The first season of Australian Idol was produced by Fremantle Media subsidiary Grundy Television in association with UK company 19TV, and was broadcast on Network Ten for 19 weeks in the latter half of 2003. The judges were Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian "Dicko" Dickson.
Overview When Network Ten paid $15 million for the first season of Australian Idol they anticipated it to be a critical and financial success, like it had been in other countries such as the UK and the USA. When the show aired for the first time in August 2003 it was very successful, attracting a diverse ranges of viewers. The audition process went through several major cities in Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin. Towards the end of its run, Australian Idol became the most popular TV show in the country with more ratings than major events such as the AFL Grand Final. The Grand Final at the Sydney Opera House attracted more than 3 million viewers.
The winner of the competition was Guy Sebastian. He beat Shannon Noll who finished in 2nd place, Cosima De Vito who came in 3rd place, Paulini Curuenavuli who came in 4th place & Rob Mills who finished in 5th place. After Idol, it was these five, the Final 5, who were the most successful out of the Top 12.
Other Idol contestants from Season 1 to release music were Rebekah LaVauney, Peter Ryan and Courtney Act. Probably the biggest single from a non finalist was released by Rhett Butler a cover of R Kelly's She's Got That Vibe which went top 20 in Australia.
In the third semi final, just before the live verdict, one of the contestants, Anthony Sumbati, was disqualified for taking part in a radio interview without the consent of the producers. He later performed in the Grand Final as one of the performances outside the Sydney Opera House.
In the wildcard show, a contestant named Daniel Wakefield was originally meant to be in the top 12, but due to his contract, he wasn't able to be in the top 12. Instead of having one contestant chosen by the judges and the other chosen by Australia, three contestants were chosen, two by Australia and one by the judges.
Finals Finalists Finalist Age * From Status Daniel Wakefield 20 SydneyDisqualified in Week 1 Mathew Chadwick 20 Gold CoastEliminated 1st in Week 1 Peter Ryan 27 TabulamEliminated 2nd in Week 1 Cle Wootton 22 PerthEliminated 3rd in Week 2 Lauren Buckley 17 East GosfordEliminated 4th in Week 2 Kelly Cavuoto 22 AdelaideEliminated 5th in Week 3 Rebekah LaVauney 25 LiverpoolEliminated 6th in Week 3 Levi Kereama 19 BrisbaneEliminated 7th in Week 4 Rob Mills 21 MelbourneEliminated 8th in Week 5 Paulini Curuenavuli 20 Wiley ParkEliminated 9th in Week 6 Cosima De Vito 26 PerthWithdrew in Week 7 Shannon Noll 27 CondobolinRunner-up Guy Sebastian 21 Paradise Winner * as of the start of the season
Live show details Heat 1 (10 August 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Chelsea Gibson"Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera)Eliminated2Shannon Thompson"Lately" (Stevie Wonder)Eliminated3Natalie Ferguson"Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield)Eliminated4Lorena Alegria"To Zion" (Lauryn Hill)Eliminated5Daniel Wakefield"You'll Never Walk Alone" (Christine Johnson)Advanced6Veronica Stewart"I Want to Know What Love Is" (Foreigner)Eliminated7Peter Ryan"Right Here Waiting" (Richard Marx)Advanced8Eli Diache"Angel" (Sarah McLachlan)Eliminated Notes Daniel Wakefield and Peter Ryan advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated. Eli Diache returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 2 (17 August 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Cosima De Vito"My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion)Eliminated2Marc Stockley"Let it Be" (The Beatles)Eliminated3Hailey Cramer"Run to You" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated4Sidney Maynard"Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder)Eliminated5Rebecca Tapia"Shadowland" (Heather Headley)Eliminated6Axle Whitehead"Pastime Paradise" (Stevie Wonder)Eliminated7Kelly