Sandilands slated by former Idol Paulini

Friday Oct 6

A former Australian Idol contestant has lashed out at the reality television show's outspoken judge Kyle Sandilands, saying he "doesn't know anything" because he's not "musically there".

Paulini, who knows all too well the humiliation of being ridiculed on the show after Ian "Dicko" Dickson told her to lose weight or wear more appropriate clothing when she donned a Charlie Brown gold dress, said Sandilands' criticisms were useless.

The radio shock jock has continually come under fire for taunting wannabe pop stars with controversial jibes, such as "lose the jelly belly" to teenage contestant Jessica Mauboy last month.

He this week caused an uproar among advocacy groups for the disabled when he said some people he had spoken to thought Brisbane's Bobby Flynn was a "full mong" while others thought he was brilliant.

Sandilands also provoked the ire of politicians concerned about television fuelling negative perceptions about body image when he said 2005 Idol winner Kate DeAraugo had "tuckshop-lady arms".

Paulini, a finalist in the first Idol series in 2003, defended Flynn, saying he was her favourite performer out of this year's crop of finalists, whom she described as the most talented yet.

"Look, I don't care what Kyle says cause he doesn't know anything, he really doesn't and I think Bobby's awesome," she said.

"Sometimes they just say something like that to make the show a bit interesting and unfortunately it has to be something really bad or they have to make fun of them.

"I don't find any of his criticisms of any use at all - I don't think he's musically there ... out of the three of them (the judges)."

She also weighed into the debate surrounding whether judge Marcia Hines mimed Disco Inferno on Monday night's show.

Some viewers claimed her mouth didn't appear to be moving, that the microphone was nowhere near her mouth, and that she was "jumping all over the stage".

"Nah, I don't think she did. She can sing and I've seen her live at one of her shows ... and she's awesome, she sings like there's no tomorrow," Paulini said.