Ian 'Dicko' Dickson

Born:	March 28, 1963 (1963-03-28) (age 44) Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Occupation:	Television presenter
Spouse:	Melanie Bell

Ian "Dicko" Dickson (born 28 March 1955 as Ian Ross Perrygrove in Birmingham, England) is a music industry and television personality in Australia. He is best known as a judge on the hit television show Australian Idol. March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (88th in leap years). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England_(bordered). ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... The County of West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a population of around 2,600,000 people. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (88th in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... Katie Couric hugs country music singer Keith Urban Infotainment or soft news, refers to a part of the wider news trade that provides information in a way that is considered entertaining to its viewers, as evident by attraction of a higher market demographic. ... Australian Idol is the Australian version of the hit British TV show Pop Idol. ...

Australian Idol

In the early 1980s he completed a degree in politics from the University of Nottingham before entering music journalism. He met his wife, Mel Bell, in Bristol around the same time. She gave him his jump start in the music industry, soon working for several record companies and managing a growing rotation of bands and artists. In 2001, he moved to Sydney to take up the position of General Manager of Marketing for Sony BMG Australia, and in 2003 took up his best known role, as the (supposed) "Mr. Nasty" on Australian Idol in the first and second seasons. He was initially disliked by a large majority of Australians for his insensitive cold attitude (including controversial comments on a female contestant's weight), but towards the end of tenure became hugely popular for his candid assessments of Idol's performances. He was also Australia's judge at the first World Idol in December 2003. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... The University of Nottingham is a leading research and teaching university in the city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands of England. ... View from Cumberland Basin of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920, in the city limits. ... BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group) is one of the six divisions of Bertelsmann. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... World Idol (Germany: SuperStar Weltweit, Middle East: SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other. ... December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → Events December 31, 2003 In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian signs a law that allows referendums to be held. ...

Role with Seven

Near the end of the 2004 series, it was announced he would be leaving Australian Idol (and Network Ten) to take up a job at the Seven Network to broaden his interests as a presenter and producer. His departure came at the height of the show's and his own popularity. His heavy criticism of the show's format wearing thin proved to be true throughout the third season as lackluster ratings and the quality of the overall contestants were enough to support his claims. Critics have also pointed out his replacement 'shock jock' Kyle Sandilands, whose criticisms of contestants focuses primarily on image and are often seen as cruel as opposed to Dicko's constructive style, as a factor in the show's decline. He began his new career direction with by founding his own production company "Watercooler Productions". As a member of the Seven roster, he has since gone on to host the restaurant reality show My Restaurant Rules succeeding previous host Curtis Stone, and appear on the celebrity dancing competition Dancing with the Stars in which he placed third. He returned to the series as a guest judge during the fifth series in which he provided contestants with comments based on "entertainment value". shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Australian Idol is the Australian version of the hit British TV show Pop Idol. ... This article is about the Australian television network. ... The Seven Network is an Australian television network. ... Kyle Sandilands (born June 10, 1971 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian radio host, best known for hosting with Jackie O the weekday morning radio program The Kyle and Jackie O Show and The Kyle and Jackie O Hour of Power. ... My Restaurant Rules is an Australian reality television series that airs on the Seven Network. ... Curtis Stone is an Australian-born chef. ... Dancing with the Stars is an Australian television series based on the British Strictly Come Dancing. ...

In December 2005, Dicko hosted the morning show on Sydney & Melbourne radio stations vega 95.3 and vega 91.5 both part of the Vega radio network. In April 2006 he appeared as a guest judge on the SBS programme Song For The Socceroos ^[1] and in November 2006 he appeared as a panelist on the ABC's "My Favourite Album". Vega FM is a network of Australian commercial radio stations operated by DMG Radio Australia. ... The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ...

In 2006 he was the host of Celebrity Survivor, the Seven Network's celebrity version of Survivor. His last role for the network saw him praised by critics for his strong performance in a weak series. Celebrity Survivor, also known promotionally as Celebrity Survivor: Vanuatu and Australias Celebrity Survivor, is an Australian television series currently screening on the Seven Network and based on the popular reality television show Survivor. ... For the current season, see Survivor: Fiji. ...

Return to Idol

On November 30, 2006, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Dickson would return to the Ten Network to become a fourth judge on the 2007 Australian Idol competition, rejoining Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and his successor Kyle Sandilands^[2]. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ten Network logo Network TEN so called because it broadcasts on Channel TEN in most cities, is Australias third but possibly most profitable television network. ... Australian Idol is the Australian version of the hit British TV show Pop Idol. ... Mark Holden is an Australian singer and television personality, who is one of three judges on Australian Idol and The X Factor. ... Marcia Hines (born July 23, 1953) is an American born singer who achieved great success in her adopted homeland of Australia. ... Kyle Sandilands (born June 10, 1971 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian radio host, best known for hosting with Jackie O the weekday morning radio program The Kyle and Jackie O Show and The Kyle and Jackie O Hour of Power. ...

Dickson has attributed his return to being tired of the constant displacement of his talent by the Seven Network, the clear improvement of the show's format and high caliber of the fourth season's contestants. He says his role as the harsh but honest judge which endeared him to many was the one he was most comfortable with.

