Anyway, Mathison and G line up the top eight and reveal that everyone is safe but Teale Jacaranda, Sophie Paterson and Thanh Bui. I have no problems with this bottom three.

Thanh sings for his life (they shamelessly pinched that phrase from So You Think You Can Dance) first, looking both nervous and kind of pissed off. It's still not great - this was a bad song choice for him - but it's an improvement on last night's effort

Sophie is second. Sorry, Soph, but based strictly on performances alone, you deserve to go home tonight. This is a wailing mess. At least she smiles every now and then, I guess.

Teale, who hasn't shaved today, is last. Hearing him perform again really just highlights what a boring song choice he made this week. But I predict he'll be safe because all the girlies who think he's cute will vote to keep him around.

Sidebar: I'm not a fan of this new twist where Idols sing for their lives. It really just means we have to listen to the worst performances again. It also means that it's pointless to vote after Sunday's show - if you must waste your money voting, you may as well save it up till Monday's show when your vote actually matters.

Tonight's singers are quizzed on why they're in the bottom three, blah blah blah, the judges offer their two cents, blah blah blah. After a commercial break, Andrew introduces an Australian Idol first: phone-in segments. Home viewers call up (where did they get the show's number, anyway?) and ask questions. It's all as illuminating as a broken lightbulb.

Later there's an update on what the Idols have been up to in the last week: they went to a shopping mall, where Teale was mobbed by crazy fans (why do people still get so hysterical about the contestants?); and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, where Ricki-Lee slimed the top eight.

2006 Idol Jessica Mauboy performs her new single 'Running Back', and: dude. She's all grown up! She looks hot! Kyle, who slammed Jess's "jelly belly" when she was a contestant, in stunned by her transformation. Ricki-Lee, who Jessica infamously replaced in the Young Divas, fixes a grin on her face and praises Jess for doing "quite well". Hmmm. Is that totally bitchy, or am I reading too much into it?

Andrew and James are finally ready to announce the result, but first they recap the judges' verdicts at length. Blah blah blah. The first Idol safe is... Sophie! I reckon her fan base is taking my advice about saving their votes till Monday.

When we return from another commercial break, the judges are quizzed on whether they think Thanh or Teale will go. Blah blah blah. Turns out that Thanh's number is up. He looks shattered.

For his departing song, Thanh chooses to sing 'The Winner Takes it All' from ABBA night. Hmm. That's kind of ironic.

Did Thanh deserve to go... or did another contestant deserve to get the chop? Have your say in the comments.

It's rock night! On hand to lend their expertise are Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly from legendary Australian band INXS (who? Never heard of 'em) (I'm kidding - please don't leave a comment telling me how ignorant I am), who mentor the contestants on both how to rock and how to wear sunglasses indoors.

Luke Dickens is up first with Lenny Kravitz's 'Are You Gonna Go My Way'. Full disclosure: Luke is not my favourite Idol. He's a little too Wolf Creek for my tastes. But this is not a bad performance - say what you like about his gravelly voice, but it's definitely rock. Kirk is sitting on the judges' panel tonight, but his thick nerd glasses distract me from everything he says to Luke.

Thanh Bui does 'You're the Voice' by John Farnham. Just kidding - he actually performs the Linkin Park ditty 'Shadow of a Day'. Verdict: meh. There's a few too many off notes here, and a really lame key change near the end. Thanh reminds me of watching Anthony Callea on stage back in '04: the singing is (generally) fine, but there's something overly polished and dispassionate about the performances. Kyle and Dicko seem to agree.

Sophie Paterson sings 'Ana's Song' by Silverchair, and as always she pours on that overly affected drawl of hers. The chorus is frankly awful, rather like listening to bird die - a big bird, like an eagle or maybe a condor. Oddly, the judges don't mind it, particularly Dicko... though he admits to thinking she's "a bit of crumpet", so I suspect there's a little bias here.

Teale Jacaranda is up next, doing 'Slide' by the Goo Goo Dolls. It's fine. Not great, but fine. Teale is a real package in the sense that he's good-looking and a consistently good singer, but, in dating parlance, he's the sort of guy you'd only want to be friends with and not take home to meet the folks. Marcia disagrees, waxing about Teale's "incredible sexual appeal" (ew), while Kyle rightly lambasts him for choosing a very safe song.

