Idol make or break for Coast's Carl

November 10, 2007 11:00pm

GOLD Coast crooner Carl Riseley will need all the support his home state can muster to help him reach the Australian Idol grand final.

After scraping into the Top 12 with a wildcard entry and being billed as the underdog throughout the competition, Riseley is Centrebet's rank outsider behind Sydney's Matt Corby and Melbourne's Natalie Gauci to win the singing contest.

Despite the odds against him, the jazz singer isn't nervous about tonight's performance, which will decide whether he makes the show's final at the Sydney Opera House on November 25.

"No (I'm not nervous). I've had a fair bit of experience with it over the last few weeks," he said.

"I think the big-band week was the hardest for me, with all the pressure being put on me."

With no formal singing training behind him, the Royal Australian Navy trumpet player has been the show's biggest improver, surprising many, including himself, with his inclusion in the Top 3.

"It's crazy because I honestly never expected to get through the semi-finals," he said.

Tonight Riseley, 24, will perform a song picked by the viewers and one of his own favourites. "I guess it's make or break," he said.

Australian Idol airs tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 10


http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0...5003421,00.html

I saw this today. He has done really well and improved so much.