news articles 2 january

[Inside Australian Idol]

Guy misses out on world crown
January 2, 2004 - 7:44AM


Not the World Idol ... Guy Sebastian


Norway's Kurt Nilsen has won the World Idol crown, beating 10 other contenders including Australia's Guy Sebastian.

Sebastian, 21, from Adelaide, wowed judges in the international contest which was taped in London before Christmas and broadcast to a world-wide audience of 100 million viewers on Boxing Day.

But Sebastian's rhythm and blues version of the Louis Armstrong ballad What a Wonderful World was not enough to secure the title over Nilsen's version of U2's Beautiful Day.

"I'm shivering right now you could say," Nilsen, a plumber, said after taking out the title.

"I'm sorry about my English right now. Happy New Year people."

Nilsen impressed judges during the competition but received mixed reviews about his looks.

Australian judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson likened Nilsen to a hobbit from Lord of the Rings.

"You have the voice of an angel and the face of a hobbit," Dickson said after the winning performance.

"If they had a Middle Earth Idol you'd be it." American judge Simon Cowell was more forward.

"We have allowed a lot of ugly people to become recording artists. If this was on radio rather than television, you would walk it."

United States' Kelly Clarkson came second, followed by South Africa's Heinz Winckler and Britain's Will Young.

Sebastian came seventh.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham made a special appearance, giving her support to America's Clarkson and also wishing viewers a happy new year.

Sir Elton John also dropped in to belt out a tune.

The competition tested the talents of the winners of Idol shows from 11 countries around the world.

Other countries represented were Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and the Pan-Arabic region.

Viewers had 24 hours to phone or text message their votes after the Boxing Day broadcast, with no nation permitted to vote for its own representative.

Sebastian, who today sported his trademark afro and wore jeans and a black suit jacket, was shot to national stardom after winning the popular Australian Idol reality television series in November.

He beat fellow Australian Idol contestant Shannon Noll, 27, but both have secured recording contracts with record label BMG Australia.

Sebastian has since proved that a television competition can create a pop star, storming to the top of the Australian single charts with his first song, Angels Brought Me Here.

His debut album, Just As I am, has also gone platinum four times.

Sebastian wrote three of the 12 tracks on the album.

AAP


www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/02/1072908879004.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Guy misses World Idol title
January 02, 2004


NORWAY'S Kurt Nilsen has won the World Idol crown, beating 10 other contenders including Australia's Guy Sebastian.

Sebastian, 21, from Adelaide, wowed judges in the international contest which was taped in London before Christmas and broadcast to a world-wide audience of 100 million viewers on Boxing Day.

But Sebastian's rhythm and blues version of the Louis Armstrong ballad What a Wonderful World was not enough to secure the title over Nilsen's rendition of U2's Beautiful Day.

"I'm shivering right now you could say," Nilsen, a plumber and father of two, said after taking out the title.'

"I'm sorry about my English right now. Happy New Year people."

Nilsen impressed judges during the competition but received mixed reviews about his looks.

Australian judge Ian `Dicko' Dickson likened Nilsen to a hobbit from the Lord of the Rings films.

"You have the voice of an angel but you look like a hobbit," Dickson said after the winning performance.

"If they had a Middle Earth Idol you'd be it."

Kelly Clarkson came second, followed by South Africa's Heinz Winckler and Britain's Will Young.

Sebastian came seventh but said he was not disappointed.

"I am not really disappointed. I am happy it is over and I get to come home," Sebastian said.

He said he had a lot to do setting up his new apartment, which has no furniture, when he gets back to Sydney.

Some local critics have suggested it was Sebastian's song choice which lost him the competition.

However, it was actually the producers that chose the song from one of three of his choices.

"They do it a lot differently here. It is a bit more clinical," Sebastian said from London.

"Australia was heaps more on the fly and more spontaneous. Here they re-do a lot of stuff so the recording of the actual show took forever."

