all because this could be you".
This however came as a shock and surprise to M-Net bosses and staffers at Mzansi Magic as well since they haven't said or approved anything yet around a season 19 for Idols.
Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, has definitely not okayed a season 19 of Idols this time yet, and neither has anybody else.
"That was definitely not supposed to happen at all," insiders say. According to them, "Nobody knows who approved it or why it was said and alluded to on Sunday. Nothing of a season 19 was supposed to be said to viewers at all."
As I'm told, "Things were specifically done to prevent exactly the type of mention that was made on Sunday. It came as a shock and a surprise".
Making things worse: Proverb's script for the finale night broadcast was checked beforehand before Sunday's live broadcast specifically to ensure that it contained no mention of a "season 19" for Idols, and that nothing is said during the live finale broadcast of "auditions" for a next season or alluding to a next season.
Now Mzansi Magic finds itself in the predicament of something being announced as coming and a show happening, when that M-Net channel division hasn't had time to fully take stock and investigate the latest trainwreck season of Idols and its ongoing ratings collapse that this year fired and replaced both Randall Abrahams and Unathi Nkayi and brought back the controversial Somizi Mhlongo.
For its 18th season, South Africa's Idols continued its shocking ratings dive as it shed hundreds of thousands of viewers right from its debut, with just 743 516 DStv subscribers who tuned in at most in July this year.
Idols viewership on Sunday evenings on Mzansi Magic sank lower and lower every month this year, falling further from the 17th season in 2021 which also suddenly experienced a massive loss of viewers.
