As Season 11 of Australian Idol hurtles towards its conclusion, contestants are being voted off left, right and centre as we get ever closer to crowning the 2026 winner.
From thousands of hopefuls, only one can win – and with voting now turned over to the public, the power is in your hands!
The winner will walk away with a prize package that includes $100,000, a recording package with Hive Sound Studios, marketing and social media support from The Annex, and VIP tickets to the ARIA Awards and TV WEEK Logie Awards.
So who is still standing from the Top 12 and who has lost their chance at claiming the top prize? Read on to find out!
Who has been eliminated from Australian Idol’s Top 12 so far?
Charlie Moon
31-year-old Charlie Moon is using his newfound fame to raise awareness for cancer – even without the Australian Idol crown.
“Because of my backstory I’ve been approached by some cancer foundations – the McGrath Foundation, Cancer Council, Cure Brain Cancer,” he tells TV WEEK. “I did a post the other day with Beanies 4 Brain Cancer with Carrie Bickmore. I’ve been trying to use my platform to do something positive for charities and communities.”
After finding himself in the bottom four, Charlie performed “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder to prove he was worthy of a place in the Top 6. While the performance brought both the crowd and judges to their feet, it wasn’t enough to get him over the line – something he describes as disappointing.
“I had a lot of people rooting for me in Perth” Charlie says. “My father was very upset – he’s my number one supporter. My partner was very teary. At the same time, they were so happy that I was able to make the Top 8 of Australian Idol.”
But with a single and an album already in the works, this is definitely not the last we’ll hear from Charlie – something judge Amy Shark is already excited about.
“From day one with the orange beanie, you were so open about your story,” she said as he was eliminated. “I can’t wait to hear an album of yours.”
Simela Petrides
High school teacher and mum-of-two Simela Petrides was one of two contestants who didn’t make it to the top six.
While Simela admits it was a bit “disappointing”, she’s knows she’s made her family proud.
“My friends and family are so proud of me and what I’ve achieved in the competition,” she explained.
“I guess there’s definitely an element of disappointment. They wanted to see me it out or go further, but that’s just the nature of a competition. Nonetheless, they’re super proud and they’re really happy that I literally left it out all on the stage and gave it everything I could.
Now, Simela is ready to reunite with her nearest and dearest.
“I’m so excited to be heading home to see my family. I cannot wait to hold them and just to be in their presence is going to be unreal.”
Wanwue Tarpeh
Twenty-one-year-old Wanwue Tarpeh tells TV WEEK that while she’s disappointed her Idol journey has come to an end, “when one door closes, another opens and I know what is mine will find me”.
After taking to the stage to sing Jessie J’s “Price Tag” as she fought for her spot in Idol’s Top 8, she was sadly eliminated from the competition.
Still, she says she’s “just excited” to see what’s next.
“I feel really blessed from the experience on the show because I know not everyone has a good time on reality TV, but my time was amazing,” she tells us.
Harry Lamb
It’s back to the barbershop for our boy from Ballarat after crashing out of the Top 10.
After what he tells TV WEEK was a “disappointing” week, Harry Lamb failed to impress the judges with his rocking rendition of “White Noise” by The Living End – complete with a dangerously low buttoned shirt.
While he thought he’d delivered exactly what Kyle Sandilands had asked for, after being told he wasn’t confident enough on stage, the judge told him point blank he hadn’t hit the mark.
“I thought I’d done everything that they’d pushed me into doing,” he tells us. “I was a bit taken aback by the fact he didn’t receive it well.”
Playing to his strengths with a pared back version of “How to Save a Life”, it struck a chord with Kyle, who called it emotional and believable.
Still, Harry, 27, was sent home, failing to make it into the Top 8.
Sophie Poidevin
Sophie Poidevin had delivered a soaring rendition of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” when she found herself in the bottom four alongside Lily-Grant – and Harry Lamb and Kesha Oayda.
Returning with “What a Man”, the singer and model clearly just didn’t resonate with the voting public, despite the crowd and judges going wild and giving her a standing ovation.
She left the competition with no regrets, telling viewers she “got to live my dreams on this stage” as she bowed out gracefully.
Reflecting on her Idol experience following her elimination, Sophie, 20, urged her fans to believe in themselves.
“Being able to take a leap of faith and work hard at pursing my passions in the last two years has opened me up to a lot of amazing people and opportunities like Idol!!” she explained.
She added that she’s “super keen” to work on her own original music and collaborate with other artists this year, so fans should watch this space.
Lily-Grace Grant
Country singer Lily-Grace Grant went into the competition eager to make a mark. And she had the backing of a former Australian Idol champ: 2024 winner Dylan Wright.
“He was super stoked I auditioned,” the 18-year-old told TV WEEK, explaining that the pair met while performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
“He’s such a lovely guy and really excited for me.”
Taking to the stage for her first Top 12 performance, Lily-Grace sang “Suddenly I See”, by KT Tunstall.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure her a guaranteed spot in the Top 10 and, at risk of being eliminated, she came back with a lively rendition of country fave “Sweet Home Alabama” as she fought for her place in the competition.
As the voting was turned over to the public for the first time this season, the audience wasn’t on her side, and Lily-Grace was the first contestant sent packing.
While judge Kyle Sandilands commented that it was “upsetting and “disappointing” to see such strong singers leave, Lily-Grace took it on the chin.
“This is not the end of my musical journey, this is just the beginning,” she said.
Later sharing a carousel of photos from her time on the show on Instagram, the performer said she couldn’t have asked for a better experience, citing the friendships she made.
“I honestly don’t think there’s a better feeling than finding your people,” she wrote. “From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch to share the idol experience with. I’m cheering you on guys!”
