Australian Idol on Channel 7 – Australia decides Idol Top 10. Shock result stuns Australian Idol judges.
Tonight, a bombshell result saw Ripley Alexander and Imogen Spendlove depart Australian Idol after the nation voted for their Top 10 contestants live on Seven and 7plus.
Across Australia, 1.3 million votes were cast, but only a handful separated the bottom four: Ripley, 19, from Brisbane; Imogen, 23 from Victoria; Ivana Ilic, 20, from Victoria; and Karratha’s 24-year-old, TJ Zimba.
Before hosts Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie revealed how Australian had voted, the Top 12 opened the show with a spectacular group performance of Freedom! ’90 by George Michael.
Chart-topping Australian pop duo The Veronicas also took to the stage tonight with a rousing performance of Here to Dance.
As the bottom four were announced, judges Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark were stunned at the shock result. Amy said: “I honestly have no words…my mind is blown right now.”
On Ripley, Kyle said: “The guy has millions of streams and such a unique voice. I’m shocked you are in the bottom.”
The bottom four artists took to the stage to prove they deserve a spot in the Top 10.
Ripley impressed with his take on Mercy by Shawn Mendes, while Ivana showed off her powerful voice on Where Have You Been by Rihanna.
Imogen stunned the crowd with her final performance, singing Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, while TJ brought the vibe with Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.
Kyle called “super talent” Ripley’s elimination: “Unbelievable. A real shame.”
Marcia reflected that Ripley was so popular Australia may have forgotten to vote: “You’ve got to vote to keep people on. We don’t want a repeat of this again. If you really dig somebody vote for them.” She reflected: “I feel like it’s our fault, we talked you up Ripley.”
Amy said: “You have such a bright future and I’m so glad we saw you first. It’s been such an incredible ride. I’m really going to miss your performances; you’re not supposed to have favourites but you’re a real favourite of mine.”
Both eliminated contestants received a standing ovation.
Ripley said: “I love you all. I just want to say thank you all so much.”
Imogen reflected: “Thank you for watching me. I am just happy I got to sing for you all.”
Marcia added: “That is not going to be the last we see of Imogen.”
Next week on Australian Idol: The Top 10 fight for their place in the competition with songs selected by Kyle, Marcia and Amy.
Australian Idol on Channel 7 and 7plus – Performance shows 7.00pm Sunday and 7.30pm Monday. Live Results Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus
Australian Idol on Channel 7
About the Show
Idol is calling. Australian Idol returns Monday, 29 January. This is where stars are made: welcome to Australian Idol!
Twenty-one years after Guy Sebastian pipped Shannon Noll to become Australia’s first Idol, the international star-making sensation returns to Seven and 7 and 7plus for a second big season on Monday, 29 January.
Radio king Kyle Sandilands and TV WEEK Logie Award winner and acclaimed singer Amy Shark will be joined by a new judge: Australian Idol OG and pop legend Marcia Hines. The trio will traverse the country to find the next Guy, Casey or Royston.
Set to be the toughest season yet, with only room for the best of the best, the judges are looking for the complete package: a singer with the sound and style to woo the nation.
Excited to be unearthing Australia’s next singing superstar, Marcia is looking for a strong, pure and melodic voice “that makes the hairs on your body stand up,” regardless of the genre.
The celebrated singer is also looking forward to re-joining Kyle and Amy on the judges’ desk following her guest judging role on the series last year.
“I consider Kyle a good friend and Amy is one-in-a-million and a real individual, without trying to be. Also, Kyle’s a Gemini, Amy’s a Taurus, and I’m the Cancerian in the mix and those three star signs get along very nicely.”
Returning to the Idol judges’ desk for his sixth season, Kyle admits there’s no definitive formula for the ultimate performer, but they have a presence and energy that’s hard to ignore: “The ultimate performer is someone that you admire for their talent, and they’ve got a little swagger or a pizzazz about them that just makes them stand out from the crowd.”
Amy added:
“I’m usually blown away if someone can potentially showcase their personality, voice, style and direction in the space of 10 minutes and leave me wanting more. If I want to learn more about you, I’m interested.”
During their audition, contestants will be on the hunt to score a Golden Ticket to progress to the next round, but with just 30 Golden Tickets across the whole auditions, only the most talented performers will claim their coveted spot in the Top 30.
A global success since 2001, the Idol franchise has launched the celebrated careers of Aussie hitmakers including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee, Anthony Callea, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act.
International music icons Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert also launched their brilliant careers on the Idol stage.
Australian Idol is hosted by multiplatinum-selling, ARIA Award nominated singer-songwriter Ricki-Lee – who was discovered on Australian Idol in 2004 – and internationally renowned entertainment presenter and former E! host Scott Tweedie.
Australian Idol on Channel 7
Media Release – Seven
Australian Idol on Channel 7
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Australian Idol on Channel 7