Roshani Priddis rocks out to 'The Pretender', by the Foo Fighters. I'll be honest: at first I think this stinks. Roshani is overacting the whole thing and it's kind of ridiculous. But her performance grows on me, and by the end I'm rockin' along. Dicko compliments Roshani for taking a risk... huh? She sang a rock song on rock night. What is risky about that?

Wes Carr does U2's 'Desire'. Inevitably, this is a great performance - Wes is the most talented, accomplished Idol in the competition. Can we just fast-forward to November to the bit where he wins already? Anyway, Marcia has so much praise for Wes that she can barely get the words out.

Chrislyn Hamilton, who I usually adore, is doing 'Don't Speak' by No Doubt. Unfortunately, this performance ought to be retitled 'Don't Sing'. It's a dog's breakfast, and Chrislyn's warbling really highlights the worst aspects of her voice. Dicko savages it, blasting her for being over-the-top and for choosing a pop song on rock night. Aww! Poor Chrislyn. Even when she sucks I want to give her a hug.

Mark Spano is last (thank goodness... I thought this episode would never end), with King of Leon's 'Sex on Fire'. He successfully plays up the "brooding rock star" act, but doesn't use the stage well. The cameramen try to spice things up with lots of crazy camera angles, but the performance overall feels a little flat. Nevertheless, the judges are impressed.

That was one of the least rockin' rock nights in the history of the show... of all the Idols, I think only Luke and Roshani chose big rock songs. Step it up for next week's Motown theme, guys!

Prediction: Sophie, Roshani and Thanh will be the bottom three, with Sophie going home.

What did you think of rock night? Who's safe, and who's going home? Have your say in the comments.

Soul mistress Madam Parker started the competition as a hot favourite, but a couple of stumbles are enough to see you out of a race like Australian Idol. We caught up with her to find out what she'll be taking away from the experience.

How were you expecting to go? Were you surprised to be in the bottom three?

I was actually quite surprised at the line-up. Being in the bottom three with Roshani and Chrislyn who are both amazing, just goes to show you never know.

They're both really strong contenders!

I'm just so grateful I got into the top nine, I'm really quite proud.

It is an amazing achievement, I mean the audition process is so arduous. Looking back you weren't completely comfortable with ABBA. Do you think that showed in the performance?

I was pretty happy with the performance. I mean I had a few weak notes, especially last night's performance, but my idea was just to have fun. Because when I got the song, and I learned more about ABBA, I realised ABBA is all about having fun.

Obviously the last two performances led to you being in the bottom three. Do you think it was a case of you not doing the style that you're strongest in?

Yes I do believe I made a few mistakes in song choices but I'm really glad I made those mistakes, because every mistake you make is a chance to learn. And I'm just so glad to have been a part of the show.

Can you give me some examples of things you've learned about yourself?

I've learned just to keep to my roots but at the same time not to be afraid to explore different genres. And I've also learned to maybe get more public speaking skills, in interviews.

Are you given any media training as part of the show?

No, and the experience today, because it's been hectic with interviews for radio and mags has been really good practise.

You seem to be doing well right now!

Yeah, after the show! A little bit late Madam! But yeah, I'm just so thankful to have had the experience.

Personally, the idea of performing on live television in front of millions of people scares the heck out of me! As I'm sure it would a lot of people.

And coming from a place where I come from, a little village, and then coming to a big city like Sydney, the whole thing becomes this emotional rollercoaster ride.

The Australian Idol experience seems really fun and glamorous, but what aspect of it was a little overwhelming, perhaps even a bit upsetting?

The most overwhelming time, when you'd feel really emotional, is probably when someone is leaving the show and then having to see cameras swarm into someone who's really upset. I really felt for them, like Brookie and Tommy boy.

Does a feel a bit exploitative?

Yes, yes. That was the most overwhelming thing.

And now that you've left the show, what are your plans next?

There's definitely a tour in the pipeline, and I'm working on a single that I'll pass around to a few of the people that I've met through this. So hopefully I'll have a single out sometime this year, and then an album next year!

Wow! Sounds like you have quite a lot going on already!

