By NATASHA HARRIS
NZ Idol's disco special sorted the funksters from the fakers last night as the eight finalists tried their best to grab the coveted pop crown.
While some contestants, like 27-year-old Camillia Temple, shone on the stage, others were blasted by the judges for singing as if they were at a school production or letting their dancing tire them out.
Hamiltonian Temple, who sang Patti La Belle's Lady Marmalade - and is being investigated by the show's producers for reportedly releasing a single on a compilation album last year - had just the right mix of singing and dance moves to impress all the judges.
Frankie Stevens crowed it was the performance he had been waiting for, Fiona McDonald said it was great and Paul Ellis turned his scathing opinion from last week on its head.
"Last week I said you were a one-trick pony. Tonight you won the Melbourne Cup. Well done. Keep on doing that for us."
Others to impress the judges were Michael Murphy, Robin Johnson, Dave Houma and Eddie Gaiger.
Lower Hutt's Johnson, singing Blame It On the Boogie by the Jackson Five, was told by Stevens he had redeemed himself and by Ellis that he was back in the running to win the competition.
"Big" Dave Houma, 28, singing Give Me the Night by George Benson, was praised for his singing but McDonald told him to watch his fitness so he would not get puffed when dancing.
Others not plied with compliments included wildcard entry Jessie Cassin, Ben Lummis and Luke Whaanga, the judges' favourite performer last week.
Cassin, 18, drew the most criticism with her take on Dancing Queen by Abba, singing off-tune and wearing a peculiar green dress.
McDonald said Cassin's singing reminded her of a school production, and Stevens inferred he did not think she would return next week.
And although the judges loved Whaanga's take on Sitting Inside My Head by Supergroove last week, he was told he did not pull off his performance last night and looked like a womble.
Funksters and fakers as 'idols' do disco
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