Dylan Wright was crowned the winner of Australian Idol 2024 during the season’s Grand Finale on March 25 and has revealed what he plans to do with his career.
Upon winning, Dylan now has a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment Australia and is $100k richer. While his new single has dropped, he told Chattr in a post-win interview that he’s putting his career on hold for a little longer.
“The first thing we’re going to do is have a holiday or go camping as a family. Turn the phones off and just enjoy our time together,” he said, before speaking of his earnings: “It’s going all into my career and writing and recording. It will go so far.”
Investing in his future also means investing in the future of his daughters, Piper, four and Rivi, one – whom he reveals, have been “so good” throughout the process.
“It’s just so surreal,” he said. “They’ve got no idea what’s happening at all. But they’ve been so good about being dragged from the hotel room to being in the car and going to grandma’s.
“They’ve just been the best. I couldn’t have asked for better girls in my life.”
Beating out Amy Reeves (runner-up) and Denvah Baker-Moller (second runner-up), the 30-year-old from the Northern Rivers said he was speechless.
“I don’t think it’s going to sink for a month or two,” he said.
“I was so shocked. Just completely shocked. I just remember seeing confetti and looking at my family and being like, ‘What is happening?’”
Before auditioning for Idol, Dylan was ready to give up his dream; however, thanks to support from his high-school sweetheart, he decided to “give it a go”.
“There had been moments where I’ve wanted to and Georgia said, ‘What are you doing? You’re an idiot?’” he recalled.
“I was just playing at empty bars, and playing when you think no one’s listening. It was draining. So, I thought why not just give it a go on this show that I have watched as a kid and see what I can learn because you can never stop learning.”
The Grand Finale of Seven’s Australian Idol recorded a total TV national reach of 1,837,000, a total TV national audience of 955,000, and a BVOD audience of 69,000.