news articles 11 november

[Inside Australian Idol]

West goes wild over eastern idols
Vivienne Oakley
11nov03

COSIMA may be out, but that didn't deter thousands of screaming Australian Idol fans in Perth yesterday.

In the first show of a national tour there was no sign of parochialism having deterred fans as thousands turned out for a live performance by the two remaining contestants.

The West Australian girl – Cosima De Vito, 27, withdrew from the competition because of voice problems leaving Adelaide's Guy Sebastian, 21, and NSW's Shannon Noll, 27, to fight it out in the final.

In Perth's central Forest Place yesterday it was hard to tell who had the greater fan base, with thousands of supporters screaming their pleasure at seeing both.

Banners claiming "Guy's our guy" and "Shannon is Australia's Idol" were out in force. Dozens of people were wearing curly wigs in support of Guy's trademark hair style while girls threw roses at Shannon.

Despite temperatures soaring into the high 30s and a lack of shade, the crowd gathered early.

The first fans arrived about midnight, with more than 30 already staking front row positions by 9am yesterday. When the two singers finally took to the stage at 1pm thousands of fans were in place.

Several needed medical treatment after being overcome by the heat, despite water being distributed to the crowd.

The fact it was a school day also did not seem to have deterred many, with the audience predominantly made up of school-aged girls and office workers. Screams meant much of the 20-minute stage appearance was drowned out, but both finalists sang their favourite song from the talent contest.

For Guy that meant his rendition of Prince's When Doves Cry, while Shannon performed his version of the Moving Picture's classic What About Me.

The pair performed in the Channel 10 show on Sunday night before taking to the road for five live performances in four days in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

The telephone voting lines are open for the two contestants until the grand finale at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, November 19. The tour visits Brisbane's King George Square at 4.15pm tomorrow.



www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,7828628%255E953,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Dazed Australian Idol fans

11nov03

SEVERAL young girls were treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration when the two finalists of the Australian Idol program appeared in Perth yesterday.



Lapping it up: Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll keep the big crowd in Perth entertained yesterday.

More than 6000 fans crammed into Forrest Place in the city in 33 C heat to watch Guy Sebastian, 22, and Shannon Noll, 26, sing a song and answer questions.
The appearance was the first of a whirlwind national tour for the Idol hopefuls ahead of next week's final of the popular reality program.

It was unclear how many people needed treatment but a St John's Ambulance spokewoman said there were many -- all young girls.


www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7829110%255E662,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

What the gossip mags say
By Peter Munro
November 11, 2003


The race is on to find celebrity's saddest specimens, and to the biggest loser goes the prize.

NW takes an early lead with "exclusive interviews" with Australian Idol finalists Shannon Noll and Guy Sebastian that promise to reveal "the hidden pain behind the smiles". It is a wonder the poor stars can bear to face the world at all. Shannon thinks he looks stupid when he dances, Guy is mopey because he looks like a gremlin. Oh, the agony!

In the world of genuine celebrities, the "unrelenting pressures" of multi-million dollar salaries are apparently wearing down Hollywood's glamourpusses. Friends star Jennifer Anniston is enduring the "secret crisis" of having no time to raise her children and singer Courtney Love is still sore over having her stomach pumped in front of her 11-year-old daughter.

According to NW, Love has succumbed to the latest Hollywood fad, mini mansions, reportedly buying her daughter a pad of her own. These over-sized doll houses - they are not much bigger than a cubby house - cost about $125,000 and can help junior have their very own minor breakdown, just like mummy and daddy.

Woman's Day rolls out its own Australian Idol "exclusive interview", featuring a one-to-one with drop-out Cosima De Vito. The would-be idol is distraught because her throat is sore and wails: "What if I can never sing again?"

Woman's Day has also snared the story of a bunch of old Tasmanian darls posing in the buff to raise funds for curtains for their community hall. The wrinkly spread includes pictures of 73-year-old Margaret Beasley stoking a fire and Dot Kelly, 72, feeding a cow.

A photograph of 72-year-old Zoe Fyfe, feeding chickens in nothing but a string of pearls, reportedly inspired a marriage proposal from a South African man (to wed Ms Fyfe, not the chooks).

Who spoils Woman's Day's cover story on Elizabeth Hurley and the demise of her scheduled February wedding to Arun Nayar. According to Who, the sad miss was never engaged in the first place. The magazine has a scoop of its own - Will & Grace star Debra Messing is expecting her first child.

