Anthony Callea

Anthony Callea born 13 December 1982

Anthony Cosmo Callea, born in Melbourne to Italian parents, is an ARIA Award winning Australian singer and was the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. Callea currently holds the record for the highest-selling single and fastest-selling single in Australia for his debut single The Prayer.

Callea began entering talent contests as a child and trained with the Johnny Young Talent School. He auditioned and was selected for the final 30 in the television series Australian Idol in 2004. Based on viewer votes, he did not make it through the first round of competition but was invited back as a 'Judge's Choice Wildcard', where his performance earned him a place in the final 12.

Over the weeks of the competition his popularity with the Australian public grew. During his run on the show, he gave several performances that earned him high praise from the judges, including Bridge over Troubled Water, I Want to Know What Love Is and Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion's duet The Prayer. The competition concluded in November 2004 with Callea as runner-up to Casey Donovan (not the porn star).

He was immediately signed to Sony/BMG Records, and his first single was released in December 2004. It debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number one, and remained there for five consecutive weeks. Within seven weeks, it had become the highest-selling Australian single of all time, as it was certified four times platinum, selling in excess of 280,000 copies. His next single spent two weeks at number one. His self-titled album debuted at number one on the week of 4 April 2005, and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks. His third single debuted at number ten on the ARIA Charts, while the album's final single debuted at number five.

In November 2006 Callea released his second album A New Chapter. Mostly co-written by Callea the album and its singles have also been successful though less so than his debut release.

Callea has performed as a special guest support for Irish pop group Westlife & special guest support for Diana Ross in 2006, and contributed his version of a Brian McKnight song, Home, to the compilation album Home: Songs of Hope & Journey by various Australian artists to raise funds and bring attention to beyondblue, an Australian initiative against depression.

On March 27, 2007, after speculation and tabloid rumours dating back to his Idol appearances, Callea publicly acknowledged that he was gay by issuing a statement confirming his sexuality and thanking his fans and his then-partner, Paul.

Callea's confirmation of his sexuality came after his accidental on-air 'outing' by a Sydney radio station. In March 2007, a breakfast traffic reporter Vic Larusso stated that he had met Callea and his partner at a party the previous weekend. The station later apologised, claiming that Larusso hadn't realised Callea's sexuality was not common knowledge to the Australian public. Callea had previously denied being gay and refused to discuss his private life, a denial for which he later expressed regret.

After Callea became single in late 2007 rumours began circulating that Callea was dating former Home and Away actor Tim Campbell. On December 12, 2007, Campbell acknowledged that he was gay in an exclusive with The Advertiser, but said the former Australian Idol contestant was just a friend. Campbell and Callea became friends after performing together in the musical Rent. In February 2008, Campