It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago Casey Donovan won Australian Idol. Just 16 years old, she was thrust into the spotlight and every high and low was captured for all to see. She took away the main prize, but in the years following would be working as a medical receptionist and a rideshare driver to pay the bills.
Casey threw her hat back in the reality show ring with I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here, and won again. And in the past few years, she’s had a kind of second life starring in hit musicals across the country.
Through it all, her powerhouse voice and grounded nature has endeared her to millions of Australians. For me, watching her belt out huge songs every New Years Eve proves she’s unparalleled. In music and life, Casey can take just about anything thrown at her.
But what is the music she retreats to, when she needs it most? This is a beautiful conversation with a resilient Queen, and the stories that led her here.
- Mr. Big - 'To Be With You'
- Maggie Rogers - 'Light On'
- Allen Stone - 'Bed I Made'
- Maddie Zahm - 'You Might Not Like Her'
- James Bay - 'One Life'
Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe