Top 10 are back in town to prepare for finale
Updated Thu. Sep. 14 2006 1:39 PM ET

Eye on Idol

After being scattered to the four corners of the country by the show's weekly eliminations, the members of Canadian Idol's Top 10 have made the pilgrimage back to Toronto to prepare for their last hurrah on the Idol stage.

They will spend the next few days meeting fans, making public appearances, and most importantly, practicing for Sunday's finale, which will see them perform a group number together for the last time.

While some, such as Top 3 finalist Tyler Lewis, were only home for a few days, others like Top 10 finisher Kati Durst have been out of the Idol loop for almost two months. But no matter when they left the show, every competitor lamented the friendships they had to leave and said they were already looking forward to this week's reunion.

Eye on Idol interviewed friends and family members of the Top 10 as they were moving into the mansion so many weeks ago, before they returned to their communities as local heroes and national celebrities.

Here's what their nearest and dearest wanted you to know about your Top 10:

Calvin Sharpe (Craig's father):

Craig is quite a quiet person. Since he came here, being involved with the group, he's come out of his shell. I can see him maturing. I can see a difference in him all the time since he's been working with the producers and all the people at Canadian Idol.

Carlos Avila (Eva's father):

I see her more confident on stage and I know she's learning a lot of tricks of the trade. I've seen a big change. It feels like she is doing what I wasn't able to do (as a musician). I never had an opportunity like this growing up. I'm very, very proud.

Neil Lewis (Tyler's father):


We always knew he was really musically inclined, but we never knew it would go this far. It's just not likely in a small town. When he first grabbed a set of drumsticks it was like he was born with them. It was amazing!

Debbie Doucette (Chad's mom):


I am so proud. We went home on a whirlwind trip when he was getting his bio for the show taped and people were cheering for him from all over Nova Scotia. In our community we have a small grocery store where everyone gathers and everyone was asking about Chad.

Sandra Toscano (Steffi's mom):


Steffi is very versatile. She could adapt to anything. It's beyond what we ever expected. When she was tiny, she was looking at TV and was like "I want to go in that television." She is a great actress and really brings that to any piece she does, 100 per cent all the time.

Adam Thibert (Ashley's boyfriend):


I think the best parts of her personality have really come out. She's definitely happier. We're all happier. This is what she's meant to do, I knew it from the day I met her. It's awesome to finally see it happen. I've never seen her perform like the way she does on this show, it's amazing.

Julie (Rob's girlfriend):


I've known him for ten years, and ever since I've known Rob, he's always loved singing and performing. When he tried out for Canadian Idol I was really proud of him because everyone knew who he was already, and that makes it harder. To see him continue to pursue his dream, it made me really happy.

Holly Jones (Brandon's mom):

I remember years ago before he could even talk, he was singing. He said four years ago, "Mom, I want to do Canadian Idol," and I said "you know what, we will do Canadian Idol whenever you get 16." He's been working hard to get here. He loves a crowd, loves a camera, loves to make people happy and watch their reaction to what he's doing.

Garrett Norris (Sarah's brother):

She's definitely grown as an artist for sure. I've seen her stage presence grow but she's stayed pretty down to earth and grounded. Growing up, she was always centre stage. She's been a performer from day one.

Kelly Durst (Kati's sister):

I think it's fantastic to see Kati in this competition. She's wanted an opportunity to do this for so long. It's great seeing Goderich represented, too, because there's a lot of talent there. I'm glad she stayed true to herself and really gave us songs that were representative of her.