SHE might be the darling of the Idols show at the moment, but soulful Tshidi Tenyane is looking for love.

Viewers have been casting their votes in her favour as one of the Idols Season 8 Top 10 but, sharing her loneliness, Tenyane discloses that she is single and looking for Mr Right.

"People don't know that I am single. They assume I am involved. The truth is I am not," she says.

Though she enjoys being single, she says: "But I just love to be in love."

On Sunday night, it was Tenyane's turn to cry on the show. Visibly shaking as she made her way to the stage, Tenyane was the first to be summoned, along with Sihle Ndaba, by Idols host Proverb.

The waterworks flowed liberally after she was named as the first contestant to make it into the Top 10.

Tenyane, who has a strong church background, says she feels so much at home on stage.

"I can tackle any genre thrown at me. I first study the lyrics of the song before the beat," she says.

Tenyane's love for music was nearly derailed last year when she made a dramatic exit during the theatre phase of Idols Season 7 at Sun City.

The 28-year-old singer now has a point to prove and has vowed to make it into the final two.

But it was not only tears and drama in the Soweto Theatre on Sunday.

There was time for some levity as well as Zakes Bantwini performing live on the Idols stage for the first time, performing a mix of his hit Bum Bum. 

- mahlanguba@sowetan.co.za

• This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 31 July 2012