It's my life: now or never for Culcairn teenager to make Australian Idol grand final

Family, friends – and even animal lovers – of Culcairn schoolgirl Iilysh Retallick are rallying the region to cast their votes to help catapult the 17-year-old into the 2025 Australian Idol grand final.

Belting out the Bon Jovi classic It’s My Life during the Sunday (30 March) show on Channel 7, Iilysh once again delivered a rocking performance for the emotionally charged ‘Heroes and Tributes’ theme night.

For all top six contestants, it was clear that having family and close friends sitting stage-side made all the performances particularly poignant just one week out from the top three finale.

Iilysh said her hero was her hometown of Culcairn.

The town of about 1000 people “have done everything they can to encourage me to do my best” – from specially made sausages from the local butcher to putting her face on the milk fridge of the supermarket where she works and the resounding support of her school community.

“I don’t think I could have done any of this without them,” she said.

With no judge’s save on offer, Iilysh supporters took to social media on Sunday night to push their favourite’s bid to make Idol history – and the Culcairn and wider community even prouder!

One fan has even been regularly posting to the Jindera Animals Lost and Found Facebook page, calling on animal lovers to “unleash your votes” and help “Culcairn’s very own rock chick … claw her way into the grand final!”

“Because let’s be real – if the animals could vote, they’d be pawing at their phones for her,” Sunday night’s post read. “Vote like your wildlife depends on it! Let’s send our rock queen from the farm to the finals!”

Voting for the top three closes at about 7 pm tonight (31 March), and it’s been clear from the start that the girl from “Cold-can” has been a firm favourite to go all the way.

Judges continued to give Iilysh a glowing report after her latest performance with Marcia Hines, declaring, “I love you. Now I know why Culcairn loves you darlin’.”

Amy Shark recalled the first time the teenager walked into that audition and “melted our faces off with that Alanis song”.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from you along this whole journey, and you haven’t had an off night ever – every song you just smashed – and I think you’re one of the biggest rock stars we’ve just discovered in this country,” Amy added.

Kyle Sandilands lauded that this “big male rock song” is “just as powerful when a woman sings it – that was fantastic”.

Iilysh’s parents, music teacher Mrs Taylor and “Annie from the supermarket” were on hand to cheer on the Billabong High School student, with her mum describing her daughter as “a pretty relaxed kid, she takes everything in her strides, very resilient, great sense of humour and we’re just so proud of you Iilysh …”

Annie told host Ricki-Lee Coulter that “every single customer I serve these days just talks about Iilysh non-stop – it’s all I hear about … you’ve improved so much, it’s insane”.

Her teacher declared: “We are a small community, but we’re mighty. We are made up of people in the town, in all of our shops, at Billabong High School, and our rural community, and what she does makes us stronger and proud of where we come from.”

Ricki-Lee said it was fair to say Iilysh had “put Culcairn on the map” but also revealed she had been formally recognised in parliament for representing her town on Idol, as well as her commitment to her art and community.

In putting forward her case to viewers to vote for her to make the final, a beaming Iilysh said, “Well I’m a rock singer, let’s bring rock to the charts”.

“It is a big passion of mine to inspire others with music and share emotions, feelings, topics, statements all through music – and that’s what I want to do so if you guys can support that I would love it,” she said.