It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last deep their line Welcome back to TV Reload. My name is Benjamin Norris and this is your podcast to get all the inside goss on the popular TV shows you may be watching from around the world. Undeniably, our TV sets are a major part of our home entertainment and very little is known about
how our favorite shows get made. So each episode I find guests that want to dive just that little bit deeper into the shows they're currently making, so that you can hear all their exclusive stories and gain access to the biggest names in Australian television. I want to thank you for downloading or subscribing to this podcast. I love hearing your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment on your chosen podcast platform and I'll make sure you feel as included in the production of this show as
I possibly can. On today's episode, I have a full debrief with the winner of Australian Idol twenty twenty three, which just finished up on Channel seven last night. Royston beat Josh and Phoebe at the final hurdle and what a night of television that finale was. With epic performances, some technical difficulties, had some controversial comments from Kyle. However, nothing could take away from the triumphant moment where we
saw Royston crowned as the winner. Royston represented the minorities of Australia with a powerful message to believe in yourself as anything as possible. We will talk today about those live moments throughout the night and what really happened during Royston's performance of the winner's single. Royston will also share which winner from the first seasons of Idle messaged him after the show. Royston and I will also get into those ruthless comments from Kyle Sanderlands and he talks about
why he thinks those comments might have been wrong. Plus, we will get some exclusives on the new series, including some behind the scenes secrets which I'm sure you will love. However, let's bring Royston into the podcast and celebrate his exciting win, which you can now catch up on on seven Plus. Hi, Roysden, how are you hello?
I'm so good, how are you?
Very excited to be talking to you. Congratulations on Australian Idol for twenty twenty three.
Thank you so much, just so wild even like you're just saying that it still feels unreal, like it's not real.
What can you remember from Actually, I just want to fill you in on when I did so last night I had my own little Australian Idol party, So it's having a few wines and watching it. And what a wild ride that finale was.
It was crazy, you know, live tally anythinking happened.
What can you remember from that moment though? Because I was looking at you and you were sort of deer in the headlights and you got to say you said some amazing things straight away, But I think that must have been sort of programmed into you to naturally go off. Yeah.
No, I just it felt unreal, like like I just when they call my name, I just remember having this gush of emotions and feeling so just incredibly grateful, and you know, I was so I've been so vulnerable over the past few weeks over the show, and like, you know, the response has been so amazing, and like I can't believe I was able to tell my story and stuff, and you know, Australia just welcomed me with open arms, you know, and just really embraced me for who I
am and believed in me and voted for me, and then I started crying and there my eyes starting to burn from the makeup, and then it was crazy.
You know, what I thought was a really beautiful moment was that, you know, Ricky Larly cool To has done such an amazing job this season, like unbelievable, but there was a really kind moment where she wiped away the mascara from your eyes. Do you remember her doing that? Yeah?
Yeah I do. Ricky is the most beautiful person ever, like she's inside out. She's just such an amazing human being and I love her, and yeah, that was really special of her because I was like, is my Misscara running? Like I need to stop crying. No, it was so beautiful. I love her so much. And yeah, when there was like waiting to say who it was, that was torture though. I was like, can you tell us already?
That's the worst part, And it feels like time has completely slowed down and you're like, come on, let's just get to forget the TV moment we need to get Just tell me what's going to happen. I want to say something which is which is not a negative at all about the live finale we saw some moments last night, you know where Phoebe fell over and you know you struggled to overcome your emotions with that live performance. But I love reality television and I love when we get
to see real moments. You know. How are you feeling about those sort of fumbles last night? Are you taking it on the chin and just thinking, well, I'm glad Australia was there to watch the you know the reality of it.
Yeah. Well, it was actually like technical difficulties with mine. Apparently, like I could hear myself in my innears and I was singing, but that like the live audience and the judges couldn't hear anything from the mic or anything like that, and they were like telling me, like, we can't hear. And then I pulled my inneas down and I was like what like? And then I had for a moment was thinking, oh, can I start? Can we start the
song again? But then I was like, oh wait, we're live, like we have to we have to keep going, and so yeah, and I don't. I only realized this morning when they told me that, like the audience at home could still hear, it was just the live audience that couldn't hear. Anything. It was a bit of a mess up, but you know, I knew the chorus was coming in and I was I just had to give it everything.
And I was flustered with you know, emotions and everything as well, but I just knew I had to give a good performance, just the last one on that stage, you know, which means everything. That stage means everything. And it was crazy, but.
Ye do kind of get used to the fact that when you're pre recording some parts of a show and some parts of it alive, you do get that moment like I feel like Phoebe turned around and went to go walk back up the stairs and try and do her entrance again. Yeah, that must have been in her mind, like, oh well, whoopsie doopsy, let's go again.
Yeah, no, we she did think that, and I was like, like, this week it's live, we gotta go. We need to keep going. I loved it. She's a champ. She took it, you know, took it on the chin and just kept going. She was a trooper about it. And if I was fifteen and that happened to me, I would have been crying running off that stage. So you you know, she's so amazing and I love her, she's yeah.
