The Top 9 of Australian Idol was reduced to just eight
after Emelia Rusciano was eliminated from the series after
the forth of the live result shows. Before the lines closed
at 7:40pm, the remaining Top 9 sang together with a performance
of "We Are Family"- a classic Disco hit.
After the performance, hosts Andrew G and James Mathison
named the three contestants who had the least amount of
votes. They were Marty Worrall, Casey Donovan and Emelia.
The emotional contestants were then told that both Casey
and Marty were again safe for another week and that the
25 year-old mother Emelia was eliminated. The live audience
were able to show their appreciation while Emelia performed
her song from last night's Disco themed show- "Turn
The Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson, with all
the other Idol contestants joining her on stage
Tune in on Thursday for "Inside Idol" at 7.30pm
for all the behind the scenes action including all the
reaction from tonight's elimination. Also tune in next
Sunday to see the fifth round of live performances with
a show based on the contestants own choice and next Monday
to see which contestant is eliminated next.
The remaining Top 9 Australian Idol finalists have performed
live in the forth round of 'live' theme shows in Australian
Idol. The contestants sang songs made famous in the Disco
era, which included songs made famous by the Gloria Gaynor,
Vicki Sue Robinson and Hot Chocolate among others for
the Disco show on tonight.
Here is a list of what each of them sang on the forth
episode of the live themed show, 26 September 2004 and
their respective voting lines-
Casey-
"Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches and Herb
1902 55 55 61 Courtney- "Everyone's A Winner" by Hot
Chocolate 1902 55 55 62 Chanel- "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Jackson
Five/Gloria Gaynor 1902 55 55 63 Daniel- "Working My Way Back To You"
by The Spinners 1902 55 55 64 Ricki-Lee- "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"
by Michael Jackson 1902 55 55 65 Hayley- "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne
Elliman 1902 55 55 66 Anthony- "Car Wash" by Rose Royce 1902
55 55 67 Marty- "More Than A Woman" by Bee Gees/Tavares
1902 55 55 68 Emelia- "Turn The Beat Around" by Vicki
Sue Robinson 1902 55 55 69
SMS First Name to 19 10 10
Phone lines open until 7.40 pm and SMS lines open until
7.00 pm, Monday 27 September. Phone voting and SMS voting
will be charged at 55 cents.
Which contestant will depart Idol this week? Which contestants
will have the least votes? Vote for your favourite contestant
to keep them in. You decide who will be the Australian
Idol. Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see who will be
told that they are heading home and who are safe.
Is this man too fat to be a pop star?
By Liam Houlihan
26sep04
BULKY Australian Idol singer Courtney Murphy has vowed
to lose weight after being grilled about his size on national
television.
But while the 24-year-old performer from Perth seems comfortable
with judge Ian Dickson's comments on his weight, others
are furious over the incident.
Health experts and music industry figures have slammed
the controversial judge's comments which have ignited
a debate on whether singers can be too fat for pop.
On last Sunday's show Dickson put the performer on the
spot, asking whether he was comfortable with his weight.
"When I talk to people about you they'll say 'the
big guy', 'the fat guy'. I think you're perfect but is
that the way you want to be seen?" Dickson said.
Murphy, who is second favourite to win, replied that he
would like to work on his weight.
"I know this industry, whether we like it or not,
is geared around image and weight," he said.
Health experts have expressed disappointment at portly
Dickson for focusing on Murphy's bulk, and labelled his
comments dangerous.
Thea O'Connor, a dietician and specialist in body image
issues, warned negative body image could lead to lack
of self-esteem, dangerous dieting and over-exercising.
"If people feel like they've got a good voice but
not the requisite looks, they are either going to be discouraged
or prompted to do dangerous, extreme things," Ms
O'Connor said.
And music industry figure Ian Meldrum said there was room
in pop for contemporary Big Boppers and Chubby Checkers,
if they have talent.
"The industry has always had its teen idols that
don't leave much of an impact. But the acts that tend
to last are your Joe Cockers and Meat Loafs," he
said.
Meldrum said Dickson should reassess his priorities, given
he likened Norway's Kurt Nilsen to a hobbit before Nilsen
went on to win World Idol. Dickson also came under fire
last year for telling contestant Paulini Curuenavuli she
was too fat for her dress.