Cavuoto"Bring Me to Life" (Evanescence)Advanced8Mathew Chadwick"Truly" (Lionel Richie)Advanced Notes Mathew Chadwick and Kelly Cavuoto advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated. Cosima DeVito, Rebecca Tapia and Axle Whithead returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 3 (24 August 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Jennifer Pearl"The Day You Went Away" (Wendy Matthews)Eliminated2Ryan Sheppard"Swear It Again" (Westlife)Eliminated3Martine Robert"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Roberta Flack)Eliminated4Anthony Sumbati"The More I See You" (Michael Bublé)Eliminated5Rebekah LaVauney"Ex-Factor" (Lauryn Hill)Eliminated6Shannon Noll"Better Man" (Robbie Williams)Advanced7Yolande Jackson"Winter" (Tori Amos)Eliminated8Guy Sebastian"What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)Advanced Notes Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated. Rebekah LaVauney and Yolande Jackson returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 4 (31 August 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Mary Lane"Holding Out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)Eliminated2Michelle Cashman"My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion)Eliminated3Costa Zacharia"Whenever You Call" (Mariah Carey)Eliminated4Brielle Davis"Even God Must Get the Blues" (Jo Dee Messina)Eliminated5Levi Kereama"Nice and Slow" (Usher)Eliminated6Cle Wootton"Come to Me" (Diesel)Advanced7Brandon Burns"Better Man" (Robbie Williams)Eliminated8Lauren Buckley"Imagine" (John Lennon)Advanced Notes Cle Wootton and Lauren Buckley advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated. Levi Kereama returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 5 (7 September 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Marcus Jones"Burn for You" (John Farnham)Eliminated2Ben Manusama"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Chicago)Eliminated3Alex Longstaff"Even When I'm Sleeping" (Leonardo's Bride)Eliminated4Anton Aktila"End of the Road" (Boyz II Men)Eliminated5Stu Campbell"Guilty" (Jimmy Barnes)Eliminated6Paulini Curuenavuli"Somewhere" (Reri Grist)Advanced7Courtney Act"You Don't Own Me" (Lesley Gore)Eliminated8Rob Mills"Angels" (Robbie Williams)Advanced Notes Paulini Curuenavuli and Rob Mills advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated. Stu Campbell and Courtney Act returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Wildcard round (14 September 2003) Order Artist Song (original artists) Result1Eli Diache"Permission to Shine" (6cyclemind)Eliminated2Stu Campbell"(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" (Harry Connick, Jr.)Eliminated3Yolande Jackson"Stuck" (Stacie Orrico)Eliminated4Liban Aden"Where I Wanna Be" (Donell Jones)Eliminated5Rebekah LaVauney"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Whitney Houston)Advanced6Courtney Act"You Shook Me All Night Long" (AC/DC)Eliminated7Axle Whitehead"Yesterday" (The Beatles)Eliminated8Cosima De Vito"Predictable" (Delta Goodrem)Advanced9Levi Kereama"Maria Maria" (Santana)Advanced10Rebecca Tapia"Let's Get Loud" (Jennifer Lopez)Eliminated Notes The judges selected Cosima De Vito to move on into the top 12 of the competition, before the hosts revealed the top 3 vote getters. Rebekah LaVauney and Levi Kereama received the most votes, and completed the top 12.
Live Show 1 (21 September 2003) Theme: The 70s OrderArtistSong (original artists)ResultN/ADaniel WakefieldN/ADisqualified1Levi Kereama"Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)Safe2Lauren Buckley"Moondance" (Van Morrison)Safe3Mathew Chadwick"If" (Bread)Eliminated4Rebekah LaVauney"Emotion" (Samantha Sang)Safe5Rob Mills"All Right Now" (Free)Safe6Cosima De Vito"Hot Stuff" (Donna Summer)Safe7Peter Ryan"Your Song" (Elton John)Eliminated8Cle Wootton"Young Hearts Run Free" (Candi Staton)Safe9Guy Sebastian"The Love You Save" (The Jackson 5)Safe10Kelly Cavuoto"Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin)Bottom three11Shannon Noll"Help Is on Its Way" (Little River Band)Safe12Paulini Curuenavuli"Don't Leave Me This Way" (Thelma Houston)Safe
