Category — The X Factor

Regardless of how long Chris Sebastian stays around on The Voice, it seems our screens will not be Sebastian-less as brother Guy has re-signed with The X Factor.

Sydney Confidential reports that the contract is only for one year and that the value has not been confirmed.  Rumours of the deal range from between $350,000 and $800,000.

With a wonderful rendition of ‘The Voice Within’ by Christina Aguilera, 24 year-old Sarah Lloyde certainly proved that she’s got The Voice within! As one of many young female vocalists on Delta’s team, the Adelaide singer has performed since a very young age, but admits that her passion for music lead to many years of bullying in primary and high school. But she has never stopped singing and made her theatre debut in Jesus Christ Superstar in 2010. She’s especially fond of music from the 1950s and cites Etta James as a big inspiration.

Prior to The Voice, Sarah had auditioned for Australian Idol in 2007, where she failed to move forward from the semi-finals, losing against the likes of Natalie Gauci, who was eventually crowned the winner.

She’s not the first contestant on Nine’s new show that has appeared on Australian Idol. I spotted Idol 2009′s Casey Barnes performing Lady Antebellum’s ‘Need You Now’ with a female contestant named Michelle, and the pair were unable to impress.

Sarah’s Australian Idol audition can be viewed here, where the then-19 year-old sings Beyonce’s ‘Listen’.

Meanwhile, for her online audition for The Voice, she sang ‘At Last’ by Etta James, which can be watched right here:

Also from her YouTube channel, you can listen to her amazing cover of ‘Different Worlds’ by Jes Hudak here:

And like many other contestants, you can follow Sarah on Twitter at @slloyde.

Also making on Delta’s team, just last night, is 39 year-old Jerson Trinidad, who auditioned with the support of his sister and best friend. I was completely blown away by his amazing performance of John Legend’s ‘Ordinary People’. It’s definitely something you want to check out! Have a listen here (the official YouTube page for The Voice likes to pick and choose which performance they upload, so you can only check some out on the Nine website).

The Phillipines-born Melbourne performer moved to Australia when he was a teenager, and has become a professional singer after competing in many talent quests. His musical experience has included both as a solo artist and as a member of several groups.

Watch Jerson perform ‘Ain’t Nobody’ with Erika Lapina and Charlene Sotolo, here:

It does seem that the older contestants are coming on the show at some disadvantage because of their bankability in comparison to the much younger singers, but let’s see what the judges can do to help them in their music careers. But seeing many past Idol singers coming on both The Voice and The X Factor Australia (Tarisai Vushe), I’m doubtful that many will succeed here.

Is being a judge on a reality TV show a curse for your love life?

First Seal who will be seen soon on The Voice Australia split with his wife Heidi Klum, and now news is in that Ronan Keating a judge on The X Factor Australia has again separated from his wife.

The Daily Telegraph reports:

THE X Factor judge Ronan Keating and wife Yvonne have ended their 14-year marriage, it has been reported.

Keating, the 35-year-old former lead singer of Irish boy bandBoyzone, 35, failed to get his relationship back on track after his extramarital affair with back-up dancer Francine Cornell was revealed in 2010.

Yvonne, 37, had tried for the last two-and-a-half years to work through her husband’s infidelity for the sake of their children, but the strain proved too much for the pair. The Sun reported.

Sad news for him and his family.

However I am sure there are a lot of Australian ladies who would be quite happy to help both Ronan and Seal get over their broken hearts.

Cleo’s list of Top 50 eligible bachelors was announced last week, with some of the hottest contestants on reality TV in the running, including Nic and Rosso from My Kitchen Rules.

The list of 50 bachelors is a good mix of actors, athletes, comedians, musicians and everyday Aussie men making the cut. Among them this year, is a good number of reality hopefuls who now have a real chance of winning something more than a TV competition!

Some bigger names in the running are comedian Matt Okine, Packed to the Rafters actor Ryan Corr, Home and Away and Underbelly actor Richard Brancatisano, politician Wyatt Roy, Rugby Union player James O’Connor, AFL player Israel Folau, Neighbours actor Chris Milligan and Channel Ten news presenter Matt Doran.

