Despite the bland theme, there are two notable aspects of this instalment: firstly, the final four each sing twice; secondly, music marvel Chris Isaak acts as a mentor and guest judge. Chris is one of those charming guys you can't help but like, even if he is pretty much coasting by on the success of a few hit singles from the '90s.

Wes Carr kicks off the show with 'When You Were Young'. This is far from the best performance Wes has ever given — he has a weirdly intense look on his face the whole time — but he's still 10 times better than anyone else. Dicko thinks Wes is on his way to superstardom; Chris, who clearly agrees, offers to hook him up with producers in LA.

In round two Wes performs 'What a Wonderful World', and seriously: someone please just give him the Idol cup, or whatever it is that the winners get. The judges bandy about words like "amazing" and "beautiful"... except Kyle, who thinks it had a "Muppets vibe" and does an amusing Kermit impression to prove it. Hee.

Teale Jacaranda first performs 'No Such Thing', and royally messes up the first few lines. Once he gets into it, he's... okay. Sweet but passionless, as usual. Chris skilfully avoids either praising or criticising Teale, while Dicko gripes that he "lacks substance". I wonder if Dicko ever gets tired of being right.

Next Teale performs 'What Goes Around Comes Around', a song that Justin Timberlake sells on raw sex appeal. Teale, unfortunately, has the sex appeal of a well-read library book. Chris thinks it was "crazy boogie-woogie" (it wasn't), while Kyle actually gets up on stage and shows Teale how to move like JT — and shockingly, Kyle isn't half-bad at it. Kyle Sandilands knows how to shake his booty. Who knew?

Mark Spano sings Chris Isaak's 'Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing' (suck up!), bringing out his evil, throaty growl for the chorus and sleazing up to one of the back-up singers. His version is nowhere near as good as the original, though Chris politely decrees it to be better than his version. The other judges inexplicably found it sexy (Dicko: "You've started bushfires around Australia." Ew!). I guess you had to be there.

Mark's second performance is 'Everybody Hurts', which is one of those tunes that you'd have to be a real hack to mess up. Mark doesn't knock it out of the park, but it's some solid karaoke. The judges overflow with praise for him, though they should really be giving REM kudos for writing such a great song in the first place.

Luke Dickens has lopped off his foul chin-monster beard-thing. Praise be! He starts with 'Arms Wide Open', one of my most hated songs ever (shut up, Creed), and he puts an annoying country-music twang on the already annoying lyrics. The judges love it, blah blah blah, except Dicko, who rightly criticises the "vague emotion" in the song.

The last performance is 'One Of These Nights', and it's far from a memorable way to end the show. Luke has a very distinctive voice but not a lot of passion — at least not passion that translates well on TV. He never looks enthused about being there. Kyle and Dicko offer some halfhearted praise, Marcia faffs on, while Chris says Luke's voice is "amazing". The guest judges are always too nice!

My picks: Everyone but Wes will be in the bottom three; Mark is going home. (I would say Teale, but I've tipped him to go for the past six weeks and he's still hanging on.)

Tell us... who do you think is going home? Was Chris Isaak as good a judge and he is a performer? And did anyone else find it weird that he mentored the Idols in a huge empty warehouse? Have your say in the comments.

Man, I'm feeling good! Really good. I'm keeping positive. This is a new beginning for me — you haven't seen the last of me. I'm looking at things in the moment, that might turn into something good. I can't exactly say what but I'm keeping my options open.

A little bit. But if the Australian public wants the boys, then there's four of them left and they're all beautiful! I love the guys that I was in the house with for the last week. They're the most supportive people who I could've met and I couldn't have asked for a better group.

Yeah. I don't have brothers and sisters, but the boys were really nice. They sort of protected me, because I was the youngest. They looked after me.

Not at all. We're still friends. The biggest competition is against ourselves, not against the other contestants. But it's all boys now, so it might [change]. Boys are a bit competitive! I think I was keeping them grounded, but you never know.

I think I was. Because I'm a girl, I'm 17. Not that they were careful about what they said around me [Laughs].

