Deb Street from Narre Warren, left, is celebrating winning this year’s Berwick Show Idol with one of the event organisers Naomi Horsley. 27870 Picture: Meagan Rogers
By Kelly Yates
PERFORMERS battled it out on stage on Saturday in the hope of being crowned the first Berwick Show Idol.
Judges Kerrigan LaBrooy, Jessica-Jade Bruce and Frank Deegan, owner of the Central Hotel in Beaconsfield, had the hard task of choosing the winners, according to one of the organisers Naomi Horsley.
“The competition attracted 51 contestants in the open and junior categories. We had singers and musicians of all genres including classical, contemporary and musical theatre,” she said.
“Every contestant brought their own talents and skills to the competition.”
Narre Warren singer Deb Street walked away with the title of this year’s Berwick Show Idol.
Ms Street, who performed a version of One by U2, said she was shocked at winning the open section event.
“Competing in the event was emotional as I’d only just heard during the day that a friend had passed away from throat cancer,” she said.
“So I did it for him.”
Ms Street began singing as the lead singer in her primary school band, The Carpenters Kids.
“Singing for me is a stress relief and my first love,” she said.
Second place in the Berwick Show Idol open category went to 76-year-old yodeller Harry Rose and third place was awarded to Emily Mulholland.
The junior section winner of the Berwick Show Idol competition was Frankston singer Sheralyn Hill.
The nine-year-old sang an unforgettable version of You’ll Never Walk Alone, according to Ms Horsley.
“She’s a tiny girl with such a huge and powerful voice,” she said.
Second place in the junior section went to Amber Auffray from Berwick and third place was presented to 10-year-old Remi Meleka from Glen Waverley.
The audience also got to have their say with the Berwick Show Idol’s People’s Choice Award, with Bridget Ioannou taking home the prize.
More than $1000 was raised from the Berwick Show Idol, with all of the funds going to the Cancer Council Victoria’s Relay for Life.
The Berwick Show Idol contestants will be performing at the Central Hotel in Beaconsfield this Saturday.
For more information please call Wayne Smith on 0417 389 039.
