Former Australian Idol choose Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson has opened up concerning the ongoing fallout from his notorious feedback to singer Paulini in the course of the first season of the present.
In feedback aired in 2003, Dicko critiqued Paulini after she’d carried out a rendition of the Destiny’s Child hit Survivor – however as an alternative targeted on her look and outfit, a figure-hugging gold gown.
He informed the 20-year-old hopeful she “should choose more appropriate clothes or shed some pounds”, sparking a nationwide controversy as viewers accused him of fat-shaming.
Speaking to fellow I’m A Celeb contestant Woody Whitelaw in final evening’s episode, Dickson opened up about what, 20 years later, stays the most important controversy of his profession.
“If Paulini had come to be at the record company and said, ‘This is what I’m wearing to the ARIAs,’ I would have advised her against it. If she’d have walked a red carpet wearing that 20 years ago, there would have been comments in women’s magazines,” he stated.
But, Dicko revealed, he was quickly to be taught his feedback had far-reaching results. After the season aired, he obtained a letter from a viewer whose daughter had been admitted to hospital for anorexia.
“He said, ‘This is your fault. She’s an Australian Idol fan, and when you said that comment to Paulini, she spiralled out of control. She’s now in hospital, she might die, and if she does, I’m going to hold you personally responsible.”
He revealed that finally he spoke to the daddy, in what was a “pretty terse conversation”.
He then sought recommendation from a psychologist buddy, who informed him that consuming issues may be triggered by actual world occasions, “and you have to accept that what you said might have been the trigger”.
“To feel that my words had driven a beautiful young girl, the apple of her father’s eye, into a hospital ward where she could die, is really hard,” Dicko stated, breaking down in tears.
“You’ve got to accept responsibility, you know? In that long society struggle, I’m one of the villains, and I can’t change that. I’d like to have learned from it; I’d like the world to have learned from it.”
And he insisted he had modified his methods.
“I certainly don’t have the slightest inkling of bailing someone up for the way they look these days.”
Dicko additionally spoke concerning the ‘gold dress’ controversy in one other scene at camp final week, as MAFS star Domenica Calarco requested him concerning the fallout from the scandal.
“[If it had happened now], I’d be tarred and feathered. I wouldn’t be on this show now,” Dicko stated.
“I said 11 very banal words, that just sent the country into a tailspin. I’m a straight shooter, but these days I’ve had my arrows confiscated. I promise you, there are thoughts going on in this head, on this show, that I can’t verbalise,” he stated.
“Would I say it today? No I wouldn’t, but I’m a different person today and the world’s different.”
Speaking to news.com.au in 2017, Paulini herself stated she thought occasions had modified for the higher because the notorious second.
“I think it has changed a lot; there’s no way anyone could do that today. People would just be outraged. There’s no way,” she stated.
“And anyway, they shouldn’t be able to. These are often young kids standing up there being judged. We have so many problems with young girls who don’t think they’re skinny enough. There’s so much pressure about this mould that you have to fit into – it’s all crap.”
Meanwhile, one other former Australian Idol star, Ricki-Lee Coulter, spoke out this week concerning the brutal backstage battle that led to her quitting the pop group Young Divas.
Speaking on the Chart Beats podcast, Coulter revealed her time within the group – made up of 4 former Idol contestants, Paulini included – got here to an abrupt finish when she met with an unnamed particular person from group’s crew to tell him she’d misplaced her voice and couldn’t carry out that evening.
“He was so enraged. He lost his mind. I’m a 20-year-old girl, having an adult conversation with a grown-a** man. He was yelling, screaming, and then he threw a sandwich in my face,” she stated.
“That was very much the end of it for me. My voice is my career, and that’s how you’re going to react? I thought it was so embarrassing for him.”
I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! continues 7.30pm Tuesday on Ten
Originally revealed as Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson reveals horror fallout from notorious ‘gold dress’ scandal
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
