Viewers convinced ‘Idols SA’ won’t be the same without Randall

Idols South Africa fans are still coming to terms with the planned revamp of the judging panel which won’t feature Idols SA mainstays Unathi Nkayi and Randall Abrahams.

Randall had been on the show since the start – for 17 seasons – and some fans think Idols SA without him isn’t worth it.

Viewers expressed their disappointment with Randall’s Idols SA exit on Twitter.

Randall’s approach to judging was viewed as brutally honest and crass by some. However, some enjoyed his straight-to-the-point demeanour; similar to Simon Cowell’s approach.

Randall had successfully picked out stars throughout the years such as Amanda Black, and mentored some of the singers after their stints in competition.

There was an argument that the show hasn’t really recovered after the departure of controversial media personality Gareth Cliff nearly six years ago

Cliff was on Idols SA for 12 seasons and was fired in 2016 over his Twitter comments during a debate about Penny Sparrow, who called black people “monkeys” on Facebook.

RELATED: Unathi comments on her ‘Idols SA’ exit

Mzansi Magic and M-Net thanked Randall and Unathi for their time on the show.

Unathi was gracious in her departure, thanking Idols viewers and the channel for giving her the “honour” to be on the chair.

“Thank you for trusting me as one of your judges. To those who unleashed a new level of my tears, heavily pregnant with Baby Idols garnering for Wooden Mic, thank you for the laughter and joy…

“To Multichoice, how humbling that you continue to make every boy and girl believe in themselves no matter which corner they come from, including me.

“To every special being who has given to the brilliance of the show. It has been a true honour being part of the family. And to the new members of our family. Good luck,” she wrote on Instagram.