Australian Idol season 5

Australian Idol 2007
Finalists
Matt Corby
Natalie Gauci
Carl Riseley	November 12
Marty Simpson	November 5
Tarasai Vushe	October 29
Daniel Mifsud	October 22
Ben McKenzie	October 15
Jacob Butler	October 8
Mark Da Costa	October 1
Lana Krost	September 24
Brianna Carpenter	September 17
Holly Weinert	September 10

Australian Idol 2007 is the fifth season of Australian Idol which premiered on August 5, 2007 on Network Ten.

Changes to Format

Ian "Dicko" Dickson rejoined the show as one of the judges, along with Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands from 2006. The series is again hosted by Andrew G and James Mathison. The show continued with the format from Season 4 where contestants could use instruments throughout the show and for their audition they could perform original material rather than covering other artist's work.

Ratings

The premiere episode of the 2007 series had 1.65 million viewers, making it the show's second highest rating series opener and 270,000 ahead of last year. The show was in the top ten most viewed shows for the early part of the series and eventually dropped to around number eighteen and nineteen for quite some time due to hot competition from Channel 7's "Kath and Kim". The season was on a low compared to Season 4. The Top 5 performance show marked the re-commencement of higher ratings for the program and it reached number nine.

Process

Auditions

The auditions for Australian Idol 2007 were run from March to May 2007. They were held in:

• Kalgoorlie on March 3
• Bunbury on March 6
• Coffs Harbour on March 10
• Dubbo on March 14
• Canberra on March 18
• Wollongong on March 20
• Newcastle on March 25
• Launceston on March 31
• Hobart on April 1

• Wagga Wagga on April 3
• Darwin on April 14
• Rockhampton on April 19
• Brisbane on April 21 and 22
• Perth on April 29
• Mildura on May 4
• Adelaide on May 6
• Melbourne on May 12, 13 and 14
• Sydney on May 19, 20 and 21

Theatre Rounds (Seymour Centre)

This consisted of each contestant singing one song a Capella of their own choice in front of the judges. Contestants were then told, based on that performance whether they would be moving onto the next round.

Contestants were then put into groups of four. For the first time in Australian Idol history, the groups consisted of two boys and two girls, instead of an all same gender group, done in the previous seasons. Contestants were once again told whether they would be moving onto the next round, based on this performance.

Each person at this point was then to perform a song choice of their own choosing in a solo performance in front of the judges and every other contestant. Based on these performances, one at a time each contestant were told whether they would be apart of the top 24 or if their journey would end.

Semi Finals

The Semi Finals was ran to the same format as Season Four where on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night the four groups of six would perform solo in a live studio. On the Thursday night the first eight finalists were announced and the wildcards were announced. The following Sunday night the wildcards would perform and the Monday night would reveal the remaining four finalists to enter the Top 12.

Here is a list of the Semi Finalists for 2007:

Females	Males
Brianna Carpenter	Lyall Adonis
Jesse Curran	David Andrews
Cheray Doughty	Jacob Butler
Natalie Gauci	Jack Byrnes
Morgan Hosking	Matt Corby
Lana Krost	Mark Da Costa
Sarah Lloyde	Ben McKenzie
Madison Pritchett	Daniel Mifsud
Rosie Ribbons	Carl Riseley
Sally Van Der Zwart	Marty Simpson
Tarisai Vushe	Husny Thalib
Holly Weinert	Junior To'o

Finals

Top 12 The theme was Contestant's Choice so the finalists could show the Australian public who they were as an artist and the kind of music they would like to record. Holly Weinert departed the show this week, with judges believing this to be because of her song choice. 3 girls were in the bottom 3 this week, with the two not going this night both leaving the next two weeks of eliminations.

Top 11 The theme was Rock and many finalists found it extremely difficult. It was considered to be the worst performance show in Idol history, with many contestants struggling and receiving lots of criticism. Brianna Carpenter was eliminated from the show this week, after huge criticism from the judges for her performance the night before.

Top 10 The theme was Disco and many commented that it was a big step up from the previous week. The first touchdown of the season was awarded this week to Matt Corby. Lana Krost was eliminated this week after a shock decision from the public to put Tarisai Vushe in the bottom two with Lana.