I also want to mention NRL player David Williams from Manly, because on his bachelor profile on the Cleo website, he was asked what pisses him off and he said reality television!

Who will you be rooting for? Check out the hunks of reality TV below!

Nic Mazzone and Rocco La Bella – My Kitchen Rules

The two friends are teamed up on Seven’s cooking show, but Nic and Rocco are going head to head in this beauty contest!

While the Cleo competition is for unmarried bachelors, project manager Nic says he’s ready to settle down and get married! His big life goals are to get hitched, start a family and earn enough money to retire!

When asked about what he thought of making it into the Top 50 list, the 26 year-old’s first thought was: “They’re scraping the bottom of the barrel this year!”

Meanwhile, Rocco is already offering to bake cakes in exchange for votes!

The 29 year-old finance manager admits that his first celebrity crush is actress Alyssa Milano, but claims his idea of a perfect date doesn’t exist because it can be anywhere or anything, as long as it’s with the right girl.

Johnny Ruffo – The X Factor Australia and Dancing with the Stars

The Dancing with the Stars hopeful is definitely in for a chance to win, with participation in two high-profile shows. And he certainly had enough votes from the teenage girls when he was competing on The X Factor.

The singer and dancer says he deserves to win the Cleo Bachelor title because he’s “cheeky, down to earth and lots of fun.” But maybe those qualities weren’t enough to get him into the Top 50, as Johnny jokes about sleeping with the editor to get a spot!

Nathan Jolliffe – The Amazing Race Australia and The Celebrity Apprentice Australia

Having won the first season of Australia’s version of The Amazing Race, 26 year-old model Nathan is now eyeing both titles of Celebrity Apprentice and Cleo Bachelor of the Year!

The former beau of Miss Australia Erin McNaught sure is confident about his chances. When asked about why he deserves to win the Cleo Bachelor crown, he says because “I really like winning?”

Tim ‘Timomatic’ Omaji – Australia’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance Australia

The 24 year-old singer and dancer is currently single after a split from girlfriend and SYTYCDA winner Talia Fowler last year. The couple attributed the break-up as due to work commitments and time apart.

He is currently focused on furthering his music career, and says that his drive and ambition should appeal to the ladies. When it comes to qualities in women, Timomatic likes girls who know how to ‘get down’, and is turned off my cockiness.

Hayden Quinn – MasterChef Australia

The aspiring foodie didn’t win the title of MasterChef in 2011, but he now has commentating gigs on Network Ten across a number of sporting events. The 25 year-old surf lifeguard seems quite comfortable with his masculinity in his interview answers on the Cleo website. He talks about his secret knitting talents and crying during the romance film, Dear John.

For Hayden, the biggest turn-off when looking for a potential partner, is too much make-up. And when asked about how he is in the bedroom, he says he’s “usually asleep”.

Lachlan Cosgrove – Beauty and the Geek Australia

While Lachlan’s reality TV relationship with beauty, Jordan Finlayson is going steady, the 23 year-old geek is still eligible as a ‘bachelor’ as long as he has no plans to wed in the near future!

Lachlan hasn’t always had luck with the ladies, as it wasn’t until Beauty and the Geek Australia that he found confidence is speaking to the opposite sex.

David Cardamone – The Family

Last on the list is the eldest Cardamone brother, David from SBS’s The Family. The 21 year-old university student is in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Jess, who also appeared on the reality show.

What David likes in a girl is the confidence in being comfortable in one’s skin and not having to hide behind too much make-up.

You can check out the rest of the Bachelor hopefuls on the Cleo website, where you can also vote for your favourites!

(Source: Cleo)

A contestant on America’s Next Top Model‘s current cycle has left the competition after throwing a fit on set while standing in front of the show’s judging panel. It’s not surprising, as she flipped out earlier in the competition when she didn’t respond well to a makeover.

British-born Louise Watts, 25, ran off the set after hearing criticisms of her photos from the judges and threw a tantrum outside the building and requested to leave the show immediately. She even made a physical threat against guest-judge, publicist Kelly Cutrone, who was involved in that week’s photoshoot.

It’s definitely something you want to see for yourself, so check out the video below:

Surely, some contestants would be cheering inside, with a fellow model out of the running for the Top Model title!

