With four studio albums under her belt and an interstate tour just a few months away, Ricki-Lee Coulter has proven to be one of the country’s most successful reality TV talents ever, after soaring to stardom on Australian Idol in 2004.
But it seems no accolades were enough to earn the singer a spot on the coveted Australia’s Got Talent judging panel, after Seven made Ricki-Lee host of the family-friendly talent quest instead.
With former Pussycat Dolls frontwoman Nicole Scherzinger, 41, and theatre veteran Lucy Durack, 36, taking up two seats at the judges’ table, it seems there was no room for another vocalist’s opinions on the acts.
And while Ricki-Lee, 33, appears to have warmed into her shiny new role, it’s certainly been a process for her to accept she’s the right person for the hosting gig.
Earlier this month, she admitted to being caught off guard when she was offered the job, which is something she’d never even considered before.
“I thought they were calling me to be a judge,” Ricki-Lee says. “But they said the host is daggy, sassy, fierce, funny, down-to-earth, empathetic and compassionate, and said, ‘You’re all these things. No one else can be the host except you. So please say yes.'”
Ricki-Lee was caught off guard when she was offered the AGT hosting gig.
(Image: Instagram @therickilee)Still, when filming the Sydney auditions earlier this year, the singer looked like a judge in an Instagram snap she posted with Lucy, Manu Feildel and Shane Jacobson, 49, tagging the judges but not mentioning Nicole.
It was a similar case last week when the Sunshine singer appeared on a morning chat show. Ricki’s been honest about feeling insecure in the hosting role, saying she almost passed out from nerves the first day of filming.
“I went, ‘Oh my god, I don’t know what I’m doing!’ Then I was like, ‘Why am I here, what am I doing?!'” she admitted.
WATCH: The Australia’s Got Talent act that leaves Ricki-Lee Coulter in tears. Post continues after video…
Idol feud reignited!
Ricki-Lee has had no problems reigniting a 13-year-long feud with former Australian Idol star and Young Divas bandmate Kate DeAraugo. On radio last week to promote the show, the star made a pointed dig at the Idol winner when asked about their past.
“We don’t really get on, our personalities clashed and I would just rather be anywhere but with her,” she said.
In 2006, Ricki-Lee and Kate joined former Idol alumni Paulini Curuenavuli and Emily Williams to form Aussie pop group Young Divas.
After departing the group in 2007, Ricki-Lee taunted Kate for failing to lose weight through a Jenny Craig ambassadorship, mocking “how unfortunate” it was.
Young Divas were around more than a decade ago.
(Image: Getty Images)Ricki’s hot for “sexy” Manu!
She’s happily married, but Ricki-Lee has a soft spot for her AGT co-star Manu Feildel, 45.
When asked who her favourite judge was on the new panel, Ricki quickly revealed it was the hunky My Kitchen Rules chef, who is a married father-of-two.
“He just smoulders at you with those brown eyes in his French accent and you get a bit hot under the collar sometimes,” she admitted, before revealing she thought Manu was “very sexy”.
“You get a bit hot under the collar sometimes.”
(Image: manufeildelofficial)