The fifth season of ''

Australian Idol ''Australian Idol'' is an Australian singing competition, which began its first season in July 2003 and ended its initial run in November 2009. As part of the ''Idol'' franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program ''Pop Idol' ...

'' premiered on 5 August 2007 on

Network Ten Network 10 (commonly known as Ten Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network owned by Ten Network Holdings, a division of the Paramount Networks UK & Australia subsidiary of Paramount Global. One of five ...

. It concluded on 25 November.

Overview

Format changes

The series was again hosted by

Andrew G Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...

and

James Mathison James Mathison (born 14 January 1978) is an Australian television presenter and former independent political candidate. Early life Mathison was born in Sydney, New South Wales and grew up in Northern Beaches suburb of Frenchs Forest. He atte ...

, with Ian "Dicko" Dickson returning to the show as one of the judges, along with

Mark Holden Mark Ronald Holden (born 27 April 1954) is an Australian singer, actor, TV personality, record producer, songwriter, and barrister. He was a pop star in the 1970s and had four top 20 hit singles, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (May 1976 ...

Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines, AM (born July 20, 1953), is an American-Australian vocalist and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical ''Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene ...

and

Kyle Sandilands Kyle Dalton Sandilands (born 10 June 1971) is an Australian radio host and television personality. He is currently the co-host, with Jackie O, of the weekday morning radio program ''The Kyle and Jackie O Show ''The Kyle and Jackie O Show ...

. The show continued with the new format from Season 4, where contestants were permitted to perform original material for their audition and throughout the season, and play instruments as part of their performances.

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 & Kim ''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughter. ...

''. 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.

Auditions

The auditions"Audition Locations"

Australian Idol official site
, 2007 for ''Australian Idol (season 5)'' were run from March to May 2007. They were held in: *

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

on 3 March * Bunbury on 6 March *

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

on 10 March *

Dubbo Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021. The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...

on 14 March *

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

on 18 March *

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

on 20 March *

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

on 25 March * Launceston on 31 March *

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

on 1 April *

Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 56,000 as of June 2018, Wagga Wagga is the state's la ...

on 3 April * Darwin on 14 April *

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

on 19 April *

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

on 21 April and 22 *

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

on 29 April *

Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...

on 4 May *

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

on 6 May *

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

on 12 May 13 and 14 *

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

on 19 May 20 and 21

Theatre Week (Seymour Centre)

As in previous years, the theatre week, held at Sydney's

Seymour Centre The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney in the Australian city of Sydney. It is located on the corner of City Rd and Cleveland St in Chippendale, just south-west of the city centre. The b ...

, consisted of three gruelling elimination rounds. For the first round, each contestant singing ''

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

'' one song of their choice in front of the judges, before being told, based on that performance, whether they would be moving onto the next round. The second round, (for the first time in ''Australian Idol'' history), the group rounds consisted of two boys and two girls, instead of a same gender group, as in previous seasons. Contestants were once again told whether they would be moving onto the next round based on these performances. In the third and final round, each contestant 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, each contestant was told, one at a time, whether they would become a part of the Top 24, or if their journey would end.

Semi-Finals

The Semi Finals were run to the same format as the fourth season, with four groups of six performing solo in a live studio on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night. On the Thursday night, the first eight finalists through to the Top 12 were announced, along with another eight of the remaining 24 chosen for the Wildcard show. These eight would be given a second chance to prove themselves worthy of one of the four remaining spots in the Top 12. The following Sunday night the wildcards would perform again with the results revealed on the Monday night. The semi finalists for 2007 were: * Butler was a former contestant on the first series of The X Factor Australia. The 10 network allowed him to audition for Australian Idol.

Weekly song themes

The Top 12 Contestants

Natalie Gauci

Matt Corby

Carl Riseley

Carl Riseley (born 21 December 1982) was a 25-year-old from

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. 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 The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

, where he plays the

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

in the Navy Band. Carl was the final eliminee on 12 November 2007 when Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby proceeded into the Grand Final. He has a younger brother called Anthony. He is currently signed to Universal Records and will release his debut album The Rise in April 2008. Carl Riseley vocally supported axed judge Mark Holden on his departure in March 2008. Carl is referred to as the "swing king" and has been marketed in a Tom Jones type way. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

" by

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

: ''Wildcard Show'': " Bye Bye Love" by

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 1939 ...

: ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...

" by

Banjo Paterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, (17 February 18645 February 1941) was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the ...

: ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "

Clocks A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and the ...

" by

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...

: ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "

September September is the ninth month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the third of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the fourth of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. September in the Northern H ...

" by

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

: ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' " It's Alright with Me" by

Harry Connick, Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 List of best-selling music artists i ...

: ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' "

Can't Buy Me Love "Can't Buy Me Love" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released in March 1964 as the A-side of their sixth single. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was included o ...

" by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

~ ''Bottom 2'' : ''Top 7 (The Year You Were Born):'' "

Turn Your Love Around "Turn Your Love Around" is a pop/ R&B single by George Benson. The song was written by Grammy winners Bill Champlin of Chicago, Steve Lukather of Toto and producer and guitarist Jay Graydon to help fill out Benson's 1981 greatest hits album, '' ...

" by

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

: ''Top 6 (Judge's Choice):'': "

It's Not Unusual "It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it she was so impressed with h ...

" by Tom Jones – ''( Ian "Dicko" Dickson)'' ~ ''TOUCHDOWN!'' : ''Top 6 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

Jealous Guy "Jealous Guy" is a song written and originally recorded by English rock musician John Lennon from his 1971 album ''Imagine (John Lennon album), Imagine''. Not released as a single during Lennon's lifetime, it became an international hit in a v ...

" by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

: ''Top 5 (Australian Made):'' "

Reminiscing "Reminiscing" is a song by Australian soft rock music group Little River Band, released in June 1978 as the second single from their fourth studio album ''Sleeper Catcher''. The song was written by the band's guitarist, Graeham Goble, and sung ...

" by

Little River Band Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums rea ...

: ''Top 4 (Big Band):'' " Just Kiss Me" by

: ''Top 4 (Big Band):'' "

Me and Mrs Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a 1972 soul song written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert, and originally recorded by Billy Paul. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. In the song, the two meet in sec ...

" by

Billy Paul Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single " Me and Mrs. Jones", as well as the 1973 album and single ''War of the Go ...

: ''Top 3 (Audience Choice):'' " You Give Me Something" by James Morrison : ''Top 3 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. There are differing accounts of ...

" by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Marty Simpson

Marty Simpson is a 21-year-old from the

Central Coast, New South Wales The Central Coast is a peri-urbanisation, peri-urban region in New South Wales, Australia, lying on the Tasman Sea coast to the north of Sydney and south of Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle. The Local government areas of New South Wale ...

. He plays guitar, writes his own songs and has been described as a "bloke's bloke" by Mark Holden. Before Idol, he worked with his father as a bricklayer. He was eliminated on 5 November 2007. Marty was described by judges as lazy, something which he himself acknowledged. He finished in 4th place, and was in the bottom appearance four times before being eliminated. Although not initially named by Today Tonight as vote-rigging, he was later named and subsequently became the 4th in a row named that was eliminated. On leaving, Marty Simpson stated that he had been approached by Sony BMG in relation to a recording contract. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "

Over My Head (Cable Car) "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed simply as "Cable Car") is a song by American rock band the Fray. It was released in October 2005 as the lead single from their debut album ''How to Save a Life'' (2005) and hit the top 10 on the ' ...

" by

The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, ''How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, ...

: ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

Can't Stand Losing You "Can't Stand Losing You" is a song by English rock band The Police, released from their debut album ''Outlandos d'Amour'', both in 1978. The song also was released as the follow-up single to " Roxanne", reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart ...

" by

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police ...

: ''Top 11 (Rock):'' " Jenny Don't Be Hasty" by

Paolo Nutini Paolo Giovanni Nutini (born 9 January 1987) is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Paisley. Nutini's debut album, ''These Streets'' (2006), peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Its follow-up, ''Sunny ...

