news articles 26 december

[Inside Australian Idol]

Family affair for World Idol
By Sophie Tedmanson
December 26, 2003


AFTER a whirlwind four weeks of Australian Idol mania, Guy Sebastian will sit down with his family today to watch a bit of television. But they won't be escaping the chart-topper's face on the box.

The Sebastian clan will gather to watch the 22-year-old singer compete against Idol winners from around the world for World Idol, which airs tonight on Network Ten.

Yesterday the Adelaide singer, whose debut album is at the top of the ARIA charts, spent Christmas with his family in Melbourne, where Sebastian sang at Carols By Candlelight.

He said watching World Idol tonight would be a special occasion. "It'll be great because I never saw Australian Idol with my family because the show was taped in Sydney, so watching World Idol with them will be really special," he told The Australian.

Sebastian has become a favourite to win World Idol after receiving overall praise from the panel of international judges, who were scathing of many of the 10 other contestants when the show was taped in London last week.

Polish judge Kuba Wojewodzki said of South Africa's Heinz Winckler "the only thing that's keeping me here is gravitational force and the fact that my flight doesn't leave until tomorrow", while Canadian judge Zack Werner described Germany's Alexander Klaws as "a cross between an aerobics instructor and a porn star".

The reactions to Sebastian's version of Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World, were less harsh. Dutch judge Henkjan Smits said his "charisma and voice makes him a potential World Idol".

Sebastian, Kelly Clarkson (US), Will Young (UK) and Kurt Nilsen (Norway) are favourites to win World Idol, which will be voted by viewers from around the world. The winner will be announced in Australia on January 2.

The Australian

entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,8256635%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

World Idol
By Greg Hassall
December 26, 2003

World Idol
Ten, 7.30pm

Can our squeaky-clean local hero sneak under the radar and grab the prize from the favourite, America's Kelly Clarkson? He has little more than two minutes to wow the world with his funky version of What a Wonderful World and if he does, it could catapult the Adelaide choirboy to stardom. Then we'll really see how "freakin' hard" it is for him to protect his precious virginity.

Reports from London, where this was filmed last week, suggest it degenerated into a slanging match between the judges, which should be a lot more interesting than the performances. Sebastian was reportedly crushed, saying afterwards: "I thought this was going to be a beautiful thing. A celebration of music from around the world, of different cultures coming together. Instead we got a slagging match that upstaged all the idols." Bless him.

I'm glad Sebastian is representing Australia in World Idol. The choice between him and Shannon Noll couldn't have been more stark. In Noll, we had a posterboy for John Howard's Australia a blokey, white-bread battler from the bush, whose signature song, What About Me?, sounded dated when it came out in 1982.

Sebastian, on the other hand, symbolises a very different Australia. Part Malaysian, seriously funky and suspiciously unblokey, he challenges just about every assumption overseas viewers are likely to have about us. And that can't be a bad thing. Go the fro!

www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/26/1072308661054.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Sebastian's a dark horse to rule world
Emma Chalmers, entertainment reporter
26dec03

FORGET the Boxing Day cricket Test against India, thousands of Australians will be flying the green and gold today for Australian Idol's Guy Sebastian.

From 7.30pm tonight, Australia's first Idol will go head-to-head with 10 other Idols from around the world in a sing-off to crown the first global Idol.

Filmed in London last week, the Idol special generated headlines before it was televised because of a slanging match between judges.

Viewers may not get to see UK judge Simon Cowell's barbed comments or the bizarre behaviour of the Polish critic, as producers indicated the program would be heavily edited.

Australia was represented on the panel by Ian "Dicko" Dickson.

No matter what the judges say, the public will be responsible for choosing the winner and during tonight's show viewers will be invited to cast phone votes for their favourite performer.

Australian viewers will not be able to vote for Guy, as the points-based voting system means he will automatically receive the highest allocation of points from Australia of 12.

However, viewers can lodge votes for every other performer.

Tonight's special will feature performances from all 11 Idols, ranging from American Kelly Clarkson, the UK's Will Young, South African Heinz Winkler to Norway's Kurt Nilsen.

Each performer will sing once and their song choices should ensure there will be something for every taste.

From Nirvana's Lithium (Belgium's Peter Evrard), to U2's Beautiful Day (Norway's Kurt Nilsen), I Don't Know How to Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar (Poland's Alicja Janosz) and Sebastian's choice, Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World.

There will also be smattering of Elton John, an Arabic love song and a song by Aerosmith.

Sebastian emerged as a dark horse for the world title after last week's filming, where he escaped relatively unscathed from the judges.

Betting agency Centrebet had the Adelaide singer at $3.75 to win, just behind favourite Kelly Clarkson at $2.50.

