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15/08/02 - Idols finalist Bianca heads for Brazil 12/08/02 - Getting Close - Bianca & Loyiso & Bianca starts recording for her cd! 05/08/02 - Bianca Appears on Phat Joe Live 23/07/02 - Bianca posts on the Idols Website 21/06/02 - Bianca: Back On Track And Headed Abroad (Idols Website) 20/06/02 - Sitting Pretty - Bianca of Idols (Sunday Times) 14/06/02 - Idols no longer about Talent, Bianca Says (Yolanda Mufweba) 12/06/02 - Dave replies to fan request (Idols website) 12/06/ 02 - Idols took my soul - Bianca (News24) 11/06/02 - Bianca Takes it like a woman - Gaynor Kast 10/06/02 - Bianca is eliminated as viewers cast over 1 million votes (News24) 10/06/02 - Judges get it wrong again as Bianca Goes - Gaynor Kast 17/05/02 - Idols Betting on Bianca - Ronda Naidu |
Idols finalist Bianca heads for Brazil (IOL Website) |
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Many viewing fans watched incredulously as
sexy Idols top 11 finalist Bianca la Grange was voted out. |
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Getting close - Bianca and Loyiso (IOL Website) |
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| Loyiso Bala and Bianca le
Grange have one very important thing in common. Their love of God. And
it's this that has probably drawn them closer over the past few weeks. Sizzling rumours of love and passion are abundant in celeb circles about romance between the blonde Idols finalist and the handsome young former TKZ Family member. And since it looks like both of them are embarking on new stages in their careers, a relationship between them could possibly usher in a musical partnership, too. Loyiso and Bianca have both previously denied they're an item. Bianca was quoted as saying she "liked him", but they were just friends, and Loyiso said it was too early to fall in love.
"They are smitten and so in love, only a fool would believe otherwise. I don't know why people are making such a fuss, because they are not the first two people to fall in love," an associate of the two said. Could this really be love for Loyiso, who is soon to release his first fully fledged album, while making an impact on e.tv's daily soap, Backstage? Attempts to reach both Bianca and Loyiso proved futile. |
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All Idols Finalists To Sign Record Deals! |
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| Good news for South Africa’s
Idols finalists and their fans – all ten runners-up of the hit show will
be signed into record company contracts before the end of the month… BMG, the label who signed Idols winner Heinz Winckler, has offered deals to Brandon October, Melanie Lowe, Bianca le Grange, Ayanda Nthlangothi, Ezra Lingeveldt, Lyndle Kearns, Cindy Bester, Rian Swanepoel, Nicole Billingham and David Fourie. ...and Bianca goes into studio on Monday (12 August) to record hers. Full Story on Idols Website |
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| Bianca on Phat Joe Live (From Raees) | |
| Bianca le Grange and fellow Idols finalist Ayanda Nhlangothi were being interviewed by none other than the controversial Phat Joe himself! And guess what he said, he said that he sometimes confused Bianca with the feebily talented Cindy Bester! Oh well, it's not our fault he's blind...hehehehe (The Phat Joe Show, every Thursday nights at 21:00 pm on SABC1) |
| Bianca Posts on the Idols Website | ||||
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| Bianca: Back On Track And Headed Abroad |
| Excerpts from Idols Website
Story:
She may just be the first Idol to take to the
international stage and may pop up on your TV screen again soon… Full Story on Idols Website |
| Sitting pretty - Bianca of Idols (Sunday Times 16/06/02) |
| IDOLS reject Bianca le Grange
will soon be laughing all the way to Rio. Le Grange, along with another
Idols dropout, Letoya Makhene, have been asked to sing during a major
concert in Brazil in September.
