Susana Downes: Miss Earth Australia 2019 winner Susana Downes to appear in TV revival
A western Sydney local who shot to prominence after being named Miss Earth Australia will be soon gracing our screens in a television revival.
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A Kingswood local who shot to prominence after being named Miss Earth Australia will be soon gracing our screens as a contestant on Australian Idol’s comeback season.
Susana Downes, 29, who has been singing before she could even talk, has made it through the gruelling auditions for the singing talent show, winning over Kyle Sandilands with her rendition of ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical Wicked.
“The audition process is longer than you might think, you have to audition for producers before you’re short-listed, and once you’re short-listed you have to audition over and over again,” she said.
Ms Downes, whose chosen music genres are pop and musical theatre, said she was thrilled to be part of the competition series after watching early seasons while growing up in western Sydney.
“I remember being seven when Guy Sebastian won the first season and nagging my mum to vote for him by calling in on her Nokia, I think we ended up spending over $10,” she laughed.
Ms Downe’s selection on Idol is the latest addition to an eclectic resume after previously competing in bodybuilding competitions and numerous beauty pageants.
She took out the title of Miss Australia in the 2019 Miss Earth contest, which saw her fly to the Philippines to represent Australia on a world stage.
“I love the glitz and the glamour of it all and the excitement of the beauty pageant environment,” she says.
In 2021, Ms Downes also starred in SBS dramedy ‘The Unusual Suspects’ which follows the lives of Filipino Australia women in Sydney’s east.
Ms Downes, who is Filipino Australian, played the role of Gigi in the SBS series and believes the show was a breakthrough for Filipino representation.
“It was so much fun representing Filipino culture on a national TV network, it’s so great to have that representation for young Filipino girls to see people on the screen like them.”
Australian Idol will return to our screens on January 30 on Channel 7.
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