Natalie Gauci has returned to competitive reality telly once more – the “Here I Am” chanteuse (true OGs will know) performed in The Voice‘s blind auditions last night, 13 years after winning the 5th season of Australian Idol.
Singing Sia’s “The Greatest”, Gauci caught the attention of judge Guy Sebastian – a fellow Oz Idol winner – and subsequently chose him to be her mentor.
Speaking with 9Now, Gauci talked candidly about her win back in ’07, and the subsequent impact it had on her life.
“Australian Idol was the catalyst to my career. It gave me the opportunity to be in front of millions of people really quickly,” she recounted. “I felt like winning was part of my destiny, but instead I was burning the candle at both ends.”
Gauci admits she “wasn’t prepared for the outside world and all that fame so quickly.”
“I didn’t know who I was anymore, so I turned to drugs and alcohol.”
She momentarily said goodbye to the biz, and it was through spiritual healing and meditation that ultimately enabled Gauci to find herself once more. “I created a whole new persona to rebuild myself again into Natalie Gauci. And it took me seven years to do that.”
Peep her performance below, and prepare to start swimming in a sea of nostalgia.
Catch up on all the eps via 9Now.