– ''Bottom 2'' : ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "

You Sexy Thing "You Sexy Thing" is a song recorded by British group Hot Chocolate. It was written by lead singer Errol Brown and bass guitarist Tony Wilson, and was produced by Mickie Most. The song was released in October 1975 as the second single from thei ...

" by

Hot Chocolate Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...

: ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' " Open Your Eyes" by

Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...

: ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' "

Naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may b ...

" by

The Kooks The Kooks () are an English pop-rock band formed in 2004 in Brighton. The band consists of Luke Pritchard (vocals/rhythm guitar), Hugh Harris (lead guitar/synthesizer/bass) and Alexis Nunez (drums). Their music is primarily influenced by the ...

: ''Top 7 (The Year You Were Born):'' "

Now We're Getting Somewhere "Now We're Getting Somewhere" is a 1986 song by rock group, Crowded House. It was the third single from the group's debut album '' Crowded House''.Bailey, MarckComprehensive discography of Crowded House including track listings for all albums an ...

" by

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...

~ ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 6 (Judge's Choice):'': "

No Woman, No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album ''Natty Dread''. The live recording of this song from the 1975 album '' Live!'' was released as a single and is ...

" by

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

– ''(

)'' : ''Top 6 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

Last Kiss "Last Kiss" is a song released by Wayne Cochran in 1961 on the Gala label. It failed to do well on the charts. Cochran subsequently re-recorded his song for the King label in 1963. It was revived by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, who took ...

" by

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

~ ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 5 (Australian Made):'' "

These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These ...

" by

Powderfinger Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drummer ...

~ : ''Top 4 (Big Band):'' "

Light My Fire "Light My Fire" is a song by the American rock band the Doors. It was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album. Released as an edited single on April 24, 1967, it spent three weeks at number one on t ...

" by

The Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

: ''Top 4 (Big Band):'' "

American Baby "American Baby" is a song by American rock band Dave Matthews Band, released as the first single from their sixth studio album ''Stand Up''. The song encourages Americans not to lose their culture in the midst of political and social trouble. It p ...

" by

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

Tarisai Vushe

Tarisai Vushe (born 23 March 1987) is a

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

born, 23-year-old who auditioned in Sydney,

. Before Idol, she worked in her family store and studied psychology at university, whilst attending Hillsong Church affiliate

Shirelive Church Horizon Church, founded as Sutherland AOG, and formerly more recently Shirelive, is a Pentecostal Christian church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God denomination. The church's main cam ...

. She was eliminated on 29 October 2007. She was known for her powerful vocals, which were described by the judges at audition and throughout the series as "sending shivers down the spine" when she sang. She was awarded one touchdown by Mark Holden. She was criticised by judges the last few weeks before eviction. She was briefly the favourite to win the competition, the only person other than Matt Corby to be favourite in the whole series. She was evicted amidst claims that she was "fake", which led to great controversy. She sang at the Sydney New Year's Eve concert, performed an original song at a Sydney Martial Arts contest in January 2008 and in March 2008 she went on tour with South African band

Malaika Malaika is a Swahili song written by Tanzanian musician Adam Salim in 1945. This song is possibly the most famous of all Swahili love songs in Tanzania, Kenya and the entire East Africa, as well as being one of the most widely known of all Swahi ...

and toured in Macao (China) in September 2008. The debut single "Head Over Heels" was released in March 2010 which got nominated at the Afro-Australian Music and Movie Awards for the Best single of the year and the best vocalist 2010 where she won both awards. In 2011 she starred on an American TV show Killer instinct as Muggy. In 2013 she starred on American's deadly women. She is currently signed to Disney and performing on the Lion King Australian tour. : ''Audition'': "

I Have Nothing "I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on February 20, 1993 as the third single from '' The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album'' (1992) by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and L ...

" by

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

: ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "

River Deep - Mountain High A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

" by

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocal ...

: ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' " If I Was Your Woman" by

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

: ''Top 11 (Rock):'' " Hard to Handle" by

The Black Crowes The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Geo ...

