Casey Donovan (singer)
Casey Donovan | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 13, 1988 Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, performer, television presenter |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Known for | Winner of Australian Idol season 2 (2004), winner of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia season 3 (2017) |
Casey Donovan (born 13 May 1988) is an Australian vocalist and performer, widely recognized for securing victory in the Australian Idol second season in 2004 when she was just 16 years old, making her the youngest champion in the show's history. In 2017, she emerged as the winner of the third season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. Additionally, Donovan served as the host for the music show Fusion with Casey Donovan on NITV.
Early life
Donovan was born in Bankstown, New South Wales and is of Indigenous heritage. She comes from a musically inclined family, with her father and uncles performing in the country music group The Donovans. Her artistic abilities were nurtured during her education at Condell Park High School, with significant encouragement from her mother and stepfather.
2004–2006: Australian Idol and debut album For You
In 2004, Donovan attended the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney and auditioned for the second season of Australian Idol, choosing to sing "A Million Tears" by Kasey Chambers. Throughout the competition, she earned a Deadly Award for Most Promising New Talent in Music. In November, she was declared the winner, surpassing favourite contestant Anthony Callea. Shortly after her win, a national advertisement by sponsor Telstra mistakenly linked her name to an unrelated memorial website for an American adult film star; Telstra issued an apology for this error.
Australian Idol Performances
| Week | Theme | Song | Artist | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | N/A | "A Million Tears" | Kasey Chambers | Selected |
| Theatre Round Day 1 |
N/A (a cappella) | 6,8,12 | Brian McKnight | Advanced |
| Theatre Round Day 2 |
Group Performance | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" with Em Rusciano, Liza Schulberg and Yasmine Dia |
Stevie Wonder | Advanced |
| Theatre Round Day 3 |
Solo Performance | "Exodus" | Evanescence | Advanced |
| Top 30 | Semi-final Group No. 3 | "Here's Where I Stand" (Touchdown) | Tiffany Taylor | Advanced |
| Top 12 | Australian-Made Music | "Symphony of Life" | Tina Arena | Safe |
| Top 11 | Pop Music | "Don't Speak" | No Doubt | Safe |
| Top 10 | Songs of the Sixties | "Somebody to Love" | Jefferson Airplane | Safe |
| Top 9 | Disco Hits | "Shake Your Groove Thing" | Peaches & Herb | Safe |
| Top 8 | Idol's Choice | "Special Ones" (Touchdown) | George | Safe |
| Top 7 | Lennon–McCartney | "Eleanor Rigby" | The Beatles | Safe |
| Top 6 | Songs of the Eighties | "The Flame" | Cheap Trick | Bottom 2 |
| Top 5 | Songs of R&B | "Beautiful" (Touchdown) | India.Arie | Safe |
| Top 4 | Music of Big band | "Why Don't You Do Right?" "Come Fly with Me" |
Peggy Lee Frank Sinatra |
Safe |
| Top 3 | Songs of the Seventies | "You're So Vain"(Touchdown) "Misty Blue" |
Carly Simon Dorothy Moore |
Safe |
| Finale | Idol's Choice Idol's Choice Idol Winner's Single |
"Take Me as I Am" "Hello" "Listen with Your Heart" |
Vanessa Amorosi Evanescence (winner's single) |
'\'WON\ |
In February 2005, Donovan released her single "What's Going On," which peaked at number 18 on the ARIA Charts. At the subsequent Deadly Awards 2005, she earned accolades for Single Release of the Year with "Listen with Your Heart" and Artist of the Year. She was also nominated for Highest Selling Single at the ARIA Music Awards of 2005, though the award went to Anthony Callea for his rendition of "The Prayer." By 2006, Donovan was no longer signed with Sony BMG.
2007–2016: Career Developments Following Idol
In 2008, Donovan independently launched the extended play titled Eye 2 Eye.
During her involvement in the conceptual show Women of Soul, she was invited by Rhoda Roberts to participate in the theatrical production Miracle in Brisbane at the 2009 Brisbane Festival.
Donovan made a musical comeback in August 2010 with the single "Big, Beautiful & Sexy," co-authored with Beau Golden. The track rapidly gained a following of over 10,000 fans on Facebook. Before releasing this single, Donovan shed more than 20 kilograms and continued to promote body positivity. Later that year, in November, she released another single called "Last Regret," which garnered commercial radio play.
At the Sydney Theatre Awards in December 2010, Donovan received two nominations: one for "Newcomer" and another for "Supporting Actress" due to her performance in The Sapphires. Although she auditioned for the film adaptation released in 2011, she was ultimately not cast.
