|
Matt and Peter eliminated |
BACK
|
22 September 2003
The Top 12 of Australian Idol was reduced to just ten
after Matt and Peter were eliminated from the series
after the first of the live finals result shows. Before
the lines closed at 7:40pm, all the Top 12 performed
their up-tempo first single from the forthcoming cast
album titled "Rise Up". The catchy tune will be the
first single from the upcoming album, which features
the recordings of the Top 12 finalist. After the performance
hosts Andrew and James named the contestants which had
the least amount of votes. They were 'rock chick' Kelly,
'shy' Matt and 'pig farmer' Peter. The emotional contestants
were then told that Matt was eliminated followed by
Peter. The live audience were able to show their appreciation
to Matt and Peter while they each performed their song
from last night's themed show. Kelly was clearly relieved
to have made it through the first round of eliminations.
Tune in next Sunday to see the second live performance
show based on Number 1 Chart toping hits and next Monday
to see who which two are eliminated next.
Inside Idol |
BACK
|
22 September 2003
The first episode of the behind-the-scenes series- Inside
Idol will screen this Thursday. The series will be hosted
by former Melbourne-based radio and TV presenter Emma
Race, who will be hanging with the contestants filming
their lives, anxieties, hopes and dreams at Idol HQ.
Emma's looking forward to letting the public share the
fun and whacky side of the finalists' lives while they
pursue their dream. Catch Emma on Inside Idol on Thursday
night, 25th September, on Ten.
The Goss from Idol HQ |
BACK
|
22 September 2003
All 12 Australian Idol contestants are currently living
together at Idol HQ. The Sydney North Shore house is
the base for the contestants while on Australian Idol.
Sam who manages Idol HQ keeps all the contestants organised,
feed and happy. Camera crews are present at the house
to follow the contestants as they work to realise their
dreams. The Official Australian Idol Newsletter has
revealed some of the goss from the house, with the newsletter
stating:
"Did you know that it is almost impossible to get Rob
out of bed in the mornings and then, when he's finally
vertical, it takes about two hours for him to actually
wake up? Guy can hardly be separated from his beanie
and thongs these days and his bedroom floor is littered
with dozens and dozens of songs he's written (he just
can't stop!). Paulini has been just cruising whereas
Lauren and Peter have been venting their spleens on
the tennis court. Health nut Matt has reportedly become
obsessed with the kitchen juicer, whipping up bizarre
concoctions like pineapple, lemon, ginger and lemon
sorbet juice while Kel has been unwinding by bashing
the Playstation.
The gang threw a monster birthday party for Shannon
a couple of days ago, complete with champers, cake,
roast chook and all the trimmings. He was especially
stoked that his fiancée, Rochelle, sent a video of herself
and his little boys to him from the bush. There were
some sore heads the next morning but like true pros,
everyone soldiered on! "
Top 12 perform 70's Hits Live
| BACK
|
21 September 2003
The 12 finalists have performed live for the first of
the final rounds in Australian Idol. The contestants
sang songs from Elton John, Thelma Houston, Jackson
Five among others for the seventies themed show on Sunday
night. Inside Australian Idol was there in the
studio audience to watch the action unfold live. Keep
an eye out for the exclusive behind the scene report
on the action and gossip from the first night on the
finals coming soon.
Final Round Voting | BACK
|
21 September 2003
The voting system for the remainder of the first series
of Australian Idol has been revealed. Two people are
going to be departing Idol each week for the next three
weeks. After that, one contestant per week will leave
until there are only two left standing for the Grand
Final on 19th November.
Contestant withdraws, Cosima, Bek and Levi join the
Top 10 | BACK
|
15 September 2003
Tonight three more contestants join the Australian Idol
Top 10 after tonight's live result show and a contestant
withdrawal. Three positions were left vacant for tonight's
wild card contestants after the shock withdrawal of
Australian Idol favourite Daniel Wakefield, who performed
on the first semi-final. Prior to auditioning for Idol,
Daniel was already signed to an independent management
company, which he did not tell the show's producers
about. He also signed with an independent record company
after he was selected for the Top 100. Both actions
directly contravene the rules of his contract. Daniel
has decided to relinquish his position in the finals
and allow his shoes to be filled by another contestant.
From the group of ten Wild Card contestants, two were
voted into the finials by the public and one contestant
voted in by the judges to make up the Australian Idol
Top 12. Cosima, Bek and Levi have join the other ten
contestants from the previous semi-finials. Hosts Andrew
G, broadcasting from the Studio, and James Mathison,
live from Idol HQ, firstly named the top three Wild
Card contestants voted by the judges - they were Cosima,
Bek and 'gender illusionist' Courtney Act. The three
judges decided to bring back Cosima believing that she
has grown greatly throughout the semi-finials.
The top three contestants on the night, voted by the
public, were then announced- with Bek, Levi and Courney
having the most phone and SMS votes. Australian Idol
viewers voted Bek into the Top 10 for her rendition
of "Shoop" and also voted for Levi's performance of
"Maria, Maria". Unfortunately, Courtney again missed
out on progressing to the finials after what can only
be described as a memorable performance last night.
The Australian Idol Top 12 will begin preparations for
the next round of the series which involves live performances
with a live band on themed shows. Each week the elimination
of one of the Top 12 will occur until two are left standing.
