TWO weeks ago, Scott Newnham was a brickie on Melbourne building sites. Now he is the early favourite to win Australian Idol.



The 20-year-old floored judges Marcia Hines, Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Jay Dee Springbett with his version of Chris Brown's Run It on Wednesday night.

TV viewers were also impressed and have voted the Mt Evelyn brickie through to the final 12 on the talent show, the Herald Sun reports.

It is all the more surprising because Newnham hadn't sung in public until a week ago. Even his mum and dad didn't know he had singing talent.

"This is a massive head-spin, a lot to take in - like the buzz of riding a rollercoaster," Newnham says of his quick success.

"I'd only really sung in the shower and the car and done karaoke before this."

yes the boy can sing yes the boy has a chance but my money on to win idol is stan good luck to them both but i truly believe stan will take this out

The only downside to Newnham's rapid rise is that he has had to pull the pin on playing in the finals for the Montrose Football Club - he plays on the wing - to concentrate on Idol.

It is worth it to grab the chance to win and make his own album.

He lists his music heroes as Michael Jackson, Usher, Justin Timberlake and Ne-Yo as well as Brown.

"If I got the chance to make an album it would be R&B/hip hop music. Every time you're at a party and that style of music comes on, everybody starts dancing. I love seeing the smiles on their faces."

Newnham is trying to keep a lid on the expectations that come with being an early favourite. He knows the show is littered with contestants who have flamed out after a bright start.

He is confident, though, that he is versatile enough to cover all the music styles.

"Now I have to step it up a notch. Every time you do something well, they expect you to do something better the next time. But everyone else in the group has got that pressure as well," he said.

"Early on I thought 'I don't know how far I'm going to get in this competition - I'm in way over my head here'. But with the feedback I'm getting I'm really confident."