SA Idols Fans React To Lady Du’s Guest Appearance As A Judge On The Show. As uncertainty around Somizi Mhlongo’s return on Idols SA continues to linger, the singing competition has a plan in place for Somizi’s chair on the judging panel and the first guest judge has been announced. Since then speculation as to who would replace the reality TV star has been rife on social media. However, instead of one “replacement” judge, Idols SA has announced that they will have a range of celebrities judging the upcoming talent.
Amapiano hit sensation Duduzile “Lady Du” Ngwenya was the first guest judge to replace Somizi Mhlongo on the first Idols SA Idols Season 17 live show on Sunday. The Umsebenzi Wethu vocalist sat on the judging panel alongside Unathi Nkayi and Randall Abrahams.
M-Net issued a statement earlier this month saying Somizi’s role on the show had been put on ice as he deals with abuse allegations made against him by his estranged husband Mohale Motaung. “As the competition now advances to live shows with the Top 16 contestants singing it out for the coveted grand prize, guest judges will be chosen from the infinite pool of Mzansi’s entertainment industry — and all are trailblazers in their respective crafts. The guest judges are going to be announced weekly via the Mzansi Magic website and social media platforms,” read the statement.
Mzansi Magic has remained mum on whether Mhlongo will return to the channel next season. The star is currently embroiled in a private divorce hearing with Motaung after just a year of publicly sharing their relationship and extravagant wedding in a four-part television show. In an audio recording obtained by a Sunday publication and widely shared on social media, Motaung was heard citing physical abuse from as early as three weeks into their relationship as one of the contributing factors to their divorce.
Idols SA fans took t social media to react to Lady Du’s appearance, check out what they have to say: