The brand new season of Australian Idol returns on Monday, January 29 on Channel 7 and 7plus, with judges Kyle Sandilands, Amy Shark and Marcia Hines searching for the next generation of singing sensation.
Touted as the toughest season of Idol ever by Seven’s head of entertainment, Majella Hay, the new season will feature a tighter format, having only a top 30 rather than a top 50 as seen with last season.
Hay explains that even though there will be more episodes in the new season, getting a golden ticket into the top 30 will be harder.
“The 30 who make it into that group have got to work harder to get there, and have to impress our judges to get that golden ticket,” she said.
“Because of our new format, we can slightly shorten the audition run of getting the people through the door to see who has the potential to be an idol.
“There will be people who viewers will love from the get-go in the top 30, and they will follow just those 30 voices as they start their journey to become an Australian Idol.”
Returning to the Idol judges’ desk for his sixth season, Kyle admits there’s no definitive formula for the ultimate performer, but they have a presence and energy that’s hard to ignore.
“The ultimate performer is someone that you admire for their talent,” he says. “And they’ve got a little swagger or a pizzazz about them that just makes them stand out from the crowd.”
Amy added: “I’m usually blown away if someone can potentially showcase their personality, voice, style and direction in the space of 10 minutes and leave me wanting more. If I want to learn more about you, I’m interested.”
The winner of Australian Idol will receive a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment Australia and $100,000 in prize money.
This year’s iteration is also hosted by Ricki-Lee – who was discovered on Australian Idol in 2004 – and entertainment presenter and former E! host Scott Tweedie.
Australian Idol is produced for the Seven Network by Eureka Productions.
Australian Idol premieres Monday, January 29 on Channel 7 and 7plus.