Australian Idol

Australian Idol 2008 is set to begin this Sunday. This season, there have been quite a few changes to the shows format.

For starters, they went overseas in search of expat Aussies talented enough to join the competition. Initially, they had planned on going to L.A. and London, but they had to cancel L.A. because of the sheer volume of contestants in London. They recruited Tina Arena and Darren Hayes to assist in the judging roles for London.

7.30pm sunday / AUGUST 31 & 7.30PM WEEKNIGHTS

SUNDAY 31 AUGU ST / 7.30: TO P 100 & TO P 24 REVEAL
MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER / 7.30: SEMI-FINAL 1
TUESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER / 7.30: VERDICT FROM SEMI-FINAL 1 & SEMI-FINAL 2
WEDNESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER / 7.30: VERDICT FROM SEMI-FINAL 2 & SEMI-FINAL 3
THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER / 7.30: VERDICT FROM SEMI-FINAL 3 & SEMI-FINAL 4

After an exhausting but rewarding round of auditions that saw our judges and hosts travelling from Albany to Cairns and Melbourne to London, the cream of the crop were flown to Sydney to embark on TO P 100 week. 106 contestants arrived at the start of the week, 24 remained by the end – their journey is compiled into one episode that will go to air Sunday 31 August.

Throughout the week, the judges put the contestants through their paces, testing them vocally and emotionally. For some contestants, their dreams are realised, for others their dreams are shattered.

7.30pm sunday / AUGUST 24 & 7.30PM WEKNIGHTS

SUNDAY 24 AUGU ST AT 7.30 (2HOUR PREMIERE)
MONDAY 25 – FRIDAY 29 AUGU ST AT 7.30 (1HOUR)

• "5 out of 6 Australians watch Australian Idol every year"
• Over 40 Top 10 ARIA singles produced by Idol contestants
• Over 20 Top 10 ARIA albums produced by Idol contestants
• Over 5.5 million records sold
• Over 20 careers launched

With statistics not to be scoffed at, Australian Idol returns to Network Ten for a sixth series.

Channel Ten has announced that this years Australian Idol will officially air on Sunday the 24th August at 7:30 pm (before Rove). This means that it will officially start before the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, but they don't commence until 10:00 pm that night, so you can have the best of both worlds (if you are into the games, that is). Lock that date in guys 'n' gals - 24-Aug-08!

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She's had a big year. Getting married. Quitting Young Divas. And landing a UK #1 with her single Can't Touch It. Now, Ricki-Lee is joining the team at Australian Idol where she will host the show along side Andrew G and James Mathison.

The announcement ends months of speculation about hosting changes and adds one more spark to what the producers hope will freshen the 2008 season of Australian Idol which has also seen auditions for the hit show being held in London and Los Angeles.

The Australian Idol Auditions in Sydney details are as follows:

Saturday 31st May
Sunday 1st June
Monday 2nd June
Australian Technology Park
Bay 4, Locomotive Workshop
Garden Street, Eveleigh, Sydney South
Registration 8.30am to 3.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Brisbane details are as follows:

Saturday 24th May
Sunday 25th May
Suncorp Piazza
Cnr Little Stanley & Glenelg Street, South Bank
Registration 8.30am to 3.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Adelaide details are as follows:

Sunday 18th May
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Cnr Port Road & Adam Street, Hindmarsh
Registration 8.30am to 3.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Melbourne details are as follows:

Friday 9th May
Saturday 10th May
Sunday 11th May
Melbourne Park Function Centre
Off Batman Avenue, Melbourne
Registration 8.30am to 3.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Perth details are as follows:

Sunday 4th May
Ascot Racecourse
70 Grandstand Road, Ascot
Registration 8.30am to 3.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Albany details are as follows:

Thursday 1st May
Albany Town Hall
217 York Street, Albany
Registration 2.00pm to 8.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Hobart details are as follows:

Wednesday 23rd April
Hobart Function & Conference Centre
Elizabeth Street Pier, Hobart
Registration 2.00pm to 8.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Albury details are as follows:

Sunday 20th April
The Albury Convention Centre
Swift Street, Albury
Registration 10.00 am to 5.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Cairns details are as follows:

Tuesday 15th April
Western Entrance, Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina Cairns
Pierpoint Road, Cairns
Registration 2.00am to 8.00pm

See here for conditions

The Australian Idol Auditions in Darwin details are as follows:

Sunday 13th April
Crowne Plaza Darwin
32 Mitchell Street, Darwin
Registration 10.00 am to 5.00pm

See here for conditions