Kyle, Harry, Meghan & Amy to judge Australian Idol.

Seven has unveiled its judges for Australian Idol 2023: Harry Connick Jr, Meghan Trainor, Amy Shark and the return of Kyle Sandilands.

Hosts are Ricki-Lee – who was discovered on Idol in 2004 – and former E! host Scott Tweedie.

Harry Connick Jnr said: “I’m looking forward to hearing all the new talent! I love the camaraderie with the judges, the excitement of the crowd and the fun of it all. I love the idea of musical competition; it forces performers to focus on a bunch of things that contribute to their development as artists.”

Meghan Trainor said: “Idol is an iconic show. I grew up watching it and I am honoured to be involved. I can’t wait to sit front row and meet new talent. I haven’t been to Australia since 2015, so I’m really excited to get to see the whole country and basically get to live there!”

Amy Shark said: “I’m excited about the auditions. It’s going to be pretty special to find that diamond in the rough and then see how they progress through the show. Idol has changed the lives of so many artists in the past, so I’m excited to be part of that.”

Kyle Sandilands said: “I’ve done all the shows over the years, pretty much all of them, but Australian Idol is the big one. We all know the stars that came out of Idol. We actually found someone to idolise in the music industry in Australia every year with Idol.”

Ricki-Lee said: “This show changed my life, so it has always held a very special place in my heart. I love that I can be part of it 18 years later. I’m excited to see the amazing talent that walks through the doors at auditions, and I can’t wait to see Australia fall in love with a new generation of Aussie talent.”

Scott Tweedie said: “I can’t wait to unearth great local talent. Part of our job is to throw a spotlight on the best of Aussie music every way we can. We’ve got the dream team ready to deliver the showtime energy and bangers Idol is famous for.”

The series originally ran from 2003 – 2009 discovering such names as Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Matt Corby, Ricki-Lee, Anthony Callea, Stan Walker, Casey Donovan, Rob Mills and Courtney Act. Seven announced its return for 2021, but it was delayed by the pandemic.

The network held off its return in the hope of returning to full crowds and ambitions for Live to air shows (yet to be confirmed).

Audition rounds will shoot in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast from Tuesday with singers aged 15- 28.

Seven’s Chief Content Officer: Entertainment Programming, Angus Ross, said: “Harry, Meghan, Kyle and Amy are superstars and understand better than anyone what it takes to get to the top in the music industry. Our search for the next idol to capture the nation’s attention couldn’t be in better hands.

“Idol is the biggest show in the world and Seven is the home of epic television franchises. We can’t wait to bring the Idol magic to our audience in 2023.”

Paul Franklin, Co-CEO of Eureka Productions said: “At Eureka we are proud to be bringing a new production of Australian Idol to the audience on Seven. This global blockbuster from Fremantle is among the most iconic talent shows in the world, and with such an impressive line-up of international talent on the judging panel, this is shaping up to be a sensational new season.”

Australian Idol is produced for the Seven Network by Eureka Productions.