Australian Idol judge Kyle Sandilands has rocked the audience — and the other judges — with an unexpected announcement on Tuesday night’s final Transformation Week episode.
The judges were left with an extremely tough decision on who to send through to the Top 12 after every single performer stepped up to the plate with a strong performance.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kyle Sandilands’ decision rocks Australian Idol.
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Each contestant wowed, although there was one performer, Tyler from the Sunshine Coast, who left Amy Shark and Marcia Hines slightly underwhelmed.
The charismatic 21-year-old performed a rendition of Waves by Dean Lewis that was solid, but not the best performance of his that the judges had seen so far.
“Your performance was very, very good as far as I’m concerned, but it started off shaky,” Hines said.
“Once you got into the pocket you were cool, but it started off shaky, which is not a good thing for you because, you know, this is do or die here.”
Shark agreed, saying she thought Tyler had lost his timing a little bit.
“I love your voice, and your whole look and image, and that’s what the show’s about,” she said.
“But I felt that you missed the pocket there, it was a little bit ahead of time and then it was behind time.
“I know you’re good, but that just wasn’t the Tyler that I’m used to.”
There was a long silence before Sandilands began speaking, the crowd hushed by one of their favourites being told his timing was off.
“It felt like you got swallowed up by it all,” he said.
“How are you gonna repair that?”
“I think it’s just, um, it’s a very new situation,” Tyler responded.
“This is all so new, using in-ears (earpieces), playing in front of judges and in front of a massive crowd.
“Every performance I do, I’m slowly getting used to it.”
“Unfortunately, at the end of tonight, we’ve gotta decide who stays and who goes,” Sandilands said.
“And it looks like you’re going, unless … I give you a FAST PASS!” he yelled, to Tyler’s total shock.
Shark and Hines also looked astounded as the audience erupted.
“Wow, I didn’t see that coming, did you?” host Ricki-Lee Coulter said, walking onto the stage as Tyler’s friends and family went wild.
“Oh my goodness! Why did you give him the Fast Pass?”
Once the crowd died down, Sandilands explained his reasoning.
“This kid is good, and I’m not gonna crush him because he had one dodgy night — it wasn’t even that dodgy,” he said.
“It was just dodgy with all the other brilliance here, but you deserve a place, I want to hear your music, but you’ve gotta win to get there bro.
“Good luck — it’s your last shot.”
Coulter then asked a clearly shocked Tyler how he was feeling.
“I’m gobsmacked, honestly,” he said.
“You guys were right, I wasn’t in the pocket as much as I could have been, but I tried to put all my emotion into that song, and I’m happy that you’ve given me a chance.
“I’m so grateful.”
“You’re worth the chance,” Sandilands said.
But with several more top-notch performers to follow in Tyler’s wake, likely making the judges’ Top 12 decision very difficult, one question hangs over Sandilands’ decision.
Did he make the right call?
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