Did you think that was great flip out? Check out my Top Ten Reality TV Tantrums and Meltdowns below! Some real shockers in this list. Reality television is amazing.

10. Nilka getting fired by chef Gordon Ramsay on Hell’s Kitchen (US)

It’s not a massive outburst from aspiring cook Nilka, but you really feel for her when she begs to come back into the kitchen. Of course, Ramsay says no again and again. And she’s eventually kicked off the show. You can’t make judgements about her cooking just based on this clip, but you do feel her passion, and seeing her leave was a real downer. Something nice does happen in the end though!

09. Water throwing  tantrum on The X Factor (UK) – but is it too over-the-top?

This one is almost too theatrical for me to take it seriously, but let’s give ‘em the benefit of the doubt that it’s not a set-up! It’s really fun to watch the drama unfold and how judges Sharon, Louis and Simon react! I must admit it is a shame that we don’t get to see the contestant sing in this video. Please take note of the dramatic music, which definitely adds to the comical nature of it all!

08. Wanna count the number of f*cken beeps coming out of this contestant’s mouth? Again, from The X Factor (UK)

Judge Simon Cowell described auditionee Rachel as one of the rudest, deluded and untalented people ever to grace his competition. You can feel the delusion when she admits to being bigger and better than Madonna. It doesn’t get physical, but it sure does get verbal! She definitely has attitude. Talent? Less so.

07. Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa throwing a double-tantrum on The Celebrity Apprentice (US)

Joans Rivers sure is a piece of work! And she sure has a thing against poker players! After daughter Melissa is eliminated, Joan has a go at the two responsible contestants. Melissa is even more pissed off as she grabs her things and leaves the building immediately with her mother. Don’t miss this one!

06. Farmer Dave threatens to leave Big Brother (Australia) after an argument with intruder Perry

Having been accused of playing the game, Dave gets into a hissy fit and threatens to walk out of the reality show to prove that he isn’t in it for the money. There isn’t any wall punching, but you can tell he is really upset and angry. Of course, he doesn’t go through with the promise and stays in for a few more weeks until he finishes fourth.

05. Thirteen year-old Rachel Crow has a serious meltdown on The X Factor USA

OK, so this is where it starts to get crazy! After hearing that she’d been eliminated from the competition, Rachel drops to the ground and starts screaming and sobbing uncontrollably! She’s inconsolable, but it does make for fantastic television! This could only happen on reality TV! It’s a real moment caught on tape. She’s clearly distraught. And judge Nicole Scherzinger feels the impact too.

04. Tyra Banks goes apeshit on contestant - America’s Next Top Model

Sure, you get lots of crazy contestants on reality programs, but here, you see the tables turned with host and judge Tyra Banks really having a go at one of the modelling hopefuls! She’s been known for being outrageous at times, but this is really a shocking moment! You might feel sorry for the girl getting yelled at and I question if it was necessary for Tyra to speak to a contestant like that. You judge for yourself!

03. Gretel Killeen losing all professionalism while interviewing evictee Michael McCoy - Big Brother (Australia)

This interview has since been labelled ‘The Gretel Incident’. The way Killeen treats Michael in this video is absolutely horrendous. In a heated discussion about the editing of the show, she becomes extremely defensive and hostile towards her interviewee. It’s all centred on Michael’s perception that he was being portrayed as having been intimate with openly gay contestant, Dave. Michael claims that footage of him speaking with Dave seems to suggest that the pair may be kissing. And Killeen is quick to brush of these allegations in the most unprofessional way.

She’s the host of the show and her behaviour, in my opinion, was completely unacceptable! She paid no respect to the evictee, who was actually calm, polite and respectful towards her throughout the whole ordeal. I shook my head when this was going live to air, and I’m still shaking my head now watching it on YouTube:

02. Contestant Tarisai Vushe shows her true colours backstage and has a real go at judge Mark Holden - Australian Idol

This outburst is one of the few that I remember clearly in my mind, despite having only watched it on air once. And the reason is simply because of how brilliant it was to see a contestant really take a verbal swing at a judge! It all started on stage, with Tarisai receiving generally negative reviews for a performance that was suppose to show the angry and ‘true’ side of her personality.