Top 9 The theme was Acoustic, where the contestants were given the privilege to use their instruments during the performance. The only contestants not to use instruments were Jacob Butler, Tarisai Vushe and Daniel Mifsud. Daniel scored the second touchdown this week, and his first. Mark Da Costa was eliminated in a surprising elimination.

Top 8 The theme was Britpop where the contestants sang songs from popular British music acts. Tarisai Vushe and Matt Corby both scored touchdowns and Jacob Butler was eliminated.

Top 7 The theme was Year of Birth where contestants sang songs that were released in the year of their birth. This was the first time in three weeks where no touchdowns were awarded. Ben McKenzie was eliminated in an absolutely shocking verdict, as he was one of the favourites to win. Matt Corby joined him in the bottom two this week, which was also a huge surprise to viewers, as he was the clear favourite in polls.

Top 6 This week the contestants chose a song of their choice and the judges also picked a song for each of them. Matt Corby, Carl Riseley and Natalie Gauci all scored touchdowns and Daniel Mifsud was eliminated.

Top 5 This week the theme was Australian Hits. Natalie Gauci scored her second touchdown this week and Tarisai Vushe was eliminated from the competition, believed to be because of her massive tantrum at judges for their critical comments during her performance the night before. This was aired during the elimination show, showing her yelling angrily at Mark Holden. She was joined in the bottom 2 by Natalie, who was the long surviving contestant for 2007 having never been in the bottom 3.

Top 4 The theme was Big Band and Natalie Gauci scored her third touchdown in a row this week. Marty Simpson was finally eliminated after five weeks in the bottom three.

Top 3 This week the contestants sang one song of their choice and another chosen by viewers. With only a 4% difference between the votes, Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby were voted into the Grand Final with the elimination of Carl Riseley.

Doing It For The Kids

On October 19 2007 there was a special Australian Idol telecast, Doing It For The Kids, to raise money for Ronald McDonald House and Telstra Child Flight. There were performances from the Top 6 as well as other artists.

Top 6:

• Carl Riseley - "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
• Daniel Mifsud - "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer
• Marty Simpson - "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty
• Matt Corby - "Bedouin Song" by Lior
• Natalie Gauci - "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
• Tarisai Vushe - "Ooh Child" by Five Stairsteps
• Top 6 Group Performance - "Kids" by Robbie Williams/Kylie Minogue

Special Guests:

• Damien Leith - "Songbird" originally by Fleetwood Mac
• Shannon Noll - "In Pieces"
• Young Divas - "If I Can't Have You" originally by Kim Wilde
• Darren Hayes - "Me, Myself and (I)"
• Vanessa Amorosi - "Kiss Your Mama!"
• Rogue Traders - "Don't You Wanna Feel"
• Katie Noonan - "Time To Begin"

Grand finalists

Matt Corby

Matt Corby is a 17-year-old, (Born on the 7th of November, 1990) who auditioned in Sydney, New South Wales. He is a strong favourite to win the competition, due to his apparent popularity with the teen demographic, in particular amongst females. He has been awarded three "touchdowns" from Mark Holden. Matt has only been in the bottom 3 once. On the 12th of November he was voted into the Final 2, joining Natalie Gauci.

1. "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder - (Top 24)
2. "The Scientist" by Coldplay - (Contestant's Choice Top 12)
3. "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin - (Rock Top 11)
4. "Got to Get You into My Life" by The Beatles - (Disco Top 10) TOUCHDOWN!
5. "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice - (Acoustic Top 9)
6. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve - (Brit pop Top 8) TOUCHDOWN!
7. "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins - (Year you were born Top 7) Bottom 2
8. "The Music of the Night" by Michael Crawford - (Judge's Choice - Mark Holden Top 6) TOUCHDOWN!
9. "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab for Cutie - (Contestant's Choice Top 6)
10. "20 Good Reasons" by Thirsty Merc - (Australian Made Top 5)
11. "Beyond The Sea" by Bobby Darin - (Big Band Top 4)
12. "How Sweet It Is" by Marvin Gaye - (Big Band Top 4)
13. "It's Too Late" by Evermore - (Audience Choice Top 3)
14. "Across the Universe" by The Beatles - (Contestant's Choice Top 3) Bottom 2

Natalie Gauci

Natalie Gauci is a 25 year old from Melbourne, Victoria. She was chosen by the judges to enter the top twelve, through the Wildcard Show. She avoided the bottom three the longest out of any contestant this season. On 29 October, she landed in the bottom three for the first time, despite receiving overall positive reviews from all the judges and the audience. She has scored three Touchdowns from Mark Holden. On 12 November she was the first announced through to the final two, making her the third Australian Idol wildcard contestant to make it to the Finale.

