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Ricki Lee Coulter on relationships, resilience and rising to the top

''Why I've had to fight.''
Australia's Got Talent: The act that brings Ricki-Lee to tears
Australia's Got Talent: The act that brings Ricki-Lee to tears
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On a sunny Friday, Ricki-Lee Coulter is enjoying a rarity in her busy schedule: a sleep-in. With a robe on, a coffee in hand and laptop containing the beginnings of a secret project, she happily declares, โ€œToday is a good day.โ€

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To that point, TV WEEK counters that itโ€™s already been a good year for the ARIA-nominated artist, whoโ€™s currently showcasing her talents as a TV host on the rebooted Australian Idol, while temporarily filling in on NOVA FMโ€™s Kate, Tim & Joel and performing at Sydneyโ€™s WorldPride festival.

And as she alluded to, thereโ€™s more to come.

โ€Iโ€™ve been working really hard over the past few years and itโ€™s all happening at once โ€“ which is a little exhausting, but exciting too. I should have something to announce soon,โ€ she teases.

Ricki first appeared on our screens in 2004.

(IMAGE: Supplied)
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With that in mind, Ricki-Leeโ€˜s schedule wouldnโ€™t appear to have room for a lazy lie-in. In fact, the 37-year-old has hardly slowed down since she burst onto the scene as a contestant on Australian Idol in 2004.

In her season, Ricki-Lee made an abrupt exit in seventh place โ€“ a moment that shocked fans due to her popularity โ€“ and Casey Donovan took home the title. Anthony Callea placed second.

Despite her premature exit, her fanbase was already growing and Ricki-Lee knew it was now or never.

On the advice of music icon Marcia Hines (an Idol judge alongside Mark Holden and Ian โ€Dickoโ€ Dickson), Ricki-Lee took any gig on offer, released an album, and in 2006 joined The Young Divas alongside fellow Idol stars Kate DeAraugo, Kate Williams and Paulini.

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โ€Just after Idol, Marcia said, โ€˜Take every opportunity you can. It doesnโ€™t matter if itโ€™s paidor not โ€“ just get out there and show people how great you are.โ€™ I followed that, and thereโ€™s a lot of goodwill out there for people who show up and try their best,โ€ she says.

Ricki is a household name.

(IMAGE: Supplied)

Her fight to be heard paid off, with her second album, Brand New Day, certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

Reflecting on that time now, Ricki-Lee likens it to a theme-park ride that โ€went from zero to a hundredโ€.

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She could stay on and watch the world go by in a blur or get off and risk leaving it all behind.

โ€I didnโ€™t have balance early on in my career โ€“ it was all or nothing,โ€ she recalls.

โ€Everything was secondary to work, which I thought was the most important thing in the world. I started on Idol when I was 18; it was a roller-coaster and I was holding on for dear life.โ€

Alongside fellow Australian Idol host Scott Tweedie.

(IMAGE: Supplied)
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As the hits kept coming, so did the pressure. Over the years, Ricki-Lee has had to deal with unwanted scrutiny of her weight, relationships โ€“ she was married to Jamie Babbington from 2007 to 2008 before separating, then married Richard Harrison in 2015 โ€“ and decision not to have children.

But at every uncomfortable turn and question regarding her personal life, Ricki-Lee takes a moment to reframe her priorities and evaluate her relationships.

โ€You go through some s*** in your twenties and are trying to figure things out,โ€ she says of being in the public eye when young.

โ€Iโ€™ve done major shake-ups several times in my career and personal life. Sometimes, people are toxic and bad for you. You have to go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate those things and their impact on your life.

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Ricki has always been a star on the stage!

(IMAGE: Supplied)

โ€œThere are times when Iโ€™ve been in bad situations relationship-wise, personally and professionally, that I wanted to throw it in, because it was all too much. Iโ€™ve felt it from those angles, but never in regard to the music. Music and performing is all Iโ€™ve wanted to do since I was a kid.โ€

Almost 20 years on from Idol, Ricki-Lee is no longer asking for votes or chasing the dream โ€“ she has it. Now, sheโ€™s striving for balance.