In the weeks leading up to this, she had been accused of being fake and little support was given to her by the judges. And then on performance night, she is panned by all of them and especially Mark, who admits that he thinks she isn’t showing her true colours. You should watch how she reacts when Mark comes backstage to see how she’s doing. And she really lets it rip! The footage was shown during the results show, and you can hear the crowd cheering her on. It was definitely a great moment in Aussie reality television!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to save Tarisai from being eliminated that night, as she finished fifth overall in the competition. Her singing career doesn’t seem to have hit off, with a short appearance on The X Factor Australia last year, where she was quickly booted off after meeting the four judges.

01. A near punch-up in an extremely heated argument between Bianca, Renee and Alice about Bianca’s body - Big Brother(Australia)

Here’s my number one! It’s a really tense scene, with a real ugly atmosphere. Things were absolutely uneasy in the Kombi van that night with the discussion being a possible breast reduction for Bianca. The chat is mostly between Renee and Alice going up against Bianca about the issues of having large breasts. And everybody gets defensive. It’s really hard to watch at times, especially knowing how it all ends. It’s gets real ugly!

I personally am on Bianca’s side because it is her body and regardless of how the discussion has progressed during that short time, I think Bianca was right to feel ganged up on. But then again, if you watched the last season of Big Brother, you definitely know how short her temper is! She gets fired up really easily and things could have really gone pear-shaped here.

I picked this as the top tantrum/meltdown because it’s centred on a really sensitive issue and the way the tension grew was really unpredictable. And when you watch this, especially when it was on air, you don’t know what could happen. That’s what’s special about reality television. You just don’t know what’s going to happen! It’s not scripted. It’s real. And it’s about real people and real emotions. If Big Brother is coming back for good, then I hope we’ll get to see more of these shocking, unreserved moments.

I hope you all enjoyed these videos! Tell me what you think of them. Which ones really shocked you? And what are some of your Top Reality TV Tantrums and Meltdowns?

The nominations for the 54th Annual Logie Awards were announced this afternoon, with many Aussie reality shows not making the cut into the small five-contender field of Most Popular Reality Program.

In the running is the award’s reigning champion and two-time winner, MasterChef Australia (Network Ten). But it’s not the only cooking show in the mix, with Channel Seven’s rival program My Kitchen Rules is also vying for the title.

Seven has the most nominees in field, with Beauty and the Geek Australia and The X Factor Australia also making the cut. And in the final slot to round off the nominees is The Block from the Nine Network.

If I had to predict the winner out of this bunch, my money would definitely be on either MasterChef or My Kitchen Rules! Seeing the popular of MKR at the moment does make me question what faith I have in Ten’s cooking series, but I will back Matt, George and Gary just for another year! Sure, the quality of the show has declined since the brilliant first season, but I still think it has the upperhand over MKR for the loyal fan base that it has.

But I do wonder how many votes were pulled away in favour for Junior MasterChef, even if the kids version of the show failed to make the top 5 list. In the end, I think people would have voted for MC because it really got the reality genre back where it belonged: at the top! However, MKR likely to take the crown in next year’s race. The show keeps getting better and better.

Now, back to the other nominees. I haven’t seen much of Beauty and The Geek Australia and The Block last year, but I don’t think neither have the support to win.

Same goes for The X Factor Australia, which I did watch religiously last year! It was too good to say no with Mel B and Natalie Bassingthwaighte rounding off an amazing panel of judges. It’s a singing show, so the mentors should be performers and not radio hosts! Though I must admit, in order to watch it, I had to give up on The Renovators. I would’ve stuck with Ten’s design show otherwise, but it was getting to a point that things weren’t moving quick enough. And surely, despite realityravings readers voting it the number one reality show in a recent poll, it failed in the ratings and hasn’t landed any Logie nominations. I don’t think there was much support by Ten in the Logie contenders submissions stage to begin with. No presenter from the show was put forward for Most Popular Television Presenter.

So it’s the five nominees for the category are: Beauty and the Geek Australia, The Block, MasterChef Australia, My Kitchen Rules and The X Factor Australia. I’m really not surprised by this list, but I must say this category is definitely one of the most competitive. We’re currently in a television landscape that sees reality shows doing generally better than Aussie dramas.

