Australian Idol (season 4)Contestants(with dates of elimination) Damien LeithWinner Jessica MauboyRunner-Up Dean Geyer13 November Chris Murphy6 November Ricky Muscat30 October Lisa Mitchell23 October Bobby Flynn16 October Lavina Williams9 October Guy "Mutto" Mutton2 October Klancie Keough25 September Reigan Derry18 September Joseph Gatehau11 September The fourth season of Australian Idol began on 6 August 2006 and concluded on 26 November.
Overview Format changes Changes for the fourth season of Australian Idol included the cancellation of "Inside Idol", "streamlined" semi-finals (replaced with a variant of the 12 females, 12 males format popularised by American Idol), and the contestants were able to bring instruments with them on stage for some of the final shows. The fourth season's television promos promised a change in the viewers' role in the show, which was revealed to be an SMS service called 199-JUDGE which allows viewers to SMS their opinions on the judges' reactions.
Ratings The show opened with average ratings (1.4 million) that were on the whole up from the previous year's ratings. The semi-final shows averaged 1.5 million viewers per night; the ratings remained consistent until the Top 8 show, which averaged 1.89 million viewers, much higher than any of the Top 12 shows the previous year, making it the most watched show on Australian television for that week. The Top 7 Show, which was "acoustic night", was watched by 1.92 million and the final by over 2.1 million people, with the audience peaking at 10.13pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) attracting 2.4 million viewers.
Auditions The auditions for the fourth season of Australian Idol started in March 2006 in Mount Isa, Queensland, and concluded on 4 June 2006 in Sydney. Auditions were held in thirteen towns and cities across Australia: Adelaide, Albury-Wodonga, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Broken Hill, Byron Bay, Hobart, Melbourne, Mount Isa, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, and Townsville. Many of the audition sites had a much smaller population than previous seasons' sites, and producers declared that they wanted to "unearth" rural talent in 2006. The auditions identified 124 hopefuls who then participated in a culling process in Sydney. After group performances and a solo performance from each contestant, the judges cut down the number of contestants to 24. For the first time, contestants were told face-to-face and usually by themselves whether they had made it through to the semi-finals (in contrast to previous years when contestants were divided into groups of three, two of whom got through).
The fourth season's broadcasts began on Sunday 6 August 2006 with the broadcast of four audition shows and two shows for the Sydney round.
Semi-finals The semi-final process consisted of two male groups and two female groups of six contestants over four days, who performed in front of a live audience for the first time (this being the first season in which the semi-finals included a live audience). The semi-finals began on Sunday 27 August 2006 and ran daily until the results show on Thursday 31 August 2006. Two contestants were selected by audience vote each show. Eight contestants were then selected by the judges for another semi-finals show the following week D.ring the following results show, each judge selected a favorite wildcard contestant, who joined a single wildcard contestant selected by audience vote and the previously selected eight contestants to make up the Top 12.
FemalesMalesAtlanta CooganBrendon BoneyLydia DenkerBobby FlynnReigan DerryJoseph GatehauJessica GriffinDean GeyerKlancie KeoughChris GraffitiRaechel LeeDamien LeithJessica MauboyChris MurphyLisa MitchellRicky MuscatLyndelle Palmer-ClarkeGuy "Mutto" MuttonRebecca PearceJames SteeleAmanda StreetePaul VercoeLavina WilliamsNathaniel Willemse
Top 24 boys
GROUP 1 ~ Sunday 27 August 2006 Chris Murphy - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen Nathaniel Willemse - "Vertigo" by U2 Paul Vercoe - "Hanging by a Moment" by Lifehouse Damien Leith - "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker" Brendan Boney - "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder Dean Geyer - "If You Could Only See" by Tonic
Advancing to the Top 12: Damien Leith and Dean Geyer Wild Card Contenders: Chris Murphy, Nathaniel Willemse & Brendon Boney
GROUP 2 ~ Tuesday 29 August 2006 Mikey O'Neill - "I Can Hear Music" by The Beach Boys James Steele - "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down Chris Graffiti - "I Don't Want to Be" by Gavin DeGraw Bobby Flynn - "Under the Milky Way" by The Church Joseph Gatehau - "Let Me Love You" by Mario Guy "Mutto" Mutton - "Meant to Live" by Switchfoot
Advancing to the top 12: Bobby Flynn and Joseph Gatehau Wild Card Contenders: Ricky Muscat, Chris Graffiti & Guy Mutton
Top 24 girls
GROUP 1 ~ Monday 28 August 2006 Lyndelle Palmer-Clarke - "Would I Lie to You? by The Eurythmics Klancie Keough - "Not Ready to Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks Jessica Mauboy - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston Atlanta Coogan - "My Immortal" by Evanescence Amanda Streete - "Trouble" by Pink Reigan Derry - "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker" by Sandi Thom
Advancing to the top 12: Jessica Mauboy and Reigan Derry Wild card contenders: Klancie Keough and Amanda Streete
GROUP 2 ~ Wednesday 30 August 2006 Raechel Lee - "Dumb Things" by Paul Kelly Lavina Williams - "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin Rebecca Pearce - "Show Me Heaven" by Maria McKee Jess Griffin - "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera Lisa Mitchell - "Diamonds on the Inside" by Ben Harper Lydia Denker - "One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston
Advancing to the top 12: Lavina Williams and Lisa Mitchell Wild Card Contenders: none
Wildcards
Brendon Boney - "Lonely No More" by Rob Thomas / "This Love" by Maroon 5 Nathaniel Willemse - "My Girl" by The Temptations Klancie Keough - "Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson Chris Graffiti - "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder
Guy "Mutto" Mutton - "Black Fingernails, Red Wine" by Eskimo Joe Amanda Streete - "On My Mind" by Powderfinger Ricky Muscat - "Caught Up" by Usher Chris Murphy - "Holy Grail' by Hunters & Collectors
Advancing to the top 12: Ricky Muscat, Guy Mutton, Klancie Keough and Chris Murphy
Weekly Song Themes Date Week Theme 11 SeptemberTop 12Contestant's Choice 18 SeptemberTop 11Rock 25 SeptemberTop 10Number Ones 2 OctoberTop 9The Year They Were Born 9 OctoberTop 8Disco 16 OctoberTop 7Acoustic* 23 OctoberTop 6Rock Swings* 30 OctoberTop 5Aria Hall of Fame* 6 NovemberTop 4Audience Choice* 13 NovemberTop 3Judge's Choice * Shows in which the contestants brought instruments onto the stage with them.
