Paulini says Dicko’s comments on Australian Idol encouraged her to get healthy

IT was a hard pill to swallow at the time but Paulini Curuenavuli says she is actually grateful for Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson’s now infamous comments back in 2003.

• Paulini had one month to get fit for Bodyguard musical
• Paulini shows off her glamorous transformation

IT was a hard pill to swallow at the time but Paulini Curuenavuli says she is actually grateful for Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson’s now infamous comments back in 2003.

At the time, at the age of 20, Dicko told gold-dress wearing Paulini she needed to “choose more appropriate clothes or shed pounds”.

Paulini Curuenavuli says Dicko’s comments made her change her lifestyle to become healthier. Picture: Mark Evans

“When I was standing on that stage and he said that, I was about to cry,” the 34-year-old recalled. “But that pretty much encouraged me to be a lot more careful with what I do with my body.”

She added: “He really did ignite that fire in me to go, ‘I do want to be healthy’. So it was a blessing in disguise.”

The Bodyguard star is in peak fitness thanks to a gruelling schedule of eight shows a week at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre.

The infamous gold dress she wore during one of her performances.

She stars as Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard Musical. Picture: John Fotiadis

The role made famous by Whitney Houston requires Paulini to sing 14 songs. She knew she was ready when she could sing and walk on the treadmill at the same time.