Kelly Clarkson, the original American Idols winner, was recently in the country at the end of March playing gigs around South Africa. And in the hype of all things Idols, season six of M-Net's hit talent search kicked off in Cape Town on 6 April.

Last year's controversial Idols winner dilemma happened when Sasha was announced as the winner on the night, before the organisers realised the next day that more votes had in fact come through, making Jason Hartman the actual winner in terms of popularity.

As was the case last season, wannabe music stars will be allowed to audition with a musical instrument of their choice again. Contestants between the ages of 16 and 30 are eligible for entry.

Auditions as follows:

Cape Town - 6 April 2010 at Cape Town International Convention Centre
Durban - 17 April 2010 at Gateway Theatre of Shopping
Johannesburg - 24 April 2010 at the Sandton International Convention Centre
Port Elizabeth - 2 May 2010 at Boardwalk shopping centre
Bloemfontein - 8 May 2010 at Windmill entertainment centre