Why does Australia love to hate Delta Goodrem?

LIKE Bindi Irwin and Nicole Kidman before her, hating Delta Goodrem has become a national sport. And it's not OK.

OPINION

LIKE Bindi Irwin and Nicole Kidman before her, hating Delta Goodrem has officially become a national sport.

The new season of The Voice is just a week old but the Delta bashing has already reached new heights. She’s been accused of “bullsh*t theatrics” and dancing too much and “coming across worse than a dog on heat”. She’s been told to shut up, sit down and stop being so sleazy.

C’mon then haters — how many of you have actually met Delta Goodrem?

Would you be so vile about her if you found yourself together in a room?

No you wouldn’t because far from being annoying, fake, insincere, immodest and silly as you claim her to be, she’s the sort of woman who’d stride up to you and ask you about yourself. She’d throw an arm round you, comment on what you’re wearing and make you feel like you’re in the presence of someone just like you but rolled in a dusting of glitter.

Australia, this is no longer about Tall Poppy Syndrome but Nasty Weed Syndrome and all who persist in hating on one of our national legends are responsible for the creeping vines of ugliness that grow around some of our best and brightest stars.

When we hate on others it says more about us than them.

Everyone’s entitled to an opinion but to sneer at a show designed to entertain then get online and tap out endless vitriol about one of its judges, is ugly, unnecessary behaviour far more grievous than Delta rocking it out to a song she loves.

Delta Goodrem is the only Aussie judge left on The Voice. Picture: Channel 9

The fact is Delta is loyal and decent. Of course she’s getting paid but she’s also chosen to give back to an industry which has supported her throughout her career. She’s the only Australian judge in the new season and each year she comes back bolder and more characterful. Heaven forbid we should have to import all four judges on a homegrown show?

What’s more, she’s good talent. She’s warm, fluid, has a great banter with the other judges, particularly Seal, and she delivers. Sure, she may not punch the buzzer when you would and she may get out of her chair more than the others but so what? She’s alive and enjoying herself and full of joy — do we attack sportsmen when they display such enthusiasm?

Delta Goodrem brings it to ‘The Voice’.

The thing is, we used to like Delta. When she starred as Nina Tucker on Neighbours we couldn’t get enough of her when she parlayed her piano-playing character into a real-life music career. Her first song Born To Try went to number one on the Aria’s singles chart and her first album, Innocent Eyes, broke records previously held by John Farnham.

Then she became ill with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, appearing at the Aria Awards post treatment with her hair shorn. She recovered and kept recording, dating a few high-profile blokes along the way just as anyone in her position would.

No, it didn’t work out with Mark Philippoussis or Nick Jonas or Brian McFadden but most 20s relationships don’t work out — it’s how you figure out what matters to you.

Yet unlike Kylie Minogue, whose biography reads similarly, Delta became a target.

Why? Why do we elevate some stars — Rebecca Gibney, Carrie Bickmore, Cate Blanchett — thinking they can do no wrong and hound others, most notably Nicole Kidman and now Delta?

As Delta told 60 Minutes during her first season on The Voice: “I accept that everyone has an opinion (but) I don’t appreciate the personal attack, because I don’t think I’m offensive.”

Is it because she’s so good looking? Delta at the 2017 Logies. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

She admitted the comments stung: “I’ve been hurt because I hate that my sincerity would be questioned — I’m not quite sure where that comes from. It confuses me and it’s been a bit heartbreaking because I only want to do the best thing for everyone.”

Ignore them Delta. Keep doing your stuff. And viewers, if you need to spew bile choose someone who deserves it. Next time you feel the need to tweet that Delta dances like “someone who’s been hit with a taser” perhaps have a crack at Kim Jong-un instead.

Continue the conversation with Angela Mollard on Twitter @angelamollard

Originally published as Why does Australia love to hate Delta Goodrem?