UNPACKED REALITY- AUSTRALIAN IDOL - IMOGEN

It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week. They Hey guys, welcome back to TV Reload. I want to thank you for clicking and downloading on today's episode with Imagen, one of the first eliminated singers from Australian Idol on Channel seven. Twenty one years after Guy Sebastian pipped Shannonault become Australia's first Idol, the International Starmaking reality TV Sensation has returned

Ah, Babs babe. Yeah, you know, That's what I've been doing on.

The show, so absolutely. You know, I'm excited to talk to you because I mean, I think not only do I think you are a phenomenal artist, but I kind of feel like I would get along with you very well. I want to drink with you.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'd like to say we'd have fun going out in town.

My sister texted me this morning as Edward yeah o'clock and said to me, I've got to explain some six degrees of separation that's going on here.

I literally, well, I called mass the last night and that's how we piece this whole thing together, but go for it.

I was going to say that version of Celene Dion would have been really hard under any circumstances. Is it much harder when you've got to sing in a save me situation?

Well, I don't know, because it really wasn't like a save me situation because.

The votes would have already been decided.

So like, I feel like, as soon as those doors opened, I was like, look, there's nothing I can do, so I've just got to like have a really good time and put on a really good performance and just kind of, I don't know, it was sort of like a relief came over me, I feel like, which I think showed in the performance because it came across as really strong.

Why are they making you do that when it's not going to help the situation?

You know, I don't know. I don't know TV antics.

I guess I guess they want to give us like one big send off in the end, so that like it's sort of like, you know, Australia, this is the people you've decided are in the bottom and it's on you.

So we get like a little concert for those four people that are down in the bottom. But at the same time. You know, I think a lot of people were like, I think we just want to see the person that leaves do their final song or need to be a save me situation. So look, there's a lot of conversations that seem to be happening today from behind the scenes.

You know, it was kind of crazy, like seeing literally like the floods of reaction on social media of people just being like, what is going on?

Like me and Ripley in the bottom.

I think no one really expected, like even across production, everyone was shocked.

Well, you're the two most popular people in my mind, but I think that's what happened.

People think you're safe if they're like someone will vote for them, But like, you're trying to vote for the people that you're worried are going to get out.

You're not trying to vote for the people that you think are going to go through.

You know that both of you have, you know, scared the bejeezus out of the voters now, So I think people need to pick up their phones and start voting. Sometimes I think Marsha's a little over the top with her antics when she's trying to explain that to the audience, But I'm now that person. I'm like people like you're going to lose your favorite artists.

Yeah.

Literally, it's like and it really comes down to like a handful of votes at like every time. Like even Ivana and TJ being at the bottom was kind of crazy. Like it was USh shocking night for sure for everyone.

I'm in great television for I mean, the producer rubbing their hands together and you know, it was exciting. I mean, I have to say that I haven't screamed at my TV in a long time. I think when TV got up and run Away thinks it's in trouble with me. How do you see yourself as an artist moving forward? Because I got up this morning and did a deep dive on your Instagram, and you know, I was so impressed with your back catalog and sort of your journey

I think we got on the show to kind of establish ourselves. I went to university for electronic music production. So I'm a producer as well, and I make a lot of my own tracks, and I'm a songwriter. I do a lot of like R and B pop stuff, which is really exciting. It's kind of strange, Like I think the show took me on sort of the big valid journey because it's that's obviously makes really good TV and it's a really od this way of showing someone

I said one of your songs this morning at Chapel Off Chapel and I was playing it through the music that's in my studio here this morning and it sounded amazing. So anyone that's listening to this, you know, if you're feeling really sad about image and leaving the competition, get onto the Instagram, start listening to some of those tracks. They're amazing.

Yeah, get on my Instagram. Jimmy spenlove Undercore. I've got a catalog. I've got a long line of songs for you guys to enjoy.

So what I thought might have happened, And by the way, I'll ask you about Taylor Swift because I saw that you went to the concert. But yeah, I wondered whether or not a good Tailor Swift song might have been appropriate at this point. You know, with all of the Tailor Swift hype, there's song choices that you were suggesting that suited you a little bit better, or that you wanted to do that we didn't get a chance to see.

Oh, you know, there was like it's tricky with TV because there's a lot of like red taping into crass and getting songs approved and finding the copyright for everything. I know some people like Party Week. Some of the reactions was like I don't understand these song choices, and it's literally like whatever we can get over the line is what we end up having.

To work with.

But it makes a lot of more sense. It's like when you go to a karaoke bar and it's the one of those Vietnamese ones and they don't have all the song choices and you've been dreaming about, you know, pumping out your karaoke song and it's not there.

