The sixth and final season of Canadian Idol is the sixth and final installation of the Idol series in Canada and premiered on June 3, 2008, on the CTV Television Network. It is again hosted by Ben Mulroney, with the addition of Jully Black as a special correspondent and general mentor to the contestants. Farley Flex, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan and Zack Werner all returned as judges. This season saw a number of major and minor show format changes in an effort to keep the franchise fresh and innovative. The final episode of the season, in which the Canadian Idol was crowned, aired on September 10, 2008. The winner of the sixth season was Theo Tams. The sixth season became the final season of Canadian Idol following its cancellation in 2009.
Auditions
Auditions were held in the following cities:
Edmonton, Alberta ( January 26–27): 1,000 Auditioned – 13 Received Gold
Calgary, Alberta ( February 2–3): 1,000 Auditioned – 19 Received Gold
Toronto, Ontario ( April 12–13): 2,000 Auditioned – 34 Received Gold
Total Auditions: 9,010 Total Gold Tickets: 201
Show Format Changes
This year of Canadian Idol promises to have a number of changes and surprises to the usual show format.
Jully Black joined the cast of Canadian Idol as the new correspondent and mentor.
As introduced last season, competitors are allowed to play instruments in their auditions and performances.
"Last Chance" Online Auditions were introduced to allow competitors who could not make it to an audition city/date, or who did not receive a gold ticket for their in-person audition, to submit a two-minute audition video on the Canadian Idol website (idol.ctv.ca) for consideration.
This season, apparently due to the increase in extremely talented contestants, the number of semi-finalist was increased by 2, producing a Top 24. Also for the first time, the chosen semi-finalists were not evenly split between male and female performers: 15 men and 9 women made up the Top 24. Due to the uneven number of men and women, the performance groups during the semi-final rounds were also not being split according to gender. Additionally, during the semi-final elimination rounds the composition of the two performance groups varied from week to week; thus, unlike in previous years, a performer did not always compete against the same sub-group of semifinalists, or on the same performance night.
Because of the increase in the total number of semi-finalist (24, instead of 22), the last week of semifinals saw 6 competitors (instead of the usual 4) eliminated in order to have a Top 10.
The sixth season of Canadian Idol premiered on June 3, 2008. Highlights from the initial auditions held across Canada, and the elimination rounds of "Toronto Week" (Top 200), were aired in 5 one-hour episodes over 3 weeks:
Episode 1 (2008-06-03): Auditions held in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton
Episode 2 (2008-06-09): Auditions held in Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Episode 3 (2008-06-10): Auditions held in Hamilton, Ottawa, St. Johns, Halifax
Episode 4 (2008-06-16): Top 200 (day 1 & 2) Initial solo performances and group performances
Episode 5 (2008-06-17): Top 200 (day 3) Final solo performances; selection of Top 24 announced
The semifinals (episodes 6–14) began airing June 23 and consisted of 3 weeks of eliminations, resulting in the selection of the final Top 10 contestants. In each of the 3 semifinal weeks, the contestants were split into two groups, one group performing each evening (aired Mondays and Tuesdays); and the results of the public voting are announced on Wednesday evening. The Top 10 was revealed on July 9 (the results show of the last semifinal elimination week).
The finals (episodes 15–32) began airing on July 14, 2008. Performances aired on Monday evenings and the results of the public voting were announced the following evening. Encore presentations of episodes are also broadcast on the now CTV-owned MuchMoreMusic on Thursday nights. The season finale aired September 10, 2008.
Contestants
For this season, there was an unexpected format change. Because of the quality of some of the male singers, the producers and the judges decided to make a Top 24 containing the best singers, based on talent not gender. The semifinalists performed for three weeks in mixed-groups, meaning that eliminations were made regardless of gender, until the Top 10 was determined on July 9, 2008.
From a Top 24 composed of 15 males and 9 females (as selected by the judges), the Canada-wide voting during the 3 semifinal elimination rounds produced a final Top 10 comprising 8 male and 2 female contestants.
Top 10 Finalists
Left to right: Tams, Wright, and MacDonald (seen here with Morris, right) toured after the season concluded.