The finalists will begin live shows in front of a studio
audience at Sydney's Global Television Studios from
next Sunday. A new Australian Idol set is also under
construction and will be placed into the studio by next
week in time for the finals. A studio audience of 300-400
will also be present at the studio cheering on their
favourite Australian Idol. Tune in Sunday from 7:30-9:00pm
to see all the action from the next stage of Australian
Idol in what promises to be an energetic 70's themed
live show.
Australian Idol Finalists to perform at AFL Grand Final
| BACK
|
15 September 2003
The Top 12 Australian Idol contestant have been invited
to perform at the AFL Grand Final. The excited Contestants
will perform in front of 80,000 people and an estimated
2 million TV viewers when they sing at the AFL Grand
Finials later this month. Melbourne contestant, Robert
Mills, among others, were left almost speechless when
told the news in the final minutes of tonight's live
result show. The AFL Grand Finial will be broadcast
on Network Ten Saturday September 27.
Wild Card contestants perform
| BACK
|
14 September 2003
Ten contestants who did not make it through to the final
were brought back to have another chance at progressing
to the next round to join the Top 10 contestants. Courtney
Act and Stu Campbell received entry to the special Wild
Card show last week. The other 8 Australian Idol Judge's
Choice contestants were announced in tonight's Wild
card episode coming from both the Top 100 and the Top
40. Here is a list of what the ten contestants performed
and their corresponding voting lines-
Eli "Permission To Shine"
1902 55 55 61
Stu "Whisper Your Name" 1902 55 55 62
Yolande "Stuck" 1902 55 55 63
Liban "Where I Wanna Be" 1902 55 55 64
Bek "Shoop" 1902 55 55 65
Courtney "You Shook Me All Night Long" 1902
55 55 66
Axle "Yesterday" 1902 55 55 67
Cosima "Predictable" 1902 55 55 68
Levi "Maria, Maria" 1902 55 55 69
Rebecca "Let's Get Loud" 1902 55 55 70
SMS First Name to 188 99 66
Phone lines open until 7.45pm, Monday 15 September.
SMS lines open until 7.45pm, Monday 15 September. Phone
voting and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
These performers were judged to have exceptional star
quality but were not able to progress to the final round
after missing out in the voting on the weekly semi-final
shows.
On the 90-minute special program, the 10 wild card contestants
all performed another song accompanied by a live band.
The results of the wild card show will be broadcast
in a special hour-long live results show tomorrow. Two
contestants, one voted by the public and the other by
the judges, will join the Top 10 Idol finalists to form
the 12 Australian Idol finalists.
Sunday Night Themed Shows
| BACK
|
14 September 2003
The next round of the series which involves weekly live
performances with a live band on themed shows and the
elimination of one of the Top 12 each week. Starting
on 21st September, the Sunday night 'live' performances
shows will feature each of the finalists perform a song
during themed episodes accompanied by a live band in
front to of a studio audience. These themed nights will
allow the voting public to see how versatile and adaptable
each contestant can be while performing in a particular
style or genre.
The first themed night will centre on the seventies
and the contestants will perform classic hits from that
period. The audience will then begin voting with the
results of the show televised on the following Monday
night. Each week the performer with the least phone
and SMS votes will be given the boot.
Thursday Night Australian Idol
| BACK
|
14 September 2003
Extra Thursday night shows of Australian Idol will begin
on 25th September. Every week these 1 hour-long episodes
will contain exclusive Big Brother/Popstars "Star Central"/Fame
Academy style behind-the-scene footage of the Top 12
Australian Idol contestants living and working together.
The show will capture all the Australian Idol action
at the Idol HQ where the final twelve will be living.
Cameras will follow the contestants as they go out and
about in Sydney, living at Idol HQ, working at the recording
studio and hanging with their friends and family. The
special episodes will also capture the contestants as
they lead up to their weekly live performances and as
they get closer to achieving their dream of being stars.
The first Thursday night episode of the yet unnamed
program will go to air at 7.30pm on Ten, 25th September.
Rob and Paulini progress to the Top 10
| BACK
|
8 September 2003
The top 10 contestants for Australian Idol have been
announced after tonight's live result show. Robert Mills
and Paulini Curuenavuli have join the other eight contestants
from the previous semi-finials to make up Australian
Idol's Top 10. Hosts Andrew G and James Mathison named
the top three contestants voted by the public since
the lines were open last night- they were Rob, Paulini
and 'gender illusionist' Courtney Act.
Australian Idol viewers voted Rob into the Top 10 for
his rendition of "Angels" and also voted for
Paulini's performance of "Somewhere". Unfortunately,
Courtney missed out however received a shock wild card
together with Stu Campbell for next week special Judge's
Choice wild card show.
Rob and Paulini make up the top 10 Australian Idol finalists.
Peter Ryan, Daniel Wakefield, Matt Chadwick, Kelly Cavuoto,
Shannon Noll, Guy Sebastian, Lauren Buckley, and Cle
will begin preparations for the next round of the series
which involves weekly live performances with a live
band on themed shows and the elimination of one of the
Top 10 each week. The finalists will begin live shows
in front of a studio audience at Sydney's Global Television
Studios from 21 September 2003, after the wild card
contestants have been named. A new Australian Idol set
is also under construction and will be placed into the
studio in a couple of weeks in time for the finals.
Wild Card special | BACK
|
8 September 2003
Tonight Courtney Act and Stu Campbell received entry
to next week's special wild card show. The other 8 Australian
Idol Judge's Choice contestants will not be announced
until next week's Wild card episode. Tune in next Sunday,
14th September to see which contestants have another
chance at progressing to the next round and join the
Top 10 contestants. These performers were judged to
have exceptional star quality but were not able to progress
to the final round after missing out in the voting on
the weekly semi-final shows.