Yeah.

Literally, like, there are a few tracks that I desperately wanted to do in the show. Oh, we really wanted to do like Olivia Rodrigo Vampire at one point, which would have been so sick. There's like a couple like more kooky ones. We wanted to do some like more covers of like male led songs and changing them up a bit. There is a bunch of tracks that I would be like, and even Tailor Swift. I'd put forward like a million Tailorswift songs and they'd be like, we can't.

Yeah, what would have been the Taylor's Swift song. I mean, I'm in a Swifty fever right now, So forgive me for hammering this particular point. But kind of like you know what your fantasy you know those Fantasy League things that people have, you know, yeah, Fantasy League songs for image and yeah right, so.

Okay, here's my thing.

So my one of my favorite talors of songs of all time, which would not have worked for the show is Last Great American Dynasty.

But I'm just putting it on the table. I love that song so much, but I reckon for the trajectory of the show.

I reckon, don't blame me, would have been a big hit, you know, like something a bit darker. They sort of on the show. They wanted me to kind of fill a niche that was a bit more girl.

Next doory, which like I was.

Completely happy to do, but like it gets a little tired to kind of continuously be sort of just like pious and standing there and you know, being very happy about everything. Some I always wanted to go like something a bit darker, something a bit more interesting for me to sink my teeth into. But like those kinds of things don't always translate really well on TV, and you don't want to do like such a hard switch that your audience is going like, ah, what's going on?

This is not what I'm used to, you know.

So like I totally get the songs they picked for me for the trajectory. I mean the last one this moment on got me like Shania Twain's recognition, So I was like fucking tickbox there.

Hello, like life moments.

You know, it's not even March and Shania Twain has noticed me this year.

You know, twenty twenty four is going pretty well so far. Yeah, I often say to people as well, you don't want to win these things either, because then you're just slapped with being the winner of that show. And Australia's tall poppy syndrome might mean that we don't ever want to see you again, do you know what I mean? That seems to be a trend that happens in Australia where you really got a chance to get a taste of something quite mainstream and get to understand television a little

I think, oh completely, it's all smoke and mirrors.

Everyone's just like the amount of times I feel like I've gotten like half naked backstage trying to put like pull a driyce on or pull costumes on, and everyone's like touching you and like doing your hair, are you make up?

Or pullink spanks onto your body?

Like there's so many things you don't see or probably probably for the best. There's a going joke in the last show where wardrobe was like the first person who can get changed to the fastest gets a prized like like all that.

Kind of stuff that's happening backstage.

What's interesting to me is like a lot of the backlash for the show is talking about how like pre planned everything is. When you're going through it, it really doesn't feel like that. It feels like things are moving and changing all of the time. The trajectory of people's stories are changing and moving, Like the Shania Twain thing. For me was not a planned event at all, Like no one expected that to happen, and we sort of had to adapt as it happened.

Yeah, it's it's weird.

I think people think TV is such like a finished, beautiful, perfect package, and when it gets to you, it is, but there are so many little nitty gritty details that have to happen before it.

Guys say that to people, you know, I think this is a really good sort of a taste of all of this for you, And I think that this experience would have been great because you've got some amazing judges. Like last year is a little bit dubious about the way in which it came together. It felt a little contrived. I sometimes don't like American judges or overseas judges judging out Australian talent where I felt like this lineup, they

Anyway, that's the thing me and Ripley were talking about it today. We were just like, if you know Kyle, he'll say things, but he's usually right. He's just blunt about it very much like this is my opinion, take it or leave it. But also it's like you're on a talent show, he's a judge, you should probably take the advice, you know.

Being paid hundreds of millions of dollars for no reason. Yeah, man has a gift, like you know.

An industry pro. You know, take whatever you can get, even if he's even if he's being.

Harsh, like my last performance, he was pretty harsh with me, but I like, I get it. It was like when I finished that, I remember being like, oh that was messy, and that was the first thing he picked up on in not so many words.

I guess, did they give you any advice? Though, like as in, when the show finished, did you get any advice Once the lights go off and you know you've been eliminated from this show, did you get any moments with these three? And what was Can you share any of that with me?

We sort of were like very much pulled off to the side, but we got to have a chat with Ricky Lee, which was really lovely and.

She gets it more than anyone.

She gets yeah completely.

She like pulled me and Rip aside and was just like that was insane for started. She was like, I'm shocked. Everyone's shocked. No one was expecting this. And she just was like you have to now like use it, say yes to everything, take everything that you can, every opportunity that comes your way, Like.

This is the point now where like I feel like going through the show is so much work.

