After an absence that lasted for months, due to the tragic assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Al Hariri, the popular program Superstar 3 on the Lebanese satellite channel Future TV will finally make a comeback in mid-May. The first phase of the program has completed and the staff of the show will begin phase two, but the events will not be aired until September of this year.
According to the London based Elaph, over thousands participants from around the Arab world and abroad had applied to compete for a spot on the popular show. For a period of a couple of months different tests were made in front of the judging committee, which consists of Lebanese composers Elias Rahbani and Ziad Boutrus, Kuwaiti composer Abdullah, and the fourth judge Lebanese star Fadia Al Haj.
Hundreds of participants have been chosen to compete in the second phase and hopefully make it to the third. The second phase will be held in Beirut, which is the tradition that has been followed the past two seasons, and a total of around 100 participants will compete and will undergo more tests until only 25 are chosen for the third phase. A total of 12 participants will then be chosen for the finale and will consist of five from the female group, 5 from the male group, and two from the last chance group.
During the contest the two hosts for the show were present the entire time and they are Egyptian Aiman Al Kasouni and first time comer Miss Egypt 2004 Hiba Al Saisi. Hiba is the replacement of Jordanian singer Rania Al Kurdi, who was host for the past two seasons. For three months applicants have been flooding the Lebanese television network Future, which airs the show, and after endless tests for a qualified replacement Hiba was chosen as the most suitable person to replace Rania.