"Look, I loved Australian Idol. Basically, everything I have now would not have happened without Idol. I probably went a bit cold on it last year. This year, I think it’s back with a vengeance - I’m actually addicted to it. I did feel a bit jealous at times, looking at the show still going on without me. I left because, I guess, I didn’t want to become a pantomime baddie. I didn’t want to become too predictable. Plus, I’ll be honest; I’m in it for the money as well"

This also comes after a controversial rant he made just months before in which he described his then former co-judge Mark Holden as ""mind-numbingly stupid and erratic" and his successor Kyle Sandilands as "a bit of a loud-mouth jerk". He concluded by labeling winner of the second season, the last winner under his employment, Casey Donovan as a "horrible disaster" alluding to her short lived success and being the first Idol to be dropped from Sony BMG. ^[3] Mark Holden is an Australian singer and television personality, who is one of three judges on Australian Idol and The X Factor. ... Kyle Sandilands (born June 10, 1971 in Brisbane, Queensland) is an Australian radio host, best known for hosting with Jackie O the weekday morning radio program The Kyle and Jackie O Show and The Kyle and Jackie O Hour of Power. ... People named Casey Donovan include: Casey Donovan, winner of the second season of Australian Idol Casey Donovan, a gay porn star This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Memorable Quotes

Australian Idol Australian Idol is the Australian version of the hit British TV show Pop Idol. ...

To various audition hopefuls in the first season -

• "That's not a voice, that's a weapon of mass destruction"
• "If the Bee Gees heard you sing that, you would finish the other brothers off"
• "I'm not signing someone who looks like they could get beaten in a fight by Nikki Webster"
• "Your voice should come with a government health warning"
• "You've got looks that could stop traffic but unfortunately you've got a voice that could strip wallpaper"
• "You.. shut up, how can you expect us to judge that?"
• "Your voice isn't strong enough to overcome the way you look."
• "So, you choose to worship God through your voice do you? Have you thought about taking a vow of silence?"
• "We're not asking you to memorize the Koran, it's a bloody pop song!"
• "I can think of a perfect place for you to go and sing....The Nullarbor. A big expansive nothingness where no one can hear you. That was shocking."

• "You should choose more appropriate clothing or shed some pounds." - To first season contestant Paulini Curuenavuli which would gain him nationwide furor.
• "You're the best unsigned talent I've ever seen actually" - To first season winner Guy Sebastian
• "That was the finest performance I have seen on that stage in the two years we've been doing this. You may only be 5'2" but you're the biggest man in the house after that" - To second season runner-up Anthony Callea after his performance of "The Prayer"

World Idol Nikki Webster (born April 30, 1987) is an Australian pop star and glamour model. ... The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... NASA - Visible Earth, Nullarbor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Guy Theodore Sebastian (born October 26, 1981) is an Australian singer-songwriter and winner of the first Australian Idol TV talent competition quest in 2003. ... Anthony Cosmo Callea (born December 13, 1982 in Melbourne) to Italian parents is an ARIA Award winning Australian singer and was the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. ... This article is about song by Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli, for another song by the same name, see The Prayer (Bloc Party song) . The Prayer is a duet between Céline Dion and Andrea Bocelli. ... World Idol (Germany: SuperStar Weltweit, Middle East: SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other. ...

• "Who says the Germans don't have a sense of humor? Because that was a comedy routine I'm afraid!" - To German Idol Alexander Klaws

• "You're a hell of a marketing challenge because you have the voice of an angel but you look like a hobbit! And the fact is, if we were looking for Middle Earth Idol I think you would absolutely hands down win it!" - To Norwegian Idol and eventual World Idol Kurt Nilsen which widely considered the most humorous and well received comment of the night.

Alexander Klaws (born September 3, 1983 in Ahlen, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German pop singer, who came to fame as the winner of the first season of the television show Deutschland sucht den SuperStar, the German version of Pop Idol. ... Cover of CD A Part Of Me Kurt Erik Nilsen ( September 29, 1978 in Bergen, Norway), won the Norwegian version of the television show Pop Idol, aired on TV 2 in May 2003. ...

Trivia

• On Australia Day (January 26th) 2007, Dickson became an Australian citizen. He has lived in Australia for over 5 years with his wife, Melanie Bell, and two daughters^[4].

• Is good friends with his Pop Idol / American Idol counterpart Simon Cowell going back to their days working together in the British music industry. It was Cowell who convinced Dickson take the role as the "villain judge" despite Dickson's reserves given that he was relatively new to his adopted homeland and wanted to settle at a gradual pace. Cowell guaranteed immediate money and fame as incentives. [1]

• On an episode of the ABC Australia news program 4 Corners broadcast on 19 February 2007, Dickson went public and discussed his problems with alcohol. The program followed how he attempted to give up alcohol altogether, however several weeks in Dickson broke from his attempt at abstinence. During the program he admitted that he was an alcoholic. "Am I an alcoholic or not? Yes, I think, I think I am an alcoholic. I think a lot more people are living under the cosh of booze than they are prepared to recognise. And it's actually quite liberating when you understand that, because you realise there's lots of people in the same boat. You don't have to be sitting on a street corner urinating in your trousers and shadow boxing to be a drunk. I'm living proof." [2]

Australia Day is Australias official national day, 26 January. ... The word citizen may refer to: A person with a citizenship Citizen Watch Co. ... This article is about the British television series. ... AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ... Simon Philip Cowell (Born 7 October 1959) is an English artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom, but is best known as a judge on the television programs Pop Idol, The X Factor and American Idol. ... Four Corners is Australias longest-running and most respected investigative journalism/current affairs television program. ...

References

External Links

• Ian "Dicko" Dickson at the Internet Movie Database
• Dicko at MySpace