Smart money's on Bones

If you were a betting person, Vincent Bones would be the safest Idols SA season 10 finalist to put your money on. But 24-year-old Bongi Silinda from Nelspruit still has a fair chance alongside Pietermaritzburg's Bones, 30, on Sunday at Carnival City.

It is like looking at the Khaya Mthethwa versus Melissa Alison finale circa 2008; capable as both rivals were, Alison was there to make up the numbers. Mthethwa had the goods - the celebrity endorsements and overzealous moms and girls, and e ventually the chasm showed in the votes. Mthethwa drew 80.20% of the near 3million votes cast (admittedly, there was an extra push to make Mthethwa the competition's first black victor).

Don't expect as big a gap this time, but it's also unlikely we will be as close as the 0.98% that split Dave van Vuuren and Mark Haze.

In Bones's corner: singers Loyiso Bala and Brenda Mtambo, political analyst and uber fan Eusebius McKaiser, Nelson Mandela's former PA Zelda la Grange, model Refilwe Modiselle, and even International Relations spokesman Clayson Monyela.

Bones, who plays drums, bass and the saxophone, also has a touching backstory - after his mom and uncle passed away, he became a street kid in Sunnyside, Pretoria. After a stint at Girls and Boys Town (where he finished his schooling), he began piecing his life back together and is now a church worship leader at the Eagle Christian Centre in his hometown.

Judging by the performances of their new singles, Silinda, who sang If I Got You just edged Bones, with Let Me Love You. A poll on the Idols SA website yesterday afternoon had Silinda leading with 49.20% and Bones on 46.77%.

Silinda had also performed Destiny's Child's Stand Up For Love and Mary J Blige's A Night to Remember, and Bones did Ringo Madlingozi's Sondela and Adele's Oscar-winningSkyfall.