URAPS Idol 12

The twelveth season of URAPS Idol (officially billed as URAPS Idol 12: The Dirty Dozen) is a reality television show that aired from February to May 2011. The show was built around a slightly different approach to top 12 selection, one that allowed equal opportunity for males and females to participate. Also different to this season of Idol was the decision to house only 3 main judges and instead invite a 4th guest judge to appear on the show every week.

The series was produced by Drake Enterprises and was co-hosted by Ben Johnston and Blonde Ambition. Pop superstar China was the only person from the previous season of Idol to be invited back to the panel, but after a personal crisis she made the tough decision to remove herself from the show following the announcement that she was taking a hiatus from the entertainment industry. As a result, she was replaced by Latina singer Esmeralda Dimuzio; who joined first-time judge Syd Wolfe and returning judge Violetta DiNozzo who began her affiliation with the Idol franchise by appearing as the vocal coach in the eleventh season of the show before being upgraded to judge after health issues forced Paulo Araujo to pull out of the show.

The show got off to a very rough start; the show entered production on the 7th of February, 2011, but did not begin their audition episodes until March 30th. There were three heats each delivered in two parts - with the intention being that auditions themselves would be held one night and the results shows being held 48 hours later. Personal difficulties with the judging panel prevented the show from running to schedule, and there was a large gap between the two heats and the wildcard round as China's personal life stole her away from the show. China returned for the final heat however, then made her leave of the show on the 7th of May. The live shows began on the 22nd of May with a re-branded new look and has found the stability lacking in the initial stages. The contestants performed weekly on shows commencing 7:30PM Saturday nights on ITV, with results shows beginning the same time 48 hours later. The audience voted contestants one by one after each live show. The show finished on the 31st of July, 2011, when Regina Harper was crowned the winner, with Rory Jacobs as the runner-up. Regina released her debut winners' single 'What I Started' in September 2011. The song was written and produced by China.

The season, which has been considered to be "one of the most successful seasons" in the show's history, memorably launched the careers of several runner-ups, such as Lucas Brandt, James Frost, Arianna DiCorso, Iris, and Rory Jacobs and as well as the winner herself Regina Harper.

Auditions
The audition process was modified for URAPS Idol 12: The Dirty Dozen in order to create a more well-balanced top 12. Male and female contestants would all go through the audition process as normal to reach the top 24; but when it came to the viewer votes to whittle them down to the final 12, male and female contestants were separated. This meant that of the 12 performers in each heat, the six male contestants had to be ranked 1st to 6th, and likewise for the females. As a result of this voting method, the top 2 males and top 2 females of each heat would progress to the final 12. Of those remaining 16 contestants, the top 4 voted contestants of each gender were invited back to try again in the wildcard round. Once again, the voting process was the same - with the top 2 males and top 2 females completing the top 12. As a final result, the top 12 was made up of six males and six females.

RESULT: Regina Harper, Arianna DiCorso, James Baxter and Lucas Brandt all progressed to the top 12. Skylar, Aphrodite Rush, Amie Stone and Richard Shaw were all invited back to compete in the wildcard round.
 * Heat 1: Regina Harper, Beryl Casserolé, Becki Bianconero, Jimmy Collins, Kurtis Norwood, Skylar, Aphrodite Rush, Arianna DiCorso, Amie Stone, Richard Shaw, James Baxter, Lucas Brandt

RESULT: Blake Bryant, Melissa Engels, Iris and Rory Jacobs all progressed to the top 12. Brooke Vegas, James Frost, Oscar Burton and Katy Cruz were all invited back to compete in the wildcard round.
 * Heat 2: Seamus Forscythe, Nico, Blake Bryant, Melissa Engels, Iris, Brooke Vegas, James Frost, Oscar Burton, Rory Jacobs, Eliza, Chavalier Chaves, Katy Cruz

RESULT: Aphrodite Rush, Oscar Burton, Amie Stone and James Frost successfully made it into the top 12 after their second try.
 * Wildcard: Brooke Vegas, Skylar, Richard Shaw, Aphrodite Rush, Oscar Burton, Katy Cruz, Amie Stone, James Frost

Live shows
Regina Harper is a Spanish-born pop-rock singer from London. Her audition song was "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson; which did not compute with the judges at the time as she'd marketed herself as an alternative-rock singer. The public got behind her and voted her into the top 12, where she stuck with the pop-rock sound and has carved her own niche.