1. "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera - (Top 24)
2. "Feeling Good by Nina Simone" - (Wildcard)
3. "(Baby I've Got You) On My Mind" by Powderfinger - (Contestant's Choice Top 12)
4. "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses - (Rock Top 11)
5. "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor - (Disco Top 10)
6. "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson - (Acoustic Top 9)
7. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse - (Brit pop Top 8)
8. "Endless Love" by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross - (Year you were born Top 7)
9. "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor - (Judges choice - Marcia Hines Top 6)
10. "Umbrella" by Rihanna - (Contestant's Choice Top 6) TOUCHDOWN!
11. "Boys In Town" by Divinyls - (Australian Made Top 5) TOUCHDOWN! Bottom 2
12. "Orange Colored Sky" by Nat King Cole - (Big Band Top 4)
13. "How High The Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald - (Big Band Top 4) TOUCHDOWN!
14. "Ray of Light" by Madonna - (Audience Choice Top 3)
15. "Nobody Knows" by Pink - (Contestant's Choice Top 3)

Eliminated

Carl Riseley (Eliminated November 12)

Carl Riseley is a 24-year-old from Sydney, New South Wales. He was advanced by the four judges to the Final 12 through the Wildcard show. He has been awarded one "touchdown" from Mark Holden. Before Idol, Carl was a member of the Royal Australian Navy, where he plays the trumpet in the Navy Band. Carl was the final eliminee on November 12th when Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby proceeded into the Grand Final.

1. "Home" by Michael Bublé - (Top 24)
2. "Bye Bye Love" by The Everly Brothers - (Wildcard)
3. "Waltzing Matilda" by Banjo Paterson - (Contestant's Choice Top 12)
4. "Clocks" by Coldplay - (Rock Top 11)
5. "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire - (Disco Top 10)
6. "It's Alright with Me" by Harry Connick, Jr. - (Acoustic Top 9)
7. "Can't Buy Me Love" by The Beatles - (Brit pop Top 8) Bottom 2
8. "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson - (Year you were born Top 7)
9. "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones - (Judge's Choice - Ian "Dicko" Dickson Top 6) TOUCHDOWN!
10. "Jealous Guy" by John Lennon - (Contestant's Choice Top 6)
11. "Reminiscing" by Little River Band - (Australian Made Top 5)
12. "Just Kiss Me" by Harry Connick Jr - (Big Band Top 4)
13. "Me and Mrs Jones" by Billy Paul - (Big Band Top 4) Bottom 2
14. "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison - (Audience Choice Top 3)
15. "For Once in My Life" by Stevie Wonder - (Contestant's Choice Top 3)

Marty Simpson (eliminated November 5)

Marty Simpson is a 21-year-old from the Central Coast, New South Wales. He plays guitar, writes his own songs and has been described as a "bloke's bloke" by Mark Holden. He was subjected to much criticism from both the judges and audience due to his inability to perform well under the show's format, something even Marty himself acknowledged. Before Idol, he worked with his father as a brick-layer. He was eliminated on Monday, November 5. He finished in 4th place, and was in the bottom 3 five times throughout the duration of the top 12.

1. "Over My Head (Cable Car)" by The Fray - (Top 24)
2. "Can't Stand Losing You" by The Police - (Contestant's Choice)
3. "Jenny Don't Be Hasty" by Paolo Nutini - (Rock) Bottom 2
4. "You Sexy Thing" by Hot Chocolate - (Disco)
5. "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol - (Acoustic)
6. "Naïve" by The Kooks - (Brit pop)
7. "Now We're Getting Somewhere" by Crowded House - (Year you were born) Bottom 3
8. "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley - (Judge's Choice - Marcia Hines)
9. "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam - (Contestant's Choice) Bottom 3
10. "These Days" by Powderfinger - (Australian Made) Bottom 3
11. "Light My Fire" by The Doors - (Big Band)
12. "American Baby" by Dave Matthews Band - (Big Band)

Tarisai Vushe (eliminated October 29)

Tarisai Vushe is a Zimbabwe born, 20-year-old who auditioned in Sydney, New South Wales. She has been awarded one "touchdown" by Mark Holden. Before Idol, she worked in her family store and studying psychology at university. Tarisai finished in fifth place on the 29th of October 2007. She is known for her issues about being called 'fake', which caused a fiery off-screen argument between Mark Holden and herself. Earlier in the competition she was tipped to win in the betting stakes, but towards the end of her journey on Idol she lost some of her popularity. This may be due to the many negative comments she said about other contestants during media interviews after her elimination.

