Chatterbox: And then there were 24

Was NZ Idol judge Fiona McDonald wearing an extra layer of makeup to conceal a stress rash? Things were really starting to heat up as the judges cracked down and "entertainment bootcamp" took a heavy slew of NZ Idol casualties last week.

Porirua man TJ was the show's biggest loss - proof it takes more than a robust voice and charismatic personality to make it in this competition.

If you want a record contract, the judges stressed, you've also got to have the testicular fortitude to do something else on stage - and we don't just mean swaying to the beat.

As 16-year-old Karly Ryder demonstrated with an exaggerated toss of that long red hair, throw yourself around enough without losing breath on the high notes and you'll find yourself an instant friend in Ms McDonald.

Still near the top of our list are H-town contestant Camillia Temple - she's sassy, mature and made a great pick with an Alicia Keys song; larger-than-life Ngahekenga, whose voice could ignite a sack of flour, (now if only she'd get rid of those glasses); and Big Dave, the heartfelt crooner with the cherubic features and a smile that could win Simon Cowell over.

Last week's 90-minute special also revealed Lemuel Misa - great Idol material even with the mute button on; Robin Johnson, who appears to get his styling tips from Craig David but might not have the voice to match that Timberlake performance; and the quiet Eddie Gaiger, one of only three Pakeha blokes to make the finals. White men still can't dance but with a voice like David Gray's he's sure to keep the folk-rock fans happy.

You can vote for your favourite Idol from Monday. We've already started rating them and we'll be keeping an eye on the reducing number of competitors through the weeks ...

Chatterbox Idol Top Ten

1 Ngahekenga (21) Tawa

2 Camillia Temple (28) Hamilton

3 Lemuel Misa (22), Auckland

4 "Big Dave" Housa (28), Auckland

5 Robin Johnson (18), Upper Hutt

6 Lee Fidow (22), Riccarton

7 Luke Whaanga (20), Lower Hutt

8 Jessie Cassin (18), North Shore

9 Eddie Gaiger (25), Coromandel

10 Emily Kay (23), Auckland

TRAFFIC JAM: Kiwi actor Cliff Curtis continues his United Nations repertoire of accents by playing a Chechnyan cab driver in Seattle in a three-part telly remake of Traffic in the United States. Traffic: The Miniseries, based on Steven Soderbergh's movie Traffic, which was in turn spun from the excellent 1989 British TV drama Traffick, has Curtis in a lead role as Adam Kadryov, an illegal immigrant smuggled into the US by a Chinese underworld operator. During Curtis' increasingly high-profile international career, he has played a Kurd (Three Kings), a sheikh (The Insider), a Colombian (Blow, Collateral Damage), the "evil but handsome Prince Khalid" (The Mighty). Traffic has received high acclaim in the States, described as "ambitious and adult in ways that put most broadcast miniseries to shame".TV3 has confirmed it will screen the series, later this year.

BOYS IN THE BAND: Some things in rock'n'roll never change. Among the mostly male crowd at A Perfect Circle's Auckland gig on Tuesday was 39-year-old frontman Maynard James Keenan's 20-something girlfriend, handing out tickets to the after-party - to females only. Pity the poor girls who queued up for more than an hour to meet the diminutive singer, who was apparently in a foul mood after the show. Guitarist Billy Howerdel's girlfriend had no need to worry - he proposed to her in Christchurch.