An "Idols SA" hopeful from Cape Town has been slammed for saying she took a step back to let Paxton Fielies shine and now regrets it.
"Idols SA" auditions aired on Mzansi Magic on Sunday night and left a bitter taste with some viewers who took issue with comments from Golden Ticket recipient Zia Fielies, 19.
Both women participated in "Idols SA" in 2017, which Paxton won.
They are not related. Zia, from Manenberg, is giving it another go and is one of 16 Cape Town contestants to make it through to Theatre Week on Season 15 of Idols SA.
On Sunday, Zia explained why she didn’t do so well in 2017, and said: “Paxton and I were in the same group, I let her shine when it came to performance.
“I took a step back and let her shine.
“I don’t think I should have done that; I jeopardised myself to make someone else look better.
“I don’t have anything against her, I love Paxton, we’re still friends and we still keep in touch. I just feel like I shouldn’t have done that.”
Zia received flak on social media for her comments.
“She shouldn’t have said that at all, it was uncalled for and sounded somewhat that she is jealous of Paxton,” one Facebook user said.
Zia has since apologised to Paxton. “When I messaged Paxton I apologised and I told her I didn’t mean it in a malicious way, she knows me and she knows I adore her,” Zia tells the Daily Voice.
“She told me she understood what I meant.
“When I said I let her shine, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I was basically shading myself.
“I’m a very shy person so I tend to hold back and that’s what I meant when I said I took a step back,” she adds.
Meanwhile Paxton says she’s not one to hold grudges.
“I’m not offended at all. I think she has guts to go back and correct her faults and actually talk about it on television,” last season’s winner says.
“Theatre Week is tough. We’re still friends and we still talk.
“Sometimes people interpret things in a different way, I support her 100%.”
Zia is currently a second-year student at Camillo Lombard’s music school and is also a backing vocalist for various artists, including Paxton.