Idols South Africa VII was the seventh season of South African reality interactive talent show based on the British talent show Pop Idol. It premiered on 5 June 2011. The judges returned with the addition of Unathi Msengana in the place of Mara Louw and were supported by a guest judge in every casting city.
After the auditions, call backs were held in Sun City for the golden ticket holders. After the theater, group and special guest The Parlotones rounds the final number of contestants were brought down to 16.
Regional auditions Auditions began February 2011, and were held in the following cities:
Episode Air Date Audition City Date Audition Venue Guest Judge Tickets to Sun City5 June 2011Cape Town, Western Cape12 February 2011Cape Town International Convention CentreDanny K?12 June 2011Polokwane, Limpopo26 February 2011Peter Mokaba StadiumYvonne Chaka Chaka?19 June 2011Durban, Kwazulu Natal12 March 2011Moses Mabhida StadiumKurt Darren?26 June 2011Soweto, Gauteng26 March 2011Dobsonville StadiumHHP?3 July 2011Johannesburg, Gauteng2 April 2011MontecasinoHHP?
Wooden Mic
Every season the worst auditions voted for by the viewers to be part of their own Top 10 for the Wooden Mic trophy.
Wooden Mic Top 10
ContestantAudition CityResult 1 Florence Nyanga Cape Town 2 Isaac van Wyk 3 Cecilia Galane Polokwane 4 Lethabo Ramoroka 5 Martin Mulima 6 Tshami Masemolo 7 Zandrie van Onselen Durban Winner 8 Peter Gobaknang Tebang Gauteng 9 Justin Payton 10 Jacobus Engelbrecht
Top 16
After the Parlotones performance the judges let 14 contestants know that they were through to the Top 15. With the last two contestants Josslynn Hlenti from Durban and Kerry Sanssoucie from Johannesburg left the judges let the public vote for who they wanted to see in the Top 15. The following week the results were revealed and Kerry was chosen to take up the last place in the Top 15.
Top 15
The Top 15 contestants performed a song of their own choice. The show air on 24 July 2011 and viewers had the week to vote for their Top 10.
ContestantAgeHometownSong (Original Artist)Result 1 Dene Vorster 16 Roodepoort "Bad Romance" (Lady Gaga) safe 2 Erin Fourie 27 Hilton "All These Things That I've Done" (The Killers) safe 3 Mark Haze 28 Cape Town "Sweet Child o' Mine" (Guns N' Roses) safe 4 Freddie Van'Dango 22 Johannesburg "The Scientist" (Coldplay) safe 5 Lefa Pike 29 Kimberly "Valerie" (Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse) safe 6 Crushanda Forbes 23 Cape Town "Alone" (Heart) safe 7 Phaksy Mngomezulu 20 Empangeni "Broken Strings" (James Morrison) safe 8 Dave Van Vuuren 21 Johannesburg "With or Without You" (U2) safe 9 Nolly Meje 24 Cape Town "Perfect" (Pink) safe 10 Kelly Fortuin 21 Cape Town "Mercy" (Duffy) safe 11 Kerry Sanssoucie 22 Johannesburg "Don't Speak" (No Doubt) Eliminated 12 Chloe Geldenhuys 16 Cape Town "Raise Your Glass" (Pink) Eliminated 13 Power Simelane 27 Soweto "Somebody to Love" (Justin Bieber) Eliminated 14 Kahludi Malele 29 Klipgat "Lazy" (Bruno Mars) Eliminated 15 Miss J 19 Durban "Firework" (Katy Perry) Eliminated
Finals
Finalists (ages stated at time of contest)
Contestant Age Hometown Voted Off Spectacular Theme Nolly Meje 24 Cape Town 8 Aug 2011 Radio Chart Toppers Phaksy Mngomezulu 20 Empangeni 16 Aug 2011 Homebrew Dene Vorster 16 Roodepoort 30 Aug 2011 Gospel Erin Fourie 27 Hilton 30 Aug 2011 Gospel Kelly Fortuin 21 Cape Town 6 Sep 2011 Showstopper! Lefa Pike 29 Kimberly 13 Sep 2011 Rock Freddie Van'Dango 22 Johannesburg 20 Sep 2011 Grammy-Nominated songs Crushanda Forbes 23 Cape Town 27 Sep 2011 Top Threes Terrific Trio Mark Haze 28 Cape Town Runner-up Finale Dave Van Vuuren 21 Johannesburg Winner Finale
Top 10 – Radio Chart Toppers The Top 10 performance was recorded live on Friday 5 August 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 7 August 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 9 August 2011. With guest acts from Idols season 6's third place Sindi Nene and The Black Hotels.
