Australian Idol

Australian Idol is the Australian version of the British TV hit show Pop Idol. It is a talent contest to find a pop performer and is hosted by Andrew G and James Mathison. The first series started on July 27th, 2003, and finished on November 19. The winner was Guy Sebastian, with runners up Shannon Noll (2nd) and Cosima De Vito (3rd). The 2004 season saw Casey Donovan win ahead of Anthony Callea (2nd) and Courtney Murphy (3rd).

Second series (2004)

The second series of Australian Idol debuted on 13 July 2004. The level of success of the contestants in the first series has lured over 50 000 people throughout Australia to audition.

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13 July - 2004

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As well as the five larger cities, the judges also visited Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and Tamworth this year. Of the twelve finalists, three were from Sydney, two were from Melbourne, and one each from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Hobart, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Bega.

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Canberra - Hobart - Darwin - Tamworth - Sydney - Melbourne - Brisbane - Gold Coast - Perth - Adelaide - Bega

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The winner was Casey Donovan. Telstra, a major sponsor of the series, made an embarrassing error when they issued a series of half-page advertisements in major newspapers congratulating Donovan on her victory, and linking to her website. However, the address was incorrect, leading to a website about gay porn star Casey Donovan, rather than the singer's. The company issued a prompt apology upon realising their mistake. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/11/22/1100972298598.html

Related Topics:
Casey Donovan - Telstra - Sponsor - Website - Gay - Porn star - Casey Donovan

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Donovan's Idol win was soon overshadowed by runner up Anthony Callea's post-Idol successes after the conclusion of the series. Her album performed poorly on the Australian charts and as of July 2005, she has failed to make any further progress with her career, especially when compared to previous winner Guy Sebastian.

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