Ricki-Lee was just 18 when she became a household name on the second season of Australian Idol in 2004. 

Thrust into the spotlight at a time when famous women’s bodies and choices were the subject of intense media and public scrutiny, Ricki-Lee was able to block out the critics and build a formidable career as a recording artist, performer, TV presenter and radio host. 

Now in 2026, she’s the host of the show that kickstarted her career and she’s about to take over Nova’s breakfast time slot with her longtime drive co-host Tim Blackwell.  

In this episode of the Stellar podcast, Ricki-Lee reveals what her Idol colleague and soon-to-be radio rival Kyle Sandilands is really like behind the scenes, plus she explains why she thinks people were so uncomfortable with her decision to be child-free, and how she deals with the constant comments about her body. 

Nova 96.9’s Sydney breakfast show Ricki-Lee & Tim can be heard weekdays from 6am-9am starting Monday, February 9. National listeners can also tune into the show across the Nova Network every weekday from 6pm-7pm, stream the show live or catch up with the daily podcast on the Nova Player.

Watch the full episode with Ricki-Lee here.

Something To Talk About is a podcast by Stellar, hosted by Sarrah Le Marquand 

Find more from Stellar via Instagram @stellar or stellarmag.com.au