He said the experience "couldn't hurt" his international career.

"I have had really good feedback from the really musical people around the place and good feedback from all of the other idols and their representatives from BMG around the world," Sebastian said.

Sebastian said he had picked Nilsen to win.

"He loves music. He is a cool guy so I am really glad he won," he said.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham made a special appearance along with veteran singer Sir Elton John who dropped in to belt out a tune.

The competition tested the talents of the winners of Idol shows from 11 countries around the world.

Other countries represented were Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and the Pan-Arabic region.

Viewers had 24 hours to phone or text message their votes after the Boxing Day broadcast, with no nation permitted to vote for its own representative.

Sebastian, who sported his trademark afro and wore jeans and a black suit jacket, shot to national stardom after winning the popular Australian Idol reality television series in November.

He beat fellow contestant Shannon Noll, 27, but both have secured recording contracts with record label BMG Australia.

Sebastian has since proved that a television competition can create a pop star, storming to the top of the Australian single charts with his first song, Angels Brought Me Here.

His debut album, Just As I Am, has also gone platinum four times.

AAP

entertainment.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4459,8303866%255E10431%255E%255Enbv,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Norwegian beats Sebastian to 'World Pop Idol' crown
Norwegian male singer Kurt Nilsen has won the World Pop Idol television talent show, beating 10 competitors for the title including Australia's Guy Sebastian.

Nilsen, 25, a plumber before becoming a professional singer, was crowned World Pop Idol following a special edition of the talent contest involving winners of the British and overseas shows.

Nilsen, who sang Beautiful Day by Irish rock band U2 in front of a live studio audience in London, beat off the challenge of US Pop Idol Kelly Clarkson to take top spot.

Belgian pop idol Peter Evrard was third in the contest that featured 11 singers.

Britain's Will Young came fifth.

Sebastian sang a rhythm and blues version of the Louis Armstrong ballad What a Wonderful World.

The first Pop Idol show appeared in Britain in 2001, becoming an instant success.

Similar series followed in 10 other countries - all designed to manufacture pop sensations.

Viewers from the competitors' countries voted to choose their world idol with Nilsen scoring maximum points in nine of the 11 polls.

"This is totally amazing," a tearful Nilsen said after being crowned champion.

Turning to his fellow competitors, he said, "I love you guys".

Nilsen won the Norwegian version of Pop Idol last May.

His subsequent single She's So High instantly topping the Norwegian chart.

-- AFP

www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1019206.htm

[Inside Australian Idol]

Kurt Nilsen of Norway Wins World Idol

Kurt Nilsen from Norway has been crowned World Idol in London, beating Australia's Guy Sebastian and favourite from the USA Kelly Clarkson.

While Sebastian was one of the few acts to receive a favourable response from the bickering judges Nilsen copped a slagging for his looks with grand poobah Simon Cowell calling him "ugly".

By trade, Kurt is a plumber and father of two.

He sang U2's 'Beautiful Day' on the international show but released a cover of Tal Bachman's 'She's So High' after winning the Norwegian contest.

America's Kelly Clarkson came in second place followed by South Africa's Heinz Winckler and England's Will Young in forth place. Guy Sebastian finished in 7th place.


by Paul Cashmere


www.undercover.com.au/news/2004/20040102_worldidol.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Norwegian plumber is World Idol

Bergen plumber turned pop singer Kurt Nilsen repeated his national success on a global scale, becoming the convincing winner of the first "World Idol" competition on Thursday night. Nilsen's unconventional looks were supposed to rule him out of pop stardom, but the power of his voice overcame all obstacles.

Nilsen, 25, was reportedly the favorite with the majority of his competitors, and bookmakers began slashing his odds as the final voting approached, but American Kelly Clarkson and Briton Will Young remained top favorites.

But on the night the juries in nine of the 11 participating countries gave Kurt top votes and a crushing victory in the competition. What he actually won, besides a massive trophy, remains to be seen, but the former plumber is now close to gaining an international recording contract.