It's a lot of early mornings, it's a lot of long days, like twelve Like some people don't realize we're on set for like twelve to seventeen hours sometimes like long days.

And she was just sort of like, you know, this is just the beginning. It's only going to get harder.

Work, but it's going to be more rewarding, which was really lovely to hear from her.

It was great.

You know. What's also quite amazing is that you've bumped out of the competition at the same time as someone else who is also so well regarded. But if you look at the company that you're keeping with, yeah, you know, that sort of shows you how tough this competition is, you know what I mean. It's like that old saying, you know, if I'm going to get if I'm going to get beaten, I get beaten by the best kind of thing, you know.

Completely, and everyone is just like they're so different and really really good at what they do. Like that's literally it. It's a really difficult competition. And the tricky part now is it is literally up to public boat. Like there isn't as much control as like the show has, so it is really up in the air at all times.

But when I sort of, you know, I got.

Eliminated and I'm like waiting in a corridor chatting to people, and.

I hear like Ripley in a separate room going.

Immagen hap here, you know, and we just like had a bit of a cuddle and a bit of a cry and it was like, I don't know, it was weirdly validating because he is so impressive and so good. It's kind of nice to go out together, you know, as a team.

Well, I think the take home at the moment this morning for across the fan base is that, you know, the results on shows like this, like these singing competitions. You know, it's taken us a long time to get back to watching live and giving people such a short time frame voting. And then when you look at the fact that there's a lot of people watching a majority

Yeah, and the audience is like, is very different as well. It's one of those things I remember when it was me and TJ, Like I just had a feeling that it was going to be me.

I don't know what it is.

I like everyone I've talked to, because I've been chatting to people who've been eliminated from the show.

They all say the same thing. It's like you just know. It just comes over you and you're like, yeah.

It's me, this is the end.

Yeah.

I will tell you from doing reality TV that every every week I thought I was I thought I'd been told I was going home. So I do feel like it's interesting when you hear other Reality TV contestants and similar our environments go, oh, I knew it was me, But I can tell you that I always thought it was me every single week, you know what I mean? Yeah, and I was wrong. And I also won't live as long because it actually wasn't good for my central nervous system either.

Oh yeah, I actually think I'm going to pass out. I want to get back to my earn.

I'll need like at least a week and a half to reset my nervous system. Oh, you're just like in a slightly heightened state of survival.

Mode all the time.

It's really crazy, and you don't realize it until you like get off set and you're like, oh.

God, you know, I want to ask you who you think is going to win at this point.

I don't know.

I mean, like not best friend, competition because like, I'm sure you've got people in there that's relationship based, but nay, I've got a taste for the way the voting is happening. They've got a taste, and you've got a front row seat to all of this. I'd love to know your pick. You're getting a million dollars if you get this right.

Look, I think me and Ripper on the same page. I think it's like Dylan is the strongest at the moment. I think he's got really good image going around. He's also a lovely guy, so lovely to work with, and an incredible vocalist. He has so many things going for him at the moment. I think he's probably my top pick.

I think he's going to win. That's how I think as well. This is how I knew we were going to be friends, because I think the same Before you go once, something I ask everyone is what is something from behind the scenes, something that you know for people at home that are watching this show they wouldn't get a chance to see. Can you sort of peel back the layers of Australian idol and share something Well, I don't know.

I literally I think you hit the nail on the head with it's not glamorous. It's really like like no one's really holding your hand through this whole process. It's you're getting poked and prodded the whole way through. You'll be about to go on stage and someone will grab you for like a little camera moment. You know, it's

That point because it's so stressed and you've.

Been on like a thirteen hour shoot day and someone pulls you aside and it's like, how are you going?

What's going on with that? Like you would just explode.

So my thing, I think to Peel Beckelle is is literally like it's not polished everything. Everything is happening off camera that you don't want to see, and it's just that's just.

The way it is.

You know. Well, I'm in your audience. I just want to say that, you know, I kind of tell you how much I've listened to I have nothing of all of the songs, Like I thought you did so well and I can't wait to see what you do with this. There's so much work that goes into this, and feel free to contact people like Guy Sebastian, but also feel free to contact people like Courtney Act who didn't even make the top twelve is now an internationally recognized artist.

Yeah.

I think that's been the most incredible thing about this is like the support. It's like really validating. Whenever you step on one of these shows, you really put yourself out there, and like, I've been lucky enough that people like what I had to offer, and that's literally enough for me.

I feel like I'm going to see you in musicals. I feel like I'm going to see you in like rock musicals. I feel like there's so much more that you know. I'm looking looking forward to sitting there in that row and looking at your name in one of these books. You know so, and I think that's happening.

Thank you. I'm keen for it, Bring it on,