Prince Nana Tuffour last Saturday beat his three compatriots, Andy, Ruth and Maya, to become the first mentor king, picking the first prize of ?20million, a recording contract, a six-month music course in the United Kingdom and exposure on TV3 for a year.

He received other goodies such as a TV, DVD, Standing fan, Blender, pressing iron and a carton of chocolates. Andy, who was second, received ?15million, a trip to South Africa, TV, DVD, an electric iron and a box of chocolates.

Ruth, who placed third, got ?10million, a TV, DVD, an electric iron and a box of chocolates while Maya, who was fourth had ?5million, a TV, DVD, an electric iron and a box of chocolates.

All four grand finalists will receive special services and treatment from Holy Trinity Health Spa. The rest of the contestants who got evicted along the way received ?2million each, TVs and DVD?s.

For 16 weeks, the four grand finalists Prince, Andy, Ruth and Maya, managed to beat the other eight finalists, Alfred, Paullette, Doris, Martin, Samuel, Hakeem and Isaac, one of who was evicted each week through a voting system that gave the public 70% and the judges 30%.

The voting ratio was, however, changed for the final, giving both the public and judges 50% each to enable them to carry more weight in terms of technical appreciation for the final.

Arguably the most popular programme in the country after Acapulco Bay, a telenovela shown on the same station, the TV3 Mentor show broadcast live from Studio B of Adesa We, started on a jerky note but improved by the week eventually enjoying a large following by the end of the eighth week.

At the Accra International Conference Centre, (AICC) the large crowd that thronged the venue, such that over three hundred others had to watch on screens in another hall, was testimony to the popularity of the programme especially since some people had to buy resold tickets at between ?200,000 and ?300,000.

Beamed live to TV3 catchment areas, the programme opened with a song by Ebony Heritage, a Liberian group, who the previous week had made a deep impression when they performed on the programme.

The four contestants then performed, a duet in pairs. Prince and Ruth did a beautiful piece, while Andy and Maya also performed setting the pace for the evening.

With the supporters of the four grand finalists rooting for their idols, the atmosphere at the Conference Centre became charged as especially Andy?s fans sang asafo songs in his support.

After two rounds of performances in which they performed Western and African songs, each of the finalists performed with their mentors for only entertainment purposes and at the end of it all, Prince was crowned ?King? of the Mentor show but not after Mc Chris Attorh had as usual kept the audience in suspence.

Other entertainers who spiced the evening included Klenam Anatsui (Diddly D), Prince, a Jamaican musician, and Collins Woode and Gang, who provided a couple of songs from their repertoire.

A number of patrons, however, at the end of an enjoyable evening lost their phones to thieves who took advantage of the large number of people at the hall to steal.