I don’t really understand this change. In the article Brook Hall says
You might see someone brilliant at an audition and say ‘Wow, I really love them,’ but you might see not them for weeks
But even in this format where they come back to learn their fate (without singing again) we see them in their episode & don’t see them again until the top 30 episode.
So I don’t think it really did anything new cause even in the old way we see them in their audition episode & don’t see them again for ‘weeks’
It will be a “Top 30 Week” next week (Sunday to Wednesday).
Will it be the Top 12 the following week?
edit “30 will start, 9 will leave” was said at the end of the show, with promoting next week. So a whole week, to then have a top 21? Or did i miss hear what was said?
Top 30 starts on Sunday 11th
Top 21 starts Sunday 18th
Judges break the rules to fast-track unbelievable rapper on Australian Idol
Tonight, the final night of auditions cemented the Australian Idol’s Top 30, with 24-year-old TJ Zimba’s performance leaving judges Marcia Hines, Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark ready to throw out the rule book.
The unique hip-hop artist from Karratha, WA – who writes, produces, and records his own beats – was handed a Golden Ticket immediately after his performance of Khalid’s Location, skipping the final deliberation round.
“We’re going to get in big trouble, but I don’t care. You’re too good,” Amy said. Kyle and Marcia agreed.
“Because of you we might get fired!” Marcia said. “He owned that stage, that’s what we’re looking for,” exclaimed Kyle.
TJ explained: “I’m most excited to show people why I do music, the reason I got into music and how I actually perform and portray that as an artist.”
Imogen Spendlove, 23, proved she has everything it takes to be an Australian Idol with her stunning performance of Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing.
The factory worker from Melbourne gave Kyle goosebumps with her “absolutely beautiful” voice, while Marcia declared: “I think we’re looking at the next Australian Idol.”
Chenai Boucher, 26, returned to Australian Idol seeking redemption after she didn’t make it past auditions last year.
“I’m back because I believe in myself, hopefully this year is a new opportunity and opens some really big doors,” Chenai said.
The Melbourne personal trainer and business development manager received a Golden Ticket for her performance of River by Bishop.
Although Marcia and Kyle questioned if Chenai could tone down her “almost aggressive passion” and tap into her vulnerable side, Kyle admitted: “You’ve changed. You’ve learnt from last year. You were also good last year and man you’ve adjusted. Welcome to Australian Idol.”
Sunday night: The Australian Idol Top 30 take to the stage as the battle to find the nation’s next singing sensation is just getting started.
Watch performance highlights:
TJ Zimba, 24 WA - Location, Khalid
Imogen Spendlove, 23, Victoria - I Have Nothing, Whitney Houston
That’s correct. The top 30 week were held at Walsh Bay in Sydney across three days.
The top 21 week will be filmed this weekend (February 9-11) and aired across three nights from February 18 to 20.
Is this year’s Oz idol better than 2023?
Watch and find out 
Here is my hot take that I’m surprised no one has mentioned yet…
Last year, all the auditions were either acapella or with a live musician accompaniment. The vocals were recorded through a lapel on the shirt and a hanging microphone above them.
This year, all the auditions are using a handheld microphone, which allows greater capabilities for mastering the vocals. They have now also allowed backing tracks.
The Voice has EQ/mastered/auto-tuned the pre-recorded episodes for years, so that’s why last years Idol series seemed more unpolished and viewers criticised the vocals.
This year, alongside expanding the age bracket by 2 years, they are carefully adjusting the vocals to make them better. The real test will be the actual live results shows towards the end of the series, as all other pre-records allow this method.
Ricki-Lee has posted a video on Instagram showing a day at the auditions at the SCG, culminating with the top 30 contestants.
I noticed some auditions in Sydney didn’t use the handheld microphone, such as Kobe White. IIRC, he had the microphone at the piano but didn’t take it when Marcia asked him to stand up and sing without the piano. I could be misremembering but his vocals sounded just as well recorded as the auditions using the microphone.
Sometimes I wondered if the microphone was just a prop to give the contestants something to do with their hands, but it looks like it has a real transmitter in it.
Four massive nights push the Top 30 to their limits on Australian Idol
Over four massive nights, the Australian Idol Top 30 will become 21 as the journey to uncover the nation’s next singing sensation enters its next phase.
From the thousands who auditioned, only the very best have been chosen to compete in the toughest round of the competition for judges Marcia Hines, Kyle Sandilands and Amy Shark.
Tasked with a series of epic challenges, contestants will be pushed to their limits as they sing for their lives.