The Top 12 contestants Damien Leith
Damien Leith (born 18 January 1976) was the winner for 2006. Originally from Dublin, Ireland and raised in County Kildare, he moved to Sydney, prior to Idol. He and his Australian born wife, Eileen, have two sons. Leith scored four of Mark Holden's Touchdowns over the course of the series and was the only contestant in the show's history to score two in one night when he scored one for each of his top 4 performances.
Audition: "The Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice Theatre Week (Round 3): "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen Top 24: "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker Top 12: "With or Without You" by U2 Top 11: "Creep" by Radiohead Top 10: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks Top 9: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" by Elton John Top 8: "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang Top 7: "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak TOUCHDOWN Up Close & Personal: "Sky" (own composition) Top 6: "High and Dry" by Radiohead and Jamie Cullum Top 5: "Message to My Girl" by Split Enz Bottom 3 Top 4: "Crying" by Roy OrbisonTOUCHDOWN, "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen TOUCHDOWN Top 3: "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini, "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers TOUCHDOWN Top 2: "Never Meant to Fail" by Alex Lloyd, "Waiting on an Angel" by Ben Harper, "Night of My Life" (winner's single)
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) was the runner-up for 2006. Hailing from Darwin, Northern Territory, a high school student, she auditioned in Alice Springs. Mauboy received the first Touchdown of the year from Mark Holden for her performance of "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera during the Top 10-week. She received a second Touchdown during the Top 5-week for her performance of "Words" by The Bee Gees.
Audition: "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston Theatre Week (Round 3): "Impossible" by Christina Aguilera Top 24: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston Top 12: "Stickwitu" by The Pussycat Dolls Top 11: "Walk Away" by Kelly Clarkson Top 10: "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera TOUCHDOWN Top 9: "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins Bottom 3 Top 8: "On the Radio" by Donna Summer Top 7: "Have You Ever?" by Brandy Up Close & Personal: "What the World Needs Now" by Burt Bacharach & Hal David Top 6: "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé Knowles Top 5: "Words" by The Bee Gees TOUCHDOWN Top 4: "Butterfly" by Mariah Carey, "Karma" by Alicia Keys Top 3: "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston, "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu Top 2: "Impossible" by Christina Aguilera, "Together Again" by Janet Jackson, "Night of My Life" (winner's single)
Dean Geyer
Dean Geyer (born 20 March 1986) finished in third place. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Geyer auditioned successfully in Melbourne.
Audition: "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn Top 24: "If You Could Only See" by Tonic Top 12: "For You I Will" by Teddy Geiger Top 11: "Shimmer" by Fuel Top 10: "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls Bottom 2 Top 9: "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi Top 8: "Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson Top 7: "On the Way Down" by Ryan Cabrera TOUCHDOWN Up Close & Personal: "Change" (own composition) Top 6: "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett Bottom 2 Top 5: "Every Time You Cry" by John Farnham & Human Nature Bottom 2 Top 4: "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot, "Saving Me" by Nickelback Bottom 2 Top 3: "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer, "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain TOUCHDOWN Eliminated
Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy (born 25 March 1976) finished in fourth place. Auditioning in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia, Murphy, like his younger brother, Courtney Murphy (from Season 2), was unanimously invited through to the theatre rounds.
Audition: "She Talks to Angels" by The Black Crowes Top 24: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen Wildcard: "Holy Grail' by Hunters & Collectors Top 12: "Wish You Well" by Bernard Fanning Top 11: "Is It Just Me?" by The Darkness Top 10: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins Top 9: "Life in the Fast Lane" by The Eagles Top 8: "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry Bottom 2 Top 7: "No More Lonely Nights" by Paul McCartney Up Close & Personal: "Diamond Days" (own composition) Top 6: "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC Top 5: "Evie" by Stevie Wright TOUCHDOWN Top 4: "Something Beautiful" by Robbie Williams, "Mean to Me" by Crowded House Eliminated
Ricky Muscat Ricky Dean Muscat (born 19 October 1983 in Darwin), from Werribee, Melbourne, Australia, placed fifth. Of Maltese descent, Muscat lives with his mother, and works at a chemical factory. From age 9, he would often accompany his father, a drummer, to the local pub where he would sing '60s hits for the locals. Muscat sangShai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" at the Melbourne auditions, winning the judges over to make the Top 124 in Sydney. Following a controversial falling out on day two of the theatre round with trio member Jorge Bec, Muscat gained a place in the Top 24. During the first semi final round, he did not accrue enough votes to advance but was later chosen by the judges as a wildcard.
Audition: "If I Ever Fall in Love" by Shai Top 24: "So Sick" by Ne-Yo Wildcard: "Caught Up" by Usher Top 12: "Walking Away" by Craig David Top 11: "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand Bottom 2 Top 10: "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago Top 9: "Down Under" by Men at Work Top 8: "Get Down on It" by Kool & the Gang Bottom 3