Well that's the aim, as long as I work hard.

Finally I want to ask who do you think deserves to win the competition?

I have to saw Wes Carr. I totally admire that guy. He's very creative and artistic. He just lives, breathes, eats music and he always finds a way to make a genre his own, to put his own twist on it, and that's really important in a competition. Plus he's such a genuine guy, he doesn't take himself seriously, he knows how to make fun of himself.

Have you heard him play any of his own stuff, behind-the-scenes?

I have and it's amazing! He'll just play a tune and make something up on the spot. He truly is talented, I really, really respect him.

And do you think he'll manage to take it out this year?

Yes, I have my bets on Wes.

Last night's episode was dedicated to former Idol contestant Levi Kereama, who passed away on the weekend after performing at a Brisbane festival. The 23-year-old fell from the balcony of an inner-city hotel at 10.30pm on Saturday.

The ABBA themed round for this week proved tricky for a few contestants, including Madam Parker, who was last night's eliminated contestant.

Madam was the first to be called up in the bottom three, and although she gave 'Dancing Queen' a bit more kick and groove than her performance the night before, you could still tell her heart wasn't completely in it.

When talking about her performance she repeated a line I've heard one too many times from her and without sounding like she ever means it, "I had fun". A bit of a cop out — saving her from saying what she really thought.

Roshani Priddis was called up next, repeating her vaudeville version of 'Money Money Money'. I was not at all a fan of this, it felt too camp. This was the first time Roshani had been called up, and I think it was the song's treatment that was her downfall.

Chrislyn Hamilton was also called into the bottom three for the first time, and a bit of a shock entry as she's won the Performance and a Half award twice, and was a real crowd favourite. But her gutsy, overly-diva version of 'Mamma Mia' didn't hit the sweet spot with the viewers this time around.

And I have to say I'm pretty sure the audience didn't care about her poor choice in outfit — it was her forced performance, that reminded me more of P!nk than ABBA, that let her down.

Taking out the Performance and a Half award this week was Thanh Bui, whose heartfelt ballad take of 'The Winner Takes It All' blew judges and viewers alike out of the water.

After Metro Station performed their smash hit 'Shake It', first up to be called as safe was Roshani, then Chrisyln, which left Madam Parker to be booted out. Not a surprising result seeing as this was Madam's second time in a row that she found herself in the bottom three. And she was up against two contestants who had never been featured in the bottom previously.

And although Madam undeniably has talent, most would agree her last two performances has been weak, and she seems a little flat and despondant in interviews, so we can't really make any more excuses for her. But we'll miss you Madam!

Stay tuned for our interview with Madam and let me know in the comments section, did Australia make the right decision with the bottom three?

Tom Williams was this year's 16-year-old heart throb. His cute face garnered him many young, female fans, but the judges often felt he was popular for all the wrong reasons, and that his performances weren't always up to scratch.

But in our interview Tom points out that reality television can be deceiving, and that the way Australian Idol portrayed him as a young kid just in it for the fame and glory was far from the truth.

Did you enjoy your whole Idol experience?

Yeah it was the best thing I've ever done.

You were really big with the younger fans of Idol. Can you describe what it was like between shows, going out and about on the street?

As soon as you go on the show, and during the few times you get to just take a break and walk down the street you get absolutely mobbed.

Did you get a lot of girls asking for your autograph and wanting a photo with you? I saw some footage of several girls giving you their numbers!

Yeah, well ... it was probably taken a little out of proportion.

Who took it out of proportion? The girls? Or the show?

Oh, the show.

Ah well you were definitely the teen heartthrob of the series! And do you think a lot of those fans are going to carry through onwards after the show?

I think so. I mean some of them are only interested while you're on TV, but some of them yes. I guess I'll have to see.

I think in your case there was this theme of popularity versus talent. But popularity is really important when it comes to being a pop star, don't you think?

Definitely! I mean you can't be a pop star without fans.

Yeah and being a pop star isn't just about being able to sing well. It's about having charisma too. Let's talk more about the kind of music you're into. Which artists do you like?

I'm a big fan of the Jonas Brothers. They're my age too, and just everything they're doing, their approach, I think is great. Robbie Williams as well. I'm into the whole pop/rock thing.

