A combination of factors, a live audience and the fact that they were required to perform their audition songs, was the downfall for a number of early favourites in the 2011 Tastee Talent Trail series.

This was the situation which unfolded at the Montego Bay Challenge held on September 10, staged to select the top 12 who will move on to the reality TV weekend at Breezes, Runaway Bay on September 30. Two contestants from last year, Savanna-la-Mar's Chrisna Brown, who made it into the final six and the big-voiced Sharon Thompson from Montego Bay who copped one of the top 12 spots last year, both failed to make it out of the challenge round this year.

 Thirty-one contestants were selected from the six audition rounds and were expected to take their chances before a panel of judges made up of industry personnel in the form of singer Cezar, actress Karen Harriott, and entertainer Fahrenheit.

Of the lot, two apparently got cold feet and failed to show, while one arrived two-and-a-half hours late and was disqualified. In the end a 17-year-old magician, a singer/guitarist, three deejays, two singjays and five singers including a quartet, made it through.

The contestants will now embark on grooming sessions to prepare them for the Breezes weekend. The lucky 12 are: deejays Camalla Latouche, McHuel Prince and Kay Ann Halye; singer/ guitarist Norre' Stephenson; singers Patrick Brown, Denna Mcleod, John Rhea, Kaydene Anderson, and the Quartet Real Quality; singjays Latoya Chambers, Minori Russel, and magician Sean Bailey.

Sponsors this year are Tastee, Pepsi, Breezes, Supreme Ventures, TVJ, FAME, LIME, Sparkles Production, T-Shirt Express, KSAC and Kosmo Tours. The television series begins on TVJ on Saturday, October 8, and continues each Saturday at 9:30 pm to the finals .

The finals are set to unfold on December 15, at the Tastee Head Office car park in Cross Roads. The contestants will be vying for a first prize of $1 million in cash, second prize of $250,000 and a third prize of $100,000. All finalists on this show will receive mobile phones from LIME.