The 16 contestants who have made it from the final audition to "Idols" live Saturday finals all have a will to go all the way, Pournouri believes. Those who are only in it "for fun" are quickly weeded out of the competition.
We on the jury ensure that they really want to participate and this starting field takes "Idol" very seriously, he says.
This is noticeable, among other things, on the participants' social media, according to Pournouri - creating a brand even before the live broadcasts have started is crucial:
You have to work on your profile and try to keep up with the competition. It's almost a requirement to succeed today. You have to take all the opportunities you can to break through, he says.
New to "Idol" this year is that the first two Saturday finals consist of duels where the participants compete against each other, and in the first two programs, the host Pär Lernström is joined by Oscar Zia and Johanna Nordström.
The jury will also get a fifth member in the artist Molly Sandén, who will also perform.
That a new member takes a place in the jury, Pournouri thinks is good for the dynamics:
It's fun to get someone with a little different opinions. It puts a little extra pressure on us to deliver, he says.