Nilsen was one of the few artists to impress the ordinarily vicious panel of judges, and the only criticism the toughest of them could find was with the Norwegian's tousled, gap-toothed appearance.

But being told by the UK's Simon Cowell (acting as US judge) that "If this competition had been on radio you'd walk it", and having the Australian judge say he had the voice of an angel but the looks of a hobbit, probably only boosted the Norwegian's popularity with the public.

"I wasn't taunted (by the judges) so badly. None of them got me for the song. And it seems that those who voted for me ignored the jokes about my looks. People are beginning to understand that it isn't just glamour that sells any more, but the opposite. People listen to the music, the song, and that was lucky for me," Nilsen said.

Nilsen was stunned by his victory and was looking forward to continuing to pursue his music career on a larger scale, and agreed that his plumbing days were now behind him.

"And that means that I need to have a think. But I still have my plumbing tools and had to use them at home last week, when a pipe sprung a leak," Nilsen said.

Nilsen, a father of two, is due to release his cover version of Tal Bachman's "She's So High", which was a big hit in Norway, in the UK shortly, according to newspaper The Sun.

www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=700387

[Inside Australian Idol]

Beautiful day for pop plumber
02/01/2004 11:22 - (SA)


World Idol winner Kurt Nilsen
(MNet photo)


London - Norwegian male singer Kurt Nilsen Thursday won the "World Pop Idol" television talent show.

Nilsen, 25, a plumber before becoming a professional singer, was crowned world pop idol following a special edition of the talent contest involving winners of the British and overseas shows.

Nilsen, who sang Beautiful Day by Irish rock band U2 in front of a live studio audience in London, beat off the challenge of US Pop Idol Kelly Clarkson to take top spot.

Belgian Idol Peter Evrard was third in the contest that featured 11 singers.

South African Idol Heinz Winckler came fourth in the competition beating UK pop sensation and first ever Pop Idol winner Will Young, who came fifth.

The first Pop Idol show appeared in Britain in 2001, becoming an instant success. Similar series followed in 10 other countries - all designed to manufacture pop sensations.

Viewers from the competitors' countries voted to choose their world idol with Nilsen scoring maximum points in nine of the 11 polls.

"This is totally amazing," said a tearful Nilsen after being crowned champion. Turning to his fellow competitors, he said: "I love you guys."

Nilsen won the Norwegian version of Pop Idol last May - his subsequent single She's So High instantly topping the Norwegian charts

www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Abroad/0,,2-1225-1243_1464905,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Norway's 'Pop Idol' wins world title

LONDON (AP) — Norway's Pop Idol Kurt Nilsen moved a step up to World Idol on Thursday when he triumphed in a singing competition with winners from 10 other nations.



Norwegian singer Kurt Nilsen was named World Idol on New Years Day. He was a plumber before winning the Norwegian Pop Idol title.
AP Photo/Freemantle Media, PA

American Idol Kelly Clarkson won second place, and Belgium's Peter Everard came in third when the vote was announced on Britain's ITV television Friday evening following a Christmas Day broadcast of the international singing competition.

"This is totally amazing," said a thrilled and tearful Nilson. "I love you guys," he told the 10 other competitors.

The competitors are all winners of the first season of the Idol series in their respective countries.

Nilson, a 25-year-old plumber, won the Norwegian version of Pop Idol in May. His single, She's So High, went straight to No. 1 in the Norwegian singles chart and is the country's biggest-selling single to date.

The young Norwegian won maximum points from nine of the 11 countries that voted in the contest for his rendition of the U2 track Beautiful Day.

Clarkson, a former Texas cocktail waitress, won the first American title in September 2002 and scored a No. 1 single with A Moment Like This.

Shows patterned after the original series, Britain's Pop Idol, now are seen in more than 20 countries.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-01-02-world-idol-results_x.htm

[Inside Australian Idol]

Norwegian wins World Idol crown


Nilsen's first single spent nine weeks at number one in Norway


Norwegian singer Kurt Nilsen has won the clash of the world's Pop Idols.

