Post by LD on Sept 6, 2005 8:00:48 GMT 10
IN A FINAL TWIST THE JUDGES CHOOSE AN EXTRA CONTESTANT FROM THE WILDCARD SHOW.
(From the official website)
13 - No Longer An Unlucky Number?
5th September, 10:30 PM
Oh, the mayhem, the magic, the tragedy, the elation - tonight's Wildcard Verdict show will be remembered as one of the most dramatic and controversial shows in the entire history of the Australian Idol saga! How can I possibly do the show justice in this measly one page article? How can I possibly cram all the info in? Where do I start? Well, I guess I'd better begin at the beginning.
Straight from the first few seconds of tonight's show there was a definite vibe in the studio - plenty of energy as a result of having our existing finalists here for the Wildcard verdict. Luckily we managed to keep them contained in the green room as we prepared to determine who would fill the last three positions in the Final 12. Those finalists are a rowdy mob, believe me. Imagine what will happen when we put them all together in one house!
The judges had the first opportunity to add their own picks to the Top 12. After spending hours locked away in what Kyle described as a 'catfight', the panel had finally agreed on two contestants. "We really believe in this person" admitted Kyle as he named the stylish Greek Adonis, James Kannis. After treating us to another slick performance, James looked stunned and admitted to our hosts, "I'm spinning out". Running to the green room, there was no prize for guessing who he'd look for. James headed straight for his fellow 'amigos' Lee and Dan.
Having added a crowd-pleaser to the Finalist group, the panel had no doubt in the quality of their next pick. "We are quite unanimous" stated Marcia and the lads nodded in agreement. Marcia finally announced young Mum, Emily Williams and the surprised contestant instantly dissolved into tears. Emily was warmly welcomed in the green room, especially by Natalie Zahra who was shattered when her 'Idol Mum' didn't make the Top 12 two weeks ago.
But there were still 8 contestant waiting for the viewers' votes and the atmosphere in the studio was tense, to say the least. To announce the most popular two, our hosts split the 8 Wildcards into two groups. First to make it through was Dan Spillane, a popular choice considering his uplifting performance last night. The second, much to the relief of the thousands of Australians who have rallied behind her, was Roxane Lebrasse.
Were you nervous? I could barely breathe. Of course, just when you need a soothing voice to put your mind at ease, you can always rely on our hosts to add to the tension. As Roxane and Dan sat beside each other, wondering who had received the most votes, Andrew made that hair-raising announcement: "there's less than one percent difference". Yes, it was the closest vote in the history of Australian Idol! Dan had promised to 'make a scene on national television' if Roxy didn't get through, but suddenly it became apparent that he'd personally deprived Roxanne of a Finals position. "I feel so bad" he admitted, looking guilty as the microphone was handed to him. While Roxane received comfort from her fellow Wildcards, Dan showed the form that got him into the Top12, singing a more confident version of 'Gimme Some Lovin'.
And that's exactly where the Wildcard Verdict show should have ended - a bitter sweet result that gave us this year's Top 12. But Australian Idol is always capable of a few surprises and as the Wildcards continued to comfort Roxane, our judges were trying to get everyone's attention, interrupting the congratulations and commiserations to deliver what Mark Holden called "a final twist". It seemed the panel weren't satisfied and Kyle saw no reason to follow the formula of previous years. "Maybe this year we spin it around" he decided before Marcia said the words we all wanted to hear: "Roxane, get up here!". That's right, we suddenly had a Top 13!
As the unfortunate remaining Wildcards looked on, Roxane fought back tears of joy to deliver another amazing version of 'All By Myself', proving that she always deserved to be among the Finalists with good friend Chris Luder. The festive vibe on stage made it difficult for the hosts to announce that next week there would be a studio audience. The judges definitely weren't helping when they intruded again, this time with some bad news for the Top 13: next week, two contestants will be eliminated!
So, does that mean 13 is no longer an unlucky number? Well, the current 13 finalists won't be together for long. Next Sunday, don't miss a second of the action as our finalists perform live, in front of a studio audience in our first final: Australian Made - a celebration of our finest homegrown music. Thanks to everyone who voted to make tonight's verdict the most competitive in the history of the series. Congratulations to the Top 13. It's Finals time!