1. "River Deep - Mountain High" by Ike & Tina Turner - (Top 24)
2. "If I Was Your Woman" by Alicia Keys - (Contestant's Choice)
3. "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes - (Rock)
4. "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer - (Disco) Bottom 2
5. "Kissing You" by Des'ree - (Acoustic)
6. "Somebody to Love" by Queen - (Brit pop) TOUCHDOWN!
7. "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" by Aretha Franklin and George Michael - (Year you were born)
8. "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" by Taylor Dayne - (Judge's Choice - Marcia Hines) Bottom 2
9. "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston - (Contestant's Choice) Bottom 2
10. "When It All Falls Apart" by The Veronicas - (Australian Made)

Daniel Mifsud (eliminated October 22)

Daniel Mifsud is a 23-year-old from Sydney, New South Wales. He was advanced by the public to the Final 12 through the Wildcard Show. He has been awarded one "touchdown" from Mark Holden. Before Idol, Daniel was a music teacher in a primary school. Daniel was eliminated on 22 October 2007.

1. "Tip of My Tongue" by Diesel - (Top 24)
2. "Lay Your Love on Me" by Roachford - (Wildcard)
3. "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake - (Contestant's Choice)
4. "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix - (Rock)
5. "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones - (Disco) Bottom 3
6. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" by Kiss - (Acoustic) TOUCHDOWN! Bottom 3
7. "Message in a Bottle" by The Police - (Brit pop) Bottom 3
8. "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson - (Year you were born)
9. "Fragile" by Sting - (Judge's Choice - Mark Holden)
10. "From the Sea" by Eskimo Joe - (Contestant's Choice)

Ben McKenzie (eliminated october 15)

Ben McKenzie is a 17-year-old from the Central Coast, New South Wales. Ben was a strong favourite to win the competition until he was shockingly eliminated on 15 October 2007 leaving the audience, the public and the judges in complete disbelief. He had never been in the bottom 3 until his elimination night. He has recently begun year 12. Ben is also an amateur film-maker, particularly in the horror genre, and also enjoys art. Since Australian Idol, Ben has made 2 public appearances singing and meeting fans, and also made an appearance at the Aria's. He will be performing alongside 'The Falling Of One' on the 11th of November.

1. "Mad World" by Tears for Fears - (Top 24)
2. "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 - (Contestant's Choice)
3. "Bodies" by Little Birdy - (Rock)
4. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson - (Disco)
5. "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap - (Acoustic)
6. "Wonderwall" by Oasis - (Brit pop)
7. "Higher Ground" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers - (Year you were born)

Jacob Butler (eliminated October 8)

Jacob Butler is a 25-year-old who auditioned in Melbourne, Victoria. He reached sixth place in the 2005 Australian version of The X Factor and reached the Top 100 of Australian Idol in the same year. Before Idol, Jacob was a retail assistant in a Melbourne music store. He was eliminated on 8 October 2007.

1. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol - (Top 24)
2. "When You Were Young" by The Killers - (Contestant's Choice)
3. "Morning Glory" by Oasis - (Rock)- Bottom 3
4. "Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai - (Disco)
5. "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane - (Acoustic)-Bottom 2
6. "Let It Be" by The Beatles - (Brit pop)

Mark Da Costa (eliminated October 1)

Mark Da Costa is a 28-year-old from Sydney, New South Wales, thus was the oldest finalist. He was advanced by the public to the Final 12 through the Wildcard show. He was eliminated on 1 October 2007, finishing in 9th place.

1. "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin - (Top 24)
2. "Evie (Part 1)" by Stevie Wright - (Wildcard)
3. "Vertigo" by U2 - (Contestant's Choice)
4. "High Voltage" by AC/DC - (Rock)
5. "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike & Tina Turner (Disco)
6. "Yellow" by Coldplay - (Acoustic)

Lana Krost (eliminated September 24)

Lana Krost is a 17-year-old from Perth, Western Australia. She is adopted and her birth mother was a Vietnamese opera singer. She was eliminated on 24 September 2007.