"I am very, very excited," said Le Grange. "There will be a whole lot of different artists performing on the same bill." The singer said she couldn't divulge too many details about the gig just yet because the finer details still had to be ironed out. But she confirmed that the request to take part had come from a member of girl band Clout, whose song Substitute she performed two weeks ago. The peroxide blonde, whose exit from the programme on Monday stunned audiences, said she had been inundated with requests to perform gigs over the past few days. "My mom has been getting hundreds of calls for me to appear at weddings, funerals, everything. People who turned me down in the past have now been calling me," she said. Last week Metro reported how fellow Idols dropout, Ayanda Nhlangothi, had landed a plum role in an upcoming Joburg pantomime. Le Grange, who dropped out of a course at Pretoria Technikon to stay in the competition, said she had also been approached by a record company but had to speak to Idols judge Dave Thompson, whose record company BMG has first rights to all the Idols contestants, about the possible deal. "I want to do this properly. There are so many people who want me right now, it's difficult to juggle everything. "At this point, I am so overwhelmed by all of it - all I want to do is write songs and get a repertoire. All I want to do is sing." Le Grange also said that despite all the public surprise about her dramatic exit from Idols, she was pleased with what the programme gave her. "It has been incredible. A dream come true for me. I've learnt to be strong and my skin has become quite thick, learning to learn from criticism. And I've learnt you have to be nice to all the hair and makeup people because they can make you look good or bad." Asked how she feels about the finalists left in the competition, Le Grange said she was holding thumbs for all three - Melanie Lowe, Brandon October and Heinz Winckler. |
| Idols no longer about talent, says Bianca (IOL Website) | ||
| The controversy surrounding the
axing of Gauteng's Bianca le Grange from M-Net's Idols, reports of
syndicates distorting the voting and claims of racism have cast a shadow
over the show. While show organisers and contestants have played down talk of racism, things came to a head on Monday with the shock axing of popular Bianca from Eldorado Park. Radio shows, newspapers and even the Idols website have seen accusations of racism from all quarters.
Talkshow host Jeremy Mansfield swore at the three remaining contestants during the DStv live recording on Monday night, after the eviction show, sparking public outrage. Bianca, who was also disappointed by Monday's outcome, said her mother had got an anonymous tip earlier that she would be voted out that evening. She said the fate of contestants seemed to rest in the hands of bookies and not die-hard fans. "The competition has turned into something ugly. It has become a gambling, money-making scheme, and has nothing to do with talent," Bianca said.
"It made me feel much better. But personally, I would not want to be involved in something that's dishonest," she said. Reports this week indicated that syndicates were targeting voting lines to keep certain contestants in the show. There is fear that rigged votes could affect CD sales of the single to be produced after the show. On Friday the finalists - who spent the week rushing around the country - also agreed that there should be a fairer system. "I think it would be more fair if the public could only vote once for a contestant," said Capetonian Melanie Lowe. Former Capetonian and now Johannesburg resident Brandon October said only one vote cast from each phone would "even the odds for all the contestants". The public's outrage over the telephone voting system has also forced M-Net to make the history of the voting statistics of the Top 11 contestants public - but only on Monday, after the finals. "We wanted to ensure that the public voted for their Idols based on their individual Sunday night performances as well as other factors like personality and vocal ability," said Magicworks chief executive officer Carl Fischer. Dave Thompson, BMG record producer and Idols judge, said: "It is a great concern if the winner is not as popular as he or she is made out to be, and they (the public) only end up buying one CD at a time." Thompson said, however, that he did not believe the CD would not sell. His predictions for Sunday night's finale: "Be prepared for anything: whoever wins will be a shock either way." |
| Dave replies to fan request (Idols website) |
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Post
By: Candy Posted On: 2002/06/11 12:44:59 PM
Although I like all the idols, words cannot explain how upset I am
to see Bianca go. I cried for the 1st time. Bianca had & still
has a huge following of fans. Everyone I know was supporting her,
& we will continue to support her always. We love her to bits.
We are a little worried though. Please could you tell us, what, in
your opinion is in store for Bianca’s future in the music
industry, beyond her being a part of the idols concert. I am hoping
you can give me a comforting answer to this question, so to ease the
pain I am feeling in my heart at such a great loss. U sounded
positive on the radio this morning. Dave Replies: Hi Candy.....until
the competition is over,I can't make any comittments to other
Idols.However I do appreciate Bianca's talents,and if she's
interested will discuss the possibility of working together.Either
way,you'll be hearing from her at some stage.Thanks for the support.
Cheers Dave |
| Idols took my soul - Bianca (News24) |
| Johannesburg
- "Idols took away something, I feel like I have lost my soul.
That's what I'm focusing on now, to try and find it again."