I don't know! This is my love, music is my love. And I've gained a lot of knowledge from this competition and from past experiences to be able to handle things like this. I've grown a lot from things, and I've come out of this a different person — I have a different perspective on everything now.

I took to him not as a judge. I treated him like a person, and I think that's the main thing. Because the judges are people too — they're not judges in real life. So I sort of just opened up to him. We have the same sense of humour and we're both loopy, so we worked! There were a lot of moments when we were mucking around backstage.

There was one joke! Kyle and I, we're both big people. We invented the fat club, where we sit down together and eat ice-cream, and pretty much just reminisce about ice-cream.

It is a good club! It's just us two — no one else was big enough. Mark wanted to be part of it, but I said, "Mark, no. You're not big enough". I suppose everyone likes ice-cream, but we had high expectations!

Yeah!

Definitely. Cyndi Lauper was a big highlight for me. I can't believe I got to work with these artists, and I'm just so grateful to them. I learned a lot.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm next to her!" [Laughs] I never thought I'd be in the same room as Cyndi Lauper, let alone sing her own song to her and make her cry. Meeting all the artists is definitely a highlight.

The lyrics say it all. "Get ready, 'cause here I come." I had a feeling I was leaving, and I had the urge to choose that song — I'm so glad I did. That song [during Motown night] was a turnaround for me, because I'd had a couple of bad weeks, but I was back.

My stomach was burning, my head was pulsing. I just knew. I knew I was ready to leave, and I'm really glad I got this far. I'm so stoked. And to be the last girl!

Wes!

He's flying high! He's soaring. He's never had a bad moment. That's a really good thing to have. I absolutely adore Wes, and I hope he wins. He deserves it. He's so talented and so experienced. Who could ask for a better Australian Idol?

And now the bottom three sing for their lives, meaning we get to hear all of Sunday's worst performances a second time. Lucky us!

Chrislyn, looking a little blue about landing in the bottom three, is up first. Just like last night, she fine during the verse but the chorus is a little too big for her — the high notes slip and slide all over the place.

Teale looks a little exasperated about singing for his life again — I don't blame him — but I doubt he has anything to worry about. The boy is invincible. He will never be voted off Idol. Anyway, Teale definitely wins the Most Improved from Last Week award with his intense, dramatic 'Billie Jean'.

Mark, looking super-nervous, retreads Sunday night's effort. He tries to inject a little energy into the boring first verse by marching around in the audience, but it's not really doing it for me.

If you sensibly tuned out of the boring part of the episode between the singing-for-your-life and the final verdict, here's what you missed...

James announces that Pink, one of the biggest artists in the world, will perform in the studio. (Will she fit in there?) Unusually, she's singing an angst-ridden song from the point-of-voice of a disgruntled women — nice to see that she's branching out from her usual style of music, then. But seriously: say what you will about her tunes, she has an amazing voice.

Verdict time: unsurprisingly, Teale is safe. I tell you, he is indestructible. I suspect that his fans are actually quite savvy: they don't bother wasting their money voting for him on Sunday nights, but instead save their votes for Monday night when it really matters.

So it's down to Mark and Chrislyn, two of the competition's favourites, and Chrislyn is going home. She takes her defeat on the chin and does her big number 'Get Ready' as her parting song. I'm genuinely going to miss her fun attitude and fat-girl stomp.

Ew: Kyle kind of ruins her last performance by dancing behind her and grinding his crotch into her head. That was... unfortunate.

So for the first time in Australian Idol history, the final four is comprised of four boys. "It's a sausage-fest," declares James. I guess the girls just couldn't cut it this year.

Did Chrislyn deserve to go? Could Teale actually win this competition? Have your say in the comments.

The episode opens with a group performance from the top five, complete with snazzy outfits and snappy back-up dancers. Hey, when was the last time we saw one of these on Australian Idol? Frankly, it's all a bit crap and cheesy... but in an enjoyable way, like watching a really amateur high-school musical where everyone is having a fun time on stage.

During the act Wes even moonwalks. Just for that, he deserves to win.

James, wedged into an ill-fitting suit jacket, reveals a special guest judge. For one horrible moment I think it's going to be American Idol's Randy Jackson, who isn't even related to Michael, but luckily it turns out to be Michael's brother Jermaine. He's wearing a loud jacket embroidered with the names of The Jacksons' hits, but it's still better than the op-shop cast-off James is wearing.

