Australian country music sensation Morgan Evans is officially joining Australian Idol as a judge for the upcoming 2027 season, taking over the seat vacated by former judge Kyle Sandilands.
Seven announced that Morgan will join returning judges Marcia Hines and Amy Shark to complete the new-look judging panel. Hosts Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie are also set to return.
Morgan, who recently performed his single ‘Letting You Go’ on the Australian Idol 2026 grand finale, expressed his excitement about stepping into the role, sharing that he looks forward to helping launch the next generation of Aussie talent.
“I’m stoked to be joining Amy, Marcia and the Idol crew next year! I reckon if you’ve got music in you, that’s something the world needs to hear, and I’ve enjoyed helping new artists find that since I was teaching guitar in Newcastle,” he said.
The singer, who divides his time between Australia and Nashville, also said he “can’t wait to see what Australia’s got.”
Who is new Australian Idol judge Morgan Evans?
Born and raised in Newcastle, Morgan Evans has achieved huge international success and over one billion streams on Spotify with his powerhouse songs like ‘Kiss Somebody’, ‘Dance With Me’ and ‘Day Drunk’.
After conquering Aussie airwaves, he made the high-stakes leap to Nashville, quickly capturing international headlines – and the tabloid spotlight – during his high-profile marriage to fellow country star Kelsea Ballerini.
The former couple met in March 2016 while co-hosting Australia’s Country Music Channel Awards, leading to a whirlwind romance. They got engaged later that year and married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in December 2017.
Kelsea filed for divorce in August 2022, describing it as a difficult decision, with their divorce finalised in November 2022.
Following the split, both artists addressed the end of their marriage through their work and public statements. Evans released the track ‘Over For You,’ expressing his feelings surrounding the sudden end of the relationship.
Kelsea later released her EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat and discussed the split publicly, pointing to fundamental differences in future expectations, such as starting a family, and general growth apart over time.
Since then, Morgan has released his first concert album Live at the Sydney Opera House and also released his second full-length album Steel Town earlier this year.
Why did Kyle Sandilands leave Australian Idol?
Kyle announced last month that he was stepping away from Australian Idol for “the good of the brand” amid an activist campaign targeting the show’s sponsors.
“Those activists have attacked the potential clients for Australian Idol or the clients from last year, and has caused a problem in Channel Seven’s sales team,” he told media at the time.
“So I’ve told Channel Seven this morning … that I’m standing down from Idol for the good of the brand to continue.”
Kyle was originally on the original version of Australian Idol from 2005 as a replacement for Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson, until the show’s final season in 2009. He then joined the reboot on Seven in 2022, alongside Meghan Trainor and Amy Shark.
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