Do you want to write your own songs as well?

I'm planning on starting my own band. I think something similar to the Jonas Brothers would be cool.

You don't have any brothers do you?

Haha, I've got a little brother! But he's only four so I don't think he can join quite yet.

Australia hasn't come out with a lot of male pop bands, have they?

Exactly, not even the whole solo male pop thing, like Jesse McCartney, hasn't really be done in Australia in a big way.

And Matt Corby was sort of in that niche last year. Were you a fan of his?

For sure, I was a big fan.

Now you probably haven't had much of a chance to look back on the show, but did anything happen behind-the-scenes that you don't think was conveyed to the audience?

There's a big process in the first audition that you don't see. Like you have to go through a day of rounds with producers and vocal coaches before you ever even reach the judges. That's something you probably don't realise watching the show.

I guess that's why you must all feel so incredibly lucky to make it to the final 12.

Exactly.

So who do you think should win the show?

OK well I think Luke Dickens. He's just a really great guy. He was like a big brother to me. And he completely deserves this.

And who do you think will actually take out the prize, if not Luke?

Wes Carr. I mean I wish Luke could win it, but people seem to be responding to Wes really well, and just from the way they're portraying him makes me think we'll win.

What do you mean by "portraying him"?

Well just in the way they show people they can change the voting. The show isn't just about the singing, it's also about the personality of the person. Take Tarisai's fight with Marcia last year. After they showed that she was voted off the next week.

Have you ever found the commentary or the way they've presented someone to be a little unfair? And perhaps not alike to the person you know having been there for everything?

Yeah, I'd say so.

Has there been anyone this year that's been unfairly portrayed?

There have been a few different things.

Perhaps they were quite heavy with the claim that you were lapping up the fame, and things like that?

Exactly. I mean they said that I was distracted by all that fame stuff and that I wasn't focussed, but I was. I was really focussed and put everything into it.

I didn't think it was going to happen, but I guess Tom Williams' tweenage brigade let him down, and weren't able to save him for another week.

Dicko made the comment that with Tom and Teale up for the chopping block it was going to be either popularity or talent that survives. And although he didn't name who was which, after all that's been said about how much Tom's been a hit with the young ladies, it was pretty obvious what he meant.

Tom was the first name to be called in the bottom three, and boy did he look terrified! But I guess desperation brought the best of him out because he performed better than I've ever seen him.

Teale Jakunbenko gave a similar rendition of 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' by Eskimo Joe as the night before, and I'm not surprised as it's more the wrong song for him, than any real fault of his own.

Madam Parker was the last to be called out and once again The Veronicas' 'Hook Me Up' seemed wrong, wrong, wrong on her!

Taking out this week's Performance and Half Award for the most popular performance was Wes Carr with his masterful take on The Easybeats' 'Friday on My Mind'. Wes is definitely one of my favourites!

After a quick look at the idols having some downtime at Bondi Beach, Vanessa Amorosi took to the stage with her emotion-filled new single 'The Simple Things'. My Dad was blown away, commenting that if she was an Idol contestant, she would have had her name on the prize by week one.

First to be called safe was Madam, then Teale, so much to my surprise Tom was now out of the competition. He came back to the stage to do an emotional rendition of the song that saw him eliminated, Evermore's 'Light Surrounding You' Aerosmith 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing'.

Stay tuned for our interview with this cute teen contestant.

And let me know in the comments section, did Australia make the right decision with the bottom three?

Former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes was tonight's mentor and guest judge, and having already been one of the judges at the London auditions he's already part of the Idol family. And as one of Australia's better pop exports, he's the perfect guy to lead the contestants through the "Aussie Hits" themed round.

Thanh Bui took the stage first with John Farnham's 'You're The Voice' — a pretty ambitious song. And he was much more relaxed this week than previous nights, in fact he seemed like he was having a ball. Dicko said there was joy to his performance — Thanh's finally loosened up! Kyle said he still needs to lose a bit of the cheese though.

