The celebrity guest judge joining Idols’ Terrible Trio, Mara; Randall; and Gareth, in Durban was a true South African icon, Steve Hofmeyr, who promised to be brutally honest with the contestants.

The first Durbanite to have his life changed with a Golden Ticket was 21-year-old Prime Zulu, from KwaMashu outside Durban, who was inspired by his father to become a musician. The judges were as moved by the young man’s devotion to his family as by his obvious talent, and Prime broke down in tears when he realised that he was on his way to making on his family’s dreams come true.

His Golden Ticket success had ‘primed’ Durban, and there was a sudden flurry of Golden Tickets as one after the other the KZN contestants blew the judging panel away. But few of them made as much of an impression as 24-year-old Zintle Mkwela, who manufactures and fits prosthetic limbs for a living. Zintle’s soulful rendition of Adele’s Crazy For You blew Steve away, and her vivacious personality endeared her to Gareth. “You don’t even need a microphone, you just resonate!” Steve enthused, and Zintle was on her way to Sun City.

And then Randall fell in love! The object of his rare affection was a four-year-old cutie called Hannah, who accompanied her stunning mom, 22-year-old legal student, Tracy Duvall, into the audition room. As Hannah’s charm melted Idols’ most hard-hearted judge, her mom impressed the other three sufficiently to earn herself a trip to Sun City!

But the love affair between Durban and the judges came to a sudden end with Idols’ most controversial audition yet, when lifelong friends, Jessica Yallup and Georgie Mabbett, turned up to try again. Both girls had made it through Theatre Week in Idols 4 and hoped to impress the judges with how much they had grown in the past three years. Gareth suggested that they audition together, and that the friends help judge each other’s performances.

Unfortunately, that approach did not have the results that Georgie was hoping for. After her audition, Mara said she would like to see Georgie in Sun City, but after hearing Jessie score a hit with the Four Non Blondes hit, What’s Going On, she changed her mind. Jessie got her Golden Ticket, but Georgie had to go home disappointed.

“Not everyone has another person in the room with them, and then the judges can’t compare them. I think it’s actually very unfair!” the 19-year-old wept outside the audition room. But the judges’ decision, as always, was final.

In total, the judges handed out 20 Golden Tickets in Durban this year.

The following talented young musicians will be seen in the next round of the competition:

Bongiwe Silinda (19) from Durban
Chloe Clark (21) from Durban North
Daniel Wessels (20) from Westville
Hlengiwe Thusini (26) from Clermont
Jess Yallup (22) from Umhlanga
Kyle Mitchell (22) from Durban North
Levi Pillay (22) from Durban
Lloyd Cele (28) from Brookdale
Marcia Buwa (19) from Durban
Nomkhosi Shezi (21) from Durban
Peter Grobler (19) from Westville
Peter Oliver (19) from Polokwane
Phillip du Plessis (21) from Vryheid
Prime Zulu (21) from KwaMashu
Riziki Tresor (23) from Durban
Shylo van Heyzen (29) from Hillcrest
Silindile Zungu (22) from Durban
Sindisiwe Nene (21) from Glenwood
Tracey Duvall (22) from Red Hill
Zintle Mkwela (24) from Glenwood

Next week, the Season six auditions move to Johannesburg for Egoli’s biggest audition ever, with celebrity guest judge, Kahn Morbee, from the supergroup, The Parlotones, as the celebrity guest judge. Will 2010 be the year that the City of Gold finally delivers an Idols winner?