: ''Top 10 (Disco):'' " Hot Stuff" by

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

~ ''Bottom 2'' : ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' " Kissing You" by

Des'ree Desirée Annette Weekes (born 30 November 1968), known by her stage name Des'ree (), is an English pop recording artist who rose to popularity during the 1990s. She is best known for her hits "Feel So High", "You Gotta Be", "Life", and " Kissi ...

: ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' " Somebody to Love" by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

~ ''TOUCHDOWN!'' : ''Top 7 (The Year You Were Born):'' "

I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me) "I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)" is a song released by American singer Aretha Franklin and English singer George Michael as a duet in 1987. The song was a number one hit in the United States and the United Kingdom. ''Billboard'' listed "I Knew ...

" by

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

and

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

: ''Top 6 (Judge's Choice):'': " Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" by

Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She rose to fame in 1987 after her debut single " Tell It to My Heart". Dayne achieved six additional U.S. top-10 singles, including "Love Will ...

– ''(

)'' ~ Bottom 2 : ''Top 6 (Contestant's Choice):'' "

I Believe in You and Me "I Believe in You and Me" is a song written by Sandy Linzer and David Wolfert in 1982. The song was first recorded and released by the R&B group The Four Tops, who released it as a single from their album '' One More Mountain'' (1982). While it fa ...

" by

~ Bottom 2 : ''Top 5 (Australian Made):'' "

When It All Falls Apart "When It All Falls Apart" is the third single released from Australian pop music duo the Veronicas' debut studio album, '' The Secret Life of...'' (2005), on 20 March 2006. "When It All Falls Apart" charted within the Australian Singles Chart to ...

" by

The Veronicas The Veronicas is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane. The group was formed in 2004 by identical twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso. In 2005, the Veronicas released their debut studio album, titled '' The Secret Life of...'', which peak ...

Daniel Mifsud

Daniel Mifsud is a 23-year-old from Sydney,

. 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. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': " Tip of My Tongue" by

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

: ''Wildcard Show'': "

Lay Your Love on Me "Lay Your Love on Me" is a pop song by the British pop group Racey; it was their second single release. The song was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, produced by Mickie Most and released in 1978 on the RAK Records label. It was their ...

" by

Roachford Andrew Roachford (born 22 January 1965) is a British singer-songwriter and the main force behind the band Roachford, who scored their first success in 1989 with the hits " Cuddly Toy" and "Family Man". He has also had a successful solo caree ...

: ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' " Cry Me a River" by

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

: ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

" by

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

: ''Top 10 (Disco):'' " Miss You" by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

~ ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' "

I Was Made for Lovin' You "I Was Made for Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1979 album, ''Dynasty''. It was released as the A-side of their first single from the album, with "Hard Times" as the B-side. History The son ...

" by

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

~ ''TOUCHDOWN!'', ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' "

Message in a Bottle A message in a bottle (abbrev. MIB) is a form of communication in which a message is sealed in a container (typically a bottle) and released into a conveyance medium (typically a body of water). Messages in bottles have been used to send distres ...

" by

~ ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 7 (The Year You Were Born):'' "

Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...

" by Michael Jackson : ''Top 6 (Judge's Choice):'' "...Nothing Like the Sun, Fragile" by Sting (musician) – ''(

)'' : ''Top 6 (Contestant's Choice):'' "From the Sea" by Eskimo Joe

Ben McKenzie

Ben McKenzie (born 24 July 1990) is from Gosford, New South Wales, Gosford, on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Central Coast of