Nilsen, 25, a former plumber, was named World Idol in a special edition of the talent contest which featured the winners of all the international shows.

US Pop Idol Kelly Clarkson was second and Belgian Peter Evrard third. UK Pop Idol Will Young came fifth in the competition, hosted by Ant and Dec.

Nilsen, who performed the U2 track Beautiful Day, won maximum points from nine of the 11 countries that voted.

The winners of 11 international Pop Idol competitions took part, with the winner chosen by a public vote.


Pop Idol winners from 11 countries took part
The other countries in the contest were South Africa, Poland, Netherlands, Germany, the Middle East, Canada and Australia.

They all sang on the show on Christmas Day, with the Eurovision-style voting results being broadcast on New Year's Day.

"This is totally amazing," Nilsen said, telling the other 10 competitors: "I love you guys."

A father of two, Nilsen had the biggest-selling Norwegian single of all time in his home country with She's So High, his debut release after winning Pop Idol.

His album then went platinum on its first day of release.

The show's creator Simon Fuller said he saw Pop Idol as a "global concept" from the start.

"The last two years have been fantastic and it is incredibly satisfying to see a British TV idea being so successful on a global stage," he said.


news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3362257.stm

[Inside Australian Idol]

Will finishes fifth in 'World Idol' contest
08:56 GMT, Friday 2nd January 2004 -- by James Welsh
The winner of the first series of Pop Idol, Will Young, finished fifth in the global World Idol contest that saw winners of the first series of Idol from various countries go head-to-head.

Norway's Kurt Nilsen won the show, with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson finishing in second place. Belgium's Peter Evrard was third.

The first part of the show, which aired on Christmas Day, pulled in 4.5m viewers in the UK and failed to ignite interest in the US where only 6.5m people tuned in. Numbers for the results show on New Year's Day are not yet available.

www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds12894.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Pop culture gap
Norwegian proclaimed World Idol, Malcolm places sixth
Friday, January 2, 2004

By KEVIN WILLIAMSON -- Toronto Sun
He ain't heavy and he ain't the World Idol either.

Canada's Ryan Malcolm came in sixth place last night as fast-fingered television viewers voted Norwegian Kurt Nilsen winner of the global showdown between pre-fab pop idols.

Eleven singers who won Idol contests in their own countries squared off in a broadcast aired Christmas Day on CTV and Fox.

Nilsen's victory was a bit of an upset -- it's hard to imagine his gap-toothed grin ever gracing the cover of Tiger Beat, isn't it? -- but then, perhaps being derided in the previous broadcast as "a hobbit" by the judges worked in the former plumber's favour, swaying the sympathy vote towards him and away from front-runner American Kelly Clarkson.

She came in second, with Belgian Peter Evrard finishing third and Britain's Will Young coming in fifth.

In an interview after the show was taped yesterday in London, the 24-year-old Malcolm took the loss in stride.

"Kurt's a really good friend now and I'm extremely happy for him, he deserved it 100 percent," said the ex-waiter from Kingston, Ont.

"Just exposure wise, even in London here, I'm getting recognized quite a bit and actually even in Morocco, which is kind of crazy, so that way it has definitely grown."

Not that Malcolm, whose single Something More is inescapable if you have a radio, was ever considered a contender for the Idol throne; his performance on the Christmas Day broadcast, in which he crooned He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, was slammed by the judges for lacking soul.

(And while, true, the dude's gawky dance moves couldn't be any whiter if he was a wedding singer, Malcolm should take some comfort knowing the criticism is coming from a panel of nitwits whose job it is to bicker and churn out pre-sold pop stars.)

The only judge, not surprisingly, to voice substantive support for Malcolm was Canadian Zack Werner.

"You should be proud of what you did," Werner said.

