Category — Anthony Callea

So You Think You Can Dance – Jason Gilkison to replace Bonnie tonight.
The SYTYCD panel will be without Bonnie Lythgoe tonight as she has a family commitment to attend to.

Her replacement will be Jason Gilkison. It will be interesting to see what another person has to say. Also I hope this means he does the group number for Monday night’s elimination show.

Rob Mills Former Australian Idol Contestant Has Scored a Lead Role in Wicked.
Wicked now has two former Australian Idol contestants in the cast. Rob Mills will play the lead male role Fiyero.

Anthony Callea will also be playing a taller then usual munchkin. The show opens in Melbourne in July.

Project Runway Style guru Tim Gunn May be Here for The Logies.
The organisers of the Logies have stopped shipping in D grade American TV stars, and are now trying to get US reality TV stars. In my opinion this is a definite step up on the TV food chain.

US Project Runway style guru Tim Gunn is going to try and “make it work” so he can visit Australia as a special guest for the TV Week Logie Awards.

Unfortunately he probably won’t be commentating on the red carpet.

If the timing was right he could have a guest appearance on the Australian version of the show as it starts filiming in Melbourne at that time.

The show to be hosted by Kristy Hinze, still has not locked in the judging panel.

Auditions are still ongoing . Lining up for their chance in Sydney were Aung Thu Ya and Emily Hubble.

Anthony Callea runner up of Australian Idol, career continues to soar. He was the support act for the much awaited Celine Dion in Melbourne last night.

This must have eased the disappointment of being eliminated from It Takes Two on Tuesday night.

Apparently there was a rumour that he and Celine were going to do a duet of his hit The Prayer, but that did not eventuate.

Speaking of It Takes Two apparently there was no love lost between Paul O’Brien, and Anthony Callea. They clashed behind-the-scenes. Anthony has said to have lectured O’Brien about taking the competition seriously.

Who Magazine speaks to Candice Falzone after her elimination.

While another Idol Alumni whose career is not going so well Kate DeAraugo, was seen singing in a discount clothing store at Birkenhead Point this week. When one of the Young Diva’s pop act songs came on the shop sound system – she obliged by adding some live vocals.

Candice Falzone still in It Takes Two – Unbelievable.

Candice Falzone with her singing mentor Anthony Callea are still in the Channel 7 singing competition It Takes Two. Her singing has not been great so who is voting for them?

the Daily Telegraph has a theory that it is all the tricks they do in their routines for example the kiss that occurred at the end of one routine, which was cringeworthy. This week Candice is wearing a micro mini to try and keep the votes rolling in.

Bored at Work? Like Idol? Want to see some funny bits from overseas Idol?
It appears that Idol is one of those products like coca-cola that you can get worldwide.
The Balitmore Sun has put together some You Tube clips that features some of the funnier/quirkier sides of Idol.

The Bulgarian boy singing Michael Jackson’s Bad is the highlight. Backed up by a very cheap set and production values.

Personally I thought the french singer was ok.

Ten Secrets from the taping of American Idol
Billboard have an article on the top ten secrets from a live taping of Idol. I already knew they pre-recorded the special guest performance, but I did not know the musicians only dressed up the top half and then wore jeans below.

Controversy surrounds the American Idol Songwriting Contest.
There are complaints emerging that the Idol songwriting contest (something I think they should do in Australia as well) is not what it seems.

Firstly the entrants have to pay $10 to enter the competition. I am not sure what the rationale is behind this, maybe to pay for the people who will have to listen to them.

Secondly it is open to all songwriters both professionals and amateurs, and their are gripes that the person who won it last year was not ‘undiscovered’ in fact he already had a CD out and other song writing credits. Full story here.

I don’t have a problem with professional writers entering. The winners need a decent song to sing, otherwise the public will be turned off them even before they start their post Idol career.

I have not been watching It Takes Two from week 2 as the format just bored me, and I realised that was two hours of my life I was not going to get back.

However I have been keeping tabs on who has been getting eliminated.

I thought it ironic that Chloe Maxwell, mother and partner of Titans Goldcoast rugby league player Matt Rogers, was eliminated the week the NRL competition was about to start.

With two young babies was this what she requested in her contract, so she could go back to being the main caregiver, so he can concentrate on his job.

Anyway I thought her likeability factor was high, and for fans here is an interview from Who Magazine/

I am surprised that Candice Falzon and Anthony Callea are still in, especially after that kiss which was about as convincing as an Ab Blaster commercial. He must have has a huge personal following.

However in TV Week suggests Anthony Callea is a hard task master, and loses his temper with Candice when she doesn’t meet his high standards.