The Top 10 of Australian Idol was reduced to nine after
Amali Ward was eliminated from the series after the third
of the live result shows. Before the lines closed at 7:40pm,
the remaining Top 10 sang together with a performance
of "Good Lovin'"- a song made famous by Young
Rascals in the 60's.
After the performance, hosts Andrew G and James Mathison
named the three contestants who had the least amount of
votes. They were Hayley Jensen, Marty Worrall and Amali.
The emotional contestants were then told that both Hayley
and Marty were again safe for another week and that the
16 year-old Amali was eliminated. The live audience were
able to show their appreciation while Amali performed
her song from last night's 60's themed show- "Say
A Little Prayer" by Dionne Warwick.
Tune in on Thursday for "Inside Idol" at 7.30pm
for all the behind the scenes action including a medical
scare and Idol visits to day spas. Also tune in next Sunday
to see the forth round of live performances with a show
based on hits from the Disco era and next Monday to see
which contestant is eliminated next.
The remaining Top 10 Australian Idol finalists have performed
live in the third round of 'live' theme shows in Australian
Idol. The contestants sang songs made famous in the 1960's,
which included songs made famous by Dionne Warwick, Tina
Turner, and Rolling Stones among others for the 60's show
on tonight.
Here is a list of what each of them sang on the third
episode of the live themed show, 19 September 2004 and
their respective voting lines-
Emelia
'Anyone Who Had A Heart' by Dionne Warwick 1902 55
55 61 Ricki-Lee 'Proud Mary' by Tina Turner 1902 55
55 62 Anthony 'Gimme Some Lovin' by Spencer Davis 1902
55 55 63 Amali 'Say A Little Prayer' by Dionne Warwick 1902
55 55 64 Daniel 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' by The
Hollies 1902 55 55 65 Marty 'Satisfaction' by Rolling Stones 1902
55 55 66 Hayley 'To Sir With Love' by Lulu 1902 55 55
67 Courtney 'Spinning Wheel' by Blood Sweat and Tears
1902 55 55 68 Chanel 'Walk On By' by Dionne Warwick 1902 55
55 69 Casey 'Somebody To Love' by Jefferson Airplane
1902 55 55 70
SMS First Name to 19 10 10
Phone lines open until 7.40 pm and SMS lines open until
7.00 pm, Monday 20 September. Phone voting and SMS voting
will be charged at 55 cents.
Which contestant will depart Idol this week? Which contestants
will have the least votes? Vote for your favourite contestant
to keep them in. You decide who will be the Australian
Idol. Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see who will be
told that they are heading home and who are safe.
ARIA 'snubs' Australian Idol
| BACK | 19 September 2004
Australian Idol, now in its second series, has continued
to grow its ratings and insinuate itself into every corner
of pop culture, but the show's popularity isn't universal.
More than 2 million Australians tuned in to watch Channel
Ten's Australian Idol last Sunday compared with the 1.47
million who watched the election debate on Channel Nine.
Even the Treasurer, Peter Costello, admits he changed
channels to catch a little Idol action, albeit at the
urging of his teenage children. When politicians start
name-dropping a television talent quest, it's safe to
assume it's captured the zeitgeist.
Even those who don't watch the show struggle to escape
it. The media is saturated with stories about its contestants
and judges. Still, the show's popularity isn't universal.
It's reviled by those who believe its pre-packaged format
undermines the promotion of more authentic talent. This
group scored a victory this week as the three most popular
singers from the first series - Guy Sebastian, Shannon
Noll, Cosima De Vito and Paulini - were marginalised in
the list of nominations for this year's ARIA Awards.
All three have racked up substantial record sales. That's
underlined by the fact each is nominated for highest selling
single, an award category decided by sales alone. Sebastian
and Noll are also vying for highest selling album. But
the Idol alumni didn't manage a single nomination for
peer-voted awards such as best pop release and best male
artist. And when it comes to credibility, they're the
ones that really count.
Australian Idol judge Ian Dickson angered by the limited
nominations is set to boycott the ARIA awards ceremony
in October because he believes Idol stars have been snubbed
by the music industry. No Australian Idol stars were nominated
in peer-voted categories for the ARIA awards, despite
their chart success.
