via Daily Motion

We do not doubt that the title of this article brought memories from the turn of the century flooding back. From 2003 to 2016, the Star Academy craze was the central focus of our lives. The reality TV show features a group of candidates that are put through a months-long academy to train, compete, and perform live against one another. Nearly all of Egypt eagerly waited and tuned in for weekly Friday night episodes to find out which candidates would be eliminated. To top it off, a TV channel was dedicated to airing their nonstop drama; though many people wouldn’t acknowledge it, they secretly watched and thrived on it!

After a six-year hiatus, Star Academy is back with its 12^th season, and we couldn’t be more excited! In anticipation, here are all the things we miss about the TV extraordinaire.

via 3ain

1-     Mohamed Attia’s First Season Win

Everyone had a lot of affection and respect for Mohamed Attia. And to ensure his victory, Egyptians organised vote-getting campaigns, and the efforts were successful! We can’t begin to describe how happy we were when he finally won.

via Al-Ain

2-     Zizi Adel’s Iconic Singing and Fashion

Who doesn’t remember Zizi Adel, the competitive Egyptian fashionista who captured our hearts in Star Academy’s season two? This woman had such a beautiful deep singing voice and an exceptional sense of fashion. Everyone in Egypt — and the academy — admired her talent and sense of style. And we hope to see a new Zizi Adel diva in season 12!

via Discogs

3-     The “Who’s Hotter” Challenges

In season three, the only topic that arose in conversations amongst Arab females was whether they would prefer to marry Fady or Hany. And to tell you the truth, this keeps us awake at night to this day! So it was a knife to our hearts to learn that they were both simultaneously considered for elimination.

via Aljaras

4-     Love Triangles

The love triangle consisting of Mohamed Kamah, Sally, and Tina in season four was essentially why we got out of bed in the morning. Who remembers when Kamah came up to the girls during one of the evaluations and professed his undying love for both? It was undoubtedly the highlight of our year.

via Facebook

5-     The Performances

Each season’s final performances were mesmerising! After all the training and preparation the participants underwent throughout the season, our hearts would flutter when we’d witness their climb to the stage to sing and give it all they’ve got. The romantic duet songs performed by the academy’s couples gave us butterflies!