EXCLUSIVE: Australian Idol favourites reveal their big plans after missing out on the grand finale

Forklift driver Jacinta hoped to make it to the Top 21 on Australian Idol and defied her own expectations when she reached the Top Six.

Even though she was eliminated just before the grand final, she said she was incredibly grateful.

“I’m feeling a lot better than I thought I would feel,” she told New Idea, and said she was grateful for her family and partner’s support. “I mean, you know, like it’s insane.

“No, I’ve got a lot of things planned out for this, so I’m feeling ok, and I was around my family and all that.”

Having auditioned for Idol in the past and previously unsuccessfully applied for The Voice Australia, Australia’s Got Talent and other showcases, she did not think “big opportunities” were for her.

But, Idol showed her that she was capable of more than she had realised.

“I guess my capabilities really surprised me and everyone around me who knows me,” she continued. “And also that you don’t have to be the biggest voice or the best voice.

“I definitely had one of the more quieter voices…I guess it was good and has been inspiring for people who feel like they’re on the outside that they can come to it and they can do it.”

While she gained a lot of professional experience, she was also proud that she was “authentically herself” on the show and away from the cameras.

She hopes to bring this authenticity into her music. With plans to release her next single, she has also written songs about topics that might be considered “taboo”, including misogyny, sexual harassment, and mental health.

“I’m a very vulnerable person, and I’d love to speak openly and honestly and talk about the hard things,” she said.

“There are a lot of people who feel inspired and feel compelled to open up themselves. So I’m hoping that the songs that I write and record and release create conversations that people are often scared to talk about.”

A devoted husband and father of two, Trè was eliminated just before the grand final, but he has no plans of slowing down.

Having put his career on hold for his family, he is ready to regain momentum with plans to visit Los Angeles and Atlanta with his management team, and also a desire to focus on music in Australia.

Before Idol, he was signed on as a songwriter by Atlantic Records in New York, after they discovered him on YouTube.

Now, doesn’t plan to take the opportunities offered by Idol for granted.

“I was going to give it my all, and no matter how far I got… with everything I’ve learnt…I just got out of the work that I put in and how much I’ve learned and taken on board,” he told New Idea after his shock elimination.

“To be up on stage performing in front of Australia every weekend is a blessing. Any time that’s on, I just felt extremely lucky.”

The support from the nation has also been something he has loved, but his family’s support is unmatched.

“It’s really cool for Australia to see how close we all are,” he said about his wife and daughters, Silas and Annie.

His R&B rendition of Frozen’s Let It Go was his favourite performance, because his daughters adore that song.

During the show, he also paid tribute to his father, who taught him to be unafraid of showing his softer side.

“As men, it’s kind of frowned upon to cry or show emotions… to promote that… it was beautiful to be up there and be emotional in front of him,” he said.

From the moment “Johnny Jukebox” entered the competition, he had Australia and the judges dancing.

Throughout the competition, he enjoyed bringing the classics to the Idol stage, but he was initially unsure about what everyone would think.

“I think it was very relieving to see how well people were taking it,” he told New Idea after he was eliminated from the Top Six. “It wasn’t done before, so being able to sing that was really special.”

Even though he was eliminated, he said, “It is what it is”, and has big plans for the future.

Along with releasing music with a similar vibe, as well as “modern stuff”, he also plans to honour the city he calls home with a very special dedication concert.

“I’m just forever grateful for that,” he said about the support back home. “Without them, I wouldn’t have got this far, I’m so grateful.”

Overall, he was grateful to be a part of it.

“I’ve taken away so much from this journey,” he said.

“I learned so much about my voice, so much about this show worked. I’m really grateful for all of the connections I’ve made, all of that.”

High school teacher and mother Simela became an instant favourite on Australian Idol after her Dawson’s Creek inspired audition left Jessica Mauboy in tears.

Throughout the competition, she blew everyone away and wanted to inspire people to pursue their dreams no matter what.

However, it was not meant to be, and she was sadly sent home after making it to the Top Eight.

“There’s a level of disappointment which I think is normal,” she exclusively told New Idea after her shock elimination on March 30.

“But no, I feel really good. I feel really proud of what I’ve done on Australian Idol, so yeah, I’ll leave with my head high for sure.”

Throughout the competition, she has been blown away by all the positive messages, which have not gone unnoticed.