Guest Judge: Ziyon (Liqiudeep)
OrderContestantSong (Original Artist)Result Mark Haze "Born This Way" (Lady Gaga) Safe Freddie Van'Dango "Human" (The Killers) Safe Nolly Meje "Mama Do" (Pixie Lott) Eliminated Erin Fourie "Hey Ya!" (Outkast) Safe Lefa Pike "Grace Kelly" (Mika) Bottom 2 Dene Vorster "Someone Like You" (Adele) Safe Phaksy Mngomezulu "How You Remind Me" (Nickelback) Safe Kelly Fortuin "Leave Right Now" (Will Young) Safe Crushanda Forbes "My Life Would Suck Without You" (Kelly Clarkson) Bottom 3 Dave Van Vuuren "Sex On Fire" (Kings Of Leon) Safe
Top 9 – Homegrew The Top 9 performance was recorded live on Friday 12 August 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 14 August 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 16 August 2011. Guest Judge Cofield Mundi performed during the results show and sang a song she specially composed for Idols.
Guest Judge: Cofield Mundi
OrderContestantSong (Original Artist)Result Erin Fourie "Fine Again" (Saran Gas) Bottom 2 Crushanda Forbes "Why" (Garth Taylor) Mark Haze "Shallow Waters" (Just Jinjer) Dave Van Vuuren "Blue Eyes" (Springbok Nude Girls) Lefa Pike "Too Late For Mama" (Brenda Fassie) Bottom 3 Freddie Van'Dango "Against All Odds" (aKing) Phaksy Mngomezulu "I Want You" (Loyiso) Eliminated Kelly Fortuin "I’d Like" (Freshly Ground) Dene Vorster "Afrikaans" (Flash Republic ft. Foto Na Dans)
Top 8 – R’n’B in All Its Diversity The Top 8 were mentored in the finer points of R’n’B by South African legend Loyiso Bala, who performed with them as a special guest artist. The Top 8 performance was recorded live on Friday 19 August 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 21 August 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 23 August 2011.
Guest Performer: Loyiso Bala
OrderContestantSong (Original Artist)Result Kelly Fortuin "Rock with You" (Michael Jackson) "Saved" Dave Van Vuuren "Sexual Healing" (Marvin Gaye) Dene Vorster "Voice Within" (Christina Aguilera) Bottom Two Mark Haze "Just The Way You Are" (Bruno Mars) Erin Fourie "Halo" (Beyoncé) Lefa Pike "Ordinary People" (John Legend) Crushanda Forbes "I Learned from the Best" (Whitney Houston) Bottom Three Freddie Van'Dango "Rehab" (Amy Winehouse)
Top 8 – Mzansi Youth Choir The Top 8 took to the stage again after Kelly was saved by the judges. The Top 8 got a little help from the Mzansi Youth Choir, who provided the backing vocals for the Idols. James Blunt also performed during the show. The Top 8 performance was recorded live on Friday 19 August 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 21 August 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 23 August 2011. Two Contestants were eliminated, due to the judges using there one safe vote the week before.
Backing Vocals: Mzansi Youth Choir Guest Performer: James Blunt Guest Judge: Chante Moore
OrderContestantSong (Original Artist)Result Crushanda Forbes "I Believe I Can Fly" (R. Kelly) Safe Erin Fourie "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" (Jackie DeShannon) Eliminated Dene Vorster "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson) Eliminated Freddie Van'Dango "Forget You" (Cee Lo Green) Safe Kelly Fortuin "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (Aretha Franklin & George Michael) Safe Dave Van Vuuren "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel) Safe Lefa Pike "Lean on Me" (Bill Withers) Safe Mark Haze "Somebody To Love" (Queen) Safe
Top 6 – Showstopper! The Top 6 will take to the stage after Erin and Dene was voted off the previous week in a double elimination. The Top 6 performance will be recorded live on Friday 2 September 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 4 September 2011. The results show will be aired live on Tuesday 6 September 2011.
