Australian Idol hopefuls strut their stuff

HAS Australian Idol become as boring as the federal election?

Last night was the final chance for Idol grand finalists Matt Corby and Natalie Gauci to shine before their Opera House showdown this weekend.

But what should have been their moment to shine began with judge Ian ``Dicko'' Dickson having to defend reports he'd slammed the pair as ``beautiful but bloody boring''.

Challenged by Idol hosts James Mathison and Andrew G, Dicko said he could not recall making the damming critique but then warned the contestants that after the finale they would have to appeal to an audience without the ``oxygen'' of a prime-time television show.

The finalists then had some explaining of their own to do with both claiming they were misquoted when it was reported they had labelled the winner's single a ``dud''.

Each performed the song Here I Am , which the winner will release as a single by the winner on November 28.

Corby, who described it as a great song for ``an Idol song'', lacked the passion of Melbourne girl Gauci's slower and more sincere rendition.

Gauci's performance of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill also proved the stand-out of the night but the nation will have to wait to see whether it is enough to beat the vocals and pretty-boy looks of favourite Corby.

Centrebet last night had Corby at 1.43 to win compared to 2.80 for Gauci. nts

The final two contestants last night both avoided mainstream pop choices leaving judge Mark Holden to remind them not to forget who their audience is.

``There are four and a half million Australians in Generation Y be true to your generation,'' he said.

source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/11/19/9019_news.html