He should have added: "And remember, you'll always have CanCon."

Nilsen won the contest in nine of the 10 countries where viewers could vote for him in addition to taking the maximum number of points in Norway. (Countries couldn't vote for their own Idols.) He ended up with 106 out of a maximum 112 points that were available. Clarkson had 97 points. Malcolm got 62 points.

Clarkson wasn't the only American disappointed in World Idol. In the U.S., Fox executives are lamenting the tepid ratings the Christmas Day broadcast got -- a mere 6.5 million. In Canada, about 1.9 million viewers tuned in -- good enough for CTV.

Should he make a sequel, Idol overseer Simon Fuller -- the same evil genius who foisted the Spice Girls upon the world in the mid-'90s -- might want to look at actually putting something at stake.

There was no prize, not even a set of braces, for Nilson. In the minds -- and wallets -- of the producers, being named "World Idol" is reward enough. Are sales of Nilsen's CD going to skyrocket in North America now that he's been named "World Idol?" Sure. And Justin Timberlake should worry.

Besides, it is the scaberous, squabbling judges who have become Idol's true stars -- as evidenced on Christmas Day when they seemed bent on topping each other with barbarous put-downs. The most memorable of all these exchanges came between Werner and American Idol judge Simon Cowell who nearly came to blows. Or deep scratches, anyway.

"You are not fit to judge this girl," Cowell snapped at Werner after the Canadian was unimpressed by Clarkson's performance of You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman.

Will there be a rematch for Cowell and Werner someday? It's reportedly undecided whether there will be World Idol 2 as producers weigh whether or not their franchise has peaked.

Fans hungry for more glorified karaoke won't have to wait too long, though.

American Idol 3 is set to debut Jan. 19 and, closer to home, CTV begins auditions in nine cities for Canadian Idol 2 in February (although not in Calgary) with the show returning in the summer.

-- with files from CP

www.canoe.ca/Television/jan2_worldidol-sun.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Ridiculed Norwegian claims World Idol crown

Canadian Press

LONDON — The judges focused on Norwegian Kurt Nilsen's gap-toothed grin, but television viewers were more impressed with the one-time plumber's voice as he won the first ever World Idol competition Thursday.



Canadian Idol winner Ryan Malcolm finished sixth in the field of 11 singers who won Idol competitions in their own countries, but the former waiter from Kingston, Ont., was pleased he took part in World Idol because of the exposure it gave him outside Canada.

"Kurt's a really good friend now and I'm extremely happy for him, he deserved it 100 per cent," said Malcolm, 24, whose single Something More went to No.1 on the Top 40 charts in Canada before the release two weeks ago of his first album Home.

"I had a lot of fun and got to meet a lot of good people."

Malcolm, who spent the Christmas holidays in Morocco, said World Idol has helped his fledgling singing career.

"I think I may have grown as a performer," he said in an interview after the show was taped Thursday afternoon in London. "Just exposure wise, even in London here, I'm getting recognized quite a bit and actually even in Morocco, which is kind of crazy, so that way it has definitely grown. That was the point."

The results of the talent contest were based on votes cast by viewers following the World Idol show that was broadcast Christmas Day on CTV.

American Kelly Clarkson, the favourite among the judges, was second in the voting, with Belgian Peter Evrard finishing third. Britain's Will Young came fifth.

The New Year's Day show featured guest performances by former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and Elton John.

During the first broadcast, most judges were more interested in Nilsen's looks than his rendition of U2's Beautiful Day.

"You have the voice of an idol but you look like a Hobbit," said Australian judge Ian Dickson. "If this were Middle Earth Idol you'd walk it."

Each of the 11 participating countries had its own voting system to rank the performers. All got the maximum 12 points available to them in their own countries, which couldn't vote for their homegrown winners. The remaining points were then assigned based on where the contestants finished in the voting.

That means in Canada, viewers couldn't vote for Malcolm, but he automatically got 12 points.

