My, how you’ve changed! Australian Idol hosts James Mathison and Osher Günsberg reunite on Studio 10 – 18 years after the talent show’s premiere
James Mathison and Osher Günsberg were two of the country’s biggest stars when they joined forces to host Australian Idol in 2003.
And the duo served serious dad energy on Tuesday when they reunited on Studio 10 to discuss the talent show’s return to television next year.
Osher, 47, and James, 43, both said they were confident the format would still work with a modern audience.
Comeback: Former Australian Idol hosts James Mathison (left) and Osher Günsberg (right) reunited on Studio 10 on Tuesday to discuss the talent show’s return to television next year
Osher said that talent shows these days are all about the contestants’ stories.
‘I still think someone like Guy [Sebastian] or Shannon [Noll] could win a new series of Idol. But it has got to be about the singer; it can’t be about the judges,’ he added.
‘When you think about the access people have to artists, it’s in their hands. So they need to know the [back]story to get involved.’
I’m in: James went on to say people were ‘mad for nostalgia’ with him believing in a successful reboot of the beloved series. Osher agreed a reboot will work
James also said Australians ‘are mad for nostalgia’, which means Idol’s reboot will like be a success when it lands on Channel Seven next year.
‘I really think it could work,’ he noted.
James admitted he was ready to host the show if that’s what the network wants.
Vintage: James said the show’s point of difference was the idea they were genuinely trying to create a musical superstar was appealing. Here on Australian Idol
James and Osher, who have been friends for the past 18 years, have launched a new podcast called Idle Australians.
The podcast, which is unrelated to the Idol franchise, sees the pair investigate unsung heroes from Australian history.
‘We talked to the guy who invented Wi-Fi, the man who invented chicken salt,’ James said of the series.
New venture: James and Osher, who have remained friends for the past 18 years, have launched a new podcast called ‘Idle Australians’. Middle: Marcia Hines and Mark Holden
‘It’s about unpacking parts of Australian culture and how we got to now,’ Osher added.
The pair also spoke to the person who created the iconic ‘Not happy, Jan!’ adverts for the Yellow Pages, which became ‘part of our cultural narrative.’
‘We had a fantastic talk about that moment,’ Osher said, to which James added: ‘We’ve loved telling these stories.’
Podcasters: Osher went on to say how they spoke with the creator of the ‘Not Happy Jan’ commercial which became ‘part of our cultural narrative’. Here: Sydney, 2008