The 90-minute special program will be televised next
Sunday 14th September at 7.30pm, on Channel Ten. The
10 wild card contestants will all perform another song
accompanied by a live band. The results of the wild
card show will be broadcast in a special hour-long live
results show on Monday 15th September. Two contestants,
one voted by the public and the other by the judges,
will join the Top 10 Idol finalists to form the 12 Australian
Idol finalists.
Luck of the Draw? | BACK
|
8 September 2003
The position in which a Top 40 contestant performs on
the Sunday night seems to affect the result of the telephone
and SMS voting. All of the Top 10 contestants performed
in the second half of hour-long Sunday performance shows,
with the last three of the five performance shows having
similar results in who progresses to the Top 10.
The past three weeks saw Rob, Paulini, Lauren, Cle,
Shannon and Guy progress to the Top 10. Paulini, Cle
and Shannon all performed sixth on their respective
nights, all having the voting number 1902 55 55 66,
while Rob, Lauran and Guy all performed last on the
performance show in their respective rounds with the
voting number 1902 55 55 68.
In the first two weeks, Peter, Daniel, Matt, and Kelly
went through from Groups 1 and 2. All these contestants
performed in the second half of the show, Daniel (performed
5th), Peter (performed 7th) from Group 1 and Kelly (performed
7th), Matt (performed 8th) from Group 2.
Of the past 5 weeks, four of the five Semi-finalist
from the Top 40 who performed last in their round, all
went through to the Top 10 and none of the first four
contestants in each of the five rounds progressed.
It would seem that there is a higher chance of progressing
through to the next round if the contestant performed
last on the night, with the national TV audience remembering
and voting for the later performance than the earlier
ones. Or could it be that by coincidence the better
performances were positioned later on in the Sunday
programs.
What do you think? Does the position in which a contestant
performs influence your vote? Or is it the luck of the
draw? Have you say in the Inside Australian Idol Forum.
Group 5 perform | BACK
|
7 September 2003
The last of the Top 40 Australian Idol finalist performed
tonight. Alex Longstaff, Anton Aktila, Ben Manusama,
Marcus Jones, Paulini Curuenavuli, Robert Mills, Courtney
Act and Stu Campbell all performed a song of their choice.
Here is a list of what each of them sang on the fifth
semi-final, 7 September 2003 and their respective voting
lines-
Marcus 'Burn For You' 1902 55 55 61
Ben 'Hard To Say I'm Sorry' 1902 55 55 62
Alex ''Even When I'm Sleeping' 1902 55 55
63
Anton End Of The Road' 1902 55 55 64
Stu 'Guilty' 1902 55 55 65
Paulini 'Somewhere' 1902 55 55 66
Courtney 'You Don't Own Me' 1902 55 55 67
Rob 'Angels' 1902 55 55 68
SMS First Name to 188 99 66
Phone lines open until 7.00pm, Monday 8 September. SMS
lines open until 6.00pm, Monday 8 September. Phone voting
and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
Who will be the last two contestants to progress to
the next round to make up the Top 10 finalists? Vote
for your favourite contestant from Group 5. Only two
will make it to the Top 10. You decide who will be the
Australian Idol. Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see
what who will progress to the finals and who will be
told that they are heading home.
Australian Idol wild card show
| BACK
|
7 September 2003
There will be 10 Australian Idol contestants brought
back for the Wild Card episode which airs next week.
The judges will choose these people and they will not
be announced before the wild card episode on Sunday
14th September on Channel Ten. The following Monday
night, 15th September, we will find out who is voted
through by our judges and by the public to progress
to the finials with the other Top 10 contestants.
Sumbati appears on Rove [live]
| BACK
|
2 September 2003
Anthony Sumbati, the disqualified Australian Idol contestant,
appeared on Rove [live] tonight, 2 September.
He spoke about the Radio interview which caused his
disqualification from the contest, but would not confirm
or deny who contacted who for the interview deciding
not to point the finger at the Radio station or the
his management. He resented the fact that he was compared
to Rene Rivkin or Pauline Hanson on 'The Panel'
for breaking down after being told the devastating news
of his disqualification. However, he did confirm that
he has been inundated with commercial offers and will
begin a Radio career with the 2WS Sydney breakfast radio
program in a couple of weeks.
Lauren and Cle progress to the Top 10
| BACK
|
1 September 2003
Congratulations to Lauren and Cle, the next two semi-finalist
to progress to the next round of Australian Idol after
tonight's live results show. Hosts Andrew G and James
Mathison named the top three contestants voted by the
public for Group 4- they were Levi, Lauren and Cle.
Australian Idol viewers voted Lauren into the Top 10
for her rendition of "Imagine" and also voted for Cle's
performance of "Come To Me". Unfortunately, Levi narrowly
miss out on a place in the Top 10.
Next Sunday, 7 September the final eight contestants
from the Top 40 will perform. They are-
Alex Longstaff
Anton Aktila
Ben Manusama
Marcus Jones
Paulini Curuenavuli
Robert Mills
Courtney Act
Stu Campbell
Who will be the final two in the Top 10? Tune in next
Sunday and Monday at 7:30pm on Network Ten for the final
Australian Idol Semi-final.
Group 4's Savage Assessment
| BACK
|
1 September 2003
Yesterday's episode of Australian Idol was one of the
most controversial since the first episode went to air.