Teale Jacaranda kicks things off with a performance of 'Billie Jean', only he's doing a slowed-down version. At first I think this is destined to be an epic fail — after weeks of dull routines, the last thing Teale needs is another downbeat number — but it turns out to have a dramatic oomph to it.

Dicko thinks rearranging the song was a smart choice, while Marcia praises the angst and attitude. Jermaine, who has Michael's softly-softly way of speaking, says he was "moved". Well played, Jakubenko... but is it enough to keep you out of the bottom three?

Mark Spano, who used to go around wearing a too-cute Michael Jackson T-shirt as a kid, sings 'Bad'. Wow. Brave song choice — if you mess up a song called 'Bad', the jokes just write themselves. But while Mark's not terrible, he's not great: he's weak during the verse, and the performance doesn't big up till he lets fly with that big voice of his during the chorus.

Marcia thinks he did a good job, while Jermaine declares that Mark sold the song. Hmmm. Jermaine's a little soft, I suspect. Kyle and Dicko agree with me that the verses let Mark down.

Before the next performance there's an extremely strange pre-recorded segment, shot in the style of a low-budget late-night infomercial, where the Idols and the judges sing Australia's top 10 favourite songs. Um. It's really weird.

Chrislyn Hamilton sings 'Thriller', which seems like a good fit for her — she works best with these big, over-the-top numbers. But while she's fun to watch while she's marching around on stage and oozing attitude, the squawking pitchiness in her voice gives away the fact that she's just 17.

Jermaine offers some backhanded praise, while Kyle gets right in and disses her for leaving out the zombie dancing. Dicko and Marcia are complimentary, but neither is exactly gushing with praise.

Luke Dickens does a bluesy, laid-back rendition of 'The Way You Make Me Feel' that strips the song of its impact. It sounds like a performance you might hear in the back room of a cruise ship — definitely not Luke's best effort.

Shockingly, the judges disagree: Kyle decrees that it's the best thing he's heard all night, Dicko adds it was the perfect song choice, and Marcia goes as far as saying it's "so sexy". Even Jermaine is impressed. Huh? Did the judges watch a completely different performance to the one I saw on TV?

Wes Carr is lucky last with a spirited performance of 'Black or White'. He even throws in another moonwalk. Hee. Wes could be Justin Timberlake's daggy little brother, and I mean that as a compliment. He's a real showman, so it's not surprising that the audience starts stamping as soon as he's done.

Dicko dithers on his verdict, so Marcia jumps in and declares it a touchdown. I don't know if it was that good, but it was easily the best act of the night. Jermaine seconds the touchdown, while Kyle and Dicko agree that Wes was awesome tonight.

As the show wraps up, Kyle reveals that Jermaine intends to send a copy of the performances to the real Michael Jackson. Is that a promise or a threat?

My picks: Chrislyn, Mark and Teale in the bottom three. Sayonara Teale.

Did Wes deserve his touchdown? Was Jermaine a worthy guest judge? And who do you think is going home? Have your say in the comments.

It has. I'm positive about it [the elimination]. I'm just so happy to get to the top six.

I thought you were robbed on Monday night! Do you think that out of the bottom three, you deserved to go the most?

That's a really hard question. When it gets to this stage in the competition, everyone deserves a place, in their own way. I do feel like I could have given it a couple more weeks.

Why do you think you went? Was Dicko right when he said your elimination came down to "death by song choice"?

I'm not sure. I really stick by my song choice on Sunday ['Wild Horses', by the Rolling Stones], and a lot of people I've spoken to are really familiar with that song. I wanted to strip it back and do something simple, a nice vocal piece to counteract Motown week the week before. I love the song and think it's beautiful!

What's the mood like among the finalists as the Opera House approaches? Is everyone still friends, or is there a bit of rivalry?

I think everyone still gets along well - there's a lot of respect. That's what's carried through, and will to the end.

Do you support each other, give each other advice?

If someone asks for advice, sure, it's cool to talk about. But everyone respects each other in terms of being an artist.

No one's butting in saying "You should do this and this".

Exactly. Everyone gets left alone and does their own thing.

The judges - especially Dicko and Kyle - weren't shy about slagging off the outfits you wore onstage. Do you choose your clothes, or are they chosen for you?

We have a massive wardrobe - there's so much to choose from. Sometimes I'd go in with an idea about what I want to wear, but other weeks we'd just have a play. I work in conjunction with the stylist, but in the end it's your choice what you wear, what you're comfortable in.

Then do you take it personally when they're saying "You look terrible in that outfit!"?

You can't take it personally - I was confident in it, I was comfortable in it, so I've just got to go with it. You can't please everyone.

And just generally you seemed to take criticism well - you always had a smile on your face.

You just have to be confident in yourself - you can't let them break that. If you let [the criticism] faze you, you start trying to please someone else, and then you start playing a role and become someone else.

You stop being Roshani and start being "Roshani".

Yes! But you're always going to get criticism. But with every piece of criticism there's people who enjoy it, so you just have to balance it out. You have to be yourself, or it's just not worth it!

Did you get a lot of support from people who'd watched the show?

Absolutely! On the street yesterday three people just came up to me and said, "I don't know what the judges are talking about! 'Wild Horses' is my favourite song! How could Marcia not know that song?" So people obviously knew the song... but maybe just not enough people!

Now that you've left Idol, what's your plan for the future?

We're coming up to the final, so we have rehearsals for that soon. After that I want to start banging on people's doors, and saying "Hey!"

"Let me in!"

Exactly! I want to start doing some shows, and start writing with some people, and doing my own stuff. I love really organic soul styles - that's the sort of stuff I would probably write. Idol gives you this amazing opportunity, this profile, and you have to go out and work your bum off. You can't sit around and wait for things to come to you.

Who do you want to win?

Wes. He's a really cool guy, so humble, and a fantastic musician. I respect him so much.

Wes is safe, and Luke is in the bottom three for the first time. Chrislyn is safe, putting Teale in the bottom three. That leaves Mark and Roshani, and it's pretty obvious that the singer who earned a touchdown on Sunday night isn't going anywhere: Roshani is in the bottom three.

Luke gets the audience bopping in their seats, but I still think something about this number is a little bit blah. Is it just me, or are there times during this performance where Luke just doesn't look like he's having a fun time? In any case, I doubt he's going home tonight; the crowd loves him too much.

Teale, who's in the bottom three again, performs sans guitar tonight. Pro: Teale has a very sweet singing voice. Con: this is kind of dull, and Teale definitely deserves to be at the receiving end of the boot. He's been in the bottom three about 20 times now. It's time to go.

Roshani doesn't do as well with 'Wild Horses' as she did on Sunday night, I think - the high notes are way uneven, but she's clearly pouring her heart into it. After she's finished she insists that, contrary to what Dicko and Kyle said last night, it wasn't a bad song choice for her. Hmmm.

And now it's time for everyone's favourite part of the verdict episodes: the relentless padding while the votes are tallied! The judges more or less agree that everyone in the bottom three deserves to be there, while the bottom three make the shock confessions that they're not ready to go home yet. Well, der - the contestants in the bottom three always say they're not ready to go home yet.

Special guest star Chris Brown performs his latest hit 'Forever' on the Idol stage, accompanied by back-up dancers and hysterical screams from the audience. I will probably be flamed in the comments for saying this, but: I think Chris Brown is vastly overrated, especially considering this song is basically one big ad. Still, I'll admit that he's a good get for the show.

Result time. The first Idol safe from elimination is... Teale?! What the...? If I were on a plane that was about to crash I'd want to be sitting next to Teale, given that he is apparently completely invincible. Nice kid, but he doesn't deserve to stick around after so many weeks of ho-hum performances.

That leaves Roshani and Luke, who both merit a spot in the competition much more than Teale. And since it's completely obvious that Luke isn't going home, it's no surprise when Roshani gets the boot. Aww. But she has such a lovely smile!

For her final performance Roshani decides to sing Joss Stone's 'Tell Me 'Bout It', proving once and for all that she really is no good at choosing songs for herself.