Theo Tams, 23, Lethbridge, AB, Student - WINNER, Canadian Idol, Season 6
Mitch MacDonald, 22, Port Hood, NS, Carpenter, Musician (Runner-up, 2008-09-10)
Drew Wright, 28, Collingwood, ON, Musician, House Painter (Eliminated 2008-09-02)
Earl Stevenson, 23, Lloydminster, AB, Swamper for a Backhoe Operator (Eliminated 2008-08-26)
Mookie Morris, 18, Toronto, ON, Musician (Eliminated 2008-08-19)
The breakdown of the Top 24 and Top 10 according to the contestants' home province (provincial region), is as follows:
Region
Top 24
Top 10
BC
3
–
Prairies
7
3
Ontario
8
4
Quebec
3
1
Atlantic
3
2
Canadian Idol announced the regional representation of the Top 10 using different regional divisions than was used for the Top 24, as follows:
West: 3
East: 5
Atlantic: 2
The Semifinals (Top 24)
The semifinals consisted of three weeks of elimination rounds to reduce the Top 24 contestants (as chosen by the judges) to the final Top 10 (as decided by public vote). This was the first round in which eliminations are the result of public voting. Performances take place in a more intimate venue with a smaller stage and audience than the finals. Multiple contestants are eliminated each week.
This season, the semifinals saw a number of format changes: from the number of contestants (24, instead of 22), and an uneven gender composition (more males than females), to the performance group division (not by gender), and variation of group composition (changed from week to week). The semifinals results shows also saw some 'surprise' (unannounced) changes, including special 'showcase' performances and judge-selected 'encore' performances, and a variation in the number of contestants eliminated (6, instead of 4, in the final week).
The first results show departed from the traditional format to present a "showcase performance" from the Top 24, prior to announcing the voting results. The Top 24 performed the following songs, in groups of two to four, as follows:
The bottom 3 contestants from each performance night were:
Group 1:
Marie-Pierre Bellerose
Paul Clifford – Eliminated
Lisa Bell – Eliminated
Group 2:
Adam Castelli
Jesse Cottam – Eliminated
Jessica Sheppard – Eliminated
The results show once again departed from traditional format, this time by having an encore of the judges' favorite performances from the previous two nights, prior to announcing the voting results. In order of performance, the encores were:
In order to have a final Top 10, the bottom 3 contestants from each performance night were eliminated (resulting in a total of 6 contestants eliminated – instead of 4, as in each of the previous two weeks of semifinal eliminations).
Contestants were called to the stage, four at a time (two from each performance night), and the results of the voting announced, sending successful contestants to fill the 10 stools set up on the stage for the final Top 10.
The 6 eliminated contestants were (in order revealed):
Top 4: The songs of Anne Murray, with mentor Anne Murray (each contestant sang one song from Anne Murray's songbook and one song by any artist they choose)
Top 2: Season Finale, with mentors John Legend and Hedley (each contestant performed 3 songs: one of their choice, one selected by the judges, and the song designated for release as the "winner's single" should he win the competition)
Contestants (listed, after the winner, in reverse order of elimination):
Theo Tams, 23 (born July 12, 1985), Lethbridge, AB
Group performances: multiple performances by the Top 10, including "Can't Stop This Thing We Started (Bryan Adams), "What Kind of World Do You Want" (Five For Fighting), and "Home" (Daughtry) plus individual performances and Mitch and Theo sang "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" by Blue Rodeo,; crowned Canadian Idol Theo Tams performed his winner's single, "Sing"
Individual performances from the Top 10 include:
"Who Do You Love" (Adam Castelli), "Down On The Corner" (Sebastian Pigott), "When Will I Be Loved" (Amberly Thiessen), "You'll Be In My Heart" (Mark Day), "Feelin' Alright" (Earl Stevenson), "Crazy On You" (Katherine St-Laurent), "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (Mookie Morris), "Nowhere With You" (Mitch MacDonald), "I'm Still Standing" (Theo Tams), and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (Drew Wright)
With the exception of the Top 9, Canadian Idol did not reveal which of the bottom three contestants received the third and second lowest number of votes; only the eliminated contestants were announced.
Of the two female contestants that made it into the Top 10, as of the Top 8, there was only one female contestant remaining in the competition. As of the Top 5, there were no female contestants remaining in the competition; no other Idol competition (with the exception of Idol Serbia, Montenegro & Macedonia) became single-gender at such early stage of the competition.
Katherine St-Laurent was the only contestant in the Top 10 to not have been in the bottom three before her elimination. Mitch MacDonald was the only contestant to have never been in the bottom three.
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