Condobolin’s Tessa Noll has followed in her very famous uncle’s footsteps and auditioned for Australian Idol.
She is the daughter of Damien and Alyson Noll, and the niece of the 2003 Australian Idol Runner Up Shannon Noll. Tessa is 24-years-old and is working as an Administrative Clerk in Wollongong.
Tessa auditioned with Meghan Trainor’s big ballad, ‘Like I’m Gonna Lose You’, on Sunday, 5 February. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it into the Top 50, but Judge Kyle Sandilands quickly cottoned on to her family connection.
“Any relation to the Australian Idol famous Shannon Noll?” Kyle asked on the show, before Tessa confirmed Shannon was indeed her uncle.
Fellow Australian-born panellist Amy Shark reacted in shock to the news, while US-based stars Harry Connick Junior and Meghan Trainor were quite perplexed by the exchange.
“Who are we talking about?!” Meghan questioned on the night.
Kyle went on to explain Noll, has had an “amazing career” in the decades since the original Idol.
After her audition the judges reflected her nerves may just have got the better of her during the performance, and she received four “no’s”.
“What I got was a really great young lady whose got a sweet voice, who is not in the least prepared for the competition,” Harry Connick Junior said after her audition.
“I could hear the nerves. I think you might just need to do it like 1,000 more times. It just wasn’t the best audition, but you have a beautiful voice,” Amy added on the night.
Meghan told Tessa on the night she was “definitely the best at singing my songs on this show”, but that she was up against “crazy vocalists” with “no nerves.”
Kyle added it was a shame Tessa didn’t make it through, as he “would’ve loved another Noll in the competition.”
After the episode went to air, the Australian Idol Facebook Page put up an image of Tessa and Shannon, where she received many positive and encouraging words of support.
Some of the comments included – “Keep trying Tessa!; You are amazing!!!” Well done beautiful girl, keep singing.”; Good job Tessa! you should be so proud of yourself.”; “Such a beautiful voice, shame the nerves got her!”; Way to go Tessa!! Beautiful!”; You were awesome Tessa!!!”
Others on the forum, thought the judges should have given Tessa a second chance – “Shame on you Kyle you should have taken a punt.”; “I thought she was a lot better than heaps of people who made it through.”; “I thought she was pretty good, I would of said yes give her a chance.”; “She should have gone through! You could tell she has talent. Just a shame they didn’t give her a chance to prove herself. She was definitely better than others that have been put through.”
In 2003, Shannon successfully auditioned for the first season of Australian Idol, singing Southern Sons’ “Hold Me in Your Arms.”
Australian Idol returned to screens this month, after a 14-year hiatus.