I'm not happy with this verdict, but did you think Roshani deserved to go tonight? Have your say in the comments.

Wes Carr is up first. You know he's not going to mangle the Stones, and his rendition of 'Jumping Jack Flash' is indeed very good. He even gets out the maracas and does some Mick Jagger strutting! On the downside, he urgently needs a shave and a haircut. As always, the judges are huge fans. Dicko: "Epic". Marcia: "Consistent". Kyle: "Good work".

Roshani Priddis is wearing an outfit that makes her looks like she got caught up in an explosion at the aluminium foil factory. She's singing 'Wild Horses', and while this tune is a little too cabaret for my tastes, I have to credit Roshani for a consummate, diva-like performance. Kyle thinks her dress looks like a takeaway chicken wrapper that's been savaged by a dog, while Dicko thinks she chose a bad song again. "It could be death by song choice," he predicts.

Luke Dickens is next with 'Honky Tonk Woman'. I've suddenly realised who Luke looks like: a leprechaun (I think it's the sideburns). His voice is perfectly suited to the Stones but there's something about this performance that's a little... naff, like it's something you might hear on the karaoke machine at a Texas-themed restaurant. A woman in the audience waves a sign reading "I'll be your honky tonk woman", which was clearly given to her by a production assistant. The judges unanimously agree that Luke was great.

Teale Jacaranda sings 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' in a laidback, acoustic style. Hmmm. I was hoping Teale would do something big tonight, after several weeks of dull performances, but this number is actually very sweet. But will it be enough to keep him out of the bottom three? I doubt it. Marcia says it was "beautiful", while Kyle agrees it was done "perfectly".

Chrislyn Hamilton has a new hairdo that makes her look exactly like Dawn French. She's also wearing an outfit that is deeply unflattering - why is the Idol stylist punishing the girls tonight? Chrislyn's singing 'Get Off My Cloud', and while it's not her best effort, it's catchy and fun and loaded with attitude. Kyle absolutely loves her, while Dicko declares that her performance could "put a smile on Mick Jagger's botoxed face".

Mark Spano is lucky last with 'Angie'. It's just him and his guitar - no band or back-up vocals - and it's lovely and emotional. (It certainly makes Teale's similar effort look pretty limp in comparison.) Kyle encourages Dicko to deliver an especially over-the-top touchdown, while Marcia gives Mark an especially emphatic "Well done". If a performance like that can't keep Mark out of the bottom two, nothing can.

My picks: This is tricky, because most of the dead wood has already been cut out. But I predict the bottom three will be Teale, Roshani and Luke, with Teale going home.

Luke is safe, Chrislyn is safe, Wes is safe. No shocks there. Teale is in the bottom three, Sophie is in the bottom three. Roshani is safe, Mark is in the bottom three. Hmm. Well, I almost picked the bottom three.

Teale sings for his life for the second week in a row. Honestly, it's still dull. It's like karaoke - good karaoke, but karaoke nevertheless. When Ricki-Lee quizzes Teale on why he should stay, he replies - with no enthusiasm whatsoever - "[Australia and I] can do good things together". I think he has bottom three fatigue.

Sophie is a very sweet person, and she's very pretty, but she definitely deserves to go tonight. I don't know how she does it, but she has a knack for making all of her songs sound exactly the same.

Mark is up last, and though he's not as good as he was on Sunday night he's still the best of the bottom three. If he goes tonight I'll be disappointed.

And then it's on to the padded-out segments while the votes are tallied. Instead of subjecting us to all this filler, why can't Ten just program another half-hour show to air between 7.45 and 8.15? Then viewers wouldn't have to put up with drivel including:

Finally Andrew and James are ready to announce the results. The first safe singer is... Teale! Wow, he is the luckiest guy in the world. My advice: lift your game next Sunday, Teale. No more Mr Nice Guy.

It's down to Sophie and Mark, who looks incredibly nervous. Marcia and Kyle predict that Sophie's number is up, while Dicko has a terrible feeling that Mark will be sent home.