What was the feeling like, because when the show launched and we got to see the audience reactions to you guys, both Scott and Ricky reached out to the audience to say, who do you think is going to win? And we got the reactions. At that point, I was thinking, Josh is going to take this competition out? Who was the favorite? In reality? Like between the three of you, was there a conversation happening or did you honestly all think it was anyone's it was anyone's win.
We all just thought it was anyone's win, honestly, But the crowd were really going well for Josh. There was no telling what was going to happen. The good thing about like this season and all of us contestants is we were also close. We were all rooting for each other. There was no divas in the group, like you know, we all genuinely loved each other and it was just it was a good environment and they're all amazing honestly.
Well, you clearly had the best voice of the season, like consistently. I got to see the first performance of the Top twelve live and I was completely blown away. You know, at times I feel like Australia went on a rollercoaster of all we now like Phoebe or we now like Josh or you know, it did sort of move around a lot. However, it was very clear to Australia that you did have the most polished voice.
Thank you, Thank you so much. That means a lot. Yeah, I'm so grateful for Australia for believing in me, and yeah, taking taking me and like getting me to the top of the compositions is so wild and I honestly, I'm just so grateful. It's just, yeah, it's wild. I feel
like it's a dream. I actually need to feel like I need to sit down for like a day or two and just really absorb this and just think like you like won this, like you're in the likes of like guys Sebastian and Casey Donovan and all of them, and it just, yeah, it's really crazy. I'm so grateful.
Honestly, have any of the other previous winners of Australian Idol been in contact with you today or throughout the cop.
He sent me a message on Instagram last night which was crazy, like I was so blown away, and yeah, I just thanked him for like his support and stuff. And you know, jess my boy, I met her last night at Idol and stuff, and she's been like one of my biggest inspirations, you know, because she's like a really good Indigenous role model. And I remember when I was young watching Idol and I used to think like, oh, I want to do that. If Jessica Maverick can do it,
I'm sure I can do it, you know. And that's how powerful representation on TV is, you know. And that's what It's like a full circle moment now and I'm doing this and I'm sure all these little kids are probably thinking the same thing, and I hope they are because I'm really passionate about that.
Well, you want to create a voice and visibility for your communities, which I think you have already done in a massive way by winning this competition. But what do you want to do now in terms of, you know, continuing this story for them.
Yeah, I want to be able to go into community, do workshops with the kids, you know, do talks and stuff. I'm really passionate about that stuff. I want to do all of that kinds of stuff and just let the kids know that, you know, if you work hard, doesn't matter where you come from. Like I come from a small indigenous remote community and Final Queens and you know, three hundred and fifty people and there's no music opportunities there.
I had to work really hard, you know and stuff and look where I am, you know, So I definitely want to do stuff like that and really help inspire the next generation for sure.
Well, I think you could package something up and go around and tour at schools because you know, not just in remote areas of Australia, but all around Australia. I think it's a really positive message. You know, you have really proved to everybody that you know, believing in yourself and taking that huge risk of going on national television can pay off.
Yeah, you know, and that's that's kind of like why, like I kind of peeled those layers off, you know every week on the show. You know, I spoke about representation for like indigenous kids in the remote areas, but I also then talked about the bullying side of being like you know, queer, like gay for my instance, and and that what that came along with, like you know,
music and stuff like that. And I just wanted to be able to tell my story authentically and help hopefully connect with other young people that have gone through similar things, you know, and tell them that it gets better, you know what I mean, and just focus on you and your dreams. So I'm so glad I was able to tell that, and you know, because the week we got to do that was with True Colors, and it was
the perfect song for for that, you know. And I remember, yeah, when they was interviewing me about that song, and I just cried because it was like I was singing that song for my younger self, you know, who was so shy that didn't sing, didn't want to sing in front of anybody, that used to get bullied in it, and it was like, I can see your true colors, like to myself. It was like I was performing to my
past self, you know. And I want to tell that little kid that it's okay to be your beautiful, wonderful self. Don't care what anybody says.
It's just so powerful to be able to do and representing different minorities. You know that you have done so effortlessly throughout this competition, you know, people interacting with you along the way. Have you had more people from any of those minorities reaching out or interacting with you.
Yeah, here's the people from the LGBT community, the indigenous community, you know, just people in general that have went through struggles and they connected through my stories, you know. And that's what's powerful about, like telling your story and using it as a power, you know, taking back that power. And yeah, I'm just so glad I got to do
that for other people. And also it's also healing for me as well to see that I'm healing other people, you know, And it's so amazing and I'm just so grateful I got this opportunity to be able to tell my story.
Honestly, I have to ask, has Sony already reached out to you? I mean, what sort of in direction have you had from Sony Music at this stage?
Yeah, well, we have some meetings this afternoon, which I'm so excited about, and yeah, meetings with my new management team, and so it's all going to happen, and yeah, it's the first day of my life. This is so crazy.
Which management company have you signed with?
Private Idaho?
