Idols SA season 1 took place in 2002, the winner was Heinz Winckler and the runner-up was Brendon October.
The show was hosted by Candy Litchfield, Matthew Stewardson, and Sami Sabiti.
The judges were Dave Thompson, Marcus Brewster, Penny Lebyane, and Randall Abrahams.
It was the first season of the South African reality interactive talent show, Idols South Africa, based on the British talent show Pop Idol.
It started as the second international spin-off of the original series just days after the first Idols season in Poland.
However, as it ended earlier the winner Heinz Winckler is the second Idol winner after the original Pop Idol Will Young.
In the beginning, the show was hosted by Matthew Stewardson and Candy Litchfield. However, halfway through the season Stewardson was axed and replaced by Sami Sabiti.
Soon after that Stewardson checked himself into a rehab center, the show saw a tragic incident when its official photographer, Steve Hilton-Barber suddenly died during the competition.
Idols SA Season 1 Summary
| Hosts: | Candy Litchfield, Matthew Stewardson, and Sami Sabiti |
| Judges: | Dave Thompson, Marcus Brewster, Penny Lebyane, and Randall Abrahams |
| Photographer: | Steve Hilton-Barber |
| Winner: | Heinz Winckler |
| Runner-up: | Brendon October |
| Grand Finale Venue: | Vodaworld |
| Original Network: | M-Net |
| Start Date: | Sunday 10 March 2002 |
| End Date: | Monday 17 June 2002 |
List of Contents
Judges and Hosts
The Idols SA Season 1 judges were; Dave Thompson, Marcus Brewster, Penny Lebyane, and Randall Abrahams.
The hosts were Candy Litchfield, Matthew Stewardson, and Sami Sabiti.
Theatre Week
Simon Cowell, judge of the original series was guest judging during the theater round when the Top 50 contestants were chosen.
The Top 50 contestants were then split into 10 groups of 5 where the contestant who got the most votes would move on to the top 10.
Heat 1 (10 March 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon October | “She’s the One” by Robbie Williams | Advanced |
| Rene Hunter | “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King | Eliminated |
| Liesl Penniken | “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
| Malcolm Manuel | “I Turn to You” by Christina Aguilera | Eliminated |
| Melanie Lowe | “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield | Saved |
Heat 2 (17 March 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lauren Matos | “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor | Eliminated |
| Yoganathan Khandoo | “We Are the World” by USA for Africa | Eliminated |
| Kerry Hiles | “Special Star” by Mango Groove | Eliminated |
| Cindy Bester | “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes | Advanced |
| Lushé Killian | “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan | Eliminated |
Heat 3 (24 March 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Tarryn Lamb | “It Must Have Been Love” by Roxette | Eliminated |
| Cecelia Neer | “The Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
| Leanne Steenkamp | “From a Distance” by Bette Midler | Eliminated |
| Tasmia Begbie | “I’m Outta Love” by Anastacia | Eliminated |
| Nicole Billingham | “Breathe” by Faith Hill | Advanced |
Heat 4 (31 March 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Milner | “Just the Way You Are” by Billy Joel | Eliminated |
| Rian Swanepoel | “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge | Advanced |
| Duke Motlanthe | “I Swear” by All-4-One | Eliminated |
| Philadelphia Shayi | “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
| Elena Forbes | “Saving All My Love for You” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
Heat 5 (7 April 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| David Fourie | “This I Promise You” by NSYNC | Advanced |
| Laurene Chesling | “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers | Eliminated |
| Buli Ngomane | “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
| Rebert Roodbol | “I Love the Way You Love Me” by Boyzone | Eliminated |
| Angelique Campher | “Baby Can I Hold You” by Tracy Chapman | Eliminated |
Heat 6 (14 April 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Nicola Warwick | “Think Twice” by Celine Dion | Eliminated |
| Bianca Le Grange | “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen | Advanced |
| Francois Mulder | “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Andy Williams | Eliminated |
| Michelle Williamson | “Un-Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton | Eliminated |
| Vanessa Grebe | “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill | Eliminated |
Heat 7 (21 April 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ayanda Nhlangothi | “(Something Inside) So Strong” by Labi Siffre | Advanced |
| Kim August | “Woman in Love” by Barbra Streisand | Eliminated |
| Darren Green | “Your Song” by Elton John | Eliminated |
| Lizé Nuttall | “Again” by Janet Jackson | Eliminated |
| Karlien Husselman | “Walking in Memphis” by Cher | Eliminated |
Heat 8 (28 April 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dalen Jooste | “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees | Eliminated |
| Letoya Makhene | “Declaration of Love” by Celine Dion | Eliminated |
| Chad Saaiman | “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams | Eliminated |
| Liana Van Zyl | “I Will Love Again” by Lara Fabian | Eliminated |
| Heinz Winckler | “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” by Train | Advanced |
Heat 9 (5 May 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Zure Classen | “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles | Eliminated |
| Nombulelo Mntaka | “Moments Away” by Mango Groove | Eliminated |
| Monique Steyn | “Fields of Gold” by Sting | Eliminated |
| Lyndle Kearns | “All the Man That I Need” by Whitney Houston | Advanced |
| Gugulethu Shezi | “Over and Over” by Puff Johnson | Eliminated |
Heat 10 (12 May 2002)
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Boitumelo Masemola | “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston | Eliminated |
| Lauren Laing | “Hero” by Mariah Carey | Eliminated |
| Mallisan Scholtz | “To Love You More” by Celine Dion | Eliminated |
| Hybre Africa | “All by Myself” by Celine Dion | Eliminated |
| Ezra Lingeveldt | “Get Over You” by Brian McKnight | Advanced |
Finalists
The initial plan was to have a Top 10 but because there was a voting error during the voting for the first group (Heat 1), Melanie Lowe who was a close second behind Brandon October was saved by the show producers making it a Top 11 instead.