The winner of the Canadian vote got 10 points for finishing first, the second place finisher got nine points with the scale dropping by one for each finishing place down to one point for 10th.

Nilsen won the contest in nine of the 10 countries where viewers could vote for him in addition to taking the maximum number of points in Norway. He ended up with 106 out of a maximum 112 points that were available. Clarkson had 97 points. Malcolm received 62 points.

The number of votes cast in each country weren't released.

In the Christmas Day show, Malcolm's performance of the Hollies classic He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother) was criticized by the judges for lacking passion.

"Sincerity was just a little light," said British judge Pete Waterman.

There was no prize for winning World Idol. The winners of the national Idol contests have received record deals and career guidance.

In the U.S., the Fox television network said it was slightly disappointed with the 6.5 million viewers that World Idol attracted on Christmas Day, but CTV declared itself satisfied with the nearly two million viewers who tuned in for Malcolm's performance.

"It was a bit of a test for us at CTV because Christmas Day has never been a traditional day of original programming," said Ed Robinson, senior vice-president of comedy and variety at the network. "So it was an experiment for us and an occasion to see how the audience reacted and they reacted in a big way."

An average of 1.9 million people watched the show on CTV last week, with the numbers peaking at 2.2 million during the last half-hour.

Robinson said it's too soon to say if a second World Idol will be held, adding it depends on how many other countries want to participate and whether the British producers of the show see a future for it.

"It wouldn't just be our decision," he said. "It's been successful for us and we'd certainly want to look at it again."

CTV has announced that auditions will be held in nine cities for Canadian Idol 2. Auditions will take place from mid-February through April in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John's, Nfld.

www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1073018885213_27/?hub=Entertainment

[Inside Australian Idol]

Kurt's Lord of the Sings



Hobbicat ... Kurt, and Sam, right


By EMILY SMITH
TV Editor

HOBBIT lookalike Kurt Nilsen last night beat Will Young to the World Idol title — then branded the British hero “an a**hole.”

Norwegian Kurt, 25 — from the land famed for getting “nil points” at Eurovision — left Will trailing down in fifth place on the ITV show.

When hosts Ant and Dec announced his victory with a score of 106, the ex-plumber blubbed: “This is totally amazing” and said to his rivals: “I love you guys.”

But he later told a newspaper from his hometown of Bergen: “Will Young is an a**hole.

“He didn’t want to shake my hand and say hello.”

Kurt had been branded a hobbit by Aussie judge Ian Dickson because of his startling resemblance to Lord of the Rings’ Sam Gamgee.



Fellowship ... Will and Kurt on Idol sofa before outburst


Simon Cowell, acting as the US judge, told him: “If this competition had been on radio you’d walk it. The problem is you are ugly.”

But Kurt still polled top points from nine of the 11 countries taking part — including BRITAIN — with his version of U2’s Beautiful Day.

One-time favourite, America’s Kelly Clarkson, 20, was runner-up with 97 points for Natural Woman.

Will, 24, managed only 72 points for his version of Light My Fire.

Dad-of-two Kurt is now set to release his single She’s So High in the UK.

It managed huge sales in Norway, staying at No1 for nine weeks.



www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004000394,00.html

[Inside Australian Idol]

Norwegian takes 'World Idol' title
Thursday, January 1, 2004 Posted: 10:28 PM EST (0328 GMT)


LONDON, England (AP) -- Norway's "Pop Idol" Kurt Nilsen moved a step up to "World Idol" when he triumphed in a singing competition with winners from 10 other nations.


Norwegian singer Kurt Nilsen who was named "World Idol."

"American Idol" Kelly Clarkson won second place, and Belgium's Peter Everard came in third when the vote was announced on Britain's ITV television Friday evening following a Christmas Day broadcast of the international singing competition.

"This is totally amazing," said a thrilled and tearful Nilson. "I love you guys," he told the 10 other competitors.

