As your intrepid reporter, I rely on being "well connected" to get the inside story. Maybe not so well connected this time as coincidentally, my friend Steven (18) auditioned for New Zealand Idol at the Christchurch auditions.
Unfortunately, Steven didn’t make it through, but he’s given us the inside story as the what goes on at the NZ Idol auditions for those of us not so lucky to get in! Read on for the low-down.
So you auditioned at the Christchurch auditions. How far did you have to travel to get your chance at being the New Zealand Idol?
I had to travel up to Christchurch from Invercargill which is about a 7 hour drive.
It’s hard to find a song that sets you apart from the other Idols. This year a popular song was "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera. What did you choose to sing and why?
I sang "Better Be Home Soon" by Neil Finn. I just found that it suited my voice well and I could move around, smile and have fun singing it while I delivered it. Plus it was a Kiwi song!
When you arrived at the auditions, how many people were waiting? What was the atmosphere like in line?
We arrived at 6.30am and there was probably about 150-200 people in line at that stage. The atmosphere was fine, but very tense. That was just nerves kicking in I guess.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how nervous did you feel? Did you think that affected your performance?
With 10 being the highest, I’d say about 4 out of 10. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be, I was quite calm. I knew I just had to go in, give it my all and have fun. And I did that so I was stoked, even though I didn’t get through.
NZ Idol auditions have been marketed so that it appears that all the participants audition in front of the judges. This isn’t the case though is it?
No, not at all. I think this was probably the most frustrating misconception about the show. I was told by the camera man only about one in twenty of us would get to audition in front of the judges! We had to audition in front of the show’s producers first.
Do you think that the TV producers should judge would be singing stars? Shouldn’t the music professionals decide?
Yeah definitely. I think the people judging at any stage of the competition should have had a reasonable musical background so that they can give constructive advice to auditionees. It would mean that they can give a credible musical opinion as well as one for what makes good TV.
What did the producers say to you when you auditioned? Do you think you were shafted or unfairly judged?
He said that I definitely have something good and that I should stick with it. The producers told me I had a very good strong voice and that I should work with it and develop it to its a full potential as a performer. He said I was just not what they were looking for in the competition. I would have loved to have performed for the judges but on the whole, I think the producers were consistent and honest, which is all you can ask for at the end of the day!
Rumour has it that the NZ idol producers have a very clear idea of what the winner should be like. Do you think people singing a different style got the short end of the stick?
I think it became obvious that the producers know what they are looking for even at this early stage of auditions, but I don’t think it will become completely clear until the show starts on TV. I would be surprised if we see the wide variety of styles as we have in previous ‘Idols’. I think this will be a very different show because they have better idea of what they want. Whether or not this adds more interest to the show’s dynamic, I guess we’ll see.
What sort of shenanigans happened off camera/while waiting to go in? Was there a sense of support between everyone?
We were surrounded by cameras the whole time but there wasn’t as many silly antics as I expected there to be, there was a more subdued feeling than what I anticipated. For example, there was only one person who decided to wear fancy dress......as Cookie Monster! But there was definitely a great feel and support between everyone, there was no real competitiveness. I think people generally wanted each other to do their best they could which is awesome! It was a great day and I think people would have enjoyed themselves regardless.
So where to from here? Do you still wanna be the world’s biggest star?
I think the passion to entertain and sing is in my blood. I can’t find anything I love to do more! I also think that this whole experience has taught me heaps. I’m not worried about being a mega star but if it gives me the opportunity to do what I love then I’m going to take my chance to do it......and there’s always next year!
As your intrepid reporter, I rely on being "well connected" to get the inside story. Maybe not so well connected this time as coincidentally, my friend Steven (18) auditioned for New Zealand Idol at the Christchurch auditions. 
Do you think that the TV producers should judge would be singing stars? Shouldn’t the music professionals decide?