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The first season of Australian Idol premiered on July 27 2003 and continued until November 19 2003. It was won by Guy Sebastian. This season was co-hosted by Andrew G. and James Mathison.

Finalists[]

Finalist Age * From Status
Daniel Wakefield 20 Sydney Disqualified in Week 1
Mathew Chadwick 20 Gold Coast Eliminated 1st in Week 1
Peter Ryan 27 Tabulam Eliminated 2nd in Week 1
Cle Wootton 22 Perth Eliminated 3rd in Week 2
Lauren Buckley 17 East Gosford Eliminated 4th in Week 2
Kelly Cavuoto 22 Adelaide Eliminated 5th in Week 3
Rebekah LaVauney 25 Liverpool Eliminated 6th in Week 3
Levi Kereama 19 Brisbane Eliminated 7th in Week 4
Rob Mills 21 Melbourne Eliminated 8th in Week 5
Paulini Curuenavuli 20 Wiley Park Eliminated 9th in Week 6
Cosima De Vito 26 Perth Withdrew in Week 7
Shannon Noll 27 Condobolin Runner-up
Guy Sebastian 21 Paradise Winner

* as of the start of the season

Live Show Details[]

Heat 1 (10 August 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Chelsea Gibson "Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera) Eliminated
2 Shannon Thompson "Lately" (Stevie Wonder) Eliminated
3 Natalie Ferguson "Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield) Eliminated
4 Lorena Alegria "To Zion" (Lauryn Hill) Eliminated
5 Daniel Wakefield "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Christine Johnson) Advanced
6 Veronica Stewart "I Want to Know What Love Is" (Foreigner) Eliminated
7 Peter Ryan "Right Here Waiting" (Richard Marx) Advanced
8 Eli Diache "Angel" (Sarah McLachlan) Eliminated
Notes
  • Daniel Wakefield and Peter Ryan advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated.
  • Eli Diache returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.

Heat 2 (17 August 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Cosima De Vito "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion) Eliminated
2 Marc Stockley "Let It Be" (The Beatles) Eliminated
3 Hailey Cramer "Run to You" (Whitney Houston) Eliminated
4 Sidney Maynard "Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder) Eliminated
5 Rebecca Tapia "Shadowland" (Heather Headley) Eliminated
6 Axle Whitehead "Pastime Paradise" (Stevie Wonder) Eliminated
7 Kelly Cavuoto "Bring Me to Life" (Evanescence) Advanced
8 Mathew Chadwick "Truly" (Lionel Richie) Advanced
Notes
  • Mathew Chadwick and Kelly Cavuoto advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated.
  • Cosima DeVito, Rebecca Tapia and Axle Whithead returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.

Heat 3 (24 August 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Jennifer Pearl "The Day You Went Away" (Wendy Matthews) Eliminated
2 Ryan Sheppard "Swear It Again" (Westlife) Eliminated
3 Martine Robert "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Roberta Flack) Eliminated
4 Anthony Sumbati "The More I See You" (Michael Bublé) Eliminated
5 Rebekah LaVauney "Ex-Factor" (Lauryn Hill) Eliminated
6 Shannon Noll "Better Man" (Robbie Williams) Advanced
7 Yolande Jackson "Winter" (Tori Amos) Eliminated
8 Guy Sebastian "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong) Advanced
Notes
  • Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated.
  • Rebekah LaVauney and Yolande Jackson returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.

Heat 4 (31 August 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Mary Lane "Holding Out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler) Eliminated
2 Michelle Cashman "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion) Eliminated
3 Costa Zacharia "Whenever You Call" (Mariah Carey) Eliminated
4 Brielle Davis "Even God Must Get the Blues" (Jo Dee Messina) Eliminated
5 Levi Kereama "Nice and Slow" (Usher) Eliminated
6 Cle Wootton "Come to Me" (Diesel) Advanced
7 Brandon Burns "Better Man" (Robbie Williams) Eliminated
8 Lauren Buckley "Imagine" (John Lennon) Advanced
Notes
  • Cle Wootton and Lauren Buckley advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated.
  • Levi Kereama returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.

Heat 5 (7 September 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Marcus Jones "Burn for You" (John Farnham) Eliminated
2 Ben Manusama "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (Chicago) Eliminated
3 Alex Longstaff "Even When I'm Sleeping" (Leonardo's Bride) Eliminated
4 Anton Aktila "End of the Road" (Boyz II Men) Eliminated
5 Stu Campbell "Guilty" (Jimmy Barnes) Eliminated
6 Paulini Curuenavuli "Somewhere" (Reri Grist) Advanced
7 Courtney Act "You Don't Own Me" (Lesley Gore) Eliminated
8 Rob Mills "Angels" (Robbie Williams) Advanced
Notes
  • Paulini Curuenavuli and Rob Mills advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 6 contestants were eliminated.
  • Stu Campbell and Courtney Act returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.

Wildcard round (14 September 2003)[]

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Eli Diache "Permission to Shine" (6cyclemind) Eliminated
2 Stu Campbell "(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name" (Harry Connick, Jr.) Eliminated
3 Yolande Jackson "Stuck" (Stacie Orrico) Eliminated
4 Liban Aden "Where I Wanna Be" (Donell Jones) Eliminated
5 Rebekah LaVauney "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" (Whitney Houston) Advanced
6 Courtney Act "You Shook Me All Night Long" (AC/DC) Eliminated
7 Axle Whitehead "Yesterday" (The Beatles) Eliminated
8 Cosima De Vito "Predictable" (Delta Goodrem) Advanced
9 Levi Kereama "Maria Maria" (Santana) Advanced
10 Rebecca Tapia "Let's Get Loud" (Jennifer Lopez) Eliminated
Notes
  • The judges selected Cosima De Vito to move on into the top 12 of the competition, before the hosts revealed the top 3 vote getters. Rebekah LaVauney and Levi Kereama received the most votes, and completed the top 12.

