Congratulations everyone, this hasn’t quite been an Oscar Pistorius-like court case but we have finally reached a decision in the R25 million lawsuit Gareth Cliff filed against broadcasting giants M-Net.

Here was the build up and verdict handed down to Cliff, represented by Advocate Dali Mpofu, from Channel 24:

Auditions for Idols 2016 will begin at The Playhouse in Durban on Saturday. If Gareth wins today he’ll have to be at the auditions tomorrow.

Gareth Cliff looks very relaxed as he whistles while he waits for court proceedings to start.

Gareth seen chatting to friends about the urgency of the matter, adding that he was expecting a flurry of meetings once the ruling had been handed down.

Judge: The dispute is solely a contractual one at this stage.

Judge: the issue is whether Gareth Cliff has a legally binding agreement with M-Net.

Judge: The contractual relationship is reinstated to what it was. M-Net to pay costs Cliff.

Gareth to be reinstated as Idols SA judge with immediate effect.

He took on the big guys and he won, I guess that’s a well played then. This from another Channel24 piece:

The celebrity won his bid to be reinstated as a judge of the popular talent scouting show, Judge Caroline Nicholls ruled in the High Court in Johannesburg.

“This is a contractual dispute. The contractual relationship has to be reinstated to what it was. M-Net will pay costs to Gareth Cliff,” Nicholls told a packed court.

Cliff, dressed smartly in a dark suit, smiled as the ruling, which lasted four minutes, was read out.

Things are going to very awkward during this latest season of Idols then, I might even look past the lack of singing talent and watch for the sheer cringe factor of it all.

And somewhere out there Penny Sparrow sits, twiddling her opposable thumbs and believing this ruling on free speech makes her racist diatribe somehow less disgusting.

[source:channel24]