. Ben was a favourite to win the competition until he was eliminated on 15 October 2007 which led to judge Marcia Hines threatening to quit the show in relation to his eviction and the treatment of him by the other 3 judges. Ben was falsely named by Today Tonight as being involved in "vote-rigging" and was the first of 4 in a row who were eliminated. He had never been in the bottom 3 until his elimination night. Ben performed at Sydney's New Year's Eve concert to end 2007. Ben has composed many original songs which he has been performing at small shows around Sydney & the Central Coast of NSW. He has also traveled to perform in Melbourne. Ben's film production company Dreams Unleashed Productions has completed filming and editing his first feature-length film, 'Submerged (Feature Film)(2011)'. The film is a unique combination of horror and supernatural thriller, drawing influences from The Ring (2002 film), The Ring and Silent Hill (film), Silent Hill and was released on YouTube January 2012. The soundtrack includes music written by Ben. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': Mad World" by Tears for Fears : ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "Sunday Morning (Maroon 5 song), Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 : ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "Bodies (Little Birdy song), Bodies" by Little Birdy : ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson : ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' "Hide and Seek (Imogen Heap song), Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap : ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' "Wonderwall (song), Wonderwall" by Oasis (band), Oasis : ''Top 7 (The Year You Were Born):'' "Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers song), Higher Ground" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Jacob Butler

Jacob Butler first auditioned for Australian Idol in 2005, but failed to make it past the Top 100 Group Performances. Jacob reached sixth place in the Australian version of The X Factor television series in the same year. Jacob tried out for Idol again at the 2007 auditions, singing "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis. The Judges were impressed by his improvement in both his songwriting and musicianship. He was soon placed into the Top 24. Australia made him their second top 12 finalist after his rendition of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars". Jacob was eliminated on 8 October 2007. His last performance on Idol was on Brit Pop night. He performed The Beatles hit "Let It Be". At the end of 2007, Jacob performed at the Sydney New Year's Eve Concert alongside fellow Idol contestants Ben McKenzie and Tarisai Vushe. Since Idol, Jacob has released his debut album "Reason" in Germany and other countries across Europe. The album was released in Australia and New Zealand in August 2013. : ''Audition'': "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': Chocolate (Snow Patrol song), Chocolate by

: ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': Across the Universe by

: ''Top 24'': Chasing Cars by

: ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' When You Were Young by The Killers : ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "Morning Glory (Oasis song), Morning Glory" by Oasis (band), Oasis : ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "Canned Heat (song), Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai : ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane (band), Keane ~ Bottom 2 : ''Top 8 (Brit Pop):'' "Let It Be (Beatles song), Let It Be" by

Mark Da Costa

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. Although already eliminated, Mark was named by Today Tonight as being involved in vote-rigging. Since leaving Idol, Mark da Costa has gone back to performing regularly, and has been on tour with his band for most of 2008. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin : ''Wildcard Show'': "Evie (song), Evie (Part 1)" by Stevie Wright (Australian singer), Stevie Wright : ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "Vertigo (U2 song), Vertigo" by U2 : ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "High Voltage (song), High Voltage" by AC/DC : ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "Nutbush City Limits" by

: ''Top 9 (Acoustic):'' "Yellow (Coldplay song), Yellow" by

Lana Krost

Lana Krost is a 17-year-old student from Western Australia. She auditioned in

. She is adopted and her birth mother was a Vietnamese opera singer who travelled around China singing with her grandparents.Idol lifts the bar by plucking the pros
''The Sun-Herald''. Retrieved 24 September 2007. She was eliminated on 24 September 2007. Since leaving Idol, Lana graduated from her high school St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls and is currently attending Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, WAAPA doing a contemporary music course. : ''Audition'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "Big Girls Don't Cry (Fergie song), Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie (singer), Fergie : ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "Shiver (Natalie Imbruglia song), Shiver" by Natalie Imbruglia ~ ''Bottom 2'' : ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "Come On Come On (Little Birdy song), Come On, Come On" by Little Birdy : ''Top 10 (Disco):'' "Sing It Back" by Moloko

Brianna Carpenter

Brianna Carpenter is a 21-year-old from

, Queensland. Before Idol, Brianna was studying music production at the Conservatorium. She was eliminated on 17 September 2007. : ''Audition'': Jacqueline (Brianna Carpenter original) : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': : ''Top 24'': "Fidelity (song), Fidelity" by Regina Spektor : ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys ~ ''Bottom 3'' : ''Top 11 (Rock):'' "The Logical Song" by Supertramp

