news articles 17 september

[Inside Australian Idol]

Idol's brave Courtney
The Eye
September 17, 2003


GLAMAZON Courtney Act has to be one of the unluckiest girls in the country, just missing out on making the final 12 on Australian Idol.

Courtney Act is putting on a brave face.

But yesterday she put on a brave face and told The Eye she still felt very positive that she got so far in the competition.

"Before the show I thought I would be disappointed, but I'm glad I got to this stage," she said.

Act's act has been so convincing that many people believe she is actually a woman.

But speaking as Shane Jenek, he wants to make one thing clear - he is very much a man.

Now that Courtney is well and truly established, Shane wants to explore the real him a bit more, but he is not letting Courtney go.

Act hopes to record in the future, and wouldn't mind hosting a television show.

"But I'm going to be patient, I don't want to be one of those people who you don't hear of in six months," she said.

Act bonded with Victorian finalist Robert Mills, and thinks he has a great chance of going far in the contest. Centrebet agrees - with him opening betting as favourite.

"I'm like the gay brother he never had," Courtney/Shane said.

Act also helped finalist Rebekah LaVauney (below left with fellow finalist Levi Kereama) through the first audition.

"I was so scared, really, really scared, and Courtney was sitting next to me the whole time, and she said you'll be all right," the 25-year-old told The Eye.

LaVauney, who used to sing in the band Swoop, is a single mother of two children, Filipo and Terence, aged four and three.

Not working while raising the children, LaVauney sees Australian Idol as a way for making the kids' lives better.

"This is all about us as a family, I'm doing it for us," she said.

"It's important to get some opportunity for me and my sons so we cannot struggle so hard."

Herald Sun

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[Inside Australian Idol]

Fallen Idol or an idiot
From Sydney Confidential
September 17, 2003


AUSTRALIAN Idol or Australian Idiot - in to which category does former contestant Daniel Wakefield belong?
Confidential yesterday tried to get Wakefield's side of the story about his shock withdrawal from Idol but, like his fallen colleague Anthony Sumbati, he's gone into hiding.

Wakefield, 20, fessed up to Channel 10 this week he had signed contracts which conflicted with the rules of the competition and despite efforts by Ten, BMG and Grundy, all were unable to help him out.

And that's about the only thing that's clear in this mess.

According to his newly appointed publicist, Wakefield recorded some songs earlier this year to be made into a CD for sale at his club gigs, but whether he did this before or after he auditioned is unclear.

When he made it into the final 100 contestants, he then signed some sort of an agreement with an unidentified "record person" who had recorded his songs.

Apparently Wakefield felt he had to sign because the "record person" wanted to make the CD, or be reimbursed for the recording costs.

"Wakefield was not in a position to do either," said his publicist.

For a relatively young bloke, Wakefield has been round the traps. He recorded another CD in 2001, was a finalist in the Mo Awards in 2002 and 2003 and appeared in commercials.

But his most damning move must certainly be the role he took in the film Our Lips Are Sealed alongside the most annoying twins in the world Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen.

The Daily Telegraph

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