The votes are in...

The Official Australian Idol former contestant ladder - TOP TEN

1. Guy Sebastian. Proving to be a commercial success with his latest album, and improving as a singer each year. Is still the go-to man for the Melbourne Christmas Carols (the Carols by which all others are judged). Knocking it out of the box.
2. Jessica Mauboy. ARIA nominations, number one singles, songs with Flo Rida... She's making top level R&B songs from an Australian perspective. Had the highest selling single in Australia last year.
3. Lisa Mitchell. Not the right fit for Idol, but clearly someone with talent. Has been tearing it up on Triple J and at festivals, where she seems to have found her audience.
4. Shannon Noll. Not at his peak anymore, but still a reliable performer for large regional venues. A bit of a tool, by all accounts, though.
5. Ricki-lee Coulter. A personal favourite, she had Idol hosting duties last year. Can belt out a song, and still a better performer than almost all the other contestants on the show.
6. Anthony Callea. Okay, so I may have had a bit of a freakout at the Carols the other year when I saw he was listed (along with his boyfriend Tim Campbell) and I said "How awesome would be it be if they came out and sang 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' together?" AND THEN THEY DID. AND IT WAS AWESOME. Anyway, he's still the biz.
7. Rob 'Millsy' Mills. Doing musical theatre in Melbourne, and that seems about right. I think he's found his level.
8. Paulini Curuenavuli. Doing some solo stuff, had some interesting things to say about domestic violence, no music I've liked to listen to in a while.
9. Dean Geyer. Is he still on Neighbours??? I don't know. I missed most of that Idol season. No longer as famous since he stopped going out with a Veronica (I don't know which one).
10. Damien Leith. He still shares a name with an obscure Tasmanian town (...it's not the town of Damien, if that's what you're thinking), and I still don't listen to his music.

So, yes, no Australian Idol this year. Perhaps no Australian Idol ever. Which would be kind of sad, but then these things do have their useby dates. Whatever the cynics say (and cynics say a shizzload... screw cynics ay?), the Idol phenomenon has seen a sharp increase in the number of Australian music acts selling music in Australia. So yes, they're not INXS or Midnight Oil or a hardworking rock band who never quite made it to the big time. But who cares? Those bands are old and boring and for old people. Who are boring.

Goodbye Australian Idol. I will still follow your children with interest.