1. "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie - (Top 24)
2. "Shiver" by Natalie Imbruglia - (Contestant's Choice) - Bottom 2
3. "Come On, Come On" by Little Birdy - (Rock)
4. "Sing It Back" by Moloko - (Disco)

Brianna Carpenter (eliminated September 17)

Brianna Carpenter is a 21-year-old from Brisbane, Queensland. Before Idol, Brianna was studying music production at the Conservatorium. She was eliminated on 17 September 2007.

1. "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor - (Top 24)
2. "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys - (Contestant's Choice) - Bottom 3
3. "The Logical Song" by Supertramp - (Rock)

Holly Weinert (eliminated September 10)

Holly Weinert is a 20-year-old from Mildura, Victoria. Before Idol, Holly worked in a bar in Mildura. She was eliminated on September 10, finishing in 12th place.

1. "Easy" by Commodores - (Top 24)
2. "Standing in the Way of Control" by Gossip - (Contestant's Choice)

Elimination Chart

Date	Theme	Bottom Three
September 9	Contestant's Choice	Holly Weinert	Lana Krost	Brianna Carpenter
September 16	Rock	Brianna Carpenter (2)	Marty Simpson	Jacob Butler
September 23	Disco	Lana Krost (2)	Tarisai Vushe	Daniel Mifsud
September 30	Acoustic	Mark Da Costa	Jacob Butler (2)	Daniel Mifsud (2)
October 7	Britpop	Jacob Butler (3)	Carl Riseley	Daniel Mifsud (3)
October 14	Birth Year	Ben McKenzie	Matt Corby	Marty Simpson (2)
October 21	Judges'/Contestant's Choice	Daniel Mifsud (4)	Tarisai Vushe (2)	Marty Simpson(3)
October 28	Australian Hits	Tarisai Vushe (3)	Natalie Gauci	Marty Simpson (4)
November 4	Big Band	Marty Simpson (5)	Carl Riseley (2)
November 11	Viewers'/Contestant's Choice	Carl Riseley (3)	Matt Corby (2)
November 25	Finale

Touchdowns

Date	Theme	Touchdowns
September 9	Contestant's Choice
September 16	Rock
September 23	Disco	Matt Corby
September 30	Acoustic	Daniel Mifsud
October 7	Britpop	Tarisai Vushe	Matt Corby (2)
October 14	Year They Were Born
October 21	Judges Choice and Contestants' Choice	Matt Corby (3)	Natalie Gauci	Carl Riseley
October 28	Australian Hits!	Natalie Gauci (2)
November 4	Big Band	Natalie Gauci (3)
November 11	Viewers' Choice and Contestants' Choice
November 18	Contestants' Choice

Results show performances

1. Special Performance - "22 Steps" by Damien Leith
2. Top 12 - "Kids" by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue - (Contestant's Choice)
3. Top 11 - "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple - (Rock)
4. Special Performance - "Undiscovered" by Anthony Callea, originally by James Morrison
5. Top 10 - "Can You Feel It" by The Jacksons - (Disco)
6. Top 9 with Ian Moss - "Choir Girl" by Cold Chisel - (Acoustic)
7. Special Performance - "Never Again" by Kelly Clarkson
8. Special Performance - "All I Want Is You" by Damien Leith
9. Top 8 - "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks - (Brit pop)
10. Top 7 - Medley "I Shot The Sheriff" by Eric Clapton and "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads - (Year of birth)
11. Special Performance - "What's Next to the Moon" by Chris Murphy, originally by AC/DC
12. Top 6 - "Kiss" by Prince - (Judge's Choice)
13. Special Performance - "Turn Me Loose" by Young Divas
14. Special Performance - "Love Is All Around" Ricki-Lee Coulter
15. Top 5 - "April Sun in Cuba" by Dragon - (Australian Hits!)
16. Special Performance - Guy Sebastian
17. Top 4 - "I Saw Her Standing There" by The Beatles - (Big Band)
18. Special Performance - "Believe Again" Delta Goodrem

External links

• Australian Idol
• Australian Idol on Network Ten