It is Idols time again - and while it is exciting to watch worthy contenders battling for the title, the auditions of those who can't sing are far more fun.

People like watching others crash and burn in a grand fashion, and the Idols Extra channel's Wooden Mic segments feed into that.

The Wooden Mic features the deluded souls who do their best to dazzle judges Unathi Msengana, Gareth Cliff and Randall Abrahams - and fail miserably.

It is always surprising just how many people who can't hold a note genuinely believe they have what it takes to be the next Elvis Blue or David van Vuuren.

Even more baffling are the family members and friends who tag along to support their loved ones, believing they can get that Golden Ticket.

They have obviously encouraged this delusion - otherwise why would they get so angry when their family members are rejected?

While I've never raised anything aside from a hamster, I do believe Wooden Mic contestants are the result of parents who couldn't bring themselves to let their children down gently by telling them the truth.

Letting your child sing to you in the living room is one thing - letting him or her audition in the biggest singing competition in the country is another.

It's quite possible that the families and friends of the "singers" have been deafened by love.

Like most people who walk into the audition room (some just want to be on TV), the horrible singers have hope of fame and glory.

Some get more attention than others simply because they are truly disastrous in the talent department.

So, it appears all bad singers are equal, but some are more equal than others.

'Idols' is on M-Net (channel 101), Sundays at 5.30pm and 'Idols Extra' is 24 hours on channel 199