I said to Willy, I want to go to the audition and Willy said “why would you want to do that, they are all young and you might be disappointed if you don’t get through”.

I said, “it’s on my bucket list”.

So Sunday morning at four o’clock we headed off to Dubbo RSL.

We get there at 9.45am and there must have been 200 there or maybe more. So Willy and Stacy dropped me off, shaking their heads at me and off they go shopping.

In the foyer many of us waited to be called. Some of the other contestants, with pink and purple hair, were playing guitars and singing out loud, and I must admit I felt a little out of place, but I didn’t care. I was there, to do my bucket list, but also to represent the Ridge. They took us upstairs, and separated us into four different rooms.

I sat outside and heard everyone go in sing one song and then come out. Maybe, 20 before me.

Then it was my turn, most contestants had taped backing or live music, I did it acapello.

I go into this small room, a desk, a young lady producer and a small orange x on the floor. She said, “start when you are ready”.

My son Andy had picked the song for me, even though he didn’t know it, he liked the way I sang it, it is a song by Dianna Trask called Oh Boy.

I sang it then she said, sing another one. I did half of Summertime, then she said, “I would like you to see the executive producer”.

So I went out to the other room and sat with a few other people.

A lady called Patricia joined me and asked how many songs I sang and I told her two, she said me too.

We sat together for five hours, you won’t believe this, but after talking to her, I found out we went to school together over 40 years ago. Patricia is a singing teacher with a fantastic voice and she went in before me and sang two songs.

Now it was my turn, well in I go, it was just like you see in the movies, stage spotlight, microphone, the executive producer sitting down the front, mixer guy and film crew, maybe eight people in all.