Ben McKenzie hits back at Hillsong claims
Australian Idol star Ben McKenzie has hit back at claims he’s part of a Hillsong inspired attempt to rig Australian Idol, by revealing he hasn’t been to church in five years.
‘I grew up in a church background, right, but I haven’t been to the church in five years, and I hadn’t even heard of Hillsong until a few days ago,' says McKenzie.
Controversy has raged over recent weeks after it was revealed almost half of the contestants on the talent show were members of Hillsong or related congregations in the ‘Assemblies of God’ network.
The 17-year-old, from the Central Coast, believes the Hillsong controversy is simply a marketing ploy to give Australian Idol exposure.
‘People have nothing better to do on their TV shows, so they make up stuff,’ says McKenzie.
‘It’s keeping us in the public eye that’s for sure, but I just have to put up with answering the same question again and again.’
And the latest Idol eliminee believes Idol judge Marcia Hines’ won’t follow through on her shock threat to quit the top rating Channel Ten show after fellow judges Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson and Mark Holden were mean to him.
‘I don’t’ think she would but because she’s kind of what holds it all altogether,’ he said.
‘Can you imagine going into the auditions without her positive reassurance?’
‘You’re just going to have Kyle, Dicko and Mark yelling in your face - you’d go off and kill yourself.'
source: http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2007/10/17/Ben_McKenzie_hits_back_at_Hillsong_claims
‘I grew up in a church background, right, but I haven’t been to the church in five years, and I hadn’t even heard of Hillsong until a few days ago,' says McKenzie.
Controversy has raged over recent weeks after it was revealed almost half of the contestants on the talent show were members of Hillsong or related congregations in the ‘Assemblies of God’ network.
The 17-year-old, from the Central Coast, believes the Hillsong controversy is simply a marketing ploy to give Australian Idol exposure.
‘People have nothing better to do on their TV shows, so they make up stuff,’ says McKenzie.
‘It’s keeping us in the public eye that’s for sure, but I just have to put up with answering the same question again and again.’
And the latest Idol eliminee believes Idol judge Marcia Hines’ won’t follow through on her shock threat to quit the top rating Channel Ten show after fellow judges Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson and Mark Holden were mean to him.
‘I don’t’ think she would but because she’s kind of what holds it all altogether,’ he said.
‘Can you imagine going into the auditions without her positive reassurance?’
‘You’re just going to have Kyle, Dicko and Mark yelling in your face - you’d go off and kill yourself.'
source: http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2007/10/17/Ben_McKenzie_hits_back_at_Hillsong_claims
Comments
Post a Comment