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK WITH THE FINAL12 13
(From the official website)
13 - No Longer An Unlucky Number?
5th September, 10:30 PM
Oh, the mayhem, the magic, the tragedy, the elation - tonight's Wildcard Verdict show will be remembered as one of the most dramatic and controversial shows in the entire history of the Australian Idol saga! How can I possibly do the show justice in this measly one page article? How can I possibly cram all the info in? Where do I start? Well, I guess I'd better begin at the beginning.
Straight from the first few seconds of tonight's show there was a definite vibe in the studio - plenty of energy as a result of having our existing finalists here for the Wildcard verdict. Luckily we managed to keep them contained in the green room as we prepared to determine who would fill the last three positions in the Final 12. Those finalists are a rowdy mob, believe me. Imagine what will happen when we put them all together in one house!
The judges had the first opportunity to add their own picks to the Top 12. After spending hours locked away in what Kyle described as a 'catfight', the panel had finally agreed on two contestants. "We really believe in this person" admitted Kyle as he named the stylish Greek Adonis, James Kannis. After treating us to another slick performance, James looked stunned and admitted to our hosts, "I'm spinning out". Running to the green room, there was no prize for guessing who he'd look for. James headed straight for his fellow 'amigos' Lee and Dan.
Having added a crowd-pleaser to the Finalist group, the panel had no doubt in the quality of their next pick. "We are quite unanimous" stated Marcia and the lads nodded in agreement. Marcia finally announced young Mum, Emily Williams and the surprised contestant instantly dissolved into tears. Emily was warmly welcomed in the green room, especially by Natalie Zahra who was shattered when her 'Idol Mum' didn't make the Top 12 two weeks ago.
But there were still 8 contestant waiting for the viewers' votes and the atmosphere in the studio was tense, to say the least. To announce the most popular two, our hosts split the 8 Wildcards into two groups. First to make it through was Dan Spillane, a popular choice considering his uplifting performance last night. The second, much to the relief of the thousands of Australians who have rallied behind her, was Roxane Lebrasse.
Were you nervous? I could barely breathe. Of course, just when you need a soothing voice to put your mind at ease, you can always rely on our hosts to add to the tension. As Roxane and Dan sat beside each other, wondering who had received the most votes, Andrew made that hair-raising announcement: "there's less than one percent difference". Yes, it was the closest vote in the history of Australian Idol! Dan had promised to 'make a scene on national television' if Roxy didn't get through, but suddenly it became apparent that he'd personally deprived Roxanne of a Finals position. "I feel so bad" he admitted, looking guilty as the microphone was handed to him. While Roxane received comfort from her fellow Wildcards, Dan showed the form that got him into the Top12, singing a more confident version of 'Gimme Some Lovin'.
And that's exactly where the Wildcard Verdict show should have ended - a bitter sweet result that gave us this year's Top 12. But Australian Idol is always capable of a few surprises and as the Wildcards continued to comfort Roxane, our judges were trying to get everyone's attention, interrupting the congratulations and commiserations to deliver what Mark Holden called "a final twist". It seemed the panel weren't satisfied and Kyle saw no reason to follow the formula of previous years. "Maybe this year we spin it around" he decided before Marcia said the words we all wanted to hear: "Roxane, get up here!". That's right, we suddenly had a Top 13!
As the unfortunate remaining Wildcards looked on, Roxane fought back tears of joy to deliver another amazing version of 'All By Myself', proving that she always deserved to be among the Finalists with good friend Chris Luder. The festive vibe on stage made it difficult for the hosts to announce that next week there would be a studio audience. The judges definitely weren't helping when they intruded again, this time with some bad news for the Top 13: next week, two contestants will be eliminated!
So, does that mean 13 is no longer an unlucky number? Well, the current 13 finalists won't be together for long. Next Sunday, don't miss a second of the action as our finalists perform live, in front of a studio audience in our first final: Australian Made - a celebration of our finest homegrown music. Thanks to everyone who voted to make tonight's verdict the most competitive in the history of the series. Congratulations to the Top 13. It's Finals time!
I'LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THE BREAK WITH THE FINAL