Turns out Australian Idol 2025 isn’t Hannah Waddell’s first brush with the spotlight!
The 25-year-old Perth powerhouse has been bringing the good vibes ever since she auditioned with Gloria Gaynor’s Never Can Say Goodbye. Now she’s well into the Top 10 and we can’t get enough!
“My love for old-school funk and disco comes from all the vinyls I’d go through with my parents,” she shared during her Idol Audition.
“That driving rhythm just gets you going.”
But what else do we know about this funky songstress? Here’s more about Australian Idol‘s Hannah.
Before Australian Idol, Hannah got a taste of fame in The ShareSpace
Before Idol, Hannah was already making a splash in the music scene.
Back in 2017, she was part of The ShareSpace, a Sony Music Australia project that put eight artists together for 30 days to create, collaborate, and release music.
Hosted by Alli Simpson and Jai Waetford, the series gave aspiring musicians a chance to shine. And while Hannah didn’t take home the win, she left with a whole new perspective on her music career.
“Thank you for believing in me,” she wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
“I walked into this project as a young, scared teen and now I’m walking out as a confident woman and more dedicated and passionate for my music than ever before!”
Check out baby Hannah on The ShareSpace here:
By night, she’s a bartender… But hopefully not for long!
Hannah’s been singing disco while slinging drinks, but she’s ready to swap the bar for the big stage.
“Bartending — it’s fun, but I’ve done it for too long. It’s time I hang up the apron,” she said in her Australian Idol intro.
“I’m ready to pour my last pint and pour my heart into singing.”
She’s no stranger to the stage
While she doesn’t hit up the busking scene, like fellow Perth Australian Idol contender John Van Beek, Hannah has been flexing her vocal chops at local Perth hot spots, like El Grotto and thet Scarborough Beach Party.
She’s already dropped a single
Not just a cover queen, Hannah released her own bop, Red Light, in December 2022, and it’s the dance-floor bop we hoped it would be.
Will Hannah take home the Idol crown and bring disco back in a big way? We can’t wait to find out!
