The final night of Australian Idol auditions were cause for celebration as the all-star judging panel gave out the final tickets to the Top 50.
First to claim a Golden Ticket was 15-year-old Perth student, Phoebe Stewart, whose quick and phenomenal vocals during Adele’s The One and Only left the judges floored.
Brothers from the Hawkesbury region, Cooper and Spencer Turnbull, auditioned separately but both managed to lock a place in the Top 50.
While 20-year-old Spencer embodied a suave Michael Bublé for his rendition of Sway, it was 18-year-old Cooper’s uncanny similarities to a young Harry Styles during his performance of Fallin’ that left a lasting impression on the judges.
Kids party host Jasmine Vanua lived out her Dreamgirls fantasy as she auditioned with And I Am Telling You from Idol megastar Jennifer Hudson. However, Meghan was not sold on the 18-year-old’s song choice, and asked her to perform a different song before the judges granted her a Golden Ticket.
Another musical theatre fan who made their way to the Top 50 was 16-year-old Layla Schillert from Newcastle. After Layla belted out Miley Cyrus’ The Climb, Kyle responded with: “You are the first person who actually has star quality. I think you are exactly what I am looking for.”
Kyle wrapped up the regional road trips with a stop in Crookwell, NSW, to visit 25-year-old fish and chip shop worker Mariah Keramianaki. Mariah performed Proud Mary on the counter while Kyle watched from the shop floor before granting her a Golden Ticket.
Stopping next in Canberra, Kyle met young dad Harry Carman, 26, who’s impromptu audition of I Don’t Want ToBeby Gavin Degraw wowed Kyle and landed him one of the final Golden Tickets.
21-year-old Melbourne social media manager Tahlia Pizzicara brought her large Italian and Maltese family to her audition, where she performed Ariana Grande’s One Last Time. While Meghan was unsure if her song choice was the right one, she gave her the final yes needed to proceed to the next round.
Finally, 19-year-old Bunbury op shop worker Lucy Smith was the final Golden Ticket recipient in this year’s competition. With a haunting rendition of Pleasure and Pain by the Divinyls, the judges were moved by her artistry, claiming they couldn’t wait to see what her first album looked like.
See tonight’s audition highlights:
Spencer Turnbull – Sway by Michael Bublé
Jasmine Vanua – And I am Telling You by Jennifer Hudson
Layla Schillert – The Climb by Miley Cyrus
Mariah Keramianaki – Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Harry Carman – I Don’t Want To Be by Gavin Degraw
Cooper Turnbull – Fallin’ by Harry Styles
Phoebe Stewart – The One and Only by Adele
Tahlia Pizzicara – One Last Time by Ariana Grande
Monday night on Australian Idol: Marcia Hines headlines an epic week of Australian Idol, where the Top 50 will become 24.
Australian Idol – Continues Monday and Tuesday 7.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus
Media Release – Paramount