In a letter to a Sydney newspaper, Dickson has called
the lack of nominations a disgrace.
"I've witnessed a lot of industry snobbery hanging
out with Guy and Shannon: a feeling from artists and execs
alike that these two don't belong in the hallowed ground
that is the ARIA Top 10," he said. Dickson claims
the judging academy for the ARIAs, made up of 1034 people
from the music industry, has ignored some of Australia's
best-known, chart-topping musicians because of a desire
to appear "cool".
But the producer for the ARIA awards, Mark Pope, reacted
angrily to the claim. "It seems the judge can't handle
the judges' decision," said Mr Pope. "I think
it's a little precious. How petulant. For God's sake,
grow up."
Despite the controversy Noll and Sebastian are set to
perform live on the night.
Channel 10 announced late last week that it had secured
local rights to the new TV talent show devised by Simon
Cowell, who pioneered the role of bad-boy-Brit judge on
the Idol formats in the US and UK.
The X Factor is a search for singing stars in three categories
- under 25s, over 25s and vocal groups.
Like Idol there are three judges and like Idol, Cowell
in the UK is one of them. No word on whether our Cowell
equivalent will appear in the local version of the show,
which will air in February.
The Top 11 of Australian Idol was reduced to ten after
Dan O'Connor was eliminated from the series after the
second of the live finals result shows. Before the results
were announced, the remaining Top 11 sang together with
a performance of "Play That Funky Music".
After the performance hosts Andrew G and James Mathison
named the three contestants who had the least amount of
votes. They were Dan, Hayley Jensen and Marty Worrall.
The emotional contestants were then told that both Hayley
and Marty was safe for another week and that Dan was eliminated.
The live audience were able to show their appreciation
while Dan performed his song from last night's themed
Pop show-"Higher" by Creed.
Tune in tomorrow for the hour-long special "Australian
Idol: Live and Unforgettable" when the most memorable
auditionees return to sing for their chance to perform
at the Australian Idol finale at the Sydney Opera House.
Also tune in on Thursday for "Inside Idol" at
7.30pm for all the behind the scenes action and next Sunday
to see the third live performance show based on 1960's
hits and next Monday to see which contestant is eliminated.
Australian Idol beats election debate
| BACK | 13 September 2004
Australians have voted with their remote controls to confirm
they like reality TV more than the reality of a cliff-hanger
election campaign.
Opposition Leader Mark Latham was judged the winner of
the great debate with Prime Minister John Howard, but
reality TV program Australian Idol won the night on television.
Ratings figures indicated the debate on Nine was watched
by a peak of 1.51 million people across the nation, compared
to a peak of more than 2.1 million viewers for Australian
Idol on the Ten Network.
The ratings for the debate did improve when about 290,000
people were added who watched the delayed 10pm telecast
on the ABC. But the debate still finished second overall
to Australian Idol.
The Seven Network's JAG, or Coxy's Big Break in Melbourne,
came in third with a peak of 1.2 million viewers, while
the ABC attracted about 800,000 viewers for its program
on the life of Sir Donald Bradman.
Politically, the debate attracted its biggest audience
in Melbourne and Sydney and its weakest audience share
in the key election battlegrounds of Adelaide, Perth and
Brisbane, where the ALP needs to make ground in order
to win power.
The Nine network's electronic worm, which judged audience
reaction to comments during the debate, gave the contest
to Mr Latham 67 per cent to 33 per cent.
Mr Costello said Mr Howard was the clear winner, but he
had tipped viewers would have preferred Australian Idol.
The remaining Top 11 Australian Idol finalists have performed
live in the second round of 'live' theme shows in Australian
Idol. The contestants sang songs classified under the
broad Pop genre, which included songs made famous by R.
Kelly, No Doubt, Anastacia, Pink, Beyonce and Creed among
others for the pop themed show on tonight.
