Australian Idol not returning in 2010

Australian IdolIt’s provided some great television over the years and highlighted some excellent talent but it seems that the good times are over for Australian Idol.

News.com.au is reporting, “Australian Idol will be the first TV casualty of the year, with the former ratings juggernaut to be ‘rested’ for 2010.”

3.34 million people sat glued to their televisions when Guy Sebastian won the premiere series in 2003. Just 1.4 million viewers watched Stan Walker’s walk away with the title of Australian Idol in the 2009 finale. A drop of almost two million viewers would suggest that Australia has lost interest in the talent show.

The series has certainly had its critics but there is no denying that the show has brought some extremely talented performers to our attention. Guy Sebastian’s first single, Angels Brought Me Here was recently named as Australia’s highest selling song of the decade. You might put that down to the hype surrounding the first series of Australian Idol, but that can’t explain the fact that his recent hit, Like It Like That, was the highest selling Australian artist song and 6th highest selling song overall in Australia in 2009. Like It Like That is also being used in a number of US television shows. Six years later and Guy is still selling CDs by the truckload.

The series has had its ups and downs and not all series winners have gone on to bigger and better things but even finalists who didn’t reach the final few have continued to make a mark on the entertainment world to varying degrees.

No official announcements have been made yet and those closest to the show are still refusing to confirm anything. Though it would seem unlikely that we’ll see Australian Idol on our screens again, no one has ruled out a come back.

“Ten is going to rest Australian Idol for 2010,” a source said.

“They will make a decision towards the end of 2010 as to whether it will return in 2011.

“They have asked (production company) Fremantle (Media) for ideas on how to relaunch in 2011.”

Channel 10 refused to comment and Fremantle did not return calls yesterday. – News.com.au

I’ve certainly enjoyed chatting to many of the people involved in the show on my 98.5 Sonshine FM morning radio programme including judges Dicko and Marica Hines as well as contestants such as Guy Sebastian, Cosima, Paulini, Damien Leith, Dean Geyer, Chris Murphy, Natalie Gauci, Carl Riseley and Wes Carr.

There have been some wonderful moments over the years but it looks like the journey is all but over. We’ll miss Australian Idol but thankfully we can still enjoy some great music that we would never have heard if the series had never made its way to our living rooms.



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An interview with Chris Murphy

cm.JPGChris Murphy is best known for being one of the most exciting performers during “Australian Idol” in 2006 but he’s been thrilling music lovers for well over a decade.

As well as being an energetic front man for Murphy’s Lore and now the Chris Murphy Band he’s one of Perth’s most prominent solo performers.

Whether it’s loud and electric or solo and unplugged, Chris Murphy delights audiences whenever and wherever he plays.

The Chris Murphy Band helped around 20 000 people get in the party mood for Australia Day on Monday as part of the Town of Bassendean Australia Celebrations and Fireworks. Chris joined me in the studio last week on 98.5 Sonshine FM to talk about the upcoming event. We chatted about everything from Australian Idol to his work supporting worthy causes. Chris even played a couple of acoustic songs live during the interview.

You can click play on the audio player at the bottom of this post to hear our conversation.



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$2051.60

ChrisMurphy.jpgWe were imprisoned for a crime we didn’t commit and the power to set us free was in your hands.

Thank you for making our release possible and helping people with Cystic Fibrosis.

On Friday, together with 98.5 Sonshine FM’s Tim Long, I was locked up behind the microphone, in King’s Square, Fremantle. Our six hour ‘Convict for a Cause’ broadcast raised much needed funding for Cystic Fibrosis WA.

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common life threatening, recessive genetic condition affecting Australian children. It’s affects a number of organs in the body and there is no cure. Fortunately, thanks to Cystic Fibrosis WA, life can be a lot more manageable for sufferers.

During the day we spoke to a number of people who provided listeners with a better understanding of the disease. Amongst those interviewed was Ben Maxey, a brave 12 year old who left his hospital bed to be at the event. Australian Idol contestant and crowd favourite, Chris Murphy, also joined in and busked for his bail. In the photo you can see him busking under the watchful eye of one of the prison guards.

A big thanks to BigDadGib who kicked off the fund raising with his donation as soon as I mentioned it early last week. Thanks Gib.

Convict for a Cause is an annual fund raising event. Thanks to your generosity, we managed to raise $2051.60. Cystic Fibrosis WA is still taking donations so you can still help by clicking here and donating. The tally has already risen since I originally published this post and I’m hoping that we’ll see even more money going towards this great cause.



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