Singapore Idol to Return This Fall

SINGAPORE: After a three-year absence, Singapore Idol is due to return to Mediacorp’s schedule this fall for a third season.

First launched in 2004, Singapore Idol returned for a second season in 2006, but in 2007, MediaCorp opted for a different talent contest, called Live the Dream. That show ran for just one season. Auditions for the new season of Idol began last month, with some 4,000 hopefuls showing up. The new season will again be hosted by Singaporean actor-comedian Gurmit Singh and co-hosted by last season’s Singapore Idol and reigning Asian Idol, Hady Mirza. The judges are musician Dick Lee; the managing director of Mediacorp Radio, Florence Lian; and music producer and director of Hype Records, Ken Lim. New elements added to the format this year include the allowance of musical instruments, the one-time "Judges’ Save," the "Salvation Song" sing-off between the lowest two from the Top 12 stage, as well as the Performance and Results shows being aired on the same night. The winner will secure a recording contract with Universal Music.

“Singapore Idol will be back bigger than ever," said Patrick Schult, the CEO of FremantleMedia Asia. "With a record turnout of applicants, we have seen some great talent and also some not so great, who were very entertaining all the same. FremantleMedia has taken the Idols program to more than 40 countries around the world with great success, and we’re delighted to be working with Mediacorp TV Singapore for the third time. Singapore has been waiting a long time for another Singapore Idol and I don’t think they will be disappointed."

“This season we are going back to basics and that is to focus on the reality aspect of the show," said Rahmat A. Samad, the executive producer for Singapore Idol 2009 for Mediacorp. "Without undermining the discovery of the next generation of singing talent, we hope to continue to capture the hearts of Singaporeans though the journey of not just one winner but a group of individuals with stories to tell."