The iconic televised talent show, which returns to TV after ending its seven-year run in 2009, premiered its first audition episode on Channel 7 tonight, with Kyle Sandilands back in the hot seat as a judge. He was joined by international stars Meghan Trainor, Harry Connick Jr, and local songstress Amy Shark.
And while there was a host of talented artists plucked from the crowd and whisked through to the top 50, there was also a revolving door of duds – something Idol has never shied away from airing.
One in particular who stood out was 19-year-old Imogen Ledell, a law student from Sydney who gave what can only be described as an utterly shambolic audition.
You could almost see the stars in young Imogen’s eyes as she talked about her love of singing and performing, before launching into her rendition of Sam Smith’s heartbreaker Lay Me Down.
It’s fair to say Imogen’s performance didn’t give Adele a run for her money, but for further evaluation, here’s Trainor’s face:
In an attempt to let Imogen down gently, Shark told the auditionee her voice was “interesting”. This, however, excited Imogen, who beamed as she answered: “Thank you!”
Then came Sandilands to bring her back down to earth with a thud.
“The vocal is not great at all, you must know that’s pretty woeful. Woeful. Not good,” the radio shock jock said.
“OK, well that’s your opinion, I’d like to hear the others,” a defiant Imogen answered.
Cue, Connick Jr, who surprisingly, was even more savage than Sandilands in his review.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, singing is not for you,” he began, to which a stunned Imogen replied: “OK, that’s interesting.”
Connick Jr continued: “Making a living as a singer is not in your future.”
Imogen, desperate for answers, asked: “Why do you think that?”
Then came the big blow as Connick Jr listed off a rap sheet of cons.
“You can’t hear, you can’t phrase, you have no time, you don’t know how to interpret lyrics,” he said.
The budding star begged for an opportunity to “prove” them all wrong, before all four judges delivered her a resounding “no”.
Not ready for her Idol journey to end there, Imogen continued to plead for a chance.
“Yeah, but I feel that … Please I promise you…,” she began, before Connick Jr interrupted: “You have to be respectful of the process. There’s other people waiting, you had your chance. Thank you for coming.”
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more uncomfortable, Imogen stepped off the podium and began circling the room belting out a song in French, waltzing around the large space while making direct eye contact with the judges.
“What’s going on? I’m scared,” Shark said during the bizarre scenes, adding: “That’s better, you should’ve auditioned with that.”
Connick Jr continued to lament Imogen’s abilities, speaking in French: “I studied French for five years, her French is bad.”
After about 30 seconds – or what felt like years – of singing her unnamed French song, Imogen finally left the room.
“That’s someone who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Sandilands laughed.
Australian Idol continues Tuesday on Channel 7 at 7.30pm