Natalie Gauci received the best birthday present when she beat crowd favourite Matt Corby to be crowned the 2007 Australian Idol.
The Melbourne songstress, who turned 26 yesterday, beat the Sydney teenager in front of a crowd of thousands at the Sydney Opera House last night.
"(It is) definitely the best birthday present," Gauci told reporters after her win. "This is going to change the rest of my life."
Less than 1 per cent separated the two competitors in the final count - the closest result in Idol history.
The former hairdressing apprentice sang Man in the Mirror and her new single, Here I Am, and received a standing ovation.