From the outset, the judges said they were unhappy with
the standard of the finalist from previous weeks, expressing
doubt that Australia's Idol would compare with American
Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and the British competition's
runner-up, Gareth Gates, both of whom have sold millions
of records around the world. In one of the most savage
assessments of the talent on the show by the panel of
three judges, Group 4's Michelle Cashman was reduced
to tears after performing Celine Dion's My Heart Will
Go On second up on the night. Almost all but two of
the eight contestants were criticised for their performance,
especially after the judges believed they needed to
"raise the bar" in order to find a true star.
On tonight's live results show Michelle said that although
she was reduced to tears she was glad it was over and
that the judges were able to provide feedback. While
Mark was unapologetic and stood by his comments, Dicko
said that it was not his intention to make any contestants
cry but believed it was necessary to provide constructive
criticism. He then offered an apology after saying that
he could not sleep go to sleep after last night's show.
Not since the first episode of the nationwide auditions
has there been such controversy and outcry from viewers
over the judges comments.
Group Four Perform | BACK
|
31 August 2003
Australian Idol's Group Four, consisting of Costa Zacharia,
Mary Lane, Levi Kereama, Cle, Michelle Cashman, Lauren
Buckley, Brandon Burns and Brielle Davis, all performed
a song tonight. Here is a list of what each of them
sang on the forth semi-final, 31 August 2003 and their
respective voting lines-
Mary 'Holding Out For A Hero' 1902 55 55 61
Michelle 'My Heart Will Go On' 1902 55 55
62
Costa 'Whenever You Call' 1902 55 55 63
Brielle 'Even God Must Get The Blues' 1902
55 55 64
Levi 'Nice And Slow' 1902 55 55 65
Cle 'Come To Me' 1902 55 55 66
Brandon 'Better Man' 1902 55 55 67
Lauren 'Imagine' 1902 55 55 68
SMS First Name to 188 99 66
Phone lines open until 7.00pm, Monday 1 September. SMS
lines open until 6.00pm, Monday 1 September. Phone voting
and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
Who will progress to the Finals? Vote for your favourite
contestant from Group 4.
Only two will make it to the Top 10. You decide who
will be the Australian Idol.
Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see what who will progress
to the finals and who will be told that they are heading
home.
Australian Idol Tickets
| BACK
|
31 August 2003
Australian Idol tickets for the finals will be given
away through the official Australian Idol website. From
Friday 29 August, individuals are able to apply online
to go into the draw to win tickets for the live shows
by following the links from the official Australian
Idol site and registering. The Sunday 'live performance'
show and the Monday 'live results' show will be filmed
at Global Studios in Sydney and will be broadcast live
from 21st September to mid November.
Idol Finalist to live together, Cast album on its way
| BACK
|
31 August 2003
In a move reminiscent of Popstars and Big
Brother, all the Top 10 and wild card finalists
will be moving into a special Australian Idol residence
after the Wild Card episode in September. Their modern
fully furnished architecturally designed house is designed
for partying, rehearsing and hanging out, it also includes
a tennis court, a pool, a huge garden and barbeque area.
In other news, the Australian Idol cast album on its
way. The finalists are currently recording tracks for
the cast album over the last few weeks in the recording
studio with Australian Idol judge Mark Holden. He reports
that the finials so far are progressing well and the
completed album will be available after the Top 10 finial
round begins.
Shannon and Guy progress to the Top 10
| BACK
|
25 August 2003
Australia has again voted for the next two semi-finalist
to progress to the next round of Australian Idol after
tonight's live results show. Hosts Andrew G and James
Mathison named the top three contestants voted by the
public since the lines were open last night- they were
Guy, Shannon and Rebekah.
Australian Idol viewers voted Shannon into the Top 10
for his rendition of "Better Man" and also voted for
Guy's performance of "What A Wonderful World". Unfortunately,
Rebekah miss out however is almost certain to receive
a wild card from the three judges who through highly
of her performance from yesterday.
Tune in next Sunday and Monday at 7:30pm on Network
Ten for all the latest from Australian Idol.
Final two semi-finial groups announced
| BACK
|
25 August 2003
Next Sunday, 31 August eight more contestants from the
Top 40 will perform they are-
Lauren Buckley
Brandon Burns
Cle
Michelle Cashman
Costa Zacharia
Mary Lane
Brielle Davis
Levi Kereama.
The final group will perform in the last semi-final
on 7 September. Group 5 will consist of-
Alex Longstaff
Anton Aktila
Ben Manusama
Marcus Jones
Paulini Curuenavuli
Robert Mills
Courtney Act
Stu Campbell
Remember to tune in on Tuesday 26 August at 8.30pm on
Ten, for an Australian Idol special called "The Bad,
The Mad and The Ugly"- a one hour special featuring
some of the most extraordinary audition footage from
the nationwide auditions.
Anthony Sumbati disqualified
| BACK
|
25 August 2003
One of the most colourful idol contestants, Anthony
Sumbati was disqualified tonight after appearing on
Sydney radio station Mix 106.5 FM this morning. On the
unauthorised interview he talked about his future aspirations
and what he wanted to achieve from his exposure on the
series.
Australian Idol producers deemed that the interview
could affect the vote for Group 3 especially as it was
during the voting period. They decided to disqualified
Anthony for a breech of contract. The official statement
on the Australian Idol website stated, "Anthony Sumbati
has broken the program rules and the contestant agreement
he signed with the producers of the program, Grundy
Television. Accordingly he can no longer take part in
Australian Idol."