And those are the only immediate plans of Bianca le Grange, the Idols contender who was eliminated on Monday. "Naturally I was very disappointed, but I have been preparing myself that I might not be among the final three. My Idols experience is part of my dream of becoming an international star and I have come a long way in achieving just that." She feels that speculations over unfair voting and telephone lines not functioning properly are all "part of the experience". "You have to accept those things, it serves no purpose making a song and dance over them. That's how these kinds of competitions work. One has to carry on and look ahead." Bianca says competition was tough and she had to relinquish her spirituality to keep up with the pace. "We had to work very hard and perform all the time. Later I just performed. On stage I was bubbly and friendly, but in reality I was feeling miserable. Our rest periods were used to learn songs and the pressure started taking its toll," she says. That she still has a huge fan base, was clearly evident from the constant stream of people who came up to say hello at a coffee shop in Rosebank. She tells of a Malawian man who asked her last week to autograph his stomach. "The next minute he lifted up his shirt and gave me a koki to decorate his enormous belly," she laughingly says. "I have lots to do now, but I'm waiting for record and other companies to submit their plans." M-Net on Tuesday announced that all the voting details for the final 11 Idols contestants will be announced on Monday, once the show has ended. Voting results for each contestant over the past five week will be made available. "We did not make these available before as voting statistics influence the voting patterns of viewers," said M-Net's Magicworks chief executive officer Carl Fischer. |
| Bianca Takes it like a woman - Gaynor Kast | ||
| "I'm a
strong person and I will take it like a man - no, actually, like a
woman," said Bianca, the Idol who got her walking orders on Monday
night. As further controversy raged around the programme, and in particular the voting-off of two of the most talented female contestant in two consecutive weeks, Bianca said: "Things always work out for the best". Speaking on The Rude Awakening Show on 94.7 on Tuesday morning, she said that she had had "the best time of my life" on Idols. "I learnt so much and I experienced so many things. It was a dream come true." There was shock when Bianca was voted off the show last night, against the judges' predictions. Last week, the shock was similar when Ayanda Nhlangothi was voted off.
With more than one million votes cast, it's hard to believe a significant number of people did not back Le Grange, who has proved she has spunk and an unforgettable voice. Even more confusing is how Melanie Lowe managed to survive yet again. On Monday night, The Rude Awakening's host Jeremy Mansfield had a raucous verbal argument with judge Randall Abrahams and asked him to leave the studio where DStv channel 37 was screening a live press conference. He also lashed out at the remaining three contestants - Heinz, Brandon and Mel - saying: "You guys are all assholes, 'cos the songs you sang were chosen by the judges and you were all awful. Heinz you were so flat."
On Tuesday morning The Rude Awakening programme manager, Ravi Naidoo, said that Mansfield was neither drunk nor disorderly at the press conference. In fact, he said, Mansfield was just being himself - "calling a spade a spade and being very real". Although more subdued during Tuesday morning's programme, Mansfield continued his barrage of anti-Idols-judges comments. The studio received between 400 and 500 e-mails within an hour on Tuesday morning - most of them angry about Bianca's ejection. |
| Judges get it wrong again as Bianca Goes - Gaynor Kast | |
| What a shame! For two consecutive weeks, TV viewers have booted off two of the most talented women in M-Net's Idols talent competition. First Ayanda Nhlangothi was voted off the show; on Monday night, Bianca le Grange went - against the judges' predictions. How on earth could Le Grange not make it to the finals? That is the question everyone wants answered.
