Despite the very real danger of becoming "the big guy who won Idols that one time", Musa Sukwene, the current wearer of the Idols SA crown, occupies our sunlit interview space like the cat that got the cream.
"The biggest challenge throughout my career has been getting in the door. It's inexplicably difficult just getting people to recognise you as an artist. Idols gave me that chance," he said.
The history of the talent show suggests that the door it opens is, in fact, a trapdoor that many a prospective Idols SA winner disappears into, but Sukwene disagrees.
"People disappear in terms of not being on television almost every Sunday, but as entertainers we survive on corporate and other events.
"We also become much more visible during the festival season so I don't know that you could say we disappear entirely."
But being a winner also comes with a very different set of problems.
"When I was on Idols everything was preset. You were going to have a certain number of people show up as the audience and you knew that you wouldn't have to worry about the marketing for that show.
"Now, being the star there is so much extra responsibility," Sukwene said
Series 10 of Idols SA will be broadcast in July.
Sukwene's album, The Dream, is available online and in music stores.
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