If you haven’t heard of Stan Walker – where have you been hiding for the past few months? Stan really is the man, he’s the winner of 2009’s Australian Idol and he’s a kiwi boy through and through (though he’s based in Coolangatta, Brisbane). 

Ramarea caught up with the bubbly boy on his trip back home last week to find out more about what it’s like to win Australian Idol, his love for Beyonce and what he’s after in a woman…



On his New Zealand fans...
The fans here are more hard out than I would have thought. They are full on!

On Australia...
Australia is my home at the moment. But I'm not an Australian - I'm a Maori living in Australia. Aussies do try and claim me - and I was born there (Stan was born in Melbourne), but I'm not an Australian citizen. I was brought up over here in Tauranga.

Kiwi music he loves...
Maysie Rika, Brooke Fraser, Katchafire, Kora, Nesian Mystik (he's related to lead singer, Te Awanui Reeder).

On winning Australian Idol...
It was wicked - just awesome. I was pretty much just shocked, and that's it. Then it was straight into work. I've been doing everything - promo, TV, gigs... It's really full on. And I've already started writing for my next album.



The perks of being the new Mr. Australian Idol...
It's pretty wicked. I get to meet people, get promoted, free stuff... Back here especially, I've been given loads of stuff. I don’t mean like ‘yay look at all these free things’, but the things I've been given here come with a lot of heart. A kuia at the Maori Sports Awards gave me an awesome taonga - things like that are just awesome.

Why he loves Beyonce...
Do you have to even ask? She's my wife! Are you serious? Can you not see it? No hear it? Feel it?! Haha... She's the best thing in the world. No one can sing and dance like her - she's a freak of nature!

On seeing her live in concert...
I almost fainted when I saw her come out! And I got to touch her - this hand touched her! Do you want to touch my hand now?! (And yes, I touched it!)

What he's looking for in a woman...
It's much more than just a look. I look at the heart in a girl - I know that's cheesey... I've got a high standard because I've learnt from my mistakes. I want a girl who loves God more than me. Someone who loves people, loves life, culture, her family... Someone who can sing, and is tall and beautiful. Maybe a bit older too. And if I'm going to be really picky, she should have nice long hair... Unless she suits short hair! (She sounds supiciously like Beyonce…)



On his high standards...
I don't want to muck around. The guys on Idol were telling me that I should open my mind up to more girls, but I’ve just got a standard. If you lived my life - you would know why. Not many people wait for their husbands or wife - I've been there, done that, and now I've changed my ways and I live a new life.

Before Australian Idol...
I was working in retail at a store called Man to Man. I finished school in 6th form, dropped out and works at heaps of different places. The only place I really sang was at Church.

On the ‘Ataahua’ tattoo printed on his neck…
During the show I found out my ex-girlfriend was pregnant… She miscarried, but that’s why I’ve got ‘Ataahua’ (which means beautiful in Maori) tattooed on my neck. Ataahua was going to be the name of my baby.

The best piece of advice given to him...
Always stay true to yourself, never forget when you come from and keep humble.

His piece of advice for nzgirls...
Value yourself. Girls who don't value themselves generally have no standards. And also, wait - don't be pressured into things. And it's not about how many times you fall, but how many times you get back up.

Why he choose Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb' to sing on Idol...
It's a wicked song! It's a mean song - great lyrics, wicked melody... And it was just so relevant to where I was at that time (in the Australian Idol top four). When everyone found out that I was singing Miley, they were all like 'Oh no... You've fully lost it now Stan...' Until they heard it. It’s just a wicked song!