The High Court in Johannesburg will decide on Friday whether controversial media personality Gareth Cliff can return to his job as a judge on Idols.

M-Net removed Cliff from the show following a backlash on Twitter after he commented on a Facebook post by KwaZulu-Natal realtor Penny Sparrow in which she called black beachgoers monkeys.

Cliff tweeted, “People really don’t understand free speech at all”.

Cliff’s lawyer Dali Mpofu and M-Net’s legal representative Wim Trengove presented arguments in the high court on Tuesday.
Cliff wanted his job back and R25m for defamation and breach of contract.

Auditions for Idols 2016 will begin at The Playhouse in Durban on Saturday.NEWS24