Live Show 2 (28 September 2003) Theme: Australian #1s OrderArtistSong (original artists)Result1Cosima De Vito"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston)Safe2Rob Mills"You Don't Treat Me No Good" (Sonia Dada)Safe3Paulini Curuenavuli"Eternal Flame" (The Bangles)Safe4Lauren Buckley"Lady Marmalade" (Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim & Mýa)Eliminated5Guy Sebastian"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams)Safe6Kelly Cavuoto"Tomorrow" (Silverchair)Bottom three7Shannon Noll"What About Me" (Moving Pictures)Safe8Rebekah LaVauney"Killing Me Softly with His Song" (The Fugees)Safe9Cle Wootton"That's the Way Love Goes" (Janet Jackson)Eliminated10Levi Kereama"Rock Your Body" (Justin Timberlake)Safe
Live Show 3 (5 October 2003) Theme: Australian Made OrderArtistSong (original artists)Result1Kelly Cavuoto"Mascara" (Killing Heidi)Eliminated2Shannon Noll"Already Gone" (Powderfinger)Safe3Rebekah LaVauney"Heading In The Right Direction" (Renee Geyer)Eliminated4Levi Kereama"To the Moon and Back" (Savage Garden)Bottom three5Paulini Curuenavuli"Chains" (Tina Arena)Safe6Rob Mills"Take Me Back" (Noiseworks)Safe7Cosima De Vito"When the War Is Over" (Cold Chisel)Safe8Guy Sebastian"You're the Voice" (John Farnham)Safe
Live Show 4 (12 October 2003) Theme: The 80s OrderArtistSong (original artists)Result1Shannon Noll"Livin' on a Prayer" (Bon Jovi)Bottom three2Paulini Curuenavuli"Freeway of Love" (Aretha Franklin)Bottom two3Levi Kereama"Every Little Step" (Bobby Brown)Eliminated4Cosima DeVito"What's Love Got To Do With It" (Tina Turner)Safe5Rob Mills"If I Could" (1927)Safe6Guy Sebastian"When Doves Cry" (Prince)Safe
Up, Close and Personal Special (14 October 2003) ArtistSong (original artists)Cosima De Vito"Hero" (Mariah Carey)Guy Sebastian"When I Get You Alone" (Robin Thicke)Paulini Curuenavuli"Fields of Gold" (Sting)Rob Mills"When You Say Nothing at All" (Ronan Keating)Shannon Noll"With or Without You" (U2)
Live Show 5 (19 October 2003) Theme: R&B & Soul OrderArtistFirst song (original artists)Second songResult1Shannon NollWhen a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge)"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson)Safe2Paulini Curuenavuli"Un-Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton)"Survivor" (Destiny's Child)Safe3Guy Sebastian"Hello" (Lionel Richie)"Hidden Agenda" (Craig David)Safe4Cosima De Vito"Respect" (Aretha Franklin)"I Believe I Can Fly" (R. Kelly)Bottom two5Rob Mills"Too Close" (Next)"If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" (R. Kelly)Eliminated
Live Show 6 (26 October 2003) Theme: Big Band OrderArtistFirst song (original artists)Second songResult1Shannon Noll"New York, New York (Frank Sinatra)"I've Got You Under My Skin" (Frank Sinatra)Safe2Paulini Curuenavuli"At Last" (Etta James)"Almost Like Being in Love" (Frank Sinatra)Eliminated3Cosima De Vito"L-O-V-E" (Nat King Cole)"Smile" (Nat King Cole)Safe4Guy Sebastian"Hit the Road Jack" (Ray Charles)"The Way You Look Tonight" (Frank Sinatra)Bottom two
Live Show 7: Semi-final (2 November 2003) Theme: The 60s OrderArtistFirst song (original artists)Second songResult1Shannon Noll"One" (Harry Nilsson)"Hey Jude" (The Beatles)Safe2Guy Sebastian"Can't Take My Eyes off You" (Frankie Valli)"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (Patricia Neway)Safe3Cosima De Vito"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield)" River Deep, Mountain High" (Tina Turner)Withdrew
Live final (16 November 2003) OrderArtistFirst song (original artists)Second songThird songResult1Shannon Noll"Please Forgive Me""Working Class Man""Angels Brought Me Here"Runner-up2Guy Sebastian"I'll Be There""Crazy in Love""Angels Brought Me Here"Winner
The Top 12 Contestants
Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian was the winner of the first series of Australian Idol.
Sebastian's performances on Australian Idol:
Audition: "Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder) Theatre Week (Round 1): "Back at One" (Brian McKnight)