Australian Idol 2023: Kyle Sandilands stuns panel with ‘untouched’ comment

It’s not uncommon for Kyle Sandilands to go too far, but a comment made on Tuesday night’s Australian Idol may take the cake.

Kyle Sandilands has picked up the Australian Idol savagery right where it left off 14 years ago.

The 51-year-old shock jock is the only original judge who returned to the rebooted Seven show, with Meghan Trainor, Harry Connick Jr. and Amy Shark joining him on the panel.

And on Tuesday night’s episode, the KIIS co-host – who often makes headlines for his no-filter commentary – took things a step too far during one of the budding contestant’s auditions.

Brisbane aged care worker Ali Morriss, 27, who introduced herself to the judges by giving them each a copy of her published book Outside, hadn’t even started singing yet when Sandilands blurted out a brutal comment.

Ali revealed she’d be auditioning with cult favourite Aussie pop banger Untouched by The Veronicas, to which Sandilands responded, “Is it because you are untouched?”

An awkward Ali responded, “I don’t know if I can answer that.”

“Is it because you are untouched...?”

… Ali didn’t know what to say.

Trainor, who sits next to Sandilands, said, “Oh my god. Oh my god. It’s a family show.”

Shark and Connick Jr., meanwhile, didn’t say anything, with the latter refusing to look up as he scanned through Ali’s book.

The panel was left speechless.

Unfortunately for Ali, things didn’t get much better from there, with her performance falling flat.

“This is a hardcore singing show, and as lovely as you are, you’re just not ready for that,” Connick Jr. said, letting her down gently, while Shark said she chose a difficult song.

“I feel like it’s a song only the Veronicas can crush,” Shark said.

Sandilands made up four ‘nos’, and used Ali’s book to tell her to leave. “I think you should go … Outside.”

Sandilands said it was time for Ali to go "outside".

There have been no shortage of terrible auditions in Idol’s first two returning episodes. And given it’s airing for the first time in the age of social media, producers felt compelled to issue a plea urging fans to “please respect” the artists.

Here's your golden ticket to a respectful season of #AustralianIdol 💙 pic.twitter.com/t1R2gZk0XO

— Australian Idol (@AustralianIdol) January 30, 2023

However, the good-hearted sentiment backfired – with many pointing out Idol’s decision to air “woeful” auditions was the problem.

Many also suggested Sandilands’ brutal feedback to budding contestants was worse than any comments on the internet.

In one of the auditions, Sandilands told rock singer Ben Sheehy he had a “weird, serial killer vibe”.

Australian Idol contines 7:30pm Wednesday on Seven.