 * 1) Kleo - "Je M'ennuie De Toi"
 * 2) The Veronicas - "4Ever"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Forever's Not For Always"
 * 4) MIDNIGHT - "Dominatrix"
 * 5) Ben Johnston & Natasha Hilton - "Center Stage"
 * 6) Honey - "Gone Til December"
 * 7) Veronica Nightshade - "Away From You" / We Are In The Crowd - "For The Win"
 * 8) Sting - "Fields Of Gold" / Anna Jones - "Heart Heart Kiss Kiss"
 * 9) McFly - "The Heart Never Lies" / Dante - "Murdered Me"
 * 10) Syd Wolfe - "Highway" / Tears For Fears - "Mad World" / Regina Harper - "What I Started"
 * 11) MIDNIGHT - "Dominatrix" / Sting - "Fields Of Gold" / Automatic Loveletter - "Don't Let Me Down" Winner

Rory Jacobs is an electronica singer. He impressed the judges with his looks as well as his vocal talent, although he has faced difficulty with the judges for choosing songs originally performed by female artists. His audition song was "Missing" by Everything But The Girl.


 * 1) Kleo - "Danger In The Dark"
 * 2) Jessica Mauboy - "Burn (Jason Nevins Remix)"
 * 3) Helena Rossi - "Winding Road"
 * 4) Emily Henning - "On The Ground"
 * 5) Phoenix Rising - "She"
 * 6) VOLTA - "Sounds Of Man"
 * 7) Jensen - "Bloodshed In LA" / Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
 * 8) Eurhythmics - "Thorn In My Side" / Crystal Barker - "That Just Sucks"
 * 9) Katy B - "Katy On A Mission" / MIDNIGHT - "Love Songs"
 * 10) Violetta DiNozzo - "Smash Some Windows" / Maroon 5 - "Misery" / Rory Jacobs - "Not Today (Everything I've Got)"
 * 11) Emily Henning - "On The Ground" / MIDNIGHT - "Love Songs" / Sugababes & Bruno Mars - "Killa On The Run" Eliminated - second place

Arianna DiCorso is a piano/alternative singer. She made a good initial impression in her audition. Her audition song was "Limp" by Fiona Apple. Her welcome in the top 12 was not so warm, with accusations of being too 'pretentious' and acting like a superstar when she wasn't, as well as vocally rejecting the 'blonde & perky' pop archetype. She has made steps out of her comfort zone and toward improvement since.


 * 1) Romo - "Piccadilly Circus"
 * 2) Delta Goodrem - "The Analyst"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Femme Fatale"
 * 4) Ben Johnston - "Hearts As Souvenirs"
 * 5) Camilla Holmes - "Like Anne Boleyn"
 * 6) Jackson Bradshaw - "Daze Of Summer"
 * 7) Mark Charlie Wilson - "Tears" / Renee Cassar - "It's Not You"
 * 8) Sam Brown - "Stop" / China - "David & Goliath"
 * 9) Gavin DeGraw - "We Belong Together" / Savana - "The Light Goes Out"
 * 10) Esmeralda Dimuzio - "War Within Our Hearts" / Emma Dean - "Sincerely Fearful" / Arianna DiCorso - "Chains Around My Heart" Eliminated - third place

Aphrodite Rush is an electro-pop/indie singer whose three career options were Primark, prostitution and music. Her audition song was "Sound Of The Underground" by Girls Aloud. Rush did not initially impress the judges with her seemingly-blasé attitude to the competition, although she redeemed herself in the Wildcard round when she sang "Demons" by Fatboy Slim ft. Macy Gray.


 * 1) Syd Wolfe - "Diamond Skies"
 * 2) Rogue Traders - "Fashion"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Cloud Nine"
 * 4) TWISTED DISCO! ft. Alesha - "Neon Milkshake (Wot U Gon' Do?)"
 * 5) Gingers+Jesus - "Red Light Girls"
 * 6) Ace Rejects - "The Game"
 * 7) Sleazy Sisters - "Marilyn Monroe In A Polly Pocket" / Marina & The Diamonds - "Hollywood"
 * 8) Cyndi Lauper - "Times After Time" / Candi - "Android's Heartbeat"
 * 9) Dizzee Rascal - "Bonkers" / Alesha & Putanovska - "Whore Of Babylon" Eliminated - fourth place

James Frost is an acoustic/indie singer with a flair for re-interpretations of female songs. Music is his current career path, having no other job and having dropped out of university two years ago. His audition song was an acoustic version of "Only Girl (In The World)" by Rihanna. This was not successful in winning him a spot in the top 12; although he turned it around for himself in the Wildcard round, where he sang an acoustic version of "Happy" by Leona Lewis.


 * 1) VOLTA - "Sounds Of Man"
 * 2) Kylie Minogue - "All The Lovers"
 * 3) Morris David Cat - "Ripped Up Heart"
 * 4) Phoenix Rising - "Never Gonna Come Back Down"
 * 5) Danelle Becker - "No One Likes You"
 * 6) The Found - "Boys Don't Dance To Disco"
 * 7) Troy Rivers - "Crazy Beautiful" / The Script - "We Cry"
 * 8) Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U" / Indigo Peak - "Damned" Eliminated - fifth place

Iris is a self-described 'quirky & fresh' pop singer with a penchant for unusual lipstick designs. Her audition song was "Untouched" by The Veronicas". She found herself in trouble in the top 12 when she dramatically changed up her style, but found stability when she reverted to her original pop stylings.


