From Thousand To 24! MNET Reveals Top 24 Contestants For Idols West Africa

There were people who couldn't sing, people who shouldn't sing and people who wouldn't stop singing!

But even with the wannabes and have-nots, true star power has shone brightly from the first day that M-Net's IDOLS WEST AFRICA hit TV screens.

Soaring voices have won instant admiration; powerful voices have commanded attention and unforgettable voices have etched their way into memory.

And through it all, DStv audiences shared the magic of the IDOLS WEST AFRICA audition phase with the show's three judges Dede Mabiaku, Nana Abrewa and Dan Foster.

Now IDOLS WEST AFRICA has announced its TOP 24 candidates! These 24 contestants are the best of all the IDOLS hopefuls who auditioned during January and February at the show's four audition centres in Lagos, Abuja, Accra and Calabar. They are –

1. Ama Ejisu-Akropong, - Ghanaian
2. Confidence Rufai – replaces Ramsey Williams of Ghana
3. David Desmond,
4. Omodele Fatoki,
5. Ekanem Esu,
6. Eric Arubayi,
7. Ernest Darkwa - Ghanaian
8. Ibitoru Green,
9. James Brendan,
10. Jarry Blie - Ghanaian
11. Jerrilyn Mulbah,
12. Mercy John,
13. Joan Ekpai,
14. Jodie Odiete,
15. Lara George,
16. Michael Alao,
17. Oge Chigbue,
18. Oluwadolapo Ogunwale,
19. Omawumi Megbele,
20. Sokari Briggs,
21. Tetimayo George,
22. Tony Ighofose,
23. Timi Dakolo
24. Uche Ume

Ramzey Prince Amui Williams has been released from the programme to attend to personal issues and would therefore not be available to travel to Lagos. He has been replaced by Confidence Rufai, daughter of legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai, from Lagos.

In total, the IDOLS WEST AFRICA TOP 24 comprises of 15 girls and 9 guys with contestants drawn predominantly from Nigeria but with contestants from Ghana and Liberia also boasting impressive talents and earning places in the TOP 24.

Each of the IDOLS TOP 24 contestants has their own unique personality and each has had their own road to IDOLS success. And for all, IDOLS WEST AFRICA will mean a chance for a future in the spotlight, doing what they love – performing!

Confidence Rufai, daughter of legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai, will be hoping her own talent will allow her to find her own way to fame. For David Desmond, a TOP 24 space takes him one step closer to following in the footsteps of American Idol winner Reuben Stoddard while for Mercy John, who stands an impressive 6ft 2 inches tall, IDOLS WEST AFRICA will allow her to stand out in a crowd for her great singing voice.

Among the most emotional of personal stories told on IDOLS WEST AFRICA thus far belongs to Liberian songstress Jerrilyn Mulbah who told audiences of a tragic past that saw her sold as a child and then waiting a heartbreaking 2 years before being reunited with her devastated mother.

But whatever path their journey to the IDOLS stage took and however different these 24 young people may be, they all have one thing in common – each of them has an equal chance of walking away the winner of IDOLS WEST AFRICA when the show ends on May 27.

Now, however, a new challenge lies ahead as the TOP 24 battle it out for places in the esteemed TOP 10 stage, where just ten contestants continue in the competition.

The next phase of the show sees the TOP 24 contestants divided into four groups with six contestants in each. One group at a time will perform every Sunday and the television audience watching at home will then get the chance to vote for their favourite contestants each week. So if you want your favourite to stay in the competition, get voting for them!

Voting starts straight after each Sunday show (7PM GMT) and ends on Monday afternoon (11AM GMT). The two contestants with the most PUBLIC votes will then be selected as TOP TEN contestants. At the end of four weeks, eight contestants will be named to the TOP TEN leaving just two spots open. These two spots will be awarded to the two contestants that the judges feel should definitely be included in the TOP TEN.

It's all systems go on IDOLS WEST AFRICA and the next step belongs to the contestants and the voting public. For information on how to vote, watch IDOLS WEST AFRICA on M-Net and/or AfricaMagic or log onto the website www.mnetafrica.com.

VOTE AND WIN ON IDOLS WEST AFRICA!

So how can you participate in voting for IDOLS WEST AFRICA?

Simply tune in to M-Net and/or AfricaMagic every Sunday in March and watch each IDOLS group perform. After every show, simply SMS the name or number of your favourite contestants to the voting number applicable in your country.

It's as simple as that!

The voting numbers in Ghana are specific for their mobile operators –

· Areeba (1444),
· Kasapa (15626)
· Tigo/One Touch (15626).

Alternatively audiences can also vote online at www.mnetafrica.com. So anyone who wants to vote, can vote!

BUT REMEMBER - voting lines open after every week's SUNDAY SHOW and ends the next day at 11AM GMT before the Monday evening results show. In the interests of fairness and to avoid syndicate voting, only 50 SMS votes per person per week will be accepted. The voting process will be overseen by the auditing firm of ALEXANDER FORBES.

In addition to helping select the newest IDOLS sensation, your vote will also put you in line to win a fantastic viewers' prize. M-Net is offering a massive USD 10 000 cash prize to one viewer and to enter the competition, all you have to do is vote on IDOLS WEST AFRICA. And the more you vote, the greater your chance of winning.

The USD 10 000 voting Grand Prize will be awarded at the end of IDOLS WEST AFRICA in May but there are also great weekly prizes for the voting public as well.

Thanks to IDOLS WEST AFRICA headline sponsors CELTEL, there are great top of the range I-PODS plus a 26 inch LCD TV, complete with DStv decoder, satellite dish and three months free subscription up for grabs every week!

So it's not just the contestants who can win big on IDOLS WEST AFRICA, you can too!.