‘Australian Idol’ Nostalgic Traditions That I Need The Reboot To Revive
Okay, I’m gonna get really candid with Punkee readers here: when I was in kindergarten, I looked my teacher dead in the eye and told her I would be on Australian Idol.
This was around 2004, and unfortunately by 2009, the show was pulled from Aussie TV.
But recently, Idol has risen from its ashes as Channel 7 has announced its comeback. Australia Idol has called upon Aussies aged between 15-28 who are looking to pursue a career in music to come and try out for the legendary show.
The iconic nationwide search for a superstar is back! #AustralianIdol is coming to @Channel7 and @7plus in 2023. Think you've got what it takes? Apply now https://t.co/8NSNY0toEw⭐ pic.twitter.com/Tee85lh2Iu
— Australian Idol (@AustralianIdol) July 3, 2022
So far, a lot of the details surrounding the revived reality show has remained super hush hush. There hasn’t been any words on the judging panel’s audition locations, voting system, or anything else. The reboot is expected to air in 2023.
During its run in the early 2000s, Australian Idol contributed heavily to Australian pop culture, giving us the Young Divas, Shannon Noll, Guy Sebastian, and many more chart-topping acts. But along with introducing Australia to talented singers, there are so many things the show provided us that were so iconic — and we’re hoping to see them in the revival.
Without further ado, here are a bunch of nostalgic traditions I demand to see in the Australian Idol revival:
If these don’t come back, Channel 7 can keep it.
1. Show us the Australian Idol rejects.
With The Voice being one of the only singing competitions still on Aussie TV, one thing that it’s truly missing is a roundup of failed auditions.
On Idol, all of the tension from the auditions would be broken up by iconic reject reels and it was so entertaining. There was always a terrible singer who was overly confident, or someone who was just doing too much.
It was also refreshing to see everyday Aussies give singing a chance and with the beauty of the internet, you can revisit some of these auditions online if you’re in need of a quick cackle.
2. Give us Australia’s next girl group.
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Australia is overdue for its own girl group. After their respective Australian Idol seasons, alum Ricki-Lee Coulter, Kate DeAraugo, Emily Williams, and Paulini (and later Jessica Mauboy) started a group called the Young Divas and their cover of Donna Summer’s ‘This Time I Know It’s For Real’ was just sooo iconic.
I’m really banking on Australia Idol to create our next girl group and put Aussie talent on the map.
3. Put on group performances.
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One of the most entertaining parts of the Australian Idol was the group performing musical numbers to kick off the show. They were always a great opener and actually pretty well choreographed.
These performances brought a lot of pizzazz to the show, and I felt like this is where executives would see how other vocalists work together, as a result creating a girl group/boyband (see: above point).
4. Bless us with Australia’s next heartthrob.
To go along with our thirst for an Australian girl group, it is time for our next heartthrob to obsess over! Australian Idol created heartthrobs such as Matt Corby, Rob ‘Millsy’ Mills, Dean Geyer, and (arguably) Shannon Noll.
In next year’s Idol, I demand we elect Australia’s next heartthrob. From memory, I think the last one we had was either the boys from 5 Seconds of Summer or Reece Mastin from The X Factor.
5. Bring back the OG voting system.
I have a core memory of my mum forcing me to vote for Dean Geyer during his run on the show. I distinctly still remember hearing the Idol theme song and the ‘thank you’ message for voting.
I really hope they keep this voting system in the next iteration because it’s a great way to choose the singer — democratically! And I really wanna get that nostalgic hit from hearing the automated message one more time. Also, we can never forget that iconic line, “Australia has voted…”
6. Bring back Australian Idol CDs and DVDs.
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I always get giddy when I see a cover of an old CD produced by Idol. The faces of all the contestants and the Idol logo just scream Y2K vibes. Although CDs are not as popular as they used to be, I’m hoping that the Idol executives will at least upload the contestant’s songs onto Spotify or Soundcloud. I also demand that the album art stays the same.
7. Mark Holden simply must come back for one last ‘Touchdown!’
Now, this was an iconic 2000s moment. Original Aussie Idol judge, Mark Holden, would do a ‘touchdown’ if the contestant’s performance was worthy. Mark Holden later told Vice that his ‘touchdowns’ were his most memorable piece of improv on the show.
“That remains one of my happiest memories,” the former judge said. “In American football, they have something called the touchdown, which is where I got it from. People loved it, and it became a kind of a currency.”
I remember I used to always just randomly spin my arm around super obnoxiously and yell out, “Touchdown!” Those were the days.