Two programs that have been consistently nominated in the last few years but dropped out of the field this year are The Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars. As a big supporter of last season’s families edition of Loser, I am upset that it hasn’t been included. It’s actually the show that I voted for! (Didn’t go for MasterChef because I knew it would have enough votes). On the other hand, I don’t watch Dancing with the Stars and it’s popularity has slightly dwindled over the last few years. It still rates considerably well, but struggles to receive the same buzz that it use to.

The good news for Loser fans is that trainer Tiffiny Hall is up for Most Popular New Female Talent! She’s unlikely to win being up against Underbelly‘s Anna McGahan and Chelsie Preston Crayford, Melissa Bergland from Winners & Losers and Demi Harman from Home and Away. But it’s lovely to see her nominated as she brought a different air to the program and livened it up! Realityraver seems to disagree with me about Tiffiny, so maybe she could chime in in the comments?

Realityraver’s Logie pick, The Amazing Race Australia also failed to land a nomination.

Also, not appearing this year is The Farmer Wants A Wife, hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski, who actually shared hosting duties with Bondi Vet‘s Chris Brown at the Logies nominations party in Sydney this afternoon. I’ll only consider voting for the dating show if we start seeing some gay farmers.

From the Nine shows, it was clear The Block would come out as their strongest contender. But some may be disappointed at the omission of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia, which exceeded expectations and really delivered the goods by the end, with comedienne Julia Morris taking about the winning title. You can catch Julia as a presenter at the Logies when the awards special airs on April 15.

Of course, you might not be able to catch it live if you’re watching Dancing with the Stars or MasterChef instead! Seven, Nine and Ten are going all out to win ratings on the Sunday night. If last year’s ratings is any indication, MC has the upper hand in the TV battle, as it averaged 1.569 million viewers to the 1.363 million the Logies pulled. Though, Nine did have the highest overall share for the night (Source: Mediaspy.org).

On another note, I know not many people watch The Family on SBS, but it was really interesting viewing for me to watch the Cardamones in their suburban family life in Melbourne over a few months time. It definitely got me wanting to see Big Brother on air again. It’s a shame the fly-on-the-wall program isn’t being recognised anywhere. It could have been nominated for Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program (peer-voted as opposed to viewer-voted), but the Logie judging panels obviously don’t agree with my praise for the SBS show.

Speaking of Big Brother, maybe we’ll see it nominated next year in Most Popular Reality Program? That’s only if it doesn’t flop and Nine’s willing to put it up for submission, which is something Network Ten didn’t do for the last series. Since it was axed, they just didn’t bother. I was very upset when the show was missing from the initial voting ballot in early 2009 (for the 2008 television year).

And lastly, if you’re wondering why Australia’s Got Talent hasn’t had a mention in this category, it’s because Seven has been submitting the show in another field: Most Popular Light Entertainment Program. It’s definitely an easier category to break into, when you’re going up against shows like Sunrise, and in previous years, Deal or No Deal. Though I really don’t understand why Seven would qualify the program as light entertainment when it’s a talent quest just like The X Factor Australia. The season that saw young singer Jack Vidgen win the competition, is also nominated for Most Outstanding Light Entertainment Program.

A full list of nominees can be found here.

You can see who wins on The 54th Annual Logie Awards, airing Sunday April 15 on Channel Nine.

The auditions for The X Factor Australia are underway, but judge Guy Sebastian is yet to sign on to officially take part in the show. Even though he is locked into taking part in this series, no contract has been signed. His future on the program could depend on how much time is put in expanding his music career.

With a new album set to release this year, Guy is eyeing the UK market after some relative success in the US last year with his hit song, ‘Who’s That Girl’. The singer funded the release without much promotion but radio play, yet sales were hitting the 60,000 mark through internet downloads. He hopes to replicate this success in the UK through proper marketing.

Despite being a judge and mentor on The X Factor Australia for the past two years, Guy has continued his singing career and put time aside to fly overseas for events and gigs. There’s been weeks on the show, where his primary contact with his contestants were through video conferencing.

He admits that his role on the show makes up in a considerable portion of his income and putting it aside for a desire to break out overseas, may be something he’ll need to think over.

