South African Idol is never short on controversy. If it’s not two winners, it’s an early exit of the public’s ‘favourite’. If it’s not fake designer labels being worn on camera, it’s the social networking sites going mad about a seemingly disoriented judge. Oy vey! That’s exactly what happened on Sunday night, when judge Mara Louw was at the centre of this, the latest controversial moment on Idols. Her comments made little to no sense and it got people talking about she looked and acted as if she was “drunk”. 94.7′s Mark Pilgrim said, “Not hard to figure out which SA Idols judge was “drunk as a skunk” 2night! Actually found it entertaining 4 once listening to that person!” Others said, “#idols Mara is more than PATHETIC!!!!!”
“who the hell does #mara think she is? honestly? telling pieter that? ‘you’re the worst of the worst’ #idols #upset”
“@MelBala I think random drug & alcohol tests should be done on #idols judges, and by that I mean Mara “Ms #outofpocket” Louw”
“Can we keep the idols and vote Mara out? #idols”
So to clear up the matter 702′s John Robbie jumped on the bandwagon this morning by interviewing the singer. She told Robbie she was on medication for her broken toe and according to the official statement from M-Net, she consumed an an energy drink with vodka in it “Counteract her exhaustion”. Read the full release below:
“Following rumours about being drunk on set, Idols judge Mara Louw confirmed on 702 and CapeTalk this morning that she had an energy drink with vodka before last week’s show commenced. The drink was consumed on top of strong pain medication she had taken for her broken toe.
Mara explained that she was exhausted as a result of a heavy schedule and drank the energy drink with vodka to counteract her exhaustion. She then apologised to the nation and said that it was “not in her character to do such things.” M-Net accepts Mara’s apology, but is disappointed with her irresponsible behaviour.
M-Net does not allow crew members, cast and presenters, on any set to consume alcohol prior to a show. It is against our code of conduct and could lead to disciplinary action. To reinstate our stance, the Idols cast and crew will officially be informed today that M-Net will not, under any circumstances, tolerate behaviour on set that could tarnish the reputation of the production.
It is a pity that the focus of the show is moving away from where it should be: on the incredibly talented singers who are working hard to become South Africa’s next Idol.
Gareth Cliff then took to his Twitter account replying to Aki Anastasiou of 702 saying, “@AkiAnastasiou Mara can’t claim to be the victim all the time. Adults must take responsibility for their actions. She’s like Paula Abdul”. Low blows flying around all over. Read Gareth’s account of the evening here.
I was chatting to someone earlier and she mentioned to me that she thinks this is a publicity stunt. I’m not so sold on this. Why would someone jeopardize his/ her reputation for the sake of getting the show more ratings? It’s unfortunate that Mara’s tangled in yet another controversial matter on the show. The focus must now shift back to the contestants. Pieter West has my vote… to leave tonight. Am I right? Who do you think will go?
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One of SA’s most loved stars, Anele Mdoda or simply just Anele, is making a move… The 5FM DJ will be leaving the station at the end of March. She’ll be returning to regional station, 94.7 Highveld Stereo as of the beginning of April. The DJ, who kicked off her radio career at Tuks FM during her varsity days, used to host the evening show on the 94.7 with her good friend, Grant Nash a few years ago. The duo then moved to 5FM, where they’ve hosted the 12-3 show ever since.