With lifelong dreams on the line, the pressure will prove too much for some. Tears, triumphs and tensions will flare as the reality of performing in front of a live audience for the first time takes its toll.
One contestant’s bold move rocks the judges, while another has some explaining to do to Kyle.
At the end of the week, 21 contestants will be one step closer to being the Australian Idol.
Australian Idol Top 30
• Amy Reeves, 24, Broome, WA
• Bethany Byrne, 28, Mooroolbark, VIC
• Billy Menhennet, 20, Ballarat, Victoria
• Chenai Boucher, 26, Seaford, VIC
• Cynthia Negash, 19, Kurunjang, VIC
• Denvah Baker-Moller, 23, Rockhampton, QLD
• Drea Onamade, 25, Perth, WA
• Dylan Wright, 30, Bangalow, NSW
• Eli Parr, 20, Loganholme, QLD
• Gab Hester, 18, Rye, VIC
• Imogen Spendlove, 23, Melbourne, VIC
• Isaac McCallum, 23, Ulladulla, NSW
• Ivana Ilic, 20, Mill Park, VIC
• Jackson Smith, 25, Werribee, VIC
• Jake Carlson, 20, Mernda, VIC
• Jess Chalmers, 24, Melbourne, VIC
• Jesse Lazaroo, 18, Perth, WA
• Jet Cameron, 16, Fig Tree Pocket, QLD
• Jonathan Wells, 28, Melbourne, VIC
• Kiani Smith, 17, Bribie Island, QLD
• Kobe White, 24, Keysborough, VIC
• Kym Miaco, 28, Lightsview, SA
• Natasha Rose, 19, Moreton Bay, QLD
• Olivia Britton, 22, Wodonga, VIC
• Prayer Corby, 23, Darwin, NT
• Ripley Alexander, 19, Brisbane, QLD
• Saoirse Harding, 19, Gold Coast, QLD
• TJ Zimba, 24, Karratha, WA
• Trent Richardson, 22, Emu Park, QLD
• Tyler Hammill, 21, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Australian Idol Top 30 week
7.00pm Sunday and 7.30pm Monday – Wednesday on Channel 7 and 7plus
Kyle: You tweaked your old fella. 
I don’t like this ‘on notice’ idea. Some very bad acts are going straight through with them only sending one from each round to elimination.
The on notice idea is OK, but it should have been tweaked so that more than one contestant per group are sent to elimination, if they have delivered mediocre performances.
Synopsis for tonight
Australian Idol Top 30 week continues as the final challenge – the solo challenge – and last opportunity for our performers to secure a coveted spot in the Top 21 begins.
Singing for the first time in front of a live audience and accompanied by a live band, contestants must leave a lasting impression on the judges, as failure to do so puts them at risk of being put on notice and ultimately eliminated from the competition.
At the end of the solo performances, the weakest 3 singers will pack their bags and go home.
Who will rise to the challenge and take one step closer to becoming the next Australian Idol?
Tonight’s episode runs until 8.50pm, so it’s possible that some performances will be shown on Wednesday instead.
I thought Prayer deserved to go through over the girl with dark hair that just dominated her group and caused the others to not do as well. I was happy Jet didn’t make it through but I think he should not have it through the prior round as I thought Eijah was very good better than Jet and should have made it through
How dare she be an exceptional performer and outshine everyone!
Reminder: “There can only be one Australian Idol”. It’s their job to outshine.
She wasn’t that good and was very arrogant and dominating to the detriment of the other two people in her group.
I was up in Sydney for a few days over the weekend, so we got tickets to the Sunday night show they filmed at the Sydney Colosseum. It was the 3rd of the top 21 performance shows, so we saw who was through to the top 12 (obviously I won’t spoil).
They pretty much filmed it close to like it was live TV. They took only a few mins break when it was the commercials and only a couple of times did they stop to re-film something (both times were the hosts filming an intro again). Then there was one bigger break when the judges were deliberating on who goes through, where they actually left the room.
It was surprisingly quite a big crowd and the studio setup looked really sleak. In the breaks the judges would turn around and interact with the audience a bit which was nice. Kyle was getting quite impatient at the end after their deliberation, asking them to hurry up with the last segment. He clearly wanted to get out of there. When filming stopped Ricki, Scott, Marcia and Amy all went up on stage to congratulate the top 12 but Kyle bolted out the door. It was close to 8pm so I guess he had to be up early for radio.
Talent wise show 3 was strong and the judges seemed to comment on it being harder decisions than some of the other shows.
