It’s been 15 years since Australian Idol first hit our TV screens, and while the show is no longer with us, we’ll always have the memories.
But if you’re anything like us, you still lie awake sometimes at night and think, “I wonder what Cosima De Vito is up to now?”
Well, wonder no more, friends. We’ve dug deep on some of our favourites from the very first season, and this is what we found…
Guy Sebastian
One of the most successful acts from the Australian Idol franchise, Guy, 36, was the show’s very first winner and went on to do big things.
Since first appearing on the show back in 2003, Guy has so far released eight albums, and won several awards, including ARIAs.
He’s now a dad of two boys with wife Jules, and has sung for several big-name celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, who specifically requested him when she was in Australia.
But our personal highlight is when he became the first artist to represent Australia in the Eurovision song contest in 2015.
Cosima De Vito
Cosima, 41, was a favourite to win the first season, making it to the top three. But after being diagnosed with nodules on her vocal chords, she was forced to dramatically bow out of the competition.
The following year though, she released her debut album, Cosima, and created her own record label, CDV Records, prompting many to accuse her of faking her nodules for publicity.
In 2004, she ran into legal issues with her management team, which dragged on for years, but she still continued to perform and put out new music.
Most recently though, Cosima has been focusing on being a first-time mum, after welcoming daughter Amelia with husband Augusto De Romanis this year.
Paulini Curuenavuli
Paulini, 35, has found herself in some trouble lately.
After coming in fourth in the competition, things were great for a while. She released a few albums, recorded a song with Ronan Keating, joined a girl group called Young Divas, and more recently, landed the lead role in the Australian theatre production of The Bodyguard.
Then everything started to go south. Young Divas broke up, and while still making music, she couldn’t quite recreate the success of her early career.
She was also faced with the threat of jail time, after bribing a government official to unlawfully obtain a driver’s licence, but in December, she was handed a six-month suspended sentence instead.
Levi Kereama
Tragically, Levi died in October, 2008.
The 23-year-old had just played at Brisbane’s Parklife Festival when police were called to his hotel later that same evening.
An emotional Guy Sebastian performed at his funeral, telling mourners Levi had been his best friend on the show.
Rob Mills
Following Idol, the 35-year-old had a highly publicised fling with Paris Hilton in 2003, and released an album, Up All Night.
Speaking about his personal life in a 2015 interview with another former Idol star, Em Rusciano, Rob – better known as Millsy – admitted to dabbling with cocaine and being “a little bit” gay, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
He also said he ended things with Paris because “she’s not that interesting”.
Millsy kept up appearances on TV, acting on Neighbours, and appearing on the third season of The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
More recently though, he’s been focusing on musical theatre, landing starring roles in several Aussie productions.
He’s appeared onstage in Grease, Hair – alongside fellow Idol alumna Cosima De Vito – Wicked, Legally Blonde and Ghost, just to name a few.
Cle Wootton
Before she appeared on Idol, Cle, 36, was actually a child star, appearing in the kids series, Ship to Shore.
She continued to act after Idol too, with bit roles on Neighbours and The Sleepover Club.
In 2012, she welcomed a baby with her partner, Nicole Karro, and we kind of lost track of her after that.
Kelly Cavuoto
Following her appearance on Idol, Kelly, 37, went on to host Video Hits on Channel 10, alongside fellow Idol star Axle Whitehead.
But she resigned in disgrace in 2004, after getting drunk at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and hurling abuse at Guy Sebastian whenever he appeared on a TV screen.
“She and the network agreed that her behaviour was inappropriate and she regrets her behaviour on that night,” a spokesperson for Channel 10 said at the time, as reported by a Guy Sebastian fan page.
According to the TV network, she resigned because she wanted to “pursue her own musical career”.
And we’re still waiting.
Mathew Chadwick
After turning down an offer to join boy band Mercury4, Mathew returned to school and graduated with a Bachelors in Music from the Queensland Conservatorium.
He then went on to perform at Dracula’s Cabaret Restaurant and was the official Ken - one half of Ken and Barbie - for Mattel. You seriously can't make this sh*t up.
In 2016, he was living in New York City and working as a tour guide for TMZ, as reported by Junkee.
Shannon Noll
Most recently, you may have seen Shannon - better known as Nollsy - on a little show called I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, where he again placed runner up.
One of the more successful stars to come out of Idol, Nollsy, 42, is the only Australian male artist in chart history to have 10 consecutive top 10 singles.
His first single, "What About Me" went platinum four times, and was the highest-selling single in Australia in 2004.
He released his fifth album, Unbroken, in February this year.
But is hasn't all been rosy for Nollsy. He was arrested for drink driving in December 2004, and was again arrested in January 2017 for assaulting a bouncer at an Adelaide strip club.
Axle Whitehead
Although not in the top 12, Axle was a semi-finalist and wildcard on the first season of Australian Idol.
He later went on to host Video Hits alongside fellow contestant Kelly Cavuoto, but was fired after exposing himself onstage at the 2006 ARIA Awards and simulating sex with the trophy he was presenting.
His career recovered though, and the 37-year-old went on to become quite a successful actor.
Locally, he starred on Home and Away and The Secret Life of Us, before moving to Hollywood and landing recurring roles in Shameless and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
He was also awarded Cleo magazine's Bachelor of the Year in 2009.
LISTEN: Guy Sebastian on the guilt of switching off. Post continues below.
Courtney Act
A fellow wildcard contestant, Courtney - also known as Shane Gilberto Jenek - was the first openly gay contestant to appear on a reality talent show.
The 36-year-old has since had a colourful career, placing runner-up in the 2014 season of RuPaul's Drag Race.
She's done ad campaigns for American Apparel, established her own wig company, Wigs By Vanity, and covered the US presidential election as a foreign correspondent for Junkee.
This year, Courtney took out the top spot on Celebrity Big Brother, following an appearance on British reality dating show, Single AF last year.
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