“It means I’m at home, you have a reliable income… I’m at that crossroads: do I take a massive hit in income and release in the US and UK, or do I do the show and try to do both? It’s going to be a tough decision.”

Guy says he’s set for a career overseas, but is still in the process of planning.

“I’ve locked in a little team of lawyers and agents and had a meeting with a label who’s keen.”

If he decides to commit himself to the singing competition, we’ll have to wait and see how much he can juggle.

The singer and Australian Idol winner became a father recently. He and wife Jules welcomed son Hudson Sebastian earlier last month.

(Source: news.com.au)

You can read the introduction here!

This was the second time I auditioned for a reality competition, the first being Australian Idol when I was 17. I snuck out of the house without my mother knowing, and I travelled all the way from Fairfield to Carriage Works in Redfern, where the auditions were being held. It was about 8.30am in the morning and the line was considerably longer than The X Factor‘s queue! I was waiting behind about 100 when Haydo and Fuzzy from Video Hits started strolling up and down the line interviewing people with a massive camera. Of course, I was really shy and covered my face most of the time!

Did I mention I was wearing a t-shirt with the slogan, “Spank the Monkey”? Things were bound to go downhill…

I finally got to the registration table after about four hours and wrote down my name and birthdate. That was basically all they asked for. After showing my ID, I lied about my mum being on stand-by to give consent if I made it past the first round! I almost hoped that I’d fail, just so I wouldn’t need to drag her up to the city.

After waiting for another two hours and watching Andrew G and Ricki-Lee prance around, I was finally sitting outside the audition room! I was really nervous and I didn’t feel any better when I walked in the door to meet Australian Idol vocal coach Erana Clark and a producer. They had a quick giggle at my inappropriate shirt and I slurred through Eric Hutchinson’s ‘Rock and Roll’. The clear answer was no and I did the walk of shame and quickly left the building, feeling really foolish. The feeling of embarrassment probably lasted for a whole week!

And as a surprise about a month later, I switched on the telly to find myself on Video Hits! I was on TV for about forty seconds, standing just behind the music show’s hosts in my saggy jeans and a metallic gold jacket covering my naughty t-shirt. I burst out in laughter. Maybe someone could find that footage?!

Looking back at the experience, I was really young, and definitely not ready for it. I don’t think I did well at all in my audition. And at the time, I thought I would never try out for a singing competition again!

Of course, that didn’t last because I had another go yesterday. Throughout the early process, I felt really positive about The X Factor Australia. Everyone in the queue were really bubbly and there was a great sense of camaraderie. We were in this together, and we all dreamt of the same outcome. A girl offered to share her mirror when I was fixing my hair, and a friendly fellow let me go in front of him because he was still filling out his application. Even the security and organisers were extremely friendly! It really didn’t hurt to feel welcomed. I think that’s something Australian Idol didn’t understand. Throughout the six or so hours I spent auditioning for Idol, I felt very belittled. The organisers who spoke to me were dismissive and insensitive. Like I didn’t matter. That it was all about the show, and not about the people.

The X Factor Australia was different. When we all huddled through to the big holding room after the two-minute registration, we were excited and thinking about all the wonderful opportunities this day could lead to. I had doubt in the back of my mind, but I was also very hopeful.

To be a part of show would no doubt be an amazing experience and I was really going for it! I was confident with my answers in the form and I felt that even though hundreds of hopefuls were auditioning, my individual story did matter. That as an auditionee, I’m very much part of this show as the people who actually get to the end.

The hoard of hopefuls start filling up the holding area (Click, then click again in new window to enlarge!)

In the holding room, you start getting distracted because everyone is rehearsing their songs! After thirty minutes, there’s an announcement that the first thirty contestants, based on the rego numbers on your wristbands, are to head to the audition rooms. The first group of us, myself included, head to the front to retrieve the application forms that we handed to the registration desk, and begin making our way out to a different section of the building. I was fourth to audition in my queue, as there were three judging rooms.

I had been rehearsing my chosen songs for the last few hours and I was ready to show what I had to offer! The form asked us to list four songs and mine were:

1. Hotel California – The Eagles
2. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
3. Angel – Amanda Perez
4. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5

My list was quite diverse in genre because I wanted to show how versatile I could be. But when it got down to the audition, realistically, you do only have one chance to impress.

