Umhlanga’s Jessica Yallup will proudly fly the flag for Umhlanga after being one of 20 hopefuls from Durban selected to progress to the next round of Idols.
Jessica told The Ridge Online: “It was a very tough situation (with Georgie) and I felt very sore for Georgie. I always go in to situations with a positive attitude but expecting the worst, because this way you can never be let down – I’ve left auditions before myself feeling sore, but it doesn’t matter. There are so many doors to open.”
The drama unfolded on Sunday evening when friends, Jessica and Georgie Mabbett (Winston Park, pictured), turned up for their shot at fame again after previous failures in the competition. Both girls had made it through Theatre Week in Idols 4 and hoped to impress the judges with how much they had grown as singers in the past three years. Controversially, judge Gareth Cliff suggested that they audition together, and that the friends help judge each other’s performances.
Unfortunately, this is when it all went wrong for Georgie. After her audition, Mara Louw said she would like to see Georgie in Sun City, but upon hearing Jessie score a hit with the Four Non Blondes hit, What’s Going On, she changed her mind. Jessie got the Golden Ticket, but a devastated Georgie had to go home disappointed.
Great performer
Commenting on Georgie’s future, once the dust has settled, Jessica said, “Georgie has a great future ahead of her if she keeps her feet on the ground. She’s actually had far more exposure than any of us, and she’s a great performer.
Jessica has been hard at work through various social networking sites, gathering up votes and support for the all-important Top 100 showdown. This will take place once the regional rounds have been completed.
“My audition wasn’t what I expected – I just wanted a normal one – but we redheads seldom get the norm, even when we run from it, it seems to hit us head on. We must be drama-magnets or something . . .”
A philosophical Jessica added, “I’m just a girl in the Idols queue who got a ticket like 19 others from Durban. I want this very badly. I did my thing and I’m ready to continue my journey.”
Hard questions
Hard questions have been asked about the judges’ controversial tactics . . . and there’s loads of chat around Durban about Georgie’s disappointing exit. “They’re making up the rules as they go along,” said an irate fan, Sam Bird. “Ja, it was totally unfair,” agreed a colleague who claimed not to be an Idols fan, but who had been gripped by the Georgie-Jessica drama. “I felt really sorry for her.”
Others said they had found the drama riveting.
It was clear from the footage on Sunday that Jessica was feeling distressed at her friend’s disappointment, but unfortunately, as always, the judges’ decision remained the one that counted.
Georgie told East Coast Radio on Monday that she had moved on from the incident and wouldn’t want a sympathy vote, even if it were offered to her.
Of interest to the Ridge area, Chloe Clark (21) and Kyle Mitchell (22) from Durban North also made it into the next round.
For comprehensive coverage see Sally Scott in the Daily News.
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I think they should really evaluate these judges!
Why should other people have the rights to an individual audition, when Georgie has to be played up against another girl?!
Also, I find Gareth Cliff and Steve Hofmeyer to be sexist perverts! A 19 year old girl who is entering a SINGING competition has to be subjected to comments such as “I can’t comment on your singing as I’m still stuck on how good looking you are” and “you just aren’t sexy enough” – really now, these people sicken me!
And not to pull a racist card (which I’m not doing AT ALL!), why do people from the township with average voices go through to Sun City because they have a “touching story” – again this is a SINGING competition, not a pity party – when an actual singer can’t go through because she’s not missing a leg or a lung!
Shoo, that’s a lot to digest. It seems rather bogus that they changed the modus operandi for Jessica and Georgie. Maybe they owe her an apology.
Congrats to M-Net and Idols for creating so much chatter about the Durban auditions. Congrats also for allowing Mara to show the South African public just how much of a half-wit she is.
By no stretch of the imagination was Georgie’s audition fair. They applied a completely new set of rules to this one audition. I feel terrible for Georgie, but I think she handled herself very well afterwards. She has every right to be upset, and while this wont help her get any further in this years competition, she should take comfort in the fact that every tv audience member with even half a braincell is in her corner, we all know now how flawed this show is and what a joke these judges are.
Georgie is far more talented than the majority of the “sob-story” contestants that made it through.
Again, thanks Mara for proving yourself a fool.
Gareth! It was Gareth’s Cliff’s idea and frankly, if I was in Mara’s shoes, I would do the same. Georgie thought she had it in the bag and did not put in her all. Jessica was a rock star all the way and well prepared. That’s the way the dice rolls and that’s life. Georgie has many years ahead of her to try again.
To the two over-rated judges, yes, you know who you are … take a look in the mirror, folks and then I suggest you both hang up your hats! Believe me, you have both past your ‘sell by’ date! …. where are all the entertainers that should be judging these people? Like Mynie Grove? Brilliant singer, songwriter … MOST TALENTED in the MUSIC INDUSTRY! … and to Georgie, dont give up on what you are striving for just because two individuals dont know what talent is … life is not all about sex and how you project yourself! Its about your passion and how you project THAT! Good luck to you for the future.
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Considering all the hype and build up to this last weekend’s episode…..”most controversial episode ever”…..i think the producers got exactly what they wanted. Hype, talk and more hype! Remember last year’s hype? “Joint winners”? Whatever!
From a personal view of someone who hasn’t watched idols in years, I would say that it has gone downhill, losing it’s concept that it all began with. It seems as if the judges take more of the fame and glory by their comments and actions than the focus being on those who are trying their chance at fame.
It’s supposed to be “A reality competition talent show based on the original UK format Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller in which prospective singers around the country audition for the chance to win big prizes and the title of Idols winner.” So where does the pompous discrimination come into all of this? Judges should go elsewhere if they want freak shows and shouldn’t create their own God-like rules for a reality TV show. South Africa also needs to realise that people aren’t there to be hurt or made to cry.
I am very skeptical about this year’s Idols competition. After last year’s controversial result, it made me think that I will not be part of Idols voting ever, should this kind of controversy happen again this year. I just wonder what they did to insure that it doesn’t happen this year.
Apart from that controversy, how about the absolute appalling judging that was allowed to happen in Durban. It’s was absolutely unfair and totally ridiculous. No other person, friend or not, is supposed to be in the same audition. How can you one year go through and not the next, anyway. Mara made a bad decision stating “After hearing her (Jessie)” she changed her mind. I’ll put my head on the block and say they would have both gone had they had separate auditions.
We should demand that Idols permit Georgie to enter and give her a Golden Ticket and apologise for their appalling judgment. Georgie sang much better than many other hopefulswho did receive their Golden Tickets.
Come on Idols, do the right thing.
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