Group 3 Perform | BACK
|
24 August 2003
Group 3 in the semi-finals of Australian Idol performed
tonight. Anthony Sumbati, Guy Sebastian, Jennifer Pearl,
Martine Robert, Rebekah LaVauney, Ryan Sheppard, Shannon
Noll and Yolande Jackson performed a song of their choice.
Here is what each contestant performed on the third
semi-final, 24 August 2003 and their corresponding Phone
and SMS voting lines-
Jennifer 'The Day You Went Away' 1902 55 55
61
Ryan 'Swear It Again' 1902 55 55 62
Martine 'First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'
1902 55 55 63
Anthony 'The More I See You' 1902 55 55 64
Rebekah 'Ex Factor' 1902 55 55 65
Shannon 'Better Man' 1902 55 55 66
Yolande 'Winter' 1902 55 55 67
Guy 'What A Wonderful World' 1902 55 55 68
SMS First Name to 188 99 66
Phone lines open until 7.00pm, Monday 25 August. SMS
lines open until 6.00pm, Monday 25 August. Phone voting
and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
Who will progress to the Finals? Vote for your favourite
contestant from Group 3.
Only two will make it to the Top 10. You decide who
will be the Australian Idol.
Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see what who will progress
to the finals and who will be told that they are heading
home.
Tuesday: The Bad, The Mad and The Ugly
| BACK
|
24 August 2003
Tune in this Tuesday 26 August at 8:30pm on Network
Ten for a special 60-minute Australian Idol special
"The Bad, The Mad and The Ugly".
Australian Idol scours the globe, exploring the best
and worst Idol contestants worldwide. Watch,
cringe and laugh as the fabulous, the excruciating and
the downright hilarious are uncovered.
Kelly and Matt progress to the Top 10
| BACK
|
18 August 2003
Australia has voted for the next two semi-finalist to
progress to the next round of Australian Idol after
tonight's live results show. Hosts Andrew G and James
Mathison named the top three contestants voted by the
public since the lines were open last night- they were
Matt, Kelly and Rebecca.
A nervous Matt Chadwick and 'rock chic' Kelly Cavuoto
were the two finalists from Group 2 named to progress
to the Top 10. Rebecca Tapia unfortunately missed out
with only a few hundred votes separating the top three
contestants on the night. Australian Idol viewers voted
for Kelly's rendition of "Bring Me To Life" and Matt's
performance of "Truly".
Next Sunday, 24 August eight more contestants from the
Top 40 will perform they are-
Anthony Sumbati
Guy Sebastian
Jennifer Pearl
Martine Robert
Rebekah LaVauney
Ryan Sheppard
Shannon Noll
Yolande Jackson
Tune in next Sunday and Monday at 7:30pm on Network
Ten for all the latest from Australian Idol.
Second Group Perform in Australian Idol Semi-Final
| BACK
|
17 August 2003
The second group in the semi-finals of Australian Idol
performed tonight. Following on from the success of
the first semi-final, this week's group of eight had
the task of continuing the momentum created from the
first group. Sidney Maynard, Marc Stockley, Rebecca
Tapia, Matt Chadwick, Kelly Cavuoto, Hailey Cramer,
Axle Whitehead, Cosima De Vito performed a song of their
choice to a national TV audience and to the three straight-talking
judges.
Here is list of what each contestant performed on the
second semi-final, 17 August 2003 and their corresponding
Phone and SMS voting lines-
Cosima "My Heart Will Go On" 1902 555 561
Marc "Let It Be" 1902 555 562
Hailey "Run To You" 1902 555 563
Sidney "Ribbon In The Sky" 1902 555 564
Rebecca "Shadowland" 1902 555 565
Axle "Pastime Paradise" 1902 555 566
Kelly "Bring Me To Life" 1902 555 567
Matt "Truly" 1902 555 568
SMS First Name to 188 99 66
Phone lines open until 7.00pm, Monday 18 August. SMS
lines open until 6.00pm, Monday 18 August. Phone voting
and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
Who will progress to the Finals? Vote for your favourite
contestant from Group 2.
Only two will make it to the Top 10. You decide who
will be the Australian Idol.
Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see what who will progress
to the finals and who will be told that they are heading
home.
Dicko on Rove [live] |
BACK
|
17 August 2003
Controversial Australian Idol judge Ian "Dicko" Dickson
appeared on popular entertainment program Rove [live]
on Tuesday 12 August. Rove and Dicko discussed various
issues including audience fatigue with the 'Popstars'
format already having aired and his casting as the 'mean'
judge in the series. Among other issues raised was the
question of who and how Australia is voting. He commented
that he thought that there were more contestants in
the Top 40 than "the typical blue eyed, blond hair"
stars, referring to the two Top 10 finalist voted in
the previous Monday- Peter and Daniel.
What do you think?
Will you be voting on the looks of the contestants?
Their singing ability? Or both?
Does the contestant's race, creed, sexual orientation,
physical appearance or singing style affect your vote
for Australian Idol? How would you define talent? Tell
us what you think on the Forum
Peter and Daniel progress to the Top 10
| BACK
|
17 August 2003
Peter and Daniel were the first two contestants to make
it to the Top 10. On Monday night's Live result show,
host Andrew and James named the top three contestants
voted by the public over the last 24-hours, they were
Daniel, Eli and Peter. Of the three, Peter and Daniel
will progress to the Top 10. Peter Ryan's version of
Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting" proved popular with
the voting public. While Daniel's performance of the
Rogers and Hammerstein classic, "You'll Never Walk Alone",
also proved popular with what Dicko called the G-force-
Grannies, Girlies and Gays.
