Paulini on THAT Idol fat-shaming moment
The singer and stage actor reflects on how the devastating moment she was body shamed on live TV ‘took me backwards’
Stellar
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As she channels the chanteuses of the 1970s (hello, turbans!) in a bohemian-tinged shoot for Stellar, singer and stage star Paulini reveals how she finally harnessed her self-confidence two decades after rising to fame – and being body-shamed – on national TV, expresses excitement about her latest project and ruminates on one big role that got away
It’s only recently – having turned 40 in October of 2022 – that Paulini finally feels completely at ease in her own skin.
The singer spent her early years in the music industry trying to fit in by straightening her curly hair and dressing in outfits she thought a popstar would wear. “I’ve never been sure of myself or my style – until now,” she tells Stellar.
“I’ve finally found the sort of clothing that fits my body and goes with my skin tone. I finally feel like myself.”
There’s no doubt this “journey” was significantly impacted by former Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson’s infamous criticism of her gold dress in the show’s first season two decades ago.
“It wasn’t like I started with a lot of confidence anyway,” she says. “But [that experience] definitely took me backwards.”
So it encourages her that the next generation of Idol contestants (on the show’s current reboot) won’t face the same sort of scrutiny or humiliation.
“On Idol, this time around, you can be non-binary or gay or black or transgender,” she says.
“These shows now give you a chance to speak your mind and to embrace your truth, and that’s such an important thing.”
Paulini felt a similar sense of liberation in her shoot for Stellar, where she discovered a new sense of style: “Let’s just say it will influence the shoot for my next single!”
Until that drops, she’s relishing her new stage role as the narrator in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
“Until now, the highlight of my musical theatre career was [the 2017 stage version of] The Bodyguard and I feel like this is on the same level,” she says.
After proving she had a voice powerful enough to play the role made famous by the late Whitney Houston, many had speculated Paulini might also play Tina Turner in an upcoming musical based on the singer’s life.
“I would have loved to have been given a chance to audition for it,” she admits. “But it didn’t happen. I would have adored to play Tina, but I wasn’t given the opportunity.”
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is now playing at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre. For more details, visit josephthemusical.com.au.
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