Even more confusing is how Melanie Lowe managed to survive yet again. Possibly, a remark by judge Penny Lebyane that she had benefited from a "compassionate" vote caused a backlash. "Melanie is like a cat with nine lives," said Sam Cowan, co-presenter on Highveld Stereo 94.7's Rude Awakening show, after presenter Sami Sabiti announced the result. Three judges - Lebyane, Randall Abrahams and Dave Thompson - tipped Lowe to go. Marcus Brewster felt Brandon October wasn't good enough to stay through to the end. But it was Le Grange's mother who was on the money. A source said she had had a premonition that her daughter would be leaving and called her daughter before she went on air to say: "Bianca, you are going to leave tonight." Unlike in previous weeks, when tears flowed freely, on Monday night everyone appeared too shocked to show much emotion. During a press conference screened live on DStv's Channel 37, Cowan's co-presenter Jeremy Mansfield - known for calling a spade a spade - said to the remaining three contestants: "You guys are all assholes, 'cos the songs you sang were chosen by the judges and you were all awful. Heinz (Winckler), you were so flat." Abrahams, who happened to be at the M-Net offices, appeared in the studio to rebut Mansfield's statement. "The judges' choice is part of the show and probably one of the most difficult hurdles the contestants have to face," he said. "Not all of the contestants were as bad as you think. The songs chosen were difficult." Mansfield asked him what he was doing at the press conference and asked him to leave. "Allow me to complete my sentence, please," Abrahams asked politely, although he looked as if he was on the verge of exploding. |
| Bianca is eliminated as viewers cast over 1 million votes |
Bianca Le Grange (20) was eliminated from the Idols competition this evening during another very tense and dramatic live broadcast on M-Net tonight. Having received the least number of votes during the past week, Bianca will now return home, leaving Brandon, Heinz and Melanie to contest the final on Sunday, June 16. The South African public are heeding the call from the contestants for support to fulfil their dreams of stardom. Well over one million votes were logged to the respective hotline numbers during the Top 4 round. None of the judges predicted Bianca's departure from the competition. Marcus Brewster was alone in believing Brandon would be eliminated, while the rest of the judging panel, Penny Lebyane, Randall Abrahams and Dave Thompson, all believed that Melanie would be selected by the public to leave before the final. The theme for last night's Idols Spectacular was "Judges Choice", and each contestant sang two songs, giving viewers an opportunity to hear more of their vocal range, talent and versatility. Bianca sang "Superwoman" by Karen White and a rendition of Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn." Although she received praise from all four judges, Bianca's performances were not good enough to convince the public at home to vote her through to the final. After her name was announced by Idols presenters Sami and Candy, Bianca turned to her fellow Idols contestants and said, "I'm gonna miss you guys. Thank you." Brandon, Heinz and Melanie have a mammoth task ahead of them and South Africans will now shift their attention to Sunday's finale show. The Idols will be leaving for a Coastal Whirlwind Tour on Thursday and Friday visiting fans and the media in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. They will return to prepare for the performance of their lives, and one that could decide their future. They have one last chance to make their mark on Sunday 16 June in the Idols Final Spectacular - a two hour live show in Open time during which the final winner will be announced. For viewers wanting to make their mind up on who the Idol should be M-Net will broadcast a daily half an hour special on each of the top 3 in Open Time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6.30 - 7.00 pm. On Friday there is a final Open Time special focussing on all three finalists counting down to the big day on Sunday 16 June. The Idols finalists, and their voting numbers, are as follows: Melanie Lowe, Heinz Winckler, Brandon October, DStv subscribers should tune in to channel 37 for Idols Extra. Each day this week will allow you to spend some quality time with the contestants and see behind-the-scenes interviews and footage. The daily package will premier at 19h00 and then loop until the following evening's new show. For the latest news please log on to www.mnet.co.za and click on "Idols" or phone the Idols 4U Action Line on 082 288 0000. The Idols voting results were verified by PricewaterhouseCoopers. |
| Idols betting on Bianca - Ronda Naidu |
| Cape Town -
Bianca le Grange, one of the four blondes who make up the Idols
final 11, would be your best bet if you were looking to make money from
the reality talent search TV show.
Well that's what Johannesburg-based bookie, Ricky Sin, says at any rate. He's offering odds of 4:1 on the lady who grew up in Bushkoppies, Johannesburg. "I've shortened the odds on the blonde girl," Sin says, "The odds were 5:1 for her to win. Bianca, that's her name, but now it's 4:1. I've taken bets on about R40 000." In layman's terms, "odds of 4:1" works in the following manner: A bet of R10 is placed on Bianca winning Idols. If she does win, a tidy R40 profit is made, as R50 is given back to the better. Needless to say, if Bianca doesn't win, the better does not get any money back. There is also more money on Lyndle Kearns, according to Sin. The odds at the beginning of the show were 10:1 and it's now moved to 7:1, for the single mother. "There has also been some interest in Ayanda [Nhlangothi] recently," Sin said. There's not much money changing hands for the male Idols though, with Sin offering bets of 12:1 on Heinz Winckler. "I haven't shortened him and there is small money on Brandon [October] at 8:1." "To be really honest with you," Sin continues, "There isn't a big demand for betting on Idols, not the way it was with Big Brother." |