Of week 2's group of eight semi-finalists--Sidney Maynard,
Marc Stockley, Rebecca Tapia, Matt Chadwick, Kelly Cavuoto,
Hailey Cramer, Axle Whitehead and Cosima De Vito, two
will be selected to join Peter and Daniel, the Top 10
finalists from Group 1.
Group 1 Perform in Australian Idol Semi-Final
| BACK
|
10 August 2003
The first group in the Semi-finals of Australian Idol
performed tonight. Shannon Thompson, Veronica Stewart,
Natalie Ferguson, Peter Ryan, Lorena Alegria, Daniel
Wakefield, Chelsea Gibson and Eli Diache all sang a
song of their choice which they believed demonstrated
their singing ability the best. Judges Marcia, Ian and
Mark then gave feedback on their individual performance
providing both criticism and suggestions. Here is list
of what each contestant performed on the first semi-final,
10 August 2003-
Shannon Thompson: "Lately"
Veronica Stewart: "I Want To Know What Love Is"
Natalie Ferguson: "Son of a Preacher Man"
Peter Ryan: "Right Here Waiting"
Lorena Alegria: To Zion"
Daniel Wakefield: "You'll Never Walk Alone"
Chelsea Gibson: "Beautiful"
Eli Diache: "Angel"
The eight contestants then have a nervous 24-hour wait
to see how Australia voted. Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm
to see what who will progress to the finals and who
will be told that they are heading home.
Voting Procedure Revealed
| BACK
|
10 August 2003
Tonight Australian Idol hosts James Mathison and Andrew
G revealed the voting procedure on how the national
audience will cast their votes to see which two contestants
will go through to the finals from the first Semi-final
group. Like Big Brother audiences can vote via a telephone
hotline and through SMS.
Vote for the contestant you want to go through to the
finals. The Australian Idol voting number for Group
1 are-
Chelsea 1902 55 55 61
Shannon 1902 55 55 62
Natalie 1902 55 55 63
Lorena 1902 55 55 64
Daniel 1902 55 55 65
Veronica 1902 55 55 66
Peter 1902 55 55 67
Eli 1902 55 55 68
A SMS number has also been set up and audience can vote
by sending an SMS with their favourite contestant's
name to 188 99 66.
The 1902 phone lines are open until 7.00pm on Monday
night and the SMS lines are open until 6.00pm on Monday
night.
Unlike international versions of the Idol series, phone
voting and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents. In
America and Canada voting in their Idol series were
free of charge.
Results from the 24-hour voting line will be revealed
tomorrow in a half-hour live telecast from 7:30pm. Two
contestants will go through to the finals while the
rest go home.
Marcia, Beat Box Guy on The Panel
| BACK
|
6 August 2003
Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines appeared on Network
Ten Program 'The Panel' to answer questions about
the show and the recent controversy surrounding the
contestants, the judges and the program. She revealed
that most of what appeared on Australian Idol did occur
and were not staged for the cameras. Marcia also sang
a verse on the show. Popular human beat boxer, Joel
Turner also appeared on 'The Panel' flying down
from Brisbane to perform a set for the live program.
Controversial judge, Ian Dickson will appear on Rove
[live] next week, 13 August for an interview from
9:30pm on Channel 10.
Who are the Top 40? | BACK
|
4 August 2003
The top 40 Australian Idol contestants may come from
diverse backgrounds with varying performance experience,
but all want to be crowned the Australian Idol. Tonight's
hour-long special episode allowed the voting public
to learn more about the contestants and how they progressed
to become part of Australia Idol's Top 40. They were
then divided into five groups of eight contestants with
the first group performing next Sunday, 10th August.
The first semi-finalist group consist of-
Group 1-
Shannon Thompson, Veronica Stewart,
Natalie Ferguson, Peter Ryan, Lorena Alegria, Daniel
Wakefield, Chelsea Gibson and Eli Diache.
Top 40 announced | BACK
|
3 August 2003
After tonight's episode the Top 40 Australian Idol contestants
have been announced. They are -
Alex
Longstaff
Anthony Sumbati
Anton Aktila
Axle Whitehead
Ben Manusama
Brandon Burns
Brielle Davis
Chelsea Gibson
Cle
Cosima Devito |
Costa
Zacharia
Courtney Act
Daniel Wakefield
Eli Diache
Guy Sebastian
Hailey Cramer
Jennifer Pearl
Kelly Cavuoto
Lauren Buckley
Levi Kereama |
Lorena
Alegria
Marc Stockley
Marcus Jones
Martine Robert
Mary Lane
Matt Chadwick
Michelle Cashman
Natalie Ferguson
Paulini Curuenavuli
Peter Ryan |
Rebecca
Tapia
Rebekah Lavauney
Robert Mills
Ryan Sheppard
Shannon Noll
Shannon Thompson
Sidney Maynard
Stu Campbell
Veronica Stewart
Yolande Jackson |
A
special hour-long episode of Australian Idol will air
tomorrow, Monday 4th August, which will introduce each
of the Top 40 contestants. They will then be split into
groups of eight. Live weekly concert will start next Sunday
when one of the five groups of eight will perform a song
live to a national audience. Phone and SMS polling will
then being, with the most popular 2 contestants progressing
to the Top 10.