Here is a list of what each of them sang on the second
episode of the live themed show, 12 September 2004 and
their respective voting lines- Casey 'Don't Speak' by No Doubt 1902 55 55 61 Dan 'Higher' by Creed 1902 55 55 62 Emelia 'Family Potrait' by Pink 1902 55 55 63 Anthony 'Ignition' by R. Kelly 1902 55 55 64 Hayley 'Left Outside Alone' by Anastacia 1902
55 55 65 Amali 'Shackles' by Mary Mary 1902 55 55 66 Courtney 'No Matter What' by Badfinger 1902
55 55 67 Chanel 'History Repeating' by Propellerheads 1902
55 55 68 Daniel 'You Raise Me Up' by Josh Groban 1902
55 55 69 Marty 'Remedy' by Jason Mraz 1902 55 55 70 Ricki-Lee 'Work It Out' by Beyonce Knowles 1902
55 55 71
SMS First Name to 19 10 10
Phone and SMS lines open until 7.00 pm, Monday 13 September.
Phone voting and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
Which contestant will depart Idol this week? Which contestants
will have the least votes? Vote for your favourite contestant
to keep them in. You decide who will be the Australian
Idol. Tune in tomorrow from 7:30pm to see who will be
told that they are heading home and who are safe.
The Top 12 of Australian Idol was reduced to eleven after
Angie Narayan was eliminated from the series after the
first of the live finals result shows. Before the lines
closed at 7:40pm, all the Top 12 sang together for the
first time with a performance of "Good Times"- song made
famous by INXS and Jimmy Barnes.
After the performance hosts Andrew and James named the
three contestants who had the least amount of votes. They
were Emelia, Angie and Amali. The emotional contestants
were then told that Amali was safe for another week. It
was then announced that Angie was eliminated. The live
audience were able to show their appreciation to Angie
while she performed her song from last night's themed
show- 'Touch Of Paradise' by John Farnham.
Tune in on Thursday for "Inside Idol" at 7.30pm for all
the behind the scenes action. Also tune in next Sunday
to see the second live performance show based on 'Pop'
hits and next Monday to see who which contestant is eliminated
next.
Australian Made Performance Show
| BACK | 5 September 2004
The Top 12 Australian Idol finalists have performed live
in the first round of 'live' theme shows in Australian
Idol. The contestants sang songs made famous by Australian
artists including the Bee Gees, Olivia Newtown John, Tina
Arena, John Farnham and Killing Heidi among others for
the locally themed show on tonight.
Here is a list of what each of them sang on the first
episode of the 'live' themed show, 5 September 2004 and
their respective voting lines-
Chanel
'Green Limousine' by The Badloves 1902 55 55 61 Daniel 'You Were There' by Southern Sons 1902
55 55 62 Amali 'Emotion' by the Bee Gees 1902 55 55 63 Ricki-Lee 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' by Olivia
Newtown John 1902 55 55 64 Marty 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby' by
John Farnham and Jimmy Barnes 1902 55 55 65 Casey 'Symphony Of Life' by Tina Arena 1902
55 55 66 Angie 'Touch Of Paradise' by John Farnham 1902
55 55 67 Anthony 'Heaven Knows' by Rick Price 1902 55
55 68 Emelia 'Just The Thing' by Paul Mac 1902 55
55 69 Dan 'Better' by Screaming Jet 1902 55 55 70 Hayley 'Weir' by Killing Heidi 1902 55 55 71 Courtney 'You Weren't In Love With Me' by Billy
Fields 1902 55 55 72
SMS First Name to 19 10 10
Phone and SMS lines open until 7.40 pm, Monday 6 September.
Phone voting and SMS voting will be charged at 55 cents.
One contestant will depart Idol each week until there
are only two left standing for the Grand Final at the
Sydney Opera House.
Which contestants will have the least votes? Vote for
your favourite contestant to keep them in. You decide
who will be the Australian Idol. Tune in tomorrow from
7:30pm to see who will be told that they are heading home
and who are safe.
Sunday Night Themed Shows
| BACK | 5 September 2004
The next round of Australian Idol will involve weekly
live performances in front of a live audience and a band
on themed shows and the elimination of one of the Top
12 each week. The Sunday night 'live' performances shows
will feature each of the finalists performing a song during
themed episodes 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 Australian Made
songs and the contestants will perform hits made famous
by Australian artists. 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