In 2011, Donovan reprised her role as Cynthia Macrae during a touring production of The Sapphires across the ACT and NSW regions, followed by shows in the United Kingdom.
Later that year, she originated the character of Mama Cass in the world premiere of the musical Flowerchildren – The Mamas & the Papas Story, produced by Australian company Magnormos. Additionally, she took on multiple roles in Shakespeare's As You Like It at Sydney’s Belvoir Street Theatre.
2017–2018: Reality TV, Commercial Campaigns, and "Lonely"
Donovan joined the third season of the Australian edition of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in January 2017, ultimately winning on 13 March 2017 and becoming the inaugural Queen of the Jungle. In April of that year, she became the spokesperson for Coles Supermarket's "Down Down" advertising campaign, delivering both acoustic and disco renditions throughout May. On 19 May 2017, Donovan released her first single in seven years titled "Lonely," followed by the EP Off the Grid & Somewhere in Between in August. She also performed at Sydney’s New Year’s Eve event for 2017.
2019–present: Musical Theatre, National Competitions, and Podcasting
In 2019, Donovan portrayed Mama Morton in the Australian revival of the musical Chicago, earning favorable critical acclaim. Later that year, she competed with her song "Proud" in Eurovision - Australia Decides, finishing as runner-up in February 2020.
In 2020, Donovan created and hosted The Space, a mindfulness podcast featuring brief daily episodes centered on meditation and motivation. The podcast consistently ranked among Australia's top three programs within the mindfulness and wellbeing category.
In 2021, she took on the role of Luna Keys during the third season of the television comedy series How to Stay Married. The following year, Donovan starred as Judy Bernly on the Australian tour of the musical 9 to 5, performing at leading venues across Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
In 2023, Donovan was cast as Angelique/Nurse in Melbourne’s staging of & Juliet at the Regent Theatre and subsequently toured with the production to Singapore, Perth, and Sydney.
Personal life
Beginning in 2004, Donovan was engaged in a six-year deceptive phone relationship with an invented persona named Campbell, created by a woman called Olga.
In 2023, Donovan revealed she is in a relationship with a woman she met through a dating app during COVID-19 lockdown periods. She openly identifies as a queer woman and actively supports LGBTQ+ communities.
Discography
Studio albums
| Album Title | Album Information | Highest Chart Placement |
Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| For You |
|
2 |
|
Extended plays
| EP Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Eye 2 Eye |
|
| Off the Grid & Somewhere in Between |
|
Singles
| Year Released | Single Title | Highest Chart Ranking |
Certifications | Album Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||||
| 2004 | "Listen with Your Heart" | 1 |
|
For You | |
| 2005 | "What's Going On" | 18 | |||
| "Flow" | 51 | ||||
| 2010 | "Big, Beautiful & Sexy" | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Last Regret" | — | ||||
| 2017 | "Lonely" | —Template:Efn-ua | Off the Grid & Somewhere in Between | ||
| "The Villain" | — | ||||
| 2020 | "Proud" | — | |||
| "You Are Not Alone" (featuring Adam Brand) |
— | ||||
| — indicates singles that did not chart. | |||||
Television
| Year | Program | Position | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Australian Idol | Participant | Champion |
| 2012 | Fusion With Casey Donovan | Presenter | |
| 2017 | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! | Participant | Champion |
| 2017 | Coles Supermarket Commercial | Self | |
| 2017 | Have You Been Paying Attention? | Guest quizmaster | |
| 2017 | All Star Family Feud | Participant | Team leader |
| 2018 | Hughesy, We Have a Problem | Featured celebrity | |
| 2018 | Blind Date | Participant | |
| 2019 | Show Me the Movie! | Celebrity guest appearance | |
| 2019 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Guest participant | |
| 2019 | Celebrity Name Game | Self-appearance | Featured in 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Australia Decides | Competitor | |
| 2021 | How to Stay Married | Luna Keys | Recurring role in Season 3 |
| 2022 | Darby & Joan | Voice of Australian Sat Nav | Recurring role in mini-series |
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
! Lost to |- | rowspan="2"| 2005 | For You | Highest Selling Album category | Missy Higgins – The Sound Of White |- |"Listen with Your Heart" | Highest Selling Single category | Anthony Callea – "The Prayer"
Deadly Awards
The Deadly Awards celebrated accomplishments of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals in music, sports, entertainment, and community sectors from 1996 through 2013. |} |- | 2004 | Self | Most Promising New Talent in Music | Recipient |- |- rowspan="2" | 2005 | Self | Artist of the Year | Recipient |- |"Listen with Your Heart" | Single Release of the Year | Recipient |