auditions

Australian Idol Round-Up: Vesna Is Not Amused

10:00AM Clem Bastow | Old-timer Big Brother fans would’ve been thrilled to see the nation’s favourite hairdresser and fan of “intimate wash” pop up on Australian Idol the other night. However, the pint-sized firecracker was not there to sing, but to support her boyfriend Sebastian Pluchinotta – and what happened next was typical of the show’s increasingly dodgy “direction”. To wit, Dicko and Kyle were not satisfied that Pluchinotta was straight, and made him sing his chosen song directly to Vesna’s face; Dicko then mock-stormed out, evidently in protest of the massive amounts of gaydar his antennae were picking up (I picked up roughly 5% gaydar, and that was from the loving looks Dicko and Kyle were giving each other). Pluchinotta did not get through. Unsurprisingly, Vesna is pissed, and is letting everyone know about it. More »

Australian Idol Round-Up: It Continueth

11:00AM Clem Bastow | So we’re now two days into 2008’s edition of Australian Idol and already I’m reaching saturation point. Is slamming us with six solid nights of auditions a good way to begin a season? Jump over the, er, jump and we can discuss last night’s effort. More »

Australian Idol Round-Up: It Beginneth

10:30AM Clem Bastow | So, Australian Idol has begun – they couldn’t even wait until after the Olympics closing ceremony, such was the enthusiasm of another year of hopefuls – and was it everything the incredible, Jacksons-aping, James Spargo-highlighting promos made it out to be? Let’s hold hands and go over the jump to discuss Idol’s opening salvo. More »

Barbara Walters’ Memoir Packed With Tales Of Former ‘Lovahs’, Including ‘The Blackest Man’ She Ever Slept With

9:10AM Molly Friedman | The ladies of The View had a lengthy meta-conversation all about the “very beautiful!” and “sexy!” photos of their own Barbara Walters in this month’s Vanity Fair. And while they do point out the photo spread’s accompanying excerpt from Walters’ new memoir Auditions, and Babs does allude to tales of past “lovahs,” she fails to mention (until Oprah makes her next week) just how tantalising some of those pages are. As today’s preview in the NY Daily News reveals, Walters was involved in a long-term affair with an African-American senator back in the swingin’ 70s. And from the sound of it, the affair was far spicier than all those Adrian Lyne movies about adultery: More »

Things Are Already Looking Amazing For Australian Idol ‘08

1:23PM Clem Bastow | After the fizzer that was 2007’s effort, this latest season of Australian Idol is already having “isshews” – and it’s not even on the air yet! After much fanfare regarding the show’s overseas auditions for expat Australians, the Los Angeles round has already been cancelled. The excuse they’re using is Kyle Sandilands’ busy schedule; is that what they’re calling “no one turned up” these days… The United States auditions were due to be held on Sunday with Sandilands presiding over the judging. Just hours after Tina Arena and Darren Hayes were announced as guest judges to scope the talent at the show’s London auditions, an Australian Idol spokesman said Sandilands’ conflicting schedule had caused the endeavour to be scrapped. Production being stretched for its London auditions was another big factor, the spokesman added. “London has been massive for us and we’ve had an overwhelming response to London,” he said. “Kyle’s timetable was a factor of us not being able to do all our commitments as well.” We shouldn’t be too quick to judge Idol ‘08, however; the article goes on to reassure us all that audition numbers were up 30% this year… in Newcastle. We’re not going to start holding our breath just yet. More »

Defamer Australia Is No Longer In The Running Towards Becoming Australia’s Next Top Model

2:55PM Clem Bastow | There’s nothing we like more here at Defamer Australia than a) modelling reality shows and b) the chance to watch the stage mothers at work in their natural habitat, so it was with glee that we tramped off to the auditions for 2008’s “cycle” of Australia’s Next Top Model (the fourth). Held at David Jones’ Bourke St store – in the middle of the ladies’ underwear department, no less – roughly 200 girls showed up to give it a shot. And what a shot they gave! Unfortunately our camera ran out of batteries en route (what did we say about being Pulitzer-worthy photojournalists?) but our steel-trap recall brings you the highlights they probably won’t include in the show. Read on after the jump for our personal highlights. More »