The ‘Australian Idol’ Judges Have Dropped And Umm…They’re Super Random
Kyle Sandilands was the first judge revealed for the upcoming Australian Idol reboot on Channel 7 and now we know the other three judges who will grace the panel. And umm… choices were made!
The 2023 judges will be: American Idol judge and ’90s hit-maker Harry Connick Jr, American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, radio jockey Kyle Sandilands, and Australian ARIA-winning singer-songwriter Amy Shark.
I mean, random! While Harry makes sense coming off the back of American Idol, I haven’t thought about Meghan Trainor in years. Amy Shark will bring her Australian music expertise to the panel, and Kyle Sandilands will surely bring the drama.
It should be stated that the panel is severely lacking diversity, with an entirely white foursome of celebrities cast for next year’s season. For a 2023 reality TV show not to a feature a single person of colour seems like a massive backwards step in representation which Australia desperately needs on our screens.
The hosts will be Australian Idol legend Ricki-Lee Coulter and Prank Patrol icon Scott Tweedie.
Tbh, this is perfect casting. No notes!
Ricki-Lee is hyped to be returning to the reality show that started her career. “This show changed my life, so it has always held a very special place in my heart. I love that I can be part of it 18 years later. I’m excited to see the amazing talent that walks through the doors at auditions, and I can’t wait to see Australia fall in love with a new generation of Aussie talent.”
Harry is buzzed to meet some Australian talent. “I’m looking forward to hearing all the new talent! I love the camaraderie with the judges, the excitement of the crowd and the fun of it all.”
While Meghan is honoured to be joining the singing show that started it all. “Idol is an iconic show. I grew up watching it and I am honoured to be involved. I can’t wait to sit front row and meet new talent. I haven’t been to Australia since 2015, so I’m really excited to get to see the whole country and basically get to live there!”
Amy added that she is especially keen for the audition process. “I’m excited about the auditions. It’s going to be pretty special to find that diamond in the rough and then see how they progress through the show. Idol has changed the lives of so many artists in the past, so I’m excited to be part of that.”
Kyle said that he’s excited to be back on a show with a celebrated history of launching successful music careers. “I’ve done all the shows over the years, pretty much all of them, but Australian Idol is the big one. We all know the stars that came out of Idol. We actually found someone to idolise in the music industry in Australia every year with Idol.”
The Idol franchise has launched the careers of artists Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Adam Lambert, along with Aussies Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan, and Courtney Act.
Australian Idol will premiere on Channel 7 and 7Plus in 2023.