World Idol will screen on Channel 10 tonight at 7.30 and the results will be announced in a special show on January 2.


www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8257194%255E953,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Going global for the good of Guy
By ALEXANDRA ECONOMOU
26dec03

HIS brother may be in the running for the coveted title of World Idol but Ollie Sebastian won't be voting for Guy after tonight's show.

The rules prevent viewers from voting for the contestant from their own country.

Voting instead will be calculated on a points system to ensure that there is no unfair advantage in countries with larger populations.

Australian Idol winner Guy will therefore have to rely on the votes of overseas viewers to get a good worldwide ranking.

Ollie, 25, said there was a temptation to vote for someone who wasn't a favourite to win the competition, to help Guy's chances.

"I guess you always wonder if you should vote for the person least likely to win," he said.

"But if everyone votes that way that person could end up winning."

He said precautions were in place to ensure Australian people would not try to vote for Guy on overseas numbers.

"At the end of the day, as I have said to everyone, Guy was just really pleased to be in World Idol," Ollie said.

"He feels that he is an ambassador for the country."

The show, which was taped 10 days ago in a recording studio in London, also features contestants from the US, Britain, South Africa, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Germany, Canada and Belgium.

American contestant Kelly Clarkson, who is already well known internationally, is hot favourite but Guy is also considered a big contender.

After tonight's show, Australian viewers will have just 24 hours to cast their vote for an international contestant.

Although viewers here cannot vote for Guy there is nothing preventing expatriates living overseas from voting for the Australian Idol and his fans have been drumming up their support through e-mail messages.

A highly-edited version of the show is expected to go to air after US judge Simon Cowell labelled all contestants, apart from Clarkson, "donkeys" and other judges were scathing in their remarks about a number of contestants.

But Guy's rendition of What a Wonderful World was said to have been popular with judges.

"Guy did not choose the song himself," Ollie said.

"He put forward three songs to the show's creator Simon Fuller who made the final decision. I think his song is fitting because it talks about what the world has to offer."

Ollie and his friend Alex Perilli, 22, said it was really exciting to see Guy go this far.

"It's great to see someone you know who has a great talent and ambition realising their dreams," Mr Perilli said.

The Sebastian family will spend some time with Guy in Melbourne before he leaves for London on Sunday for the World Idol verdict show. The finale will be broadcast live on Channel 10 from 6.30am on January 2 and will be repeated the same day at 7.30pm.


World Idol: Performance Show screens on Channel 10 at 7.30 tonight.

www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8257195%255E2682,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

WORLD IDOL JUDGE WORSE THAN COWELL
Dec 26 2003
EXCLUSIVE

By Andy Rudd


IF you thought Simon Cowell was nasty, Australian World Idol judge Ian Dickson will leave you quivering in your boots.

Nicknamed Dicko, he has gained a reputation with his put-downs for Pop Idol hopefuls Down Under.

He said to one female wannabe: "Your voice is a weapon of mass destruction. You could take out small villages with it."

Another was told: "It wouldn't surprise me if all the dogs in the neighbourhood were running this way right now."

And one, who Dicko, 40, thought had tried too hard, was dismissed with: "You looked constipated."

The Brummie judge was in action last night alongside Cowell and Pete Waterman on the panel for World Idol - a Pop Idol playoff for winners from 11 countries.

The British-born marketing boss of BMG Australia is often insulted in the street in the country where he now lives as a result of his acid tongue.

He said: "Early on when you're looking at the s**t ones - those who have been visited by the confidence fairy and not the talent elf - you have ample opportunity to let rip."

He was also crucified in the press for telling an overweight girl to "choose more appropriate clothes or shed some pounds".

But Dicko, who has helped shape the careers of Ozzy Osbourne, Celine Dion and Pearl Jam in his 20 years in the business, distances himself from Simon Cowell - who he calls Harry High Pants in a dig at his high waistbanded trousers.

He said: "A lot of people assume that worldwide there is a Simon Cowell role that has to be played.

"It's not strictly true. If you're serious about finding talent then you have to be honest and very open with these kids. I see it as my role to give the industry point of view."

"I could never be like Simon. People love to hate Simon because he's handsome, he looks and acts like James Bond and he's a rich b*****d.

"He's got everything going for him so when he starts throwing his weight around he's an easy person to dislike."

"I don't look anything like him. For a start I'm scruffy and have long hair. If Simon is James Bond then I'm Neil from the Young Ones."

Although he is British, Dicko is hoping Aussie Guy Sebastian will be named winner of the phone vote in January after last night's show.

He said: "I'm proud of being British but I've got green and gold cutting through my veins.

"I really want Australia to win World Idol because I'm absolutely passionate about Guy Sebastian.

"When people hear him sing they will be blown away.

"He's the best unsigned talent I've ever come across."


www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/content_objectid=13757604_method=full_siteid=50143_headline=-THAT-S-NO-VOICE--THAT-IS-A-WMD---YOU-COULD-TAKE-OUT-A-VILLAGE-WITH-IT-name_page.html