Holly Weinert

Holly Weinert (born 23 April 1987) is a 20-year-old from Mildura, Victoria. Before Idol, Holly worked in a bar in Mildura. She was eliminated on 10 September 2007, finishing in 12th place. : ''Audition'': "Sunday Morning (No Doubt song), Sunday Morning" by No Doubt : ''Theatre Week (Round 1)'': : ''Theatre Week (Round 3)'': "Blackbird (Beatles song), Blackbird" by

: ''Top 24'': "Easy (The Commodores song), Easy" by Commodores : ''Top 12 (Contestant's Choice):'' "Standing in the Way of Control (song), Standing in the Way of Control" by Gossip (band), Gossip

Elimination chart

Doing It For The Kids

On 19 October 2007, there was a special Australian Idol telecast, "Doing It For The Kids", to raise money for Ronald McDonald House and Telstra Child Flight. Based on the American Idol special "Idol Gives Back", the Top 6 performed, as well as other artists. Top 6: *Carl Riseley – "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory#Music, 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 (Gnarls Barkley song), Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley *Tarisai Vushe – "Ooh Child" by Five Stairsteps *Top 6 Group Performance – "Kids (Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue song), Kids" by Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue Special Guests: *Damien Leith – "Songbird (Fleetwood Mac song), Songbird" originally by Fleetwood Mac *Shannon Noll – "In Pieces (song), In Pieces" *Young Divas – "If I Can't Have You (Bee Gees song), If I Can't Have You" originally by Yvonne Elliman *Darren Hayes – "Me, Myself and (I)" *Vanessa Amorosi – "Kiss Your Mama!" *Rogue Traders – "Don't You Wanna Feel" *Katie Noonan – "Send Out A Little Love"

Results show performances

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

– ''(Big Band)'' # Special Performance – "Believe Again" by Delta Goodrem # Special Performance – "Everybody Hurts" by

, originally by R.E.M. (band), R.E.M.

Grand Finale performances

# Special Performance – "Turn Me Loose (Loverboy song), Turn Me Loose" by Young Divas, originally by Loverboy # Special Performance – "All I Want Is You" by Damien Leith # Special Performance – "In Pieces (Shannon Noll song), In Pieces" by Shannon Noll # Special Performance – "Boys in Town" by Divinyls # Special Performance – Winner of Pascall My Mum Rocks Competition # Special Performance – "I Never Liked You (song), I Never Liked You" by Rogue Traders # Special Performance – "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie with Top 12 and State Schools Singers Choir # Top 12 – A medley of songs and "Hands Open", originally by

# Matt Corby – "Bitter Sweet Symphony", originally by The Verve # Natalie Gauci – "Here I Am (Natalie Gauci song), Here I Am" and "Man in the Mirror", originally by Michael Jackson

Commercial Releases

The day following the Grand Finale, Australian Idol Season 5 Winner Natalie Gauci released the winner's single "Here I Am (Natalie Gauci song), Here I Am". The single debuted at #2 on the ARIA Charts behind hugely popular international act Timbaland. The single was considered to have sold not as well as expected with only 8,000 copies sold in its first week. Its second week it stayed put at #2 and sales proved better with close to 11,000 copies sold making a total of 19,000 copies sold. Also in its second week the single was certified with Gold status. In its third week it dropped to #7 and its fourth week dropped down to #18. It fell into even greater obscurity in its fifth week dropping down to #29. Its sixth week fared better with #27. Natalie's debut album, ''The Winner's Journey (Natalie Gauci album), The Winner's Journey'', was released on 8 December 2007. In its first week it debuted on the charts at #12 and sold just over 11,000 copies. It was also certified with Platinum status meaning 70,000 units were shipped off, but going by sales figures the album did not meet these expected sales. In its second week it moved up to #11 and total sales figures bumped up to just over 18,000. In its third week Natalie's album stayed at #11 and sales reached just under 20,000 copies. Its fourth week was a disappointing week with the album dropping down to #18. In its fifth week it reached #19.

References

External links

Official Australian Idol website
{{Australian Idol Australian Idol 2007 Australian television seasons