Emotions ran high during last night’s episode of Idols SA, which was dubbed by some of the contestants as “hell week”.

Theatre week, as it’s referred to in the singing competition, was off to a gruelling start which saw golden ticket winners being paired in twos for the duet round.

The contestants were tasked to wow judges Somizi Mhlongo, JR and Thembi Seete with how well their on-stage chemistry is – something Zee and Thapelo managed to do very well.

The couple performed Best Part originally recorded by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. Their moving performance not only had the judges dancing on their feet, but earned the first “whooo shem” of the season from Mhlongo.

Another impressive couple was Neve and Kabelo, who sang Anywhere Away From Here by Pink and Rag'n'Bone Man.

Their rendition got a big thumbs up from Seete, who said she can’t wait to witness the singers’ journey in the competition. This was the reassurance they needed to start preparations for the next stage of the competition.

However, not all contestants got the nod from the judging panel. Audition week favourite Ty Loner had a dismal performance with Olutheren. They also sang Anywhere Away From Here.

Their performance garnered mixed reviews from the judges, with JR saying that it felt like “two separate performances”. Ty Loner still made it to the next round.

The worst performance of the duet round was by Lerato and Zadwesh, who sang Amanda Black and Anthony Hamilton’s Vuka. As he was about to kick-start the song, Zadwesh forgot his lyrics, he murmured his way through the first verse until Lerato met him at the bridge of the song.

While he managed to get the rhythm right, all he sang was “Vuka” throughout the entire performance. Fortunately, because the judges felt that Zadwesh had immense talent, they decided to let him through to the next round.

Lerato also made it through despite nearly being axed out due to Zadwesh derailing the train.   

Sean-Mickayla and Sai, who were perfectly matched, gave a sultry performance singing Khalid and Normani’s Love Lies. Their velvety voices and edgy style convinced the judges that they could definitely be the next winners.