Nigerian Idol: Seyi Shay explains how she handles Twitter trolls

Seyi Shay, R&B singer, has explained how she handles trolls on Twitter immediately after an episode of Nigerian Idol.

The 35-year-old songwriter had been on the receiving end of a heated backlash on the microblogging platform in March after she bluntly condemned the rendition of an aspiring artiste.

Shay, who is one of the judges for the show’s 6th season alongside DJ Sose and Obi Asika, had said that the teenager shouldn’t have auditioned as he “can’t make money being a singer.”

As clips from the show spread, Nigerians on Twitter had tackled Seyi Shay after which the teenager opened up on being “broken emotionally” by her verdict.

A few days after eleven contestants made it to the finals, Seyi Shay reacted to the criticism she has faced so far during a chat with HipTV.

She also explained that she avoids Twitter for a week immediately after an episode of the reality singing competition show has been aired.

“Normally I just ignore trolls. I don’t actually read a lot of Twitter comments especially right after an episode of Nigerian Idol has just aired. I give my Twitter a week before I go on it and read or write anything,” she said.

Speaking on her method of handing out verdicts, the singer said: “I think people who watch the show from start to finish understand my mode of judging. I think that intellects understand. No pun intended. I know that we as Nigerians don’t tend to read, study, listen, or research.

“We tend to jump on the bandwagon of whatever we think is trendy at the moment. We’re not really used to the truth yet and I think something should be done about it. I’m playing my part; I’m quite blunt anyway and honest.

“I’m frank. I don’t care. If you’re not good enough, then you’re not good. If you’re good, you’re great. Finally, we’ve gotten to our top 11 contestants and I think that those were the best out of thousands we had to audition.”

Seyi also disclosed that viewers might have missed out on her reassuring comments to the contestant as the show is edited.

“I think Nigerians can see why we were so harsh. We had to choose the cream and we’ve gotten them. Don’t forget that these shows are edited a lot and so many don’t get to see the full context of what’s going on,” the singer added.

“…unless you watch the Nigerian Idols Extra and see the full recording. So if I say something like, ‘you’re not good enough’ or  ‘you can’t make money being a singer’, I may have added ‘…but you’ll make money being a songwriter’.

“However, that part may have been edited out for whatever triggers the producers wanted. As the only woman on the panel, I feel like I was singled out for that controversy. But it’s all good. It’s a job. I’m getting paid to do it.”