Pity NW and TV Week both have the same story. In a sober lesson to all wannabe reality TV stars, TV Week tracks down a cluster of former Idol contestants. Some rejects are now living out their dreams as librarians, cartoon characters at theme parks and singers in Tom Jones tribute shows.

Perhaps the only publication that can be assured of an exclusive is Cosmopolitan. Their front page screams "Are you clitorally dependent." Some women are apparently in danger of neglecting other parts of their body in preference for their "love button".

The magazine implores ladies to "leave no erogenous zone undiscovered". Now, there's a story that no one else has bothered to touch.

www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/10/1068329493895.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Guy gets Premier's backing
November 11, 2003

South Australia's newest pop sensation Guy Sebastian won official state government backing today as the Australian Idol roadshow rolled into Adelaide.


Guy and Shannon in Perth yesterday.


As part of their Australian tour, show finalists Sebastian, 22, and Shannon Noll, 26, performed at Elder Park in the city this morning, attracting several thousand fans.

And while plenty of people were there to support Noll, the crowd favourite was clearly Sebastian with many donning fake afro wigs, similar to his own distinctive hairstyle.

Premier Mike Rann was also on hand to throw his support behind the church-going singer whom he described as one of the best ambassadors South Australia could hope for.

"I wish our bro' with the fro' all the best over the next week in the hope that he scores Australian Idol's major touchdown,'' Mr Rann said.

"Guy's amazing ability demonstrates what South Australians are capable of and we can all look up to him.

"Ten thousand performers started the Australian Idol competition and no matter what the outcome, Guy has done us proud.'' The winner of the Australian Idol competition will be announced at the Sydney Opera House on November 19.

AAP


www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7834051%255E28477,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Cosima's talking again
From Sydney Confidential
November 11, 2003

WHAT? Cosima can talk? Just when Confidential was starting to believe Cosima really was mute, up she pops in an exclusive interview with Woman's Day.


"She can't talk – doctor's orders," has been the excuse every time Confidential has requested an interview.

She even refused an interview via e-mail.

In the magazine interview – rumoured to be worth a tidy sum to Cosima – the 26-year-old was hardly apologetic to Shannon Noll after her shock withdrawal: "I feel really bad for Shannon because we'll never know who came second or third. But it really doesn't matter because I'm so grateful to have made the top three."

Meanwhile it's been more than a decade since Shannon Noll got locked in a cupboard for singing too loudly.

Back in high school his classmates had simply heard enough Barnsey and locked him a school locker.

His Condobolin school mates told Confidential even that didn't stop the wannabe rock star – who continued to sing until they unlocked the cupboard.

After Noll's rendition of Working Class Man on Sunday night, the story is now doing the rounds at Condobolin's two pubs.

Idol was the program of choice, dominating television sets across the nation on Sunday night and winning the 7.30pm time slot over Nine's 60 Minutes and Seven's Rugby Union World Cup.

A national audience of 2,375,627 tuned in to watch Idol compared with 1,382,821 for 60 Minutes featuring Pauline Hanson. The France v Ireland rugby match didn't quite make the top ten.

Seven made up some ground once England and Wales took the field at 9pm, drawing 1,206,401 viewers, but Miss Congeniality stole the show with 1,724,443 viewers tuning in.

Herald Sun


www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7834011%255E28477,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Idols snub Hobart
November 11, 2003

AUSTRALIAN Idol finalists will skip Hobart on their tour of capital cities this week because there is no Channel 10 station in Tasmania.

As is the case in Darwin, Hobart will miss the chance to see the singers live before the final winner is decided at a concert at the Sydney Opera House on November 19.

Tasmania's Southern Cross station takes programs from both the Seven and Ten networks.

The first show of the national tour was held yesterday in Perth, WA, where several young fans were treated for heat exhaustion and dehydration when the two Australian Idol finalists appeared in public.

More than 6000 fans crammed into Forrest Place in the city in 33C heat to watch Guy Sebastian, 22, and Shannon Noll, 26, sing songs and answer questions.

Their appearance was the first of a whirlwind national tour for the young hopefuls ahead of next week's final of the popular TV program.

They will be in Adelaide and Melbourne today, in Brisbane tomorrow and in Sydney on Thursday, ahead of the Opera House finale.

The Mercury


www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7833468%255E28477,00.html