Over 40 thousand participants had headed to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Cairo to compete for a spot on the popular show Superstar, which is entering its third season. For a period of two days different tests were made in front of the judging committee, which consists of Lebanese composers Elias Rahbani and Ziad Boutrus, and Kuwaiti composer Abdullah. The fourth judge Lebanese star Fadia Al Haj was unable to make it to Egypt due to the fact that she is preoccupied with an important event outside Lebanon, but will make it a point to be present during the contests that will be held in other Arab countries.
According to the London based Elaph, eleven participants have been chosen in Egypt to compete in the second phase and hopefully make it to the third. The second phase will be held in Beirut, which is the tradition that has been followed the past two seasons, and a total of around 100 participants will compete and will undergo more tests until only 25 are chosen for the third phase. A total of 12 participants will then be chosen for the finale and will consist of five from the female group, 5 from the male group, and two from the last chance group.
The eleven that have been chosen in Egypt consist of five Egyptian males, five Egyptian females, and one Palestinian male. During the contest the two hosts for the show were present the entire time and they are Egyptian Aiman Al Kasouni and first time comer Miss Egypt 2004 Hiba Al Saisi.
Hiba is the replacement of Jordanian singer Rania Al Kurdi, who was host for the past two seasons. For three months applicants have been flooding the Lebanese television network Future, which airs the show, and after endless tests for a qualified replacement Hiba was chosen as the most suitable person to replace Rania.
Officials revealed that Hiba enjoys all the characteristics they are searching for as a host of the show and she acts perfectly natural in front of a camera. Hiba’s nomination makes the two hosts of the famous Lebanese show Egyptians, which is considered one of the most significant changes for its third season.
The changes for the show’s third season also include a change in the judging committee, which will include Lebanese famous composer Ziad Boutrus, making it four judges instead of three. The show will begin its search for qualified contestants during this month and will announce their launch from Egypt and then move on to other Arab countries.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
