The combined effort to produce a star.
A show that headlined Australia and produced a few new stars. This article will attempt to fathom the journey that was Australian Idol.
The concept of journey, is in everything that one does; it can involve the spirit, the mind, the heart and the body, or all of these, and the consequences can "make or break" one, but the underlying assumption is that all journeys result in learning experiences and gained insight. The co-hosts, the judges, the contestants but especially Guy Sebastian, all embarked on a long, arduous journey that resulted in each of them gaining greater insight and understanding of themselves.
Australian Idol, the audience-interactive show took the nation by storm with more than 2 million people tuning in to watch week after week. The show was a selection process to determine the one Australian talent that could withstand the critical eye of the judges, the stress of performing a song each week and the burden of Monday night eliminations.
From the very beginning, hosts Andrew G and James Mathison have witnessed the trials and tribulations, the tears, the joys, the disappointment, the successes and failures, and all consequent emotions. At the end it was they who stretched the seconds into what seemed like hours, before announcing who was going to be disconnected from the rest of the Australian Idol journey. However, they themselves joined in on the journey. Both of these two men have a strong background in the music industry, being hosts of one of Australia's leading music channels, Channel V. This made them ideal hosts for Australian Idol. Throughout the duration of the show they themselves learned the difference between hosting and performing. They in actual fact were made to be the bearers of the bad or good news. "Australian Idol has been more than just a show, we have been witness to a journey through the eyes of the contestants," states Andrew G at the Australian Idol finale, "both James and I have lived this show for 8 months.