 * 1) Dresden & Bareilles - "Aphrodite Under Fire"
 * 2) Natalie Imbruglia - "Shiver"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Someone Else"
 * 4) Ben Johnston & Crystal Barker - "Someone I Don't Know"
 * 5) Kaylee Walker - "One Way Radio"
 * 6) MIDNIGHT - "Survive"
 * 7) Sienna Martinez - "British Bulldog" / China - "Dream Catch Her" Eliminated - sixth place

Melissa Engels is a pop-dance singer and former model, whose career ended when she was trampled by a horse. Being too old to continue modelling by the time she recovered, she turned to music. Her audition song was "I Don't Need A Man" by the Pussycat Dolls.


 * 1) Candi - "That's Hot"
 * 2) Holly Valance - "Kiss Kiss"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Seize The Spark"
 * 4) Sophie Ramone - "Suck My Tits"
 * 5) Sexy Star - "Boyfriend Thief"
 * 6) Genevere Johnson - "Run" Eliminated - seventh place

Blake Bryant is an electro-pop singer with a thing for the ladies. He dances and plays guitar but thinks his best attribute is his body. His audition song was "LoveStoned" by Justin Timberlake. He did not impress the judges with his attitude; but the public got behind him and his demeanor has improved.


 * 1) Dante - "End Of The World"
 * 2) INXS - "Need You Tonight"
 * 3) Brett Clarkson - "Hero In My Nightmares"
 * 4) Paulo Araujo - "Dethroned"
 * 5) TWISTED DISCO" - "Can't Stand Losing You" Eliminated - eighth place

Oscar Burton is a baroque-pop/rock singer. His avant-garde style caught the judges' attention. His audition song was "Stand And Deliver" by Adam & The Ants. Unfortunately, he did not make it through the initial heat; but received a warmer reception from the public with his Wildcard audition, where he sang "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis.


 * 1) Emily Henning - "Blush (Response)"
 * 2) Michael Paynter - "Closer"
 * 3) Helena Rossi - "Lovers On The Runaway"
 * 4) Romo - "Schizo Pop" Eliminated - ninth place

Lucas Brandt is a pop-dance singer who wanted to bring lightness and fun back into the male music scene, although during his run on Idol he became better known for his muscles than he was for his vocals. Brandt was reportedly media-trained by Brett Clarkson. His audition song was "Here Comes The Rain Again" by The Eurhythmics.


 * 1) Blonde Ambition ft. Brett Clarkson & KIRBY - "Champion"
 * 2) Stan Walker - "Loud"
 * 3) Elice Claire - "Hypersonic" Eliminated - tenth place

Amie Stone is a folk-country singer-songwriter who was tired of playing the bar circuit as it was doing nothing to advance her musical career. She thought she would try the URAPS Idol experience and see how far it took her. Her audition song was "One Of Us" by Joan Osborne. Stone was unsuccessful in her initial heat, losing a tiebreaker to Arianna DiCorso. She was successful in her Wildcard audition, in which she sang "Leave The Pieces" by The Wreckers.


 * 1) Esmeralda Dimuzio - "Shot At Redemption"
 * 2) Olivia Newton-John - "Hopelessly Devoted To You" Eliminated - eleventh place

James Baxter is a singer-songwriter who wanted to stray from his family's professional taxidermy business, as it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He turned to music as something for himself, and as his way of escaping from the shadow of his father's dreams. His audition song was "Nothing Can Be Done" by Joni Mitchell.


 * 1) Alesha - "The Hunted" Eliminated - twelfth place

Themes

 * Week One: URAPS Top 40 Hits
 * Week Two: Australian Songs
 * Week Three: Elice Claire
 * Week Four: URAPS #1 Hits
 * Week Five: URAPS Flops
 * Week Six: URAPS Newcomers
 * Week Seven: URAPS Idol Songs & Debut Singles
 * Week Eight: Year Of Birth & URAPS Album Tracks
 * Week Nine: Gender Swap & URAPS B-Sides
 * Week Ten: Judges' Songs, Free Choice & Original Songs
 * Week Eleven: Final 2 Showdown

