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, “Today is a good day.”
To that point, TV WEEK counters that it’s already been a good year for the ARIA-nominated artist, who’s currently showcasing her talents as a TV host on the rebooted Australian Idol, while temporarily filling in on NOVA FM’s Kate, Tim & Joel and performing at Sydney’s WorldPride festival.
And as she alluded to, there’s more to come.
”I’ve been working really hard over the past few years and it’s all happening at once – which is a little exhausting, but exciting too. I should have something to announce soon,” she teases.
Ricki first appeared on our screens in 2004.
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With that in mind, Ricki-Lee‘s schedule wouldn’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 – a moment that shocked fans due to her popularity – 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 ”Dicko” 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.
”Just after Idol, Marcia said, ‘Take every opportunity you can. It doesn’t matter if it’s paidor not – just get out there and show people how great you are.’ I followed that, and there’s a lot of goodwill out there for people who show up and try their best,” 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 ”went from zero to a hundred”.
She could stay on and watch the world go by in a blur or get off and risk leaving it all behind.
”I didn’t have balance early on in my career – it was all or nothing,” she recalls.
”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.”
Alongside fellow Australian Idol host Scott Tweedie.
(IMAGE: Supplied)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 – she was married to Jamie Babbington from 2007 to 2008 before separating, then married Richard Harrison in 2015 – 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.
”You go through some s*** in your twenties and are trying to figure things out,” she says of being in the public eye when young.
”I’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.
Ricki has always been a star on the stage!
(IMAGE: Supplied)“There are times when I’ve been in bad situations relationship-wise, personally and professionally, that I wanted to throw it in, because it was all too much. I’ve felt it from those angles, but never in regard to the music. Music and performing is all I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Almost 20 years on from Idol, Ricki-Lee is no longer asking for votes or chasing the dream – she has it. Now, she’s striving for balance.
”When we release an album, it can be chaotic, with the promotion, singles and tours that go with it,” she explains.
”So, at the end of it all, I take time off for six months or a year, look at how I’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 Australia’s Got Talent in 2022.
(IMAGE: Supplied)”You have to get through those – but my career has ups and downs and I’ve always made sure I place importance on giving those moments time.”
Ricki-Lee’s drive and talent is perhaps matched only by her resolve.
The Queenslander dreamed of a life on stage and began performing in local pubs at 15. When Idol came along, she didn’t hesitate – a trait Marcia Hines spotted. Ricki-Lee attributes her resilience to her family and husband Rich, who’s also her manager.
”I’m sure of who I am, what I do and don’t like – I’m not short of an opinion!” she says with a laugh.
”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. I’ve taken pieces of that, and they get me through.”
Rickie Lee competing on Idol as a teenager in 2004.
(IMAGE: Supplied)While not every couple can work together, Ricki-Lee says the transition was seamless.
”I had two other managers before Rich, but he was often my sounding board,” she says.
”We realised we were strategising before we even went to the manager with our ideas.”
But how do they get it right?
”We can disagree to the very end but have the greatest respect for each other and are generally on the same page.” Ricki-Lee says.
”He challenges me, and that’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!”
As a ”’mother hen” to this season’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.
A selfie on set of the rebooted reality favourite.
(IMAGE: Instagram)They will face challenges as she did, but in a modern world, she’s wary of how social media has changed the fame game.
”Social media is so accessible now and you have to be part of the decision-making process,” she says.
”This [entertainment] is a business.”
Ricki-Lee found going back to the show that started it all surreal – ”I lot of the people working on the show were there when I was,” she says – but admits she’s happy to be host rather than a judge.
”I don’t have to break anyone’s hearts!” she says with a laugh.
“I connect with them because I’ve been there and know how they feel. I try to share that [advice] with the contestants.
”I’m so grateful I’ve been able to do what I do and live out my dreams. It’s all because.
of Australian Idol.
“I 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.
“You have to work you’re a** off and be ready for the pressure. You’ve got to fight. But being a good person is the most important thing.”
Loved up with husband Rich in Sydney.
(IMAGE: Instagram)As this season’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.
There’s no silence to fill or new heights to scale, just the promise of home and more days like this – and that’s just the way she likes it.
”I have an amazing work-life balance now,”’ she says.
”My husband is amazing; my family is great – I ensure that’s my focus and give attention
to them just as much as the work.
”It can get challenging – like now when it’s all happening at once – but you have to prioritise the little things: sleep in every now and then or book a holiday. Because what’s the point in doing all these things if you can’t share it with the people you love?”
