The race to the Top 10 on Australian Idol heated up last night as Mzuki and Aaliyah Dechesne were eliminated following a nail-biting vote from the Australian public.
The contestants gave it their all in a high-energy group performance of the Doobie Brothers’ Listen to the Music, which shot to #1 on iTunes, but it was a narrow result that saw some of the competition’s strongest performers leave the stage.
From Seven:
Last night, Mzuki and Aaliyah Dechesne were eliminated from Australian Idol after the nation voted for their Top 10 contestants on Seven and 7plus.
Before Australia’s votes were revealed, the Top 12 lit up the stage with a spectacular group performance of their single, Listen To The Music. Their rousing rendition of the Doobie Brothers classic is officially #1 on iTunes and available to download here.
Hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie revealed that only a handful of votes separated those who progressed through the competition and those who faced potential elimination.
Landing in the bottom four were rapper Mzuki, 28, from VIC; auto-tune artist Bony Onyango, 25, from QLD; disco queen Hannah Waddell, 25, from WA; and 27-year-old powerhouse performer Aaliyah Dechesne, from NSW.
Rock chick Iilysh Retallick, 17, from NSW and uber-talented Marshall Hamburger, 19, from QLD, were safe from the public vote after the judges sent them straight to the Top 10 after the performance shows.
Australian Idol judges Marcia Hines, Kyle Sandilands, and Amy Shark reacted to the verdict: “I have fallen in love with all of them, it doesn’t matter who goes, it sucks,” Amy said.
The bottom four artists took to the stage again to prove they deserved a spot in the Top 10.
Bony’s stage presence enthralled the crowd on Jay Sean’s Down, while Mzuki once again shone the spotlight on rap during her powerful performance of Players by Coi Leray.
Aaliyah’s spectacular performance of Who’s Loving You by The Jackson 5 earned a standing ovation from the judges, while Hannah proved her disco prowess on Blondie’s Heart of Glass.
On leaving the competition, Mzuki said:
“Thank you, Australia. Thank you for having me, and to everyone who voted for me. I am going to keep going.”
Kyle called Mzuki’s elimination a “disappointment,” declaring he hoped a rapper would get all the way through Australian Idol.
“It’s a shame. Keep in touch. When you put a record out, I would love to have the chance to play it for you,” Kyle added.
After her departure, a grateful Aaliyah thanked the judges for “seeing something in me when I didn’t even see it in myself.” “I will continue on my musical journey.” She added
Marcia said:
“Thank you for your grace, your talent, and your humility.”
The Australian Idol 2025 Top 10:
- Bony Onyango, 25, Brisbane, QLD
- Emma Jones , 23, Canberra, ACT
- Gisella Colletti, 16, Perth, WA
- Hannah Waddell, 25, Doubleview, WA
- Iilysh Retallick, 17, Culcairn, NSW
- Jake Whittaker, 30, Stockleigh, QLD
- Jaymon Bob 23, Rockhampton, QLD
- John Van Beek 19, Perth, WA
- Marshall Hamburger, 19, Doonan, QLD
- William Le Brun 21, Melbourne, VIC
Sunday night on Australian Idol: Celebrities from around the globe choose the songs our Idols will perform as the Top 10 take to the stage again in a bid to make the Top 8.