The line moves very quickly. You get told by the organisers that once someone exits an audition room, the next person should pop in straight away. You won’t be asked when to go in.

So after getting a ‘good luck’ from the guy who went in just before me, I grabbed all my stuff and headed in. Even though you’re told that the judging panel is made up of a producer and a vocal coach, my performance was judged solely by one producer and he didn’t seem like he even wanted to be there. Maybe 9.30 was too early for him. I handed my application form to the lovely organiser who I spoke to just outside the room. She could be the vocal coach that we were promised, but definitely had no say whatsoever in my audition.

I was asked to step onto the X sign on the ground, and it was then that I realised there was a video camera in the room! I told them that I was singing ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles and I took a long breath before letting it all out. I knew that how I acted on camera would be no less important than my singing ability, and it’s hard not to start feeling self-conscious and nervous. You can be in the best atmosphere in the waiting room, but once you step inside to an audition, everything changes and you really feel the nerves. People are judging you!

And I think you know yourself whether you’ve done a good job or not. Even in the first ten seconds.

Effort was something I could guarantee, but it wasn’t good enough to cut it. I was stopped three quarters through, and the producer asked me if I’ve had any vocal training. My reply was no, and he frankly said that my voice wasn’t ready for this competition and I definitely have things to improve on. I used my initiative to ask if I could sing another song, but the answer was also no.

So I thanked them for their time, and I headed out of the room. In following tradition, I said good luck to the person behind me and I really did hope that she did well!

I wondered why I woke up so early and travelled so far to be rejected in a matter of minutes. I walked out of the building and immediately gave Emma a call to tell her the news! We chatted for a bit, and she could tell how deflated I was. It was a real a downer to invest so much time and heart into a possibility that didn’t yield the result that you wanted.

You might think a lot of people try out for these talent shows because they’re simply looking for stardom, but I’m sure there are many who audition because they genuinely believe in their ability and are passionate about performance. Everyone has a dream, and everyone wants to be reassured that they’re good enough. I think that’s part of why I wanted to have a go this year.

I wasn’t surprised with the outcome that I received, but it is really disheartening to hear that you’re not good enough. I immediately think about all the people who make it through these shows because they’re a bit of a joke or that they’re simply attractive. Do those people go through the same audition process, or is there some other part of the competition that is reserved just for them?

This time around, i didn’t feel foolish or embarrassed. I was pretty damn proud for having a go, and all I felt really was disappointment. You start thinking about the things that you could have done differently, like a different song or a change in demeanour. If you’re serious about this sort of competition, then it does go down to your voice and how well you appear on camera. And I do trust in the producer’s judgement that I’m not ready for a talent quest like The X Factor. I don’t even think I’m a great singer, but it’s hard not to sit around and fantasise about making it big.

Having put so much into my application form, it was upsetting to know that no one will read it. It’s thrown in a pile with the rest of them and since I didn’t make it through, there really is no worth for it. I wish they’d just return it to me!

So despite feeling a bit down about this experience, I am glad that I took the chance. And I’m not going to stop singing because it’s a big part of who I am and I won’t be deterred to feel otherwise. At least having failed my audition, I won’t need to defer uni! I’m having a laugh now, thinking that I needed to take down some raunchy photos I have online. I can definitely feel safe about them now!

Even though I didn’t get very far (not even the first step!) in The X Factor Australia, it’s an experience that I will remember for a long time. It’s a real wake up call, and I advise that if you’re going to audition for the show, definitely be ready for it.

Thanks for reading,
Anthony.

A shot of my contestant number as I waited in the holding room (Click, then click again in new window to enlarge!)

The application form asked: “why do you want to audition for The X Factor?” and to be honest, getting laid was probably my main motivation! Emma thought it would be funny to write that in, and I did. But putting my dreadful single life aside, I was pretty eager to experience the audition process for myself and see how it differed from Australian Idol, which I tried out for three years ago in its last season.

For those who don’t know, I’m Anthony – Emma’s (realityraver) intern and a Communication student from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)! I started contributing to this site for the last month or so. And auditioning for The X Factor Australia yesterday was for my personal interest, but also something I wanted to do as an insight for the blog.

