By Sean Nicholls and Emily Dunn
It brought him fame and fortune but the original Australian Idol, Guy Sebastian, is no fan of the seventh series of the reality television singing contest, which has suffered in the ratings this year.
The show is drawing an average audience of 1 million viewers a week, despite Ten shifting to a 6.30pm timeslot and then back to a 7.30pm timeslot after it failed to draw the same audiences as MasterChef Australia and still a far cry from Idol's ratings heyday in the first and second seasons of 2003 and 2004.
"I don't think it's the greatest year," Sebastian told AAP in Sydney yesterday, adding that he thought the show was missing the axed judge Kyle Sandilands .
------------------------------------------------------------ I like it like that : Guy Sebastian on success ------------------------------------------------------------
"You either love Kyle or you hate Kyle but you can't argue that he brought a point of view and a point of difference to the show."
Sebastian, who releases his fifth album tomorrow, is among the most successful of the Idol alumni, with his 2003 runner-up, Shannon Noll, the 2006 winner, Damien Leith, and the 2006 runner-up Jessica Mauboy.
Some Idols have not been so lucky. Series winners such as Casey Donovan and Kate DeAraugo have struggled to build post-show careers.
------------------------------------------------------------ I've learnt my lesson : Kyle Sandilands -------------------------------------------------------------
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© 2007 The Sydney Morning Herald