Chrislyn Hamilton, officially one of the firm favourites for this comp, stunned us again with Tina Arena's 'Chains'. When Chrislyn first came to Darren with her song choice he wasn't sure if someone so young could handle such a dark, seductive song, saying that when Tina sings the song "it destroys her". But Chrislyn did a great job of putting away the inspiring, woman-diva, to bring out the part of her that is raw and hurting. The pain was palpable and won the acclaim of all the judges.

Tom Williams was up next with Evermore 'Light Surrounding You', and hoping to improve on his dismal performance last week. And an improvement it was, but for me he continues to be this year's weakest link. Darren encouraged him to do the tough job of keeping his humility in the face of the throngs of screaming, tweenage girls who adore him. Amazing — so all these fans are actually detracting from his performance, not adding to it!

Teale Jakunbenko then returned to the stage, putting away his pop persona for a stadium rock song: 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' by Eskimo Joe. Not sure if it was the entirely right move, as he seemed to have trouble with his movement, giving the audience a rather demonic look during the song's intro. Dicko said the posturing didn't work for him, but Marcia said all the girls would have found it sexy!

Roshani Priddis with Renée Geyer's 'Heading in the Right Direction' was sophisticated, and proves she has a career in jazz clubs, but I wasn't blown away. I probably agreed with Kyle who said that she's good, but boring. Actually I think "boring" is a little harsh, but she's not the spectacular, original pop star we should be looking for in this competition.

Wes Carr was up next with The Easybeats' 'Friday on my Mind', practising the song in Harry Vanda, the songwriter's own studio! I always love seeing Wes, he always commits completely, plus he has a fantastic voice, and is good looking — the whole package! My one and only complaint is that he overuses his rock 'n' roll "c'mon!" Darren compared Wes to U2's Bono, a huge compliment and agreed with Marcia that he needs to lose that hat every now and then.

Luke Dickens went with Cold Chisel's 'Flame Trees', a perfect fit for him really. Considering he was a little under the weather, Darren said he did a fantastic job, and that he bets the rest of the country, like him, has a soft spot for this Brisbane sheep shearer. However Luke was told off by Dicko and Marcia for possibly pushing the limits of his voice by having one too many drinks this week!

Sophie Patterson, under the tutelage of Darren, did a surprising version of The Potbelleez, turning their monster dance hit 'Don't Hold Back' into a ballad. Sophie is the one contestant from the London auditions that Darren judged, so he felt a special guardianship. The judges commended her for finally showing her true performer spirit: fragile, introverted and innocent. But frankly, I wasn't really into it.

Mark Spano graced the stage next with another John Farnham song, 'Age Of Reason'. This guy is solid, but for some reason I felt a little like he was just going through the numbers. The judges were the same, saying he seemed to be on cruise control, and was lacking in "moments". Mark is competent, super competent in fact, but steady doesn't win this race.

Madam Parker took the stage next with The Veronicas' 'Hook Me Up'. I hate to say it, but Madam seems too old to do such a young, sexy, frivolous and fun song — even though she's the same age as Lisa and Jess! Dicko said she should stick to what she's good at, which is soul, and then came out with the best line of the night, "it was like Mother Teresa holding a lingerie party."

It was great to have Darren this week, he really knows his stuff!

My picks: Sophie and Madam, and Tom should be there, but won't be.

But who do you think should go? And who was your favourite?

Brooke Addamo is the next Idol to be kicked off the show, and for many it was a surprise elimination. We caught up with her to find out about her experience on the show, and what's coming up next.

How are you feeling today after last night's elimination?

I'm feeling good. Of course, I'm a bit disappointed but I had fun and tried my best. That's all I can do.

Dicko mentioned that based on Sunday night's performance, you didn't deserve to be in the bottom three. Does that make the fact that you're out of the competition sting that much more?

Yeah, I think that the competition is based on talent and singing but it's also based on personality and the way you're perceived by the public. At the end of the day it's the public voting and I'm not too sure why I didn't get in but that's the way it is.

Did you have any inkling of how you were perceived by the public?

Not really. All the interviews I've done today have been pretty positive saying they were quite shocked. So no, I don't really know why. It must have been time to go!

Are you satisfied with the way you performed overall?

I got pushed out of my comfort zone early in the competition but I think it probably benefited me as a performer. I don't know if I’ve reached my potential yet, but it helped me learn things about myself and I just had fun with it.