Her school has also been her biggest cheerleader during the competition.

“My school community has backed me 100 per cent, and they are so proud of what I’ve done here,” she said.

“And just being able to model that to my students and to my children, to just be brave and to be fearless, and I feel like I’ve done a really good job embodying that.”

She plans to release her own music with the hopes of touring and securing gigs across the country, and if it’s possible, hopes to teach alongside it.

While she has been working on her music for a long time, Idol taught her to back herself.

“I’ve learned to always lean into authenticity and to hold myself with grace at all times and just to really believe in my ability,” she explained.

“Yeah. I really believe in myself, and I think that’s how it was with each performance.

“So yeah, I’m really proud of how I’ve conducted myself and how confident I’ve been in competition.”

From the moment he dedicated his audition to his late mother, Charlie Moon became one to watch on Australian Idol.

Even though he was sad to fall short of making the Top Six, he exclusively told New Idea that he was grateful for the experience.

“It’s an amazing thing to be a part of with the reception reaching out and being sad, and loving my voice, and how much I meant to them, and how much I meant to their kids,” he said.

Throughout his journey on Idol, he paid tribute to his mother, Dawn Meader, who sadly succumbed to a malignant form of brain cancer in 2023 and later passed away.

Even though it was hard to share, he said it was important to be open and vulnerable.

“But I feel that in a way it’s kind of my ability to be able to do that to help share those stories of inspiration for other people, and I think as a society, it’s really important, and other men just bottle up their emotions,” he explained.

For his final performance, he sang Stevie Wonder’s hit Isn’t She Lovely?, which was the last song he sang to Dawn before she passed away.

While that was a highlight, he also said singing with Guy Sebastian was a privilege, given that he watched him win the inaugural season in 2003.

For his Top Eight performance, he also spoke with Grammy nominee Charlie Puth before he sang his hit Attention.

“It was also just a mind-boggling experience to talk to someone who is in that world,” he told New Idea, adding that he gave him great advice.

Even though he is no longer on Idol, he revealed that he’s been working on original music, including a single that he plans to release very soon.

Not only that, but he also plans to release his signature beanie in the near future, which his fans have been “hounding” him for.

Wanwue became an unforgettable force on Australian Idol, thanks to her kindness and swagger.

She had the judges on their feet throughout the competition, but sadly, fell short of being in the top eight.

Even though her journey on Idol ended, she said it wouldn’t be the last Australia would see of her.

“This is not the end. This is the start of my journey. I have come so far, I’m not stopping here,” she said, which was met with cheers from the crowd.

“All good things must come to an end. There’s always a storm before the rainbow.”

Kyle encouraged her to “go for gold” in her career, and Amy praised her work ethic and how she treated the other contestants.

“I loved your empathy, you are such a kind-hearted person, that’s what makes you the whole package,” she said.

Harry became a heartthrob on the show, with unique vocals to match.

Sadly, he was in the bottom two for a second time and missed out on being a part of the top eight.

As the competition progressed, he was encouraged to change his image and try rock songs, but Kyle was not a fan of the idea.

Even though Kyle called his second-last performance in the competition “rubbish”, he wished him well and loved his final performance.

“I have loved watching you grow. To see where you’ve come from to where you are now,” Amy said.

Even though he was sad that his journey on the show was over, he said the friends he made were a key highlight.

Even though he was sad that his journey on the show was over, he said the friends he made were a key highlight.

Throughout the competition, Sophie, who is also a model, wowed the judges with her confidence and stage presence.

Once she made it to the Top 12, she did an unforgettable rendition of Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.

For her final performance before her elimination, she got a standing ovation after she sang What a Man by Linda Lyndell.

“I got to live my dreams on this stage,” she shared, and was thankful to make it as far as she did.

The judges encouraged her to keep performing and looked forward to seeing her career flourish.

Sadly, Lily-Grace Grant was the first contestant to be eliminated from Australian Idol.

For her first performance in the Top 12, she sang Suddenly I See by  KT Tunstall.

After finding out that she was at risk of going home, she then turned on her country charm and sang Sweet Alabama.

Despite being the first to go, she said she was grateful to be a part of it and thanked the crew and judges for making the show possible.

“This is not the end of my musical journey; this is just the beginning,” she said.