A medley opened up tonight’s all important show as Stan revisited his “Purple Rain” performance; James balanced on the barrier behind the judges while he got a little “Crazy” and Hayley sang “Somebody Told Me” surrounded by fans on the balcony. The three Idols summed up the moment by singing a snatch of “The Final Countdown” together.


It was then time for Andrew to reveal which two Idols were through to the Grand Final of Australian Idol this year…Stan and Hayley! There was a standing ovation for James, who said that being on Idol was the best thing he’s ever done.

That ever charming entertainer, Michael Buble took his seat as guest judge for the night. The Canadian music superstar also spent time with the Idols at their workshop during the week and Michael summed up Stan’s talent by saying “God kissed his throat”. Michael added that Stan’s voice is “one in a million”.

Stan returned the compliment by lending his pipes to a Bee Gees tune Michael has sung, “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.” Hayley performed “UFO” by Sneaky Sound System, injecting the performance with her trademark Hayley Warner   energy and Stan sang his winner’s single, “Black Box”, obviously loving every second of it.

Hayley’s next song was “For Once In My Life” and Jay Dee told her afterwards he’s mesmerised by her versatility and the unique tone of her voice. Having also covered the same song, Michael told Hayley she made it look easy.

Stan busted out some moves for Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” and afterwards a swooning Michael said watching Stan dance made him feel all “fuzzy”. Hayley sang her winner’s single, “Good Day”, which Michael had named as his favourite winner’s single in the workshops. Marcia said it was a great song to represent Hayley, showing off her distinctive voice perfectly.

“Superstar” was given the Stan Walker   treatment, prompting Jay Dee to sum up Stan’s talent as simply “ridiculous”. Dicko commented that Stan has never taken the easy way through this competition – he’s taken risks and put himself and his heart out there, and that’s why he’s so loved.

Hayley got the room jumping with the Rihanna hit which lit up dance floors everywhere, “Don’t Stop The Music”. It took a long time for the ruckus to die down so he could be heard, but Jay Dee finally managed to affirm that it was “performances like that cause electricity in the room”. Dicko expanded on a previous observation of Hayley to say she was “possibly the coolest 17-year-old in the Southern Hemisphere”.

Stay tuned for an incredible Grand Final next Sunday night at the Sydney Opera House, featuring performances by Michael Buble and Mika.

Stan or Hayley – who will be crowned your Australian Idol for 2009?