Kyle warned you away from ballads early on. Do you regret taking his advice?

No, I don't regret anything because I had fun and I tried my best. I think that if I would have done ballads the public wouldn't have responded well to that either. It was meant to be.

What was Cyndi Lauper like as a mentor?

Cyndi was amazing and I'm so grateful I got to work with her because she's such a free spirited, strong woman. She taught me heaps of things that I'll take with me for the rest of my career.

What sort of things did you learn from her?

Just cool little exercises. She tried to strengthen me up and build a little edge, like make me push her!

Were you intimidated when you first met her?

Yeah definitely, I was nervous. I was giving one word answers. And when she asked me to push her, I was like, "Oh goodness, I don't want to push Cyndi Lauper!" But because she's so cool, she's down to earth, that you just kind of forgot about it after a while and you just enjoyed the workshop with her.

What will you miss most about the competition?

Definitely all the people — the crew and the contestants because we were like a family. They're just so great. I wish them all the best.

What was it like living in a house with a bunch of musos? Was there ever a silent moment?

Yeah, it was different because there were so many people but because the house is so big it was alright — we could find little, quiet places. But yeah, at times it was very hectic with everyone singing and doing different things. But it was just a great experience.

Apart from the Monday nights, is there anything you won't miss so much about the competition?

Not really. I think everything was just a great learning curve. I will probably have a bit more control over my life now. I think in Idol you get told where to go, what to do, what time to wake up. I think I'll enjoy a bit of normality for a bit, but then hopefully get into writing again and get back into the business.

Who do you predict will win the competition?

I think and I hope it'll be Wes. I hope the public vote for him because he's just such an amazing performer as everyone can tell and he's also an amazing person, so humble and down to earth. He doesn't have a big ego. He's just amazing.

What do you think of the controversy surrounding Wes that's drawn attention to his years of gigging experience?

I think that was a bit rubbish because everyone has experience. Just because Wes has a lot of experience doesn't mean that he shouldn't have gone on Idol. It was the next step for him. He's tried since he was 15 and it's the logical step. Idol just gives any musician that extra exposure and it's what you do with it.

And how do you plan on using the exposure you've gained?

I'm just going to go home, gig around at first and go back to Melbourne. Then after I rest for a bit I'm going to get into it. I'm going to get writing and co-writing and hopefully make some funky music and then get my name out there. I know it's a great opportunity, but you've gotta work hard to get out there and I'll just hopefully use the exposure to the best of my ability.

Australia, hats off to you. You came very close to picking the right bottom three last night (you forgot Tom!) And though Brooke Addamo is sweet as all hell, I agree that this needed to be the end of the road for her.

But there was a fair bit of surprise from everyone on set about Brooke's selection. The night before the judges, audience and hosts all loved her, and she said herself she had a ball. Perhaps in person she comes off better than on television, because I have always found her onstage charisma to be paper-thin.

Sophie Paterson was the next person to sing for her life. There wasn't too much change from yesterday's attempt, and I really suspect that bad song choice has played a part in her bottom three nomination. But perhaps the Australian public aren't a fan of Sophie's unique style — although I am!

Thanh Bui was the third to be called up, and gave a slightly less rigid performance of 'Every Breath You Take'. He's still one of the weakest performers of the group though, so he's really going to have to step up his game if he wants to hang around for much longer.

With the bottom three having performed again, we see some behind-the-scenes footage of Dicko having a one-to-one with an emotional Tom Williams, who knows he didn't really bring the goods with his tepid interpretation of 'Uptown Girl'.

Dicko really knows how to bring out the disappointed teacher lecture, to make clear that Tom has been saved, not because of his performance, but because he's a cute kid whom all the young female viewers have a crush on. Frankly, I have yet to see anything from Tom that I think meets the Idol standard.

After this we get an amazing acoustic performance from Cyndi Lauper doing her song 'True Colours' 'Time After Time'. And apparently Chrislyn's version of Cyndi's song 'True Colours' was the most popular performance of the night before — the second week she's come out on top!

So the first to be called safe is Thanh, followed by Sophie, which means goodbye Brooke.

Come back next week for more Australian Idol action.

And let me know in the comments section, did Australia make the right decision with the bottom three?