โ€When we release an album, it can be chaotic, with the promotion, singles and tours that go with it,โ€ she explains.

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โ€So, at the end of it all, I take time off for six months or a year, look at how Iโ€™m feeling and fix anything that may not be going as well as you think, or relationships that might be at their end.

Sharing a special moment with singer Lucy Williamson on Australiaโ€™s Got Talent in 2022.

(IMAGE: Supplied)

โ€You have to get through those โ€“ but my career has ups and downs and Iโ€™ve always made sure I place importance on giving those moments time.โ€

Ricki-Leeโ€™s drive and talent is perhaps matched only by her resolve.

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The Queenslander dreamed of a life on stage and began performing in local pubs at 15. When Idol came along, she didnโ€™t hesitate โ€“ a trait Marcia Hines spotted. Ricki-Lee attributes her resilience to her family and husband Rich, whoโ€™s also her manager.

โ€Iโ€™m sure of who I am, what I do and donโ€™t like โ€“ Iโ€™m not short of an opinion!โ€ she says with a laugh.

โ€I grew up in a strong-minded family. My dad is a businessman and knows what he wants. My mum is the same and is very black and white, while Rich is firm when it comes to valuing yourself. Iโ€™ve taken pieces of that, and they get me through.โ€

Rickie Lee competing on Idol as a teenager in 2004.

(IMAGE: Supplied)
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While not every couple can work together, Ricki-Lee says the transition was seamless.

โ€I had two other managers before Rich, but he was often my sounding board,โ€ she says.

โ€We realised we were strategising before we even went to the manager with our ideas.โ€

But how do they get it right?

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โ€We can disagree to the very end but have the greatest respect for each other and are generally on the same page.โ€ Ricki-Lee says.

โ€He challenges me, and thatโ€™s so important in any relationship. It makes us better. Plus,

we can sit at the dining table in our robes and run it all from there!โ€

As a โ€โ€™mother henโ€ to this seasonโ€™s Idol contestants, who are now fighting for their place in the live shows, Ricki-Lee hopes to instil the same courage and determination she was taught.

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A selfie on set of the rebooted reality favourite.

(IMAGE: Instagram)

They will face challenges as she did, but in a modern world, sheโ€™s wary of how social media has changed the fame game.

โ€Social media is so accessible now and you have to be part of the decision-making process,โ€ she says.

โ€This [entertainment] is a business.โ€

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Ricki-Lee found going back to the show that started it all surreal โ€“ โ€I lot of the people working on the show were there when I was,โ€ she says โ€“ but admits sheโ€™s happy to be host rather than a judge.

โ€I donโ€™t have to break anyoneโ€™s hearts!โ€ she says with a laugh.

โ€œI connect with them because Iโ€™ve been there and know how they feel. I try to share that [advice] with the contestants.

โ€Iโ€™m so grateful Iโ€™ve been able to do what I do and live out my dreams. Itโ€™s all because.

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of Australian Idol.

โ€œI walked into a room and auditioned, and my life was never the same. This platform is an amazing opportunity, and if you work hard, it can change your life.

โ€œYou have to work youโ€™re a** off and be ready for the pressure. Youโ€™ve got to fight. But being a good person is the most important thing.โ€

Loved up with husband Rich in Sydney.

(IMAGE: Instagram)
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As this seasonโ€™s Top 12 contestants are whittled down and the lights go out on the Idol stage once more, Ricki-Lee knows that this time around, things are different.

Thereโ€™s no silence to fill or new heights to scale, just the promise of home and more days like this โ€“ and thatโ€™s just the way she likes it.

โ€I have an amazing work-life balance now,โ€โ€™ she says.

โ€My husband is amazing; my family is great โ€“ I ensure thatโ€™s my focus and give attention

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to them just as much as the work.

โ€It can get challenging โ€“ like now when itโ€™s all happening at once โ€“ but you have to prioritise the little things: sleep in every now and then or book a holiday. Because whatโ€™s the point in doing all these things if you canโ€™t share it with the people you love?โ€

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