The competitors are all winners of the first season of the "Idol" series in their respective countries.

Nilson, a 25-year-old plumber, won the Norwegian version of "Pop Idol" in May. His single, "She's So High," went straight to No. 1 in the Norwegian singles chart and is the country's biggest-selling single to date.

The young Norwegian won maximum points from nine of the 11 countries that voted in the contest for his rendition of the U2 track "Beautiful Day."

Clarkson, a former Texas cocktail waitress, won the first American title in September 2002 and scored a No. 1 single with "A Moment Like This."

Shows patterned after the original series, Britain's "Pop Idol," now are seen in more than 20 countries.

www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Music/01/01/world.idol.ap/

[Inside Australian Idol]

No idol win for Guy
January 2, 2004


World idols: (from left) German Alexander Klaws, Dutch Jamai Loman, British Will Young, US Kelly Clarkson, Norwegian Kurt Nilsen, Canadian Ryan Malcolm and Pan Arab competitor Diana Karzon. Front row: Polish Alex Janosz, Australian Guy Sebastian, Belgian Peter Evard and South African Heinz Winkler.
Picture: AFP



Norway's "hobbit-like" Kurt Nilsen has won the World Idol crown, beating 10 other contenders including Australia's Guy Sebastian and favourite from the US Kelly Clarkson.

Sebastian, 21, from Adelaide, wowed judges in the international contest which was taped in London before Christmas and broadcast to a world-wide audience of 100 million viewers on Boxing Day.

But Sebastian's rhythm and blues version of the Louis Armstrong ballad What a Wonderful World was not enough to secure the title over Nilsen's rendition of U2's Beautiful Day.

"I'm shivering right now you could say," Nilsen, a plumber and father of two, said after taking out the title.

"I'm sorry about my English right now. Happy New Year people."

Nilsen impressed judges during the competition but received mixed reviews about his looks.

Australian judge Ian 'Dicko' Dickson likened Nilsen to a hobbit from the Lord of the Rings films.

"You have the voice of an angel but you look like a hobbit," Dickson said after the winning performance.

"If they had a Middle Earth Idol you'd be it."

Kelly Clarkson came second, followed by Germany's Peter Evrard, South Africa's Heinz Winckler and Britain's Will Young.

Sebastian came seventh but said he was not disappointed.

"I am not really disappointed. I am happy it is over and I get to come home," Sebastian said.

He said he had a lot to do setting up his new apartment, which has no furniture, when he gets back to Sydney.

Some local critics have suggested it was Sebastian's song choice which lost him the competition.

However, it was actually the producers that chose the song from one of three of his choices.

"They do it a lot differently here. It is a bit more clinical," Sebastian said from London.

"Australia was heaps more on the fly and more spontaneous. Here they re-do a lot of stuff so the recording of the actual show took forever."

He said the experience "couldn't hurt" his international career.

"I have had really good feedback from the really musical people around the place and good feedback from all of the other idols and their representatives from BMG around the world," Sebastian said.

Sebastian said he had picked Nilsen to win.

"He loves music. He is a cool guy so I am really glad he won," he said.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham made a special appearance along with veteran singer Sir Elton John who dropped in to belt out a tune.

The competition tested the talents of the winners of Idol shows from 11 countries around the world.

Other countries represented were Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada and the Pan-Arabic region.

Viewers had 24 hours to phone or text message their votes after the Boxing Day broadcast, with no nation permitted to vote for its own representative.

Sebastian, who sported his trademark afro and wore jeans and a black suit jacket, shot to national stardom after winning the popular Australian Idol reality television series in November.

He beat fellow Australian Idol contestant Shannon Noll, 27, but both have secured recording contracts with record label BMG Australia.

Sebastian has since proved that a television competition can create a pop star, storming to the top of the Australian single charts with his first song, Angels Brought Me Here.

His debut album, Just As I am, has also gone platinum four times.

- AAP


www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/01/02/1072908880337.html