First week in the Final 12

The highlight of the week so far has been the "yellow carpet" movie premiere of Hairspray – it was nuts! All these little girls were screaming at us! To be honest, I didn't even know who most of the celebrities there were.

Idol HQ is HUGE – ridiculously huge. There have been a few little incidences already – a few people getting on each other's nerves. But it's mainly because everyone's so exhausted and things get to them that wouldn't normally bother them.

I'm sharing a room with Natalie and Brianna and it's really good. We get along well and haven't had any fights or anything. Getting to the shower in the morning can be a bit of a mission though!

It's very hard to be away from my boyfriend – we talk as much as possible. He's really supportive of everything but he really wants to be here sharing this with me.

I've said it before, but the most important lesson I've learnt is just to be myself. There are so many temptations to become a "product" and it's important to trust your own instincts and not fall into that.

I think I've been pretty lucky so far… I know in a few of my performances I haven't sung as well as I could have, but that's probably due to a lack of confidence. But I didn't get too much negative feedback from the judges – I think they may have realised I needed a bit of coaxing to get out of my shell.

Before the Top 24 I was a bit, "Oh no matter what happens, it will be OK." I was still thinking of it in a chilled way. And when I saw all the people who got through… well, a lot of them are really talented musicians and I think that's very impressive. It's changed my whole perception of the show.

In a way, I don't think any of us really understand why we're here. It's so weird having fans… I just think of myself as a normal person. My boyfriend rang me to tell me that the main heart of Mildura donated money to me, my work had shirts made up for me… it's just nuts! Even just before I left, when I got in the Top 24, a lady on the street in Mildura came up and congratulated me. I was weirded out, but stoked as well.

I guess if I am fearful of anything, it's being kicked out. I want to go the whole length – I want to be here for as long as I possibly can. I just keep looking around and thinking that everyone is so talented - it's scary knowing you just have one shot to get up there and perform because there are so many variables.

I read my fan messages and saw my Nana sent me a message – I just want to say, I love you Nana!

-Holly

How does it feel to be in the Final 12?

It was pretty obvious by the massive stack on live TV that I was pretty excited to get through. And I was speaking so quickly!

I have been recognised a few times and I had a photographer following me around the other day when I was with my family. That was weird. We were in Maccas and this guy was following us. I was like, “Does he think we cant see him?'

I am really looking forward to moving into Idol HQ. We're all really close. It's really cool - none of us are stuck up at all. We're all very down to earth. Me and Brianna are a bit closer because we were in the same group and we're both a little bit more alternative.

I don't think the pressure of the competition will affect us or our friendships – everyone realises it's not just how good a performer you are, but also how the public relates to you and how you come across on TV.

The whole competition has surprised me – it's so much more intense than it comes across on TV. The first week when we were deprived of sleep was tough! But it's awesome being around other people who care about music as well. Everyone's really respectful of everyone else's personal space. Basically, we're all people that don't really 100% fit into society, and together we just click.

I just want to make sure I am true to myself and not end up losing sight of who I am. I did that earlier in the competition and realised it just didn't work for me. In the group performance, we all tried to compromise and I thought we did alright. But when Kyle said he didn't care if he never saw any of us again, I realised that the compromise was the only thing that came across. I knew I needed to stay true to myself.

-Holly