news articles 8 november

[Inside Australian Idol]

Condobolin, Adelaide, the world?
By Tony Davis
November 8, 2003


Tina Arena has been roped into Sunday's Idol "sing-off", apparently to give advice to Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll. Photo: Robert Pearce. Available at Fairfaxphotos.com


Nearly 4 million television viewers across the country are bracing for the Shannon versus Guy, Condobolin versus Adelaide Australian Idol finale.

And now it seems the whole world is waiting for the result.

Not the real world, of course, but the parallel Idol world, which takes in 20 countries including Serbia and Finland, and could soon include China (perhaps giving a billion or so people their first ever chance to vote).

Andrew Brooke, the chief executive officer of Grundy Television, which makes the local series for Channel Ten, said yesterday that a World Idol is almost ready and could be screened next month.

But while the international version, shot in Britain and including the Australian winner, looks "90 per cent certain", Mr Brooke admits his company has not been able to garner local interest in Idol Junior.

Another brainchild of ex-Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller, this involves wannabes aged six to 12. The concept has been run in the US, producing the instant band American Juniors.

"It wasn't the smash hit in the US that Idol was but in isolation . . . it was a successful show," Mr Brooke said.

World Idol will be shot in a concentrated format rather than as a series. The plan is to include the winners of 12 national Idol competitions, including Britain, the US, South Africa and various European countries. The winner of Superstar, the Pan-Arabic version, could also compete.

"We're still one of the question marks officially," said Mr Brooke, "although everyone is expecting we will participate . . . and we are very keen."

He said as well as sending our "idol" to Britain, Ian Dickson would represent Australia on the judging panel. It's an ironic choice considering Dickson's thick English accent.

Unfortunately for Ten, World Idol needs to be screened live or close to it for voting reasons, and it's in the non-ratings period. "It's not ideal that a program potentially that big should be out of survey," Mr Brooke said, "but you imagine it would still be a program that . . . should attract a lot of advertiser interest."

Yesterday afternoon, Australian Idol became the stuff of politics when Ian Armstrong, the National Party member for Lachlan, and Peter Black, Labor member for Murray-Darling, released a joint press release declaring "the West has a public champion . . . Vote early and vote often for Shannon".

Sunday night's showdown episode will see Sebastian and Noll each sing the ballad Angels Brought Me Here, which will be released as a single by the winner - but not until 10 lucrative days of phone and SMS voting has decided who that winner is.

And although Sebastian has flu, it seems there won't be another Cosimagate. "I'll definitely be able to keep going," he said, "and if not, I'll keep going anyway."

A concert featuring all 12 finalists will be held at the Opera House on November 19.

www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/07/1068013394033.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Idols make haste preparing single
Mandi Zonneveldt and Luke Dennehy
08nov03
AUSTRALIAN Idol finalists Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll have recorded the single that will be released after the winner of the top-rating show is crowned next week.




Unlike British Pop Idol releases, the single is rumoured to be a new song rather than a cover.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the soon-to-be-released single is called Angels Brought Me Here.

Idol judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson said Sebastian had put his trademark R&B twist on the single while Noll's effort was "something reminiscent of Bryan Adams in his multi-platinum heyday".

The song will be performed for the first time on Sunday night's show, which is expected to pull up to 2.5 million viewers.

Yesterday the finalists also revealed their choices for their final studio performance.

Noll will sing Jimmy Barnes' classic Working Class Man and Bryan Adams' ballad Please Forgive Me. Sebastian has chosen Beyonce Knowles' hit Crazy in Love and Michael Jackson's I'll be There.

Music guru Molly Meldrum said yesterday both boys had the potential to win.

"I'd give 10 to both," he said.

"They're two different styles of artist. They're both very good."

Sebastian holds poll position in the race to the end, but bookmaker Centrebet said Australians had renewed faith in country boy Noll.

The agency said Sebastian's bout of flu and Noll's choice of songs for Sunday had punters backing the NSW farmer for a win.

Noll has won the hearts of schoolgirls and grandmothers across the country and is likely to get their vote.


The judges have put their faith in Sebastian, coining the term "Go the 'Fro".

The South Australian narrowly escaped a vote-off a couple of weeks ago, but has since captured the audience with his amazing vocal ability.

And he has credibility Noll might lack in industry circles, with a strong background in music – the church-going singer writes his own songs.

"I make up tunes in the shower, sitting in the car and always carry around a Dictaphone so if a tune comes into my head I can record it into the voicemail on my phone," he said on the Australian Idol website.

Both finalists will have their families in the audience this week.

Noll's mother, Sharon, said the result was still too hard to predict.

"I think it's certainly still left up to the public," she said.

Mrs Noll confirmed the family had sought legal advice after Cosima De Vito's shock exit from the show.

"A lot of people are saying that he got through by default," she said. "I know that's not the case."

Mrs Noll said the family had only sought reassurance from lawyers and would not be pursuing legal action against Channel 10.

Despite his son's position as odds-on favourite, Sebastian's father, Ivan, also denied the competition had been decided on Monday.

"I think it's a matter of week by week," he said. "It all depends on the day, on the performance."


www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,7799788%255E953,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Finalists cut secret song
Mandi Zonneveldt
and Luke Dennehy
08nov03

AUSTRALIAN Idol finalists Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll have recorded the single that will be released after the winner of the show is crowned next week.

Unlike British Pop Idol releases, the single is rumoured to be a new song rather than a cover.
Each has recorded the song and will perform it for the first time on tomorrow night's show, which is expected to pull up to 2.5 million viewers.

While the single is being kept under wraps, the Aussie Idols have revealed their songs for the final studio performance.

Noll will sing Jimmy Barnes' classic Working Class Man and Bryan Adams' ballad Please Forgive Me.









Sebastian has chosen Beyonce Knowles' hit Crazy in Love and Michael Jackson's I'll be There.

Music guru Molly Meldrum said yesterday both boys had the potential to win.

"I'd give 10 to both," he said. "They're two different styles of artist. They're both very good.

Sebastian holds poll position in the race to the finish, but Idol bookmaker Centrebet said Australians had renewed faith in country boy Noll.

The agency said Sebastian's bout of flu and Noll's choice of songs for Sunday had punters backing the New South Wales farmer for a win.

Noll has also won the hearts of schoolgirls and grandmothers.

The boy from the bush bears a striking resemblance to former Big Brother favourites Blair McDonough and Nathan "Marty" Martin. Based on past voting patterns he is in with a chance.

But the Idol judges have put their faith in Sebastian, coining the term "Go the 'Fro".


www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7802014%255E2902,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Guy and Shannon go head-to-head
By TOM RICHARDSON
08nov03
THE contrast could hardly be more stark – the Adelaide singing teacher and the farmer.

The devout Christian pitted against the country larrikin. But Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll share at least one common dream and they are both on the verge of living it.

The pair will face off tomorrow night for the title of Australian Idol. The episode follows a week of intense pressure and controversy prompted by fellow finalist Cosima De Vito's decision to withdraw from the hotly contested talent show.

On stage they may be fierce rivals, but away from the spotlight Malaysian-born Guy, 21, and father-of-two Shannon, 27, have cultivated a bond.

"The two boys have a strong friendship – it's great to see how they get along," Shannon's brother Adam, 35, said yesterday.

Mr Noll said they had been "helping each other out" ever since the pair were placed in the same group when the list of contestants was pared down to the final 100.

"Shannon's very fond of young Guy – the friendship will last a long time after this show is over," he said.

"It's one of the better things to come out of the last week."

And Mr Noll believes both Guy and Shannon are relaxed as to the final outcome. "They'll both be quite happy whichever way it goes."

Mr Noll and his family are angry about Shannon's treatment at the hands of Channel 10, who announced Shannon and Cosima's votes were split by only 0.08 per cent, but did not reveal who had polled more.

"That certainly left a bit of conjecture – it's been on his mind," Mr Noll said. "Channel 10 didn't worry about Shannon too much – they just looked after Cosima.

"They hung Shannon out to dry – I just hope that he concentrates on what he has to do."

Mr Noll said both Guy and Shannon were dejected that they had made the grand final in such controversial circumstances.

"It put some pressure on the boys when they should have been enjoying the best week of the competition," he said.

"There was no real buzz about getting through, even for young Guy – it was pretty solemn about the place. Channel 10 just wanted a controversial show.

"Shannon came out of it with a lot of bad publicity – people are saying that he shouldn't have been there in the first place."

Mr Noll said that Shannon's friendship with Guy and the pair's love of music are the two things that will prevail after the talent show is over.

"They're two young nice boys just trying to do what they love doing – people should be praising them for where they've got, not knocking them down," he said.


www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,7802580%255E911,00.html