Monday was the last day to audition in Sydney, and so I ran to the local library in Cabramatta on Sunday to print off the application form and waited for Emma’s plane to land to chat about how I should answer the questions! I’m glad I had the time to sit down all night to fill it in, while lots of people actually did it on the day while waiting in the queue.

I strived to be different, and even a bit funny with my answers. I’m sure everyone would yarn about the same generic thing about their big dreams, so I focused on bringing diversity to the show through my Vietnamese background and gayness (is that the right word?)

Because we all know, these sort of talent shows need more than the talent! It’s the emotional backstory that really hooks them in. I almost felt exploited, feeling the need to jot down my personal misgivings in order to up my chances of getting further in the competition. I filled out the form as honestly as I could and tried to give a full picture of who I am.

I wrote about my love for Vietnamese music before I started to learn English at school, with my sisters and I often performing for our parents or relatives when we were little. My childhood was very difficult when my parents separated as I spent primary school living back and forth between Mum and Dad. And when I came to high school, I really struggled with being gay and hearing a lot of homophobic remarks in the classroom. It came to a point where I stopped going to school and eventually dropped out at 15. In the midst of that, my family were facing serious criminal charges, and I ran away from home to live in a youth refuge.

Since then, I’ve come to live permanently with my mother and completed my high school education at TAFE to get an ATAR score of 95.

Having overcome a lot of hardship in my early life, I am really proud of what I’ve achieved. And my passion for music has never faded. In my first year at uni, I managed to start up the UTS Glee Club, which has up to 30 members! We rehearse every week and perform throughout the year in flashmobs, on-campus concerts and both paid and charity events. I tried to convince them to come along with me to audition, but no one was keen on the early morning adventure.

So, I was alone that morning when I got to the Sydney Convention Centre in Darling Harbour at 6.30am. I ran from Town Hall station, crossing my fingers that there was no more than 50 people lined up in the queue! Could you imagine how surprised and disappointed I was when I found eight people in the line? EIGHT! I woke up at 4am and endured a 1.5 hour public commute to push through a crowd of eight people? I joked on twitter the night before that even if I failed my audition, being groped in the crowd would make it worth it. I was not groped in this ‘crowd’.

You can read more about my audition in the next instalment.

Here’s a recording of me singing! It’s just a short piece I recorded at uni (you’ll still hear some noise in the background!)

‘I Will Follow You Into the Dark’ by Death Cab For Cutie (Anthony’s cover)

And here’s the link to a video of me performing with some UTS Glee Club members at a Cancer Council Relay for Life event last year. I’m the first to sing.

Anthony.

Project Runaway Australia is ready to set off on a new search for our nation’s next big fashion designers in the upcoming fourth season, hosted by supermodel Megan Gale. Applications are now open online here.

The contestant call is also sent out for the new season of Beauty and the Geek Australia, the social experiment helping girls be more than just beautiful, and awkward men to woo them. I currently study at the University of Technology, Sydney, and last year, geeky guys and pretty girls were being signed up to the show on my campus. I had to stop and take another look when a Beauty and the Geek casting stall was set up at my uni. I wonder if that’ll happen again this year? Hopefully, I’ll remember to take pics this time! (the line wasn’t long when I passed it). Apply as a geek or beauty here!

Meanwhile, registrations for The X Factor Australia are still going. The dates and details for applying are here in realityraver’s post and here on the official website.

I can’t sew and I’m not awkward or extremely interested in pretty girls, so I can’t say I’m that keen on trying out for the first two shows! But if I can gather a few friends for The X Factor Australia audition, it’ll hopefully be fun! (And better than my Australian Idol experience a few years back).

Yet, nothing would get me more thrilled than the auditions announcement for the return of Big Brother Australia! Stay up to date with their official Nine website, twitter account @bbau9 and Facebook page for the first whispers!

A few weeks ago, I was mislead to excitement when they tweeted something along the lines of: “The wait will soon be over! Auditions coming soon!” – but then I haven’t heard anything since. And checking back on their page, that tweet has been deleted. Strange?!

Let me know which reality shows you would audition for, even if they’re not looking for contestants at the moment!