Guest Judge: LeAnne
OrderContestantSong (Original Artist)Result Freddie Van'Dango "Seven Nation Army" (White Stripes) Bottom two Kelly Fortuin "American Boy" (Estelle Feat. Kanye West) Eliminated Lefa Pike "Miss Independent" (Ne-Yo) Safe Dave Van Vuuren "Hound Dog" (Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton) Bottom three Mark Haze "If I Had You" (Adam Lambert) Safe Crushanda Forbes "Release Me" (Agnes) Safe
Top 5 – Rock Every Contastant will perform two songs. The Top 5 performance will be recorded live on Friday 9 September 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 11 September 2011. The results show will be aired live on Tuesday 13 September 2011.
Guest Judge: Locnville
OrderContestantFirst Song (Original Artist)Second Song (Original Artist)Result Mark Haze "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (Def Leppard) "Dream On" (Aerosmith) Bottom Two Crushanda Forbes "Simply The Best" (Tina Turner) "Because of You" (Kelly Clarkson) Safe Lefa Pike "Don't Stop Me Now" (Queen) "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" (The Script) Eliminated Dave Van Vuuren "Iris" (Goo Goo Dolls) "Come Together" (The Beatles) Safe Freddie Van'Dango "Scar Tissue" (Red Hot Chili Peppers) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (The Rolling Stones) Bottom Three
Top 4 – Grammy-Nominated songs Every Contastant will perform two songs. And there will be two duets The Top 4 performance will be recorded live on Friday 16 September 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 18 September 2011. The results show will be aired live on Tuesday 20 September 2011.
Guest Judge: Craig David
OrderContestantFirst Song (Original Artist)Second Song (Original Artist)Result Dave Van Vuuren "Streets of Philadelphia" (Bruce Springsteen) "Beautiful Day" (U2) Bottom two Crushanda Forbes "Because You Loved Me" (Celine Dion) "You Belong With Me" (Taylor Swift) Safe Freddie Van'Dango "Kiss From A Rose" (Seal) "Use Somebody" (Kings Of Leon) Eliminated Mark Haze "Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Marvin Gaye) "The Pretender" (Foo Fighters) Safe Dave Van Vuuren & Freddie Van'Dango"Don't Give Up" (John Legend & Pink) N/A Mark Haze & Crushanda Forbes"Fields Of Gold" (Michael Bolton & Eva Cassidy) N/A
Top 3 – Top Threes Terrific Trio Every Contastant performed three songs. One of each contestant's songs has been chosen for them based on the year in which they were born.
Sterling EQ accompanied the Idols in two of their three songs.
The Top 3 performance was recorded live on Friday 23 September 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 25 September 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 27 September 2011.
Guest Judge: HHP
OrderContestantFirst Song (Original Artist)Second Song (Original Artist)Third Song (Original Artist) - Year of BirthResult Mark Haze "Roxanne" (The Police) "Eleanor Rigby" (The Beatles) "Open Arms" (Journey) - 1982 SafeCrushanda Forbes"Songbird" (Fleetwood Mac)"It's Raining Men" (Martha Wash feat. RuPaul)"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (Michael Jackson) - 1987Eliminated Dave Van Vuuren "Mr. Jones" (Counting Crows) "Vincent" (Don McLean) "Enjoy The Silence" (Depeche Mode) - 1990 Safe
Top 2 – Finale The Top 2 Contestants performed three songs. Both Dave and Mark were allowed to choose their favourite performance from any stage of the Idols competition. The Top 2 were accompanied by one of SA's biggest bands, The Parlotones. And both of them performed their single.
The Top 2 performance was recorded live on Friday 30 September 2011 at the Mosaïek Teatro in Fairlands, Johannesburg and aired on Sunday 2 October 2011. The results show was aired live on Tuesday 4 October 2011.
Guest Judge:
ContestantFirst Song (Original Artist)- Favourite songSecond Song (Original Artist) - Parlotones SongThird Song (Original Artist) - SingleResultVote % Dave Van Vuuren "Sex On Fire" (Kings Of Leon) - Top 10 "Should We Fight Back" (The Parlotones) "Hall of Mirrors" (Dave Van Vuuren) Winner 50.49% Mark Haze "Dream On" (Aerosmith) - Top 5 "Burning Love" (The Parlotones) "Out of My Head" (Mark Haze) Runner-Up 49.51%
Elimination Chart + Legend Did Not Perform Female Male Top 16 Top 10 Winner