Note: ages stated at the time of contest
| Contestant | Age | Hometown | Voted Off | Spectacular Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heinz Winckler | 24 | Stellenbosch | Winner | Grand Finale |
| Brendon October | 25 | Johannesburg | 17 June 2002 | Grand Finale |
| Melanie Lowe | 26 | Vredehoek | 17 June 2002 | Grand Finale |
| Bianca Le Grange | 20 | Johannesburg | 10 June 2002 | Judge’s Choice |
| Ayanda Nhlangothi | 19 | Durban | 3 June 2002 | Proudly South African |
| Ezra Lingeveldt | 21 | Sea Point | 3 June 2002 | Proudly South African |
| Cindy Bester | 19 | East London | 27 May 2002 | My Idol |
| Lyndle Kearns | 17 | Rocklands | 27 May 2002 | My Idol |
| Rian Swanepoel | 20 | Hatfield | 20 May 2002 | Greatest Hits |
| Nicole Billingham | 23 | Ferndale | 20 May 2002 | Greatest Hits |
| David Fourie | 21 | Bloemfontein | 20 May 2002 | Greatest Hits |
Idols SA Season 1 Top 11
Idols SA season 1 top 11 contestants performed live on Sunday 19 May 2002.
Theme: “Movie Magic”
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lyndle Kearns | “Dancing Queen” by ABBA | Safe |
| Bianca Le Grange | “Ben” by Michael Jackson | Safe |
| Nicole Billingham | “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin | Eliminated |
| Rian Swanepoel | “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” by Phil Collins | Eliminated |
| Melanie Lowe | “Little Bird” by Annie Lennox | Bottom five |
| Ayanda Nhlangothi | “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal | Safe |
| David Fourie | “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen | Eliminated |
| Cindy Bester | “If I Can’t Have You” by Yvonne Elliman | Bottom four |
| Heinz Winckler | “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith | Safe |
| Brandon October | “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green | Safe |
| Ezra Lingeveldt | “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding | Safe |
Over 500,000 votes were cast for the Top 11 contestants before the lines closed
Idols SA Season 1 Top 8
The Idols SA season 1 top 8 contestants of season 1 performed live on Sunday 26 May 2002.
Theme: “My Own Idol”
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lyndle Kearns | “Heaven’s What I Feel” by Gloria Estefan | Eliminated |
| Bianca Le Grange | “Fantasy” by Earth, Wind & Fire | Safe |
| Melanie Lowe | “Careless Whisper” by George Michael | Safe |
| Ayanda Nhlangothi | “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles | Safe |
| Cindy Bester | “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper | Eliminated |
| Heinz Winckler | “Higher” by Creed | Safe |
| Brandon October | “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” by Chicago | Safe |
| Ezra Lingeveldt | “Rosanna” by Toto | Bottom three |
Idols SA Season 1 Top 6
The Idols SA season 1 top 6 contestants performed live on Sunday 2 June 2002.
Theme: “Proudly South African”
| Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bianca Le Grange | “Substitute” by Clout | Safe |
| Melanie Lowe | “Acid Rain” by Wendy Oldfield | Safe |
| Ayanda Nhlangothi | “Another Country” by Mango Groove | Eliminated |
| Heinz Winckler | “Shallow Waters” by Just Jinjer | Safe |
| Brandon October | “Hurts So Bad” by Danny K | Bottom three |
| Ezra Lingeveldt | “Starlight” by Grannysmith | Eliminated |
Idols SA Season 1 Top 4 (Semi-final)
Season 1’s Top 4 contestants performed live on Sunday 9 June 2002 with each semi-finalist performing twice.
Theme: “Judges’ Choice”
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bianca Le Grange | “Superwoman” by Karyn White | “I Don’t Want to Wait” by Paula Cole | Eliminated |
| Melanie Lowe | “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia | “Shackles (Praise You)” by Mary Mary | Bottom two |
| Heinz Winckler | “Every Breath You Take” by The Police | “Soledad” by Westlife | Safe |
| Brandon October | “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden | “Escape” by Enrique Iglesias | Safe |
Idols SA Season 1 Top 3 (Grand Finale)
The Idols SA season 1 top 3 contestants (finalists) performed live for the public’s votes on Sunday 16 June 2002, the Grand Finale results were then revealed 24 hours later on Monday 17 June 2002.
| Contestant | First Song | Second Song | Third Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melanie Lowe | “Little Bird” | “Acid Rain” | “Every Single Thing” | Third place |
| Heinz Winckler | “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” | “Soledad” | “Once in a Lifetime” | Winner |
| Brandon October | “She’s the One” | “Let’s Stay Together” | “Once in a Lifetime” | Runner-up |
Season chronology:
Next ( Season 2 ) »
ALSO READ:
› Idols SA Winners: Where Are They Now?
› Idols SA Presenters From Season 1 To Date
