Australian Idol Is Back With A New Star-Studded Panel Of Judges

That's right folks, the revered reality show Australian Idol is back for it's triumphant return next year, with a whole new set of judges and contestants.

Originally starting up in 2003, the show quickly became an Aussie favourite and continued until 2009 when it was sadly cancelled. In those six glorious years, Idol unearthed a plethora of Australian talent with notable stars like Jessica Mauboy, Guy Sebastian, Stan Walker, Shannon Noll and Matt Corby all getting their start on the show. 

Since then, shows like The Voice and The Masked Singer have filled the void that Idol left, but never quite hitting the mark. Initially announced to return in 2020, the show was put on hold due to the pandemic, leaving fans waiting another three years for their Idol fix. 

The panel of judges for next year have also been announced with contestants in for a wild ride. Amy Shark will be leading the way, as the only Australian musician on the panel. The singer has won several ARIA Music Awards and is the perfect pick to champion the next best Aussie musician. Joining her will be American pop artist Meghan Trainor and singer/composer Harry Connick Jr. 

And finally, controversial Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands will be returning to the judges panel for 2023. He originally served on the panel from 2005-2009 and was known for his harsh critique of auditioning artists. 

Australian Idol also announced this morning that the new co-hosts will be Ricki-Lee and Scott Tweedie, with the former famously reaching seventh in season two of the singing competition.  

Application are still open for auditions and there are two ways to go about it. Punters can either upload a video on the Australian Idol casting website or register for a face-to-face zoom call with a producer. 

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to participate in this years auditioning process with the team behind Idol releasing four prerequisites that applicants must meet to be apart of the show. Those include: Applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (for at least two years), be between 15 and 28 years old (as of 1 September 2022), be fully vaccinated with three doses and valid vaccination certificates, and not have any contract, arrangement or agreement with any other TV program, producer or record label. 

The Idol franchise is the most widely watched television franchise in the world. It's broadcast in over 150 countries, has 55 adaptations and boasts a global audience of more than three billion viewers.

An exact date for when the show will air has yet to be released, so keep your eyes peeled for any upcoming announcements!