Amanda Ngudle

Amanda Ngudle

The launch of Idols last night has put many dreams in motion for the fame-hungry contestants.

Already in season four after a rather embarrassing Idols West Africa, the wait for the return of Idols has been a long one. The judges haven't changed and are said to be as merciless as ever.

Now they are fighting among themselves, bickering about who sits where and why Colin Moss gets all the best publicity.

"He doesn't even work here," Gareth Cliff jokes. "He just stands around."

The judges have made it clear that for this year's Top 10 contestants, the road is going to be rocky.

"South African audiences are the toughest in the world," Mara Louw warned the starry-eyed thousands who have their eyes on fame.

Notably, except for Zamajobe Sithole, other top "tenners" from the more recent season such as Gift Gwe, Karin Kortje, Puseletso Sejosengoe have disappeared .

The first contestant to make it to the Top 100 is 26-year-old Kirsty Redman, despite Randall Abrahams's assessment that she was "a blonde girl in a thick coat".

Another surprise was Generations star Caroline Borole who plays the character of Sharon.