After 18 years Idols allows you to sing from your bedroom – but for 48 hours only.

by Thinus Ferreira

After 18 years Idols is finally allowing contestants to sing from their bedrooms: For 48 hours only, the 16th season of the reality singing competition is accepting online audition videos from midnight tonight.

For the first time ever, the Fremantle format show done by [SIC] Entertainment for M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and executive produced by Gavin Wratten and Tebogo Thekisho (ProVerb), is extending the Idols talent search online beyond the traditional main South African cities.

People, especially those living in remote areas, will be able to send in an online audition from tomorrow from wherever they might be living.

No additional pop-up auditions will be held in smaller cities this year, with the production opting for the first-ever online video auditions following the way other M-Net produced shows like Survivor SA and others have switched to online audition videos only.

From midnight on Tuesday, 25 February South Africans between 16 and 30 years old can enter a 30-second singing video online at www.idolssa.tv until midnight on Thursday, 27 February.

No talking and no introductions should be included - video snippets should strictly be singing only and without using any musical instruments so that the selectors can hear the voice as clearly as possible. "Make sure that you look and sound like an Idol," says the show.

People who want to enter an online signing video can sing anything and successful candidates will get an email back from the producers telling them if their online audition was successful or not. Successful candidates will then get a chance to sing before the Idols judges in person.

Good news is that people who have already audition in person at one of the city venues for Idols can enter the online auditions again if they want to. The Idols city auditions process is wrapping up with the Johannesburg leg that remains and will take place at Carnival City on 7 March.

BREAKING. The dishonest contestant Siyakha Tshayela dumped from Idols on Mzansi Magic with immediate effect amidst behind-the-scenes recording contract fight.

The dishonest Idols contestant Siyakha Tshayela has been dumped from the M-Net reality show on its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel on DStv with immediate effect earlier today.

Siyakha Tshayela's axing by Idols producers comes comes after she was being not only dishonest with the producers and M-Net, but is also involved in a shocking and ongoing behind-the-scenes fight between her and an independent record label making her continued inclusion in the reality show untenable.

Siyakha Tshayela (23) is a full-time musician from Vosloorus in the East Rand and was included in the group of Top 16 Idols contestants as one of the 8 women vying to win the current 12th season.

While Idols contestants are told in no uncertain terms that they're not allowed to have any prior recording contracts with any recording companies and also sign paperwork to that effect saying they're not represented by any record labels - because they might end up having to sign an exclusive record deal with Universal Music South Africa - a month ago it suddenly came to light that Siyakha Tshayela is involved with an independent record company.

Siyakha Tshayela admitted to Idols producers SIC Entertainment producing the FremantleMedia format show, that she has had dealing with the independent record label before she entered Idols - with the record company that maintains that they actually made a record deal and signed a contract with her.

"Siyakha Tshayela has been withdrawn from the 2016 season of Idols with effect from 15 September as a result of a dispute between herself and an independent recording company," says Idols.

"Participants are required to sign an exclusive recording deal with the Idols appointed recording label when they enter the series."

"On 1 August Siyakha Tshayela informed us that she had entered into discussions with an independent recording company before entering Idols, but she maintained there was no contract in place. The recording company insists there is."

Idols says there's been "no resolution" to the behind-the-scenes fight.

"Due to conditions stipulated by the Idols format rights holder," says Idols - in this case FremantleMedia - "we are unable to continue with a contestant that is currently involved in a legal dispute of this nature".

Idols, M-Net and Mzansi Magic, and SIC Entertainment are slamming the door on Siyakha Tshayela, saying they wish her "all the best with her music career".