Is that sort of a part of the winning of the show or was that you start Okay, it was a part of that, wasn't a conversation you started yourself. No, well that's exciting, you know. And the other question I was going to ask you about was do you think that you would collaborate with any of the other contestants from the Top twelve, because you know so much has been said in the media about this friendship that you
will have. Are there anyone Is there anyone in the top twelve that you think you'd collaborate with on a song?
I would love to collaborate Phoebe. I would love to do like a big ballad song with her. Laura, She's amazing, Maya Harry. There's so many amazing artists. Yeah, some are like not like in my realm of music, which is totally fine, but they're all so amazing in their own rights, and yeah, I would love a chance to collaborate with them. I mean, they were all so talented and it was really anybody's game, Like everybody was so worthy enough of the title of Australian Idol, you know what I mean.
And it was just how Australia connected with the contestants. And I'm so grateful that they did to me, which is so amazing, and I'm so honestly just so grateful.
And Australian Idol is very much show about the contestants, but a huge part of it is the judges that are there. They have such big personalities and they're there to help you along the way. I want to ask, you know, how much did Kyle, Meghan Amy and Harry how much did all of those judges help you get through this competition?
Yeah, you know, just them and their you know comments, like validating you each week and telling you that you're good and you did an amazing performance was enough, you know, like that that really helped us to get gain the confidence to get on that stage and do what we did,
you know what I mean? And yeah, it's so amazing they I guess it's just words, but it means so much to us because they're like such big dogs in there, you know, in their industries and stuff, and it's just it's so crazy and I'm so grateful for them and their support. Honestly, I got to chat with some of them last night at the rap party, which was really lovely, and yeah, they were also stoked and happy for me.
Do you think that Kyle sata Lenz is regretting that comment that he made last night about the second person disappearing. I think he's the sort of person that says something and then you can kind of see it in his eyes that he thinks, Oh, I don't know if that's the right thing to say.
Oh yeah, I don't know. I don't know why he said that, which is not true. I mean, look, we had Jessica Malboys. She didn't she was like second or third, So it's not true.
He needed to think about that one a little bit more. I think, you know, live television, Phoebe's fallen down the stairs, you know, you might have forgotten the words in cars Angeleans as well, and truly put his foot in his mouth.
Yeah, and I just want to I do want to say that I did not forget the words. It was technical difficulties.
Oh yeah, sorry, that's and you know what, people who are listening to this podcast are going to love you correcting me on that. They'll be like benu asshole. Everyone was also waiting to see whether or not there was going to be an announcement for an Australian idol for twenty twenty four. Do you know any information as to whether or not we're going to get to see another series?
No, I have no idea I know. Yeah, I actually don't know what's happening. I hope there's going to be another series. I did see that they were they were asking us to say, oh, you should apply now, and so we did like little videos and stuff. So I'm guessing there will be. I don't even know if I'm allowed to say this, but.
That's enough of a teast. We'll just leave We'll leave that as speculation. But that's enough of a tease because I know that last night I was reading online that you know, there was so many young people inspired by you winning last night and saying that they would love to apply and take on the Austraian Idle Journey. So I just thought it was an important question to ask because there are lots of people want to follow in your footsteps.
I can't believe I'm in this position to like help empower people and you know, other than music, that is such a big passion of mine, you know, and it just means everything, honestly, it really does.
Well. Everyone who joins the podcast gets asked this question, what is something from behind the scenes, something that we did not see, something that we might appreciate from behind the scenes of your journey on Australian Idol.
Behind the scenes, it was very long weeks, long days, you know, and people only see like the hour and a half that's on TV. But we work so so so hard, you know what I mean, which we're happy to do that, like it's going to be for our careers and stuff. But it is a long journey, as I'm sure you know, and stuff as well. And I reckon people would be more appreciative if they knew, like how like the early mornings and getting up. But it's so good as well because it like really prepares us
for the industry as well. This is like a quick boot camp into like you know, what the industry is going to be like and stuff like that. So I appreciate everything honestly. But yeah, it was a lot, but I'm so grateful for the whole opportunity.
I remember talking to Guys Sebastian at the Logis the year after he won. This goes to show you how old I am. Interesting, you know, he was saying he was just going to keep the momentum going by doing the hours that he was already doing during the show. And I think a large part of Guys Sebastian's success has been his work ethic, you know, and being able to self motivate and get out there and do it himself.
Think that's that's really powerful. So any of those people that have reached out to you, like guys Sebastian, you know, I'd suggest, you know, keep in contact with them because they they've been there before and I'm sure that they would want to help you.
Yeah. No, definitely, you know, anybody that's been through this kind of this journey of like winning a straight and nile guy, I think it would be an awesome person to reach out to and keep in my contacts. If he's willing to speak with me, I hope so.
But yeah, well I'm gonna let you go, but I'll give you the time to go through your Instagram and all your social media and see all the comments from everybody that has supported you throughout the competition. I want to thank you for being so generous and chatting with me today. This has been a lot of fun.
It has been Thank you so much for your time. Honestly,