Reaction to first episode
| BACK
|
28 July 2003
Last night premiere episode of Australian Idol has generated
heated discussion with viewers either extremely happy
with what the series has to offer and those who are concerned
with the messages that the judges in particular are sending
to younger audiences. Here are a few comments made on
discussion boards about Australian Idol.
I really enjoyed the first episode tonight. It's ashame
they are down to 75 already! I thought they could have
shown a lot more of these initial auditions over several
episodes like popstars.
I was disappointed that they mainly only showed the extremes.
I.e. the ones that would get through, and the really bad
ones. I would have been more interested to see more of
the middle range - and if the judges were just as cruel
to those people.
Unfortunately it seems like we might land up with a winner
like the UK one - singing some boring ballad. Yawn. But
anyway, it was a good start and look forward to the rest
of the series.
Ben
I think your show is the best!!!! The JUDGES are pretty
GOOD did I say pretty I mean EXCELLENT.
From Prue
Hi.
After sitting down & watching the show this evening with
my Daughter (8), I was bitterly disappointed at the absolute
arrogance & extreme rudeness of the judges when dismissing
contestants. My daughter was so upset, that she was crying.
How dare that decrepit prick "Dicko", take the piss out
of people who are trying their best. A "No thanks" would
be sufficient, but no, that arrogant bastard had to stoop
to personal insults (that one about being able to be beaten
up by Nicky Webster was TOO MUCH!!). Give me 30 seconds
with that F##ker & I would have him in tears!!! I have
absolutely no talent whatsoever, but would be more than
willing to stand up to his insults (you are nothing but
a try hard Red Symmons).
Marcia, I am saddened, as I used to be fond of your music,
but now I know where it comes from (definitely not the
heart), I will not be able to enjoy it as I once did.
That other dickhead, not even worth mentioning. My daughter
is studying violin & I was hoping your show would encourage
her to excel. The total opposite was the result.
Again, to sit there & see people in such positions of
influence, totally demoralise these people with personal
insults, enrages me.
I am also quite sure, that most of Australia will see
he is an utter arse!!
Please feel free to get him to contact me & have a chat.
Rob J
Bring back popstars. The last thing that youth today
need is to be torn down by some has been losers. At least
popstars seemed to have a more positive approach! Come
on. Dicko is certainly an asshole!
Seriously who does he think he is. These people put their
heart and soul into their auditions and his opinion IS
NOT everything. There is a huge difference between criticism
and just being plain rude!!
Charmed_one_Australia from Official Australian Idol
Yahoo Group
I think that's why the show is so successful. ;) My
favourite Simon line is 'This is a pen not a magic wand'
I agree that it isn't nice but I have to admit I am hooked.
And I don't consider myself a mean person. Well all the
time. I thought they were really kind with the nervous
guy from Adelaide.
I prefer the format of Australian Idol, Popstars 3 was
a farce a two send clip of them singing the same song.
Nah. Live performances is where it's at.
Dancingdreamerdiva from Official Australian Idol Yahoo
Group
Shocked, disturbed and disgusted
Dear all,
When I saw tonight's airing of Australian Idol I honestly
couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing. I am a
music teacher, performer and music therapist. I have worked
with young people just like so many of those who auditioned,
and I am seriously concerned for the wellbeing of those
I watched after what I saw tonight.
So many young people I've taught and supported in their
love for music, if they had auditioned it's likely they
wouldn't have been selected. But would they have gone
away with some constructive and encouraging criticism?
No, in those few minutes of the audition years of dreams,
practice and support from mentors would probably have
been well and truely smashed. Man, if that was me when
I that young and vulnerable I can imagine being close
to suicide after receiving some of the responses I heard
those judges dishing out, or at least rushing out to go
on a bender that might well have killed me, I pray that
none of you do. I heard Marcia (God bless her, I wonder
how she slept at night during those auditions seeing how
many lives those 2 abusive judges damaged) say to one
contestant "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
I agree Marcia, but what if it does kill you? The treatment
these young auditionees were unsuspectingly dealt was
psychological assult. They had obviously worked so hard,
were so passionate about their music, and were in such
a state, THEY WERE SO VULNERABLE, and then they were just
trashed to a degree they could not have dreamed.
All of us in our house tonight watching the show house
were artists and performers, all of us were shocked, many
disgusted, some ashamed on behalf of the Australian music
industry. I feel the kind of psychological abuse to young
artists that I witnessed tonight should be illegal. Shame
Australian Idol and Channel 10. Shame.
We could have just gone to bed and forgotten about all
this but as they say evil prevails when good people do
nothing. We feel genuine and disturbing concern for the
psychological assult SO MANY passionate young lives were
subjected to in the name of "Australian Idol".
If you are with us on this one or an auditionee who was
abused and is feeling understandably broken please email
me.
I had to stop myself from crying as I watched them break
you.
I believe Australian Idol has done a great job at fucking
up a enormous amount of young creative lives. Well done.
With love,
Jo.
Serrafym- from Official Australian Idol Yahoo Group
Deja vu | BACK
|
28 July 2003
Some Australian Idol contestants may look familiar with
several performers having appeared on other talent show
TV programs from the past. Be it Star struck, Popstars,
or other talent show auditions, some contestants are serious
about making it big in the music industry. The premiere
episode of Australian Idol saw persistent faces
from Popstars 3 reappearing on our TV screens,
contestants from Nine's Star struck trying their
luck again and finalists from Pilot Pens radio talent
search competition. Who said persistence doesn't pay off?
