The Australian Idol 2023 competition has shattered the dreams of Jasey Fox and Maya Weiss, who did not gain enough votes to continue in the competition.

And while the 26-year-old said that “setbacks” were a natural part of the course, he did agree with judge Kyle Sandilands that the show was a “popularity contest”.

“The first thing is that Maya and I are older and have less friends and family who are really keen,” Fox admitted in an interview with Chattr after his elimination.

“Everybody is supportive but we’ve been doing this for years. So this isn’t life or death, really. Whereas for the people who got through, I think that they have a lot of people behind them. That is exactly what happens.

“It’s true. It is a popularity contest and I’ve never won a popularity contest in my whole life,” he said. “And I was not expecting to win this one. But I’m very grateful that I got to the point that I got to.”

Jasey Fox was eleven years older than the youngest contestant

While 26 isn’t over the hill by any means, the seasoned performer was the oldest male in the competition, eleven years older than the youngest contestant.

“It wasn’t a representative of an even playing field on either side of things,” he said. “I really just don’t think that there’s such thing as being rejected or an actual setback. It’s just a redirection, and I have a lot of hope for the future for myself and especially for Maya. It’s just a TV show at the end of the day.

“It matters what you do after the show and how you handle difficulty as well as the successes.”

While he knows he has talent (doesn’t he ever), the “competition” wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, especially because it took him back to his childhood as a competitve dancer.

“The competition was sort of a difficult thing for me,” he said. “I’m not competitive in any way. I’m only extremely competitive with myself, and I want to do very well. However, a competitive environment is not something I take well to. It doesn’t make me feel good, and it was bothering me, if I’m very honest.”

He added: “I’ve known I wasn’t going to win the whole time I was there,” he said. “The most important thing was sharing my artistry.”

Australian Idol airs 7.00 pm Sunday and 7.30 pm Monday and Tuesday on Channel 7 and 7plus.

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