Former Australian Idol judge Ian “Dicko” Dickson has recently revealed the eye-watering amount of money that Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian earned during his time on the show.
During a recent episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Outta Here, Dicko revealed that he handed Sebastian his first-ever royalty pay cheque from Australian Idol back in 2003, which was for a staggering one million dollars.
“He’d won Idol and it had been a massive success and it was the fastest-selling album of all time – it beat [John Farnham’] Whispering Jack,” Dickson recalled. “We went out and took him for a bowl of pasta, and after the lunch we handed him an envelope. He said, ‘What’s this?’ We said it’s your first royalty cheque for all the records you’ve sold. And he took out the cheque and it said. ‘Guy Sebastian, one million dollars.’”
“Never done it before and never done it since but it was a special moment to give him,” he added.
Sebastian’s success on the show propelled him to international stardom, with his debut single “Angels Brought Me Here” becoming the fastest-selling single in Australian chart history. He has since gone on to become one of the most successful and popular musicians in Australia, with a number of hit singles and multiple awards under his belt.
During the same segment, Dicko also reflected on his close friendship with Shannon Noll, who came runner-up to Guy Sebastian.
“When I got my Southern Corss tattoo, I went with Nollsy. I got my permanent residency and I thought, ‘Of course, makes sense. You gotta have a Southern Cross tattoo.’ And Nollsy was like, ‘Yeah mate, I’ll do one with you,” he said, revealing that he and Noll are still mates.
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Dicko added, ‘“You wouldn’t believe it now because he’s got sleeves [tattooed arms], but he goes, ‘I wonder what my mum would say if I got my ear pierced?’ And this big Maori guy comes and says, ‘Son, if you’re worried about your mum, you’re not ready to have your ear pierced.'”
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