Top 40 announced next week
| BACK
|
28 July 2003
The top 40 Idol contestant will be revealed in another
90 minute special episode of Australian Idol next Sunday,
3 August. The top 100 contestants from around Australian
will be reduced to 75, then 40 by the end of the second
episode. Live weekly concert will start the following
week when one of the five groups of eight will perform
a song live to a national audience. The rapid rate of
the progression of the series has concerned some viewers
who were interested in seeing more from the national auditions.
Official Australian Idol website updated
| BACK
|
26 July 2003
The official Australian Idol website- http://australianidol.yahoo.com.au/
has been updated with new content and design.
Find out about show information, auditions, key-dates,
judges, and chat. Also sign up for idol updates and sign
in to the Official Australian Idol Yahoo
Group. A poll has also been set up for the new site
as well as interviews with the judges.
Get ready for Australian Idol.
It begins July 27 at 7:30pm on Network Ten with a 90 Minute Special.
Top 40 selected
| BACK
|
22 July 2003
The top forty contestants of Australian Idol have
been selected following a week-long audition held at a
secret location in Sydney. The top 100 contestants from
around Australia were reduced to 40 after intense auditions
starting on Monday 7 July. Australian Idol cameras
were there to capture all the actions for the upcoming
series. Once the forty have been selected, they will be
split into groups of eight. Each week, starting mid-series,
a different group of eight will be featured on the show.
New Australian Idol promos
| BACK
|
22 July 2003
New series of Australian Idol promos have aired
on Network Ten featuring the hosts of the series, Andrew
G and James Mathison. These new adverts contribute to
the Idol promos already featuring the judges from the
program that starting airing early this month.
Australian Idol promotion begins
| BACK |
7 July 2003
Network Ten are currently airing 30-second promotional
adverts in primetime programs to generate interest in
Australian Idol. The advert features one of the
three judges of Australian Idol talking directly
to the camera with the phrase: "July 27. It Begins.
australianidol.yahoo.com.au" displayed at the conclusion
of the advert. The sequence of commercials aims to promote
the upcoming series and website as well as generating
public interest in the July 27 premiere of Australian
Idol.
Australian Idol secures million dollar sponsorships
| BACK |
7 July 2003
Ten is understood to have already signed six lucrative
sponsorship deals for Australian Idol including-
a clothing brand to outfit the Idol contestants,
fast food outlet McDonald's and the cosmetics company
L'Oréal.
Details about Australian Idol released on official site
| BACK |
7 July 2003
Details about the Network Ten program have been released
on the official site of Australian Idol. The top one hundred
contestants from audition in capital cities around the
country will go on to the next competition round which
will be held over a week in July 2003. Their performances
will be recorded in Sydney at a secret location.
Of these one hundred participants, forty will progress
to the next performance round. Once the forty have been
selected, they will be split into groups of eight. Each
week a different group of eight will be featured on the
show. Viewers then have the chance to cast their vote
for who progresses through to the finals. Through this
voting process, the forty will be trimmed down to just
ten finalists.
From mid September, these ten finalists will perform in
front of a massive studio audience and the show will be
broadcast live. At the end of each live show, the studio
audience and the home viewers will be able to vote for
their favourite performer. Each week, the number of performers
will be reduced until there are only two contestants left
standing.
In a major live event, the final episode will feature
these two aspiring stars competing for the ultimate title
of Australian Idol, chosen by the national TV audience.
Australian Idol starts on July 27 on Network Ten
| BACK |
7 July 2003
Idol, the worldwide television phenomenon, is coming to
Network Ten. This sensational series is already a No.1
smash hit in the UK, America and Germany. Network Ten
Australia has confirmed that Australian Idol will premieres
on the network on July 27. It is believed that the network
will air a special 2-hour premiere episode from 6:30pm,
going herd-to-head with Australia's current #1 program
The Block on Channel Nine and their current affairs program
Sixty Minutes at 7:30pm.
Australian Idol will air weekly for 17-weeks, with possibly
two shows a week on Sunday and Monday evenings. Australian
Idol Extra will be screening extra footage from the making
of the series and will be broadcast exclusively on Channel
V starting in August. A show dedicated to the worst of
the auditions will also be screened during the 17-week
series on Ten. The final episode will be filmed live from
the Sydney Opera House during the final ratings week in
November.
Australian Idol is produced by Fremantle Media subsidiary
Grundy Television in association with UK company 19TV
for Network Ten Australia.
Judges and Hosts of Australian Idol announced
| BACK |
7 July 2003
The judges and hosts of Australian Idol have been confirmed
by Network Ten. The judging panel on Australian Idol will
consist of singer Marcia Hines, former singer and now
writer and producer Mark Holden and BMG record label representative
Ian Dickson. Australian Idol will be hosted by Channel
[V] personalities Andrew G and James Mathison.
You can find out more about the judges and hosts of Australian
Idol in 'The Show' section of
Inside Australian Idol
Good Morning Australia's John Foreman has signed on as
a Music Director for the series. He has hosted the NSW
Schools Spectacular on ABC TV and also wrote 'The Flame'
performed by Tina Arena at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
opening ceremony.
Inside Australian Idol officially launched
| BACK
|
7 July 2003
Inside Australian Idol was officially launched
today, 7 July 2003. It is an unofficial website for the
Network Ten TV show- Australian Idol. The site
features news, show information and multimedia content.
The URL for Inside Australian Idol is http://users.tpg.com.au/libertyx/idol/
and can also be accesed through http://www.insideaustralianidol.tk.
Please bookmark the site for the latest from Australian
Idol.
|