Live Show 1 (21 September 2003)[]

Theme: The 70s

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
N/A Daniel Wakefield N/A Disqualified
1 Levi Kereama "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder) Safe
2 Lauren Buckley "Moondance" (Van Morrison) Safe
3 Mathew Chadwick "If" (Bread) Eliminated
4 Rebekah LaVauney "Emotion" (Samantha Sang) Safe
5 Rob Mills "All Right Now" (Free) Safe
6 Cosima De Vito "Hot Stuff" (Donna Summer) Safe
7 Peter Ryan "Your Song" (Elton John) Eliminated
8 Cle Wootton "Young Hearts Run Free" (Candi Staton) Safe
9 Guy Sebastian "The Love You Save" (The Jackson 5) Safe
10 Kelly Cavuoto "Whole Lotta Love" (Led Zeppelin) Bottom three
11 Shannon Noll "Help Is on Its Way" (Little River Band) Safe
12 Paulini Curuenavuli "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Thelma Houston) Safe

Live Show 2 (28 September 2003)[]

Theme: Australian #1s

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Cosima De Vito "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston) Safe
2 Rob Mills "You Don't Treat Me No Good No More" (Sonia Dada) Safe
3 Paulini Curuenavuli "Eternal Flame" (The Bangles) Safe
4 Lauren Buckley "Lady Marmalade" (Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim & Mýa) Eliminated
5 Guy Sebastian "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams) Safe
6 Kelly Cavuoto "Tomorrow" (Silverchair) Bottom three
7 Shannon Noll "What About Me" (Moving Pictures) Safe
8 Rebekah LaVauney "Killing Me Softly" (The Fugees) Safe
9 Cle Wootton "That's the Way Love Goes" (Janet Jackson) Eliminated
10 Levi Kereama "Rock Your Body" (Justin Timberlake) Safe

Live Show 3 (5 October 2003)[]

Theme: Australian Made

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Kelly Cavuoto "Mascara" (Killing Heidi) Eliminated
2 Shannon Noll "Already Gone" (Powderfinger) Safe
3 Rebekah LaVauney "Heading in the Right Direction" (Renee Geyer) Eliminated
4 Levi Kereama "To the Moon and Back" (Savage Garden) Bottom three
5 Paulini Curuenavuli "Chains" (Tina Arena) Safe
6 Rob Mills "Take Me Back" (Noiseworks) Safe
7 Cosima De Vito "When the War Is Over" (Cold Chisel) Safe
8 Guy Sebastian "You're the Voice" (John Farnham) Safe

Live Show 4 (12 October 2003)[]

Theme: The 80s

Order Artist Song (original artists) Result
1 Shannon Noll "Livin' on a Prayer" (Bon Jovi) Bottom three
2 Paulini Curuenavuli "Freeway of Love" (Aretha Franklin) Bottom two
3 Levi Kereama "Every Little Step" (Bobby Brown) Eliminated
4 Cosima DeVito "What's Love Got to Do with It" (Tina Turner) Safe
5 Rob Mills "If I Could" (1927) Safe
6 Guy Sebastian "When Doves Cry" (Prince) Safe

Up, Close and Personal Special (14 October 2003)[]

Artist Song (original artists)
Cosima De Vito "Hero" (Mariah Carey)
Guy Sebastian "When I Get You Alone" (Robin Thicke)
Paulini Curuenavuli "Fields of Gold" (Sting)
Rob Mills "When You Say Nothing At All" (Ronan Keating)
Shannon Noll "With or Without You" (U2)

Live Show 5 (19 October 2003)[]

Theme: R&B & Soul

Order Artist First song (original artists) Second song Result
1 Shannon Noll "When a Man Loves a Woman" (Percy Sledge) "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson) Safe
2 Paulini Curuenavuli "Un-Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton) "Survivor" (Destiny's Child) Safe
3 Guy Sebastian "Hello" (Lionel Richie) "Hidden Agenda" (Craig David) Safe
4 Cosima De Vito "Respect" (Aretha Franklin) "I Believe I Can Fly" (R. Kelly) Bottom two
5 Rob Mills "Too Close" (Next) "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" (R. Kelly) Eliminated

Live Show 6 (26 October 2003)[]

Theme: Big Band

Order Artist First song (original artists) Second song Result
1 Shannon Noll "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra) "I've Got You Under My Skin" (Frank Sinatra) Safe
2 Paulini Curuenavuli "At Last" (Etta James) "Almost Like Being in Love" (Frank Sinatra) Eliminated
3 Cosima De Vito "L-O-V-E" (Nat King Cole) "Smile" (Nat King Cole) Safe
4 Guy Sebastian "Hit the Road Jack" (Ray Charles) "The Way You Look Tonight" (Frank Sinatra) Bottom two

Live Show 7: Semi-final (2 November 2003)[]

Theme: The 60s

Order Artist First song (original artists) Second song Result
1 Shannon Noll "One (Is the Loneliest Number" (Harry Nilsson) "Hey Jude" (The Beatles) Safe
2 Guy Sebastian "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Frankie Valli) "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (Patricia Neway) Safe
3 Cosima De Vito "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield) "River Deep, Mountain High" (Tina Turner) Withdrew

Live final (16 November 2003)[]

Order Artist First song (original artists) Second song Third song Result
1 Shannon Noll "Please Forgive Me" (Bryan Adams) "Working Class Man" (Jimmy Barnes) "Angels Brought Me Here" Runner-up
2 Guy Sebastian "I'll Be There" (The Jackson 5) "Crazy in Love" (Beyoncé) "Angels Brought Me Here" Winner
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