Guest Judges

 * Week One (URAPS Top 40 Hits): Paulo Araujo
 * Week Two (Australian Songs): Crystal Barker
 * Week Three (Elice Claire): Elice Claire
 * Week Four (URAPS #1 Hits): MIDNIGHT
 * Week Five (URAPS Flops): KIRBY
 * Week Six (URAPS Newcomers): Candi
 * Week Seven (URAPS Idol Songs & Debut Single): Bella-May (Syd Wolfe was absent for this round; Bella-May was a substitute for this week only)
 * Week Eight (Year Of Birth & URAPS Album Tracks): Savana
 * Week Nine (Gender Swap & URAPS B-Sides): James Moss (Violetta DiNozzo was absent for this round due to shooting a music video)
 * Week Ten (Judges' Songs, Free Choice & Original Songs): None (it was the producers' choice that the focus should be on that week's original songs rather than guest appearances)
 * Week Eleven (Final 2 Showdown): Sienna Martinez

Group Performances

 * Week One: Top 12 - "Radio" (Ruby & The Gems)
 * Week Two: Top 11 - "Help" (John Farnham)
 * Week Three: Top 10 & Elice Claire - "Reverie" (Elice Claire)
 * Week Four: Top 9 - "Tune Me In Stereo" (China)
 * Week Five: Top 8 - "Will Blow Your Speakers" (Horrorfilm Horizon)
 * Week Six: Top 7 - "Top Of The World" (Ace Rejects)
 * Week Seven: Top 6 - "Not Broken" (Veronica Nightshade)
 * Week Eight: Top 5 - "Phantoms Of Time" (Ben Johnston)
 * Week Nine: Top 4 - "Superstar Sinner" (China)
 * Week Ten: Top 3 - "I Didn't Mean It" (Esmeralda Dimuzio & Violetta DiNozzo)
 * Week Eleven: Top 2 - "Eye Of The Tiger" (Survivor) (performed at the opening of the Final 2 Showdown)

Week One: URAPS Top 40 Hits

 * Sandi Cohen - "Espionage (Jamie XX Remix)"
 * Blonde Ambition - "The Workout"
 * Paulo Araujo & L.E.X - "The Boss Medley"

Week Two: Australian Songs

 * Ruby & The Gems - "War Zone"
 * Flaming SteffY - "Lioness / Discovery Channel"
 * Beastette - "Priorities"
 * Veronica Nightshade - "Black Widow Sting"

Week Three: Elice Claire

 * Brett Clarkson - "Hero In My Nightmares"
 * Honey - "Mafia Medley"
 * Ben Johnston & Elice Claire - "Scattered Echoes"

Week Four: URAPS #1 Hits

 * Chase Elite - "Find My Groove"
 * Kleo - "Sound The Alarm Medley"
 * Syd Wolfe - "Diamond Skies (Idol Edit)"

Week Five: URAPS Flops

 * Jackson Bradshaw - "Hard To Find"
 * Esmeralda Dimuzio - "In The Line Of Fire"

Week Six: URAPS Newcomers

 * Cassie Diamond - "Flood Of Tears / Out Of Mine"
 * Morris David Cat - "Romeo Is Dead"
 * Dresden & Bareilles - "Prodigal Daughter"

Week Seven: URAPS Idol Songs & Debut Singles

 * Bella-May - "Hooker On A Church Corner" (Performed on the live show)
 * Kleo - "Insomnia / Enigma"
 * Vixen - "Shadows"

Week Eight: Year Of Birth & URAPS Album Tracks

 * Ashley! - "Show You How To Love" (Performed on the live show)
 * Savana - "Far To Go"
 * Violetta DiNozzo - "Louder Than Words / Monsters"

Week Nine: Gender Swap & URAPS B-Sides

 * Damien Jones - "Fun Fun Fun" (Performed on the live show)
 * Caymon - "All Over Again"
 * James Moss - "No Second Chances"

Week Ten: Judges' Songs, Free Choice & Original Songs

 * Candi - "The Sword" (Performed on the live show)
 * Syd Wolfe - "Monsters"

Week Eleven: Grand Finale

 * Syd Wolfe, Esmeralda Dimuzio & Violetta DiNozzo - "Louder Than Words / Monsters / In The Line Of Fire"
 * Becca Hayworth - "Broken Halo / You Know Me"
 * Veronica Nightshade - "Made Of Plastic"
 * MIDNIGHT - "Money Equals Love"
 * Sienna Martinez - "The Gauntlet"

Careers After Idol 12
URAPS Idol 12 was a significant Idol season, as it led to the career of several now established acts. Originally the final six were rumoured to all be releasing singles, however not all did. Iris, Arianna DiCorso and James Frost are the three stand-out contestants from this season, all going on to have chart success.
 * 6th place Iris was the first act to release solo material. Her debut album In The Realms Of Reality charted at #1 and she also won URAPS Big Brother 2011
 * 3rd place Arianna's debut single "The Analyst" charted at #2.
 * 5th place James Frost appeared on URAPS Big Brother 2011, his debut single "Us" is also due for release.
 * 10th place Lucas Brandt is due to release a christmas single.
 * 1st place Regina Harper's winner single went top 5. She went on to release her critically acclaimed debut album which went to #1 and has been certified platinum.