Australian Idol is set to make its long-awaited return to Australian Television tonight with Channel 7 hoping its massive investment in the classic music series will provide powerful competition for Married At First Sight and Australian Survivor in the ratings.
The all-new Australian Idol will travel the country searching for wannabe stars, with massive live episodes and results shows as the competition heats up.
Helping unearth the next idol to take Australia by storm will be celebrated American Idol judge and multiple GRAMMY award-winner Harry Connick Jr; powerhouse GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor; unfiltered and unapologetic top-rating broadcaster Kyle Sandilands; and beloved eight-time ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter Amy Shark.
Making good on their promise to leave no stone unturned in the search for the country’s next Idol, the judges travelled to separate regional locations on their hunt for Australia’s next superstar.
I’m just like, fangirling. You just turned into a superstar in my face,”
screamed Meghan after watching the performance of 20-year-old Joshua Hannan.
The audition by 27-year-old Sara Houston moved Harry:
“Personality, presence, heroism. This is what Australian Idol is all about and you have all those qualities.”
The debut of 21-year-old Taigh Wade on the Idol stage left Kyle in awe.
“I’ve been waiting for someone to walk through the door who is totally believable and that I can play on the radio. That is a winner!”
Australian Idol will be hosted by multi-platinum-selling, ARIA Award-nominated singer-songwriter Ricki-Lee – discovered on Australian Idol in 2004 – and internationally renowned entertainment presenter and former E! host Scott Tweedie.
Plus original Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines will be appearing in a special guest role.
Seven Networks Head of Programming Angus Ross recently telling TV Blackbox;
“The best thing about this show is bringing back live television”
“It’s a big swing for Q1, but I think there’s still a lot of positive nostalgia about this show.”
Since its launch in 2001, the Idol franchise has been a major success, launching the careers of some of the biggest names in music, including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Anthony Callea, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act.
The competition is open to aspiring artists aged between 15 and 28 and auditions have been held in cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, the Gold Coast and regional Australia.
Out of thousands of contestants, the lucky few who receive a Golden Ticket from the judges will secure their place in the top 50. The top 50 will perform for the judges to secure a spot in the top 24, and then the top 24 will perform again to determine the competition’s top 12 artists.
The top 12 will be featured in the live performance round of the competition, with viewers voting each week to decide who will become the next Australian Idol.
The grand prize for the winner includes a recording contract with Sony Music and $100,000 in prize money!
