Paulini Curuenavuli got her big break on the inaugural season of Australian Idol some 19 years ago – and the singer tells New Idea that she would love to be involved in the upcoming reboot.
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But as she contemplates returning to the Idol stage, the former Young Divas member is also eyeing up a much bigger arena – the Eurovision Song Contest!
Indeed, Paulini is one of 11 acts competing in Eurovision – Australia Decides, with the song ‘We Are One’.
Here, she tells us about the amazing opportunity and why she really wants to win!
How does it feel to be one of the chosen singers to appear in Eurovision – Australia Decides?
I’m honoured to have the chance to represent Australia. Eurovision is like the Olympics for singers! Someone said to me in an interview the other day that I’m the first Pacific Islander to perform in Australia Decides, which blew me away. This makes being chosen even more special.
What would it mean for you to represent Australia in the contest?
Australia has welcomed me with open arms. It would be one of the highlights of my career.
Australian Idol is set to come back this year. Could we see you return in any shape or form?
Wouldn’t that be something? I owe my career to Idol, so if they rang, of course I would agree to be involved … It’s been on the shelf for long enough now.
Would you like to see the original judges, Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, Marcia Hines and Mark Holden also come back for the reboot?
Marcia would have to be there! Not only was it comforting for me as a young girl of colour to see her up there, but she was also like a big, warm blanket to all the contestants, wrapping them with nothing but love. It’s about time Dicko got wheeled back out for some judging.
This time, though, maybe with a little more sensitivity in his “performance feedback”.
For more, check out the latest issue of New Idea on sale now.