Paul O’Brien revealed “I saw Candice when she was arriving and she said , ‘I had to go away and have a swim after Anthony walked off stage because I couldn’t hit a note’,”.

“I think he does push [Candice] very hard,”

“He wants to win and he’s done these sorts of competitions before, so he has an eye for what gets votes – and high notes get votes. He’s very sure of himself. He knows what he likes and doesn’t like, and he’ll speak his mind.”

It Takes Two – Candice Falzon partnered with Anthony Callea to ensure no hanky panky will occur.

The notorious (well I think being caught on camera in a toilet with a first grade footballer shagging means your notorious) Candice Falzon is to have Anthony Callea as her mentor in the new series of It Takes Two.

As Anthony Callea is gay it will mean Candice will have to concentrate on her singing rather then any other extra curricular activities.

The show will start next Tues at 7.30pm on Channel 7 who will be expecting high ratings from it.

The Daily Telegraph has the full story, and you can bet by next week they will have the Sonny Bill and Candice toilet photo on their website again.

The Chopping Block Gets Good TV Reviews
The SMH has given the new reality show the Chopping Block a good review. The Chopping Block starts tonight on Channel 9 at 7.30pm.

The show is where two struggling resturants are up against each other each week. They are reviewed, then Matt Moran has 48 hours to assist in turning them around, and then they are reviewed again. With the one most improved winning $20,000. The first episode is set in two Cronulla places.

It will be interesting to know if appearing on this show will help or hinder their business.

For those really into the nitty gritty of reality tv.
Here is an article which outlines why women on Survivor appear hairless, and how do The Amazing Race contestants exchange their currency.

In today’s Daily Telegraph, there is a can this be true article, saying Anthony Callea will play a munchkin in the musical theatre production Wicked.

Wicked is based on the tale of the two witches of the Wizard of Oz so obviously there will be munchkins in the production. But does the pint sized singer really want to be type cast as a munchkin?

What next playing Dopey in Snow White and the seven dwarfs?

The Daily Telegraph said Anthony Callea, former runner up on Australian Idol, has auditioned for the musical Wicked which will open in Melbourne mid this year. Wicked is a huge Broadway hit in New York about the two witches in the Wizard of Oz.

Anthony’s manager will neither confirm nor deny if he had auditioned for the role.

Good luck.

In other news in the Daily Telegraph it has been revealed Ricki-Lee has again trumped the Young Divas by taking over Paulini’s spot on the Channel 7 hit TV show It Takes Two.

Ricki-Lee will be one of the mentors to a celebrity in this duet singing show. I hope for her sake she gets someone good.

As I was perusing post from an an American Idol Blog regarding his prediction for the 2008 American Idol season my jaw hit the floor when I read they predicted an openly gay American Idol contestant!!

In six seasons they have not had one???

I am just jaded because of the high gay population in Sydney that a gay final 12 contestant is not out of the ordinary. I had already assumed that there had been one in Australian Idol, however on thinking about it maybe I was wrong.

Yes Anthony Callea is gay, however he never came out until years later after being outed by helicopter weatherman Vic Larrusso. But rumours had been certainly circulating during that season of Idol.

Courtney Act the drag queen made final 12, but only got through when he was cross dressing, did not even make it to the final 100 dressed as a guy. Ok maybe this can be classed as a novelty act.

Which raises the issue of whether there has been an out and proud final 12 contestant in Australian Idol. I had always assumed there had been.

I had assumed this years Ben McKenzie was but was too young to know or cope with the issue if he came out. But no one really cared did they?

Are their other gay final 12 contestants I am missing?

It has been reported in the Daily Terror that Anthony Callea may have found a shoulder to cry on since he broke up with his previous boyfriend.

Previous post on that drama here

Apparently Anthony has been spotted out two nights in a row in Melbourne with former Home and Away star Tim Campbell. Tim is now living in Melbourne as he is performing in Johnny O’Keefe’s Shout. Apart from singing another thing they have in common is dating Idol people. The article states that Tim also went out with someone from the Australian Idol production crew.

Today it was announced that Anthony Callea has broken up with is boyfriend of 3 years.

The article which has a picture shows the two of them together. I must say the boyfriend Paul looks quite cute, but a bit older then him.

Apparently Paul was a “talent coordinator” on Australian Idol when they met. This year the Anthony was outed by Vic Larusso (weather man with a helicopter).

In another article from the gay press is an article on Ben McKenzie one of the more talented contestants from this year’s Australian Idol.

There was constant innuendo from the judges regarding his sexuality. Which of course is not going to be help by being interviewed in the Sydney Star Observer

There were no Missy Higgins type confessions but he did promote his show at the Metro this Sunday 9 at 1 pm.