Kampala — ISN'T it high time all of us stopped over-hyping the apparent impasse between the judges and the rest of the Tusker Project Fame Academy? For some reason, it seems like everybody has been going on endlessly about the conduct of the panel, one of them in particular, who, it seems quite obvious, is trying too much to be the East African version of the American Idol judge, Simon Cowell.

Those who knew better than to hype the whole "egomania" of you-know-which-judge, had downplayed the whole thing from day one, saying it is one of the tried methods of making such competitions look competitive in the first place.

This week, the same "cross-fire" continued between the judges and the music teachers, led by the principal, Acheng' Abura.

The house now has 11 contestants, after the latest evictee, Kenya's Alice Waweru, tearfully left the house last Sunday. I don't know for what reason, but, almost as standard practice, the evictees are asked how they feel on being declared persona non grata in the house. So was poor Alice, by MC Gae Kaggwa. "I'm not okay but (fighting back tears) I'm fine." That was not all. She still had, like all the rest before her, to be decent enough and perform her favourite song, De Barge's Rhythm Of The Night.

The nominees for probation this week did not cause a rift as the previous weeks'. Two girls: Naava Asha Zziwa and Winfrey Nanyonjo (both Ugandan), and two guys: Tanzania's Hemedi Suleiman and Kenya's Victor Asava. What is happening to Hemedi, that cocky, spoilt son-of-a-rich-man guy who has said the words "I am a genius" more times than he has anything else? Genius? My butt! Did you see that rendition of Michael Jackson's Human Nature that he did during the live session?

Well, Hem, you know what trouble is? It is that Simon Cowell copycat judging you in his usual dismissive way, and then having all fellow judges and the music teachers concur with him!