Turns out Dicko is wrong, and Sophie is eliminated. I think she saw it coming - she doesn't look too shocked. Unfortunately for her final song she chooses to sing her warbling, drawly, whiny rendition of the Potbelleez' 'Don't Hold Back', and it is abysmal. As fresh-faced and cheerful as Sophie is, I will not miss performances like that.

Did Sophie deserve to go... or should someone else's Idol journey have come to an end? Have your say in the comments.

It's Motown night... which is an odd theme to accompany the ARIA Awards. (Shouldn't it be "greatest Australian music"?) Anyway, with James off at the ARIAs Andrew G is going solo, proving that Idol really doesn't need two hosts.

The special guest judge tonight is... Guy Sebastian. Ooh, having a former contestant at the judges' table is weird, like returning to school after graduation and seeing your old teachers again. Out of all the ex-Idols, Guy probably has the most credibility as a judge - I can't imagine Casey Donovan or Kate DeAraugo doing this.

Mark Spano opens the show with 'You Keep Me Hanging On'. (Sidenote: I love Motown. Doesn't everyone?) Usually Mark seems to enjoy the competition, but tonight... I'm not feeling it. He looks super-nervous, which Dicko notes. But aside from that small quibble all four judges love it. Jeez, the show would be totally boring if the judges always agreed with each other.

Behind the scenes, Ricki-Lee welcomes Guy back with a smile. She sure looks cheerful for a woman who announced her divorce this weekend.

Sophie Paterson does 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone'. I get distracted during her performance by the hilarious video of Sarah Palin's appearance on Saturday Night Live, but even though I miss most of her act I'm sure it's chock-full of her usual warbling drawl. Marcia and Guy (who calls her "Sophia") reckon Sophie needs more attitude, while Dicko accuses her of mutilating the song. The audience boos. Oh, boo yourself.

Luke Dickens, who became a dad in this last week (aww!), is up next with 'My Girl'. I'm not really into Luke, but I'll give him credit for generally being a solid act. This week, though, he looks distracted, and it's a pretty crappy performance. I'll give him a pass; it's not every week you have a baby. Guy says he expected more, but overall the judges go pretty soft. Luke better lift his game next week, though; the "I'm a new dad" excuse only goes so far.

Teale Jacaranda chooses another safe song this week: 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'. I like Teale: he seems nice, he has a sweet (if thin) voice. But he's dull. After a stint in the bottom two last week he urgently needed to bring some spice tonight, and he hasn't. He's even wearing grey, the most boring of the colours. Bizarrely, all the judges (with the exception of Dicko) are full of praise - Guy even remarks that Teale followed all his advice. Must've been pretty crappy advice, then.

Over at the ARIA Awards James does a quick interview with Gabriella Cilmi, who is 17 and has achieved more fame and success than any of these Idols ever will.

This is my favourite performance of the whole episode (maybe the whole season so far): Chrislyn Hamilton does 'Get Ready'. It's fantastic. The song is perfect for her, she's overflowing with confidence, and she even throws in a few slinky moves. She knows she's done a top job because she's grinning like a loony at the end. Dicko steals Marcia's catchphrase by telling Chrislyn "Well done, darlin'", while Guy steals Mark Holden's catchphrase by giving her a touchdown. Hee. That was lame, but I chuckled.

Wes Carr follows with 'If I Were a Carpenter', a very mellow song that perfectly complements Chrislyn's no-holds-barred performance. Kinda funny that Wes looks like Jesus, who really was a carpenter. Anyway, Wes is brilliant, of course. He's always brilliant. Kyle correctly points out that Wes has pretty much already won the competition, and that all he needs to do is keep up his momentum.

Roshani Priddis is last (I love these fast-paced episodes. Can the ARIAs please be on every week?), performing 'Reflections'. Man, I do not envy her, going on after Chrislyn and Wes. Roshani is a fantastic singer, but she always overdoes it - there's too much "oooOOOoooOOO"-ing, and she needs to quit doing those melodramatic sexy eyes every week. The judges agree she needs to scale it back a little... except Kyle, who says he wants to "squirt all over" her. Gross.

And that's the show! I have to say, Guy was a surprisingly awesome judge.

My picks: Sophie, Teale and Roshani, with Teale going home.

Who are your picks for the bottom three?