Australian Idol flops in TV ratings; Kyle Sandilands divides viewers

The return of Australian Idol failed to launch with a bang as shock jock Kyle Sandilands revealed a surprising new side. See which shows were ratings winners.

The reboot of Australian Idol on Seven has failed to match the ratings success of The Voice with a dismal start to the 2023 season.

The opening night of auditions attracted a paltry 413,000 viewers to be the 15th most watched show in the capital cities on a night when some of the biggest reality franchises relaunched for the year.

Married At First Sight was the resounding winner out of the entertainment shows returning for 2023, coming in third for Monday night with 840,000 metro viewers with the ABC’s enduring Back Roads, Seven’s game show The Chase and Home Away ahead of Idol.

The new season of Australian Survivor also languished in the ratings, coming in at No.14 with 447,000 viewers.

Fans of the singing contest had flagged on social media leading up to its Seven debut after 14 years off air they wouldn’t be watching because KIIS radio star Kyle Sandilands had been signed up for this year’s judging panel alongside pop star Amy Shark and American personalities Meghan Trainor and Harry Connick Jr.

SANDILANDS DIVIDES VIEWERS

Perhaps new fatherhood has softened Sandilands’ edges or Seven have instructed the shock jock to keep it nice for the return of Australian Idol after its 14 years in television mothballs.

Anyone predicting the radio superstar and talent quest judge would unleash hell on the hapless and hopeful contestants in the first episode were way off base.

Sandilands delivered quick quips rather than brutal take-downs, even when those auditioning were clearly deluded about their singing talent.

Australian Idol judge Kyle Sandilands has revealed his softer side.

“You had this whole being brought back to life in the hospital dance thing; it’s horrible,” he said after laughing through the unfortunate audition of Storm Klarich and asking him to teach him his “moves”.

The upbeat Nicholas Joy’s attempt at Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now had Sandilands ordering him to stop singing.

“Stop, stop, stop … you are a cheese factory oozing cheese,” he told the unflappable Joy while also suggesting “you’ve got something.”

But he didn’t take prisoners when 19-year-old Imogen Ledell wasn’t taking no for an answer from the judges, including Amy Shark and American imports Harry Connick Jr and Meghan Trainor.

“You must know that’s pretty woeful,” he told her.

But despite Sandilands dialling down his insults, some Idol fans remain unhappy the controversial radio host is back on the judges panel.

Australian Idol contestants have done well in the past because they had actual music producers - what would Kyle Sandilands know about who can make it?

— Sarah McDonald (@Sarah_McDonald_) January 30, 2023

Would like to watch Australian Idol but refuse to look at Kyle Sandilands so it’s a no go for me

— Fearless (@Fiestylady) January 30, 2023

Idol diehards welcomed the “comfort” factor of the show, a ratings juggernaut when it launched 20 years ago to propel Guy Sebastian to pop stardom and a career which has endured.

But as it returns in 2023, television talent quests are no longer the ratings winners they were even a decade ago and have spectacularly failed to unearth future pop stars.

The first episode did suggest there are great singers still to be discovered in Australia but it remains to be seen whether Idol – and the winner’s label Sony – can turn them into chart slayers in an era when TikTok commands the greatest power to make overnight successes.

Josh Hannan is an early favourite to make it through to the live shows. Picture: Supplied / Seven.

Melbourne singer songwriter and rose farmer Josh Hannan got a golden ticket – straight into the top 50 – and has the potential to follow in the footsteps of 2007 Idol runner-up Matt Corby after his stellar rendition of the ARIA winner’s hit Brother.

Alice Springs singer Naomi Gipey, who scored a private visit from judge Trainor which included a desperate dash to use the family’s bathroom before her audition – a truly bizarre TV moment – was inspired to give Idol a shot by the success of 2006 runner-up Jessica Mauboy.

And her controlled, note-perfect performance of the 2008 hit Mercy by British singer Duffy, scored her a golden ticket.

The episode’s final singer Sara Houston stole hearts with her bravery and talent. The 26-year-old, who battled an aggressive bone cancer when she was just eight years old, had undergone her 32nd operation the day before the Perth auditions.

Amali Dimond made the top 50 cut. Picture: Channel 7/Supplied

Her family encouraged her to give it a go after crossing paths with the judges and host Ricki-Lee Coulter – who visited Houston as a child at Ronald McDonald House in 2005 – at Perth airport.

Connick Jr jumped on the piano to accompany her shot at John Mayer’s Waiting On The World To Change and the sublime performance was exactly the Idol moment fans were hoping for. Houston has the voice and confidence to progress to the pointy end of the competition.

But Sandilands got it wrong with his gushing approval of the episode’s first golden ticket winner Amali Dimond.

While the 16-year-old delivered a nice enough performance of Adele’s arrangement of the Bob Dylan song Make You Feel My Love, it was hardly reminiscent of Olivia Newton-John’s sweet and distinctive vocals as he declared.