Australian Idol season 5

Did You Know?

• The premiere episode had 1.65 million viewers, making it the show's second highest rating series opener.
• The semi-finals followed the same format as season four, with four groups of six performing solo on Sunday through Wednesday, and results announced on Thursday.
• Butler, a semi-finalist, was a former contestant on the first series of The X Factor Australia.

Theatre Week (Seymour Centre)

Theatre week was held at Sydney's Seymour Centre and consisted of three elimination rounds. In the first round, each contestant sang one song a cappella in front of the judges, who then decided whether they advanced. For the second round, for the first time in Australian Idol history, group rounds consisted of two boys and two girls instead of same-gender groups. In the third and final round, each contestant performed a solo song of their choice before the judges and all other contestants, after which each was told individually whether they made the Top 24 or were eliminated.

The Top 12 Contestants

Carl Riseley, born 21 December 1982, was a 25-year-old Sydney contestant who made it into the final 12 via the Wildcard show, chosen by all four judges. He earned one "touchdown" from Mark Holden. Before his Idol run, he served in the Royal Australian Navy, playing trumpet in the Navy Band. He was the last contestant eliminated before the Grand Final on 12 November 2007, leaving Natalie Gauci and Matt Corby to compete for the title. He has a younger brother named Anthony. Signed to Universal Records, he planned to release his debut album The Rise in April 2008. In March 2008, he publicly backed Mark Holden after the judge was let go. Known as the "swing king," he was marketed with a Tom Jones-style image. His performances included "Home" by Michael Bublé in the Top 24, "Bye Bye Love" at the Wildcard Show, and "Waltzing Matilda" in the Top 12. Marty Simpson, a 21-year-old from the Central Coast, New South Wales, plays guitar, writes his own songs, and was called a "bloke's bloke" by Mark Holden. Before Idol, he worked as a bricklayer alongside his father. He was eliminated on 5 November 2007, finishing in 4th place, having landed in the bottom four times. He was later named in a Today Tonight segment about vote-rigging. After his exit, he said Sony BMG had approached him about a recording contract.

Doing It for the Kids

On 19 October 2007, a special telecast called "Doing It For The Kids" raised money for Ronald McDonald House and Telstra Child Flight. The Top 6 performed, including Carl Riseley singing "Pure Imagination", Daniel Mifsud with "Waiting on the World to Change", Marty Simpson with "I Won't Back Down", Matt Corby with "Bedouin Song", Natalie Gauci with "Crazy", and Tarisai Vushe with "Ooh Child". The Top 6 also performed a group version of "Kids" by Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue. Special guests included Damien Leith, Shannon Noll, Young Divas, Darren Hayes, Vanessa Amorosi, Rogue Traders, and Katie Noonan.

Commercial Releases

The day after the grand finale, winner Natalie Gauci put out her victory single "Here I Am." It landed at number two on the ARIA Charts, trailing behind the international star Timbaland. First-week sales came in at roughly 8,000 copies, which was considered below expectations. The single held its number-two spot in week two, moving nearly 11,000 units for a two-week total of 19,000, and earned a Gold certification. It then slipped to number seven in week three, fell to number 18 in week four, dropped further to number 29 in week five, and recovered slightly to number 27 in week six. Gauci's debut album, The Winner's Journey, arrived on December 8, 2007. It debuted at number 12 with just over 11,000 copies sold and was certified Platinum, meaning 70,000 units were shipped, though actual sales didn't match that figure. In its second week, the album climbed to number 11 with total sales exceeding 18,000. It stayed at number 11 in week three with sales just under 20,000. It then dropped to number 18 in week four and number 19 in week five.