GOLD Coast singing star Stan Walker, 18, is the early favourite to win reality TV series Australian Idol.

Betting agencies have already started taking bets on who will win the singing competition, with Coolangatta menswear retailer Walker (right) at $4.75.

Melbourne brickie Scott Newnham ($5) and Queensland's Kim Cooper ($6) are on the next lines of betting. Newcastle's Tim Johnston is the outsider at $31.

Despite the odds, under fire new Idol judge Jay Dee Springbett said it was `too early' to declare a front runner.

Springbett who replaced shock jock Kyle Sandilands as a judge after Sandilands was sacked over a controversial segment on his Sydney-based radio show in July has rejected criticism that he is boring, saying his job is `to find talent, not to be a clown'.

Springbett has come under scrutiny with some fans saying he's not as interesting as Sandilands.
But Springbett said he wasn't bothered: ``I feel like I'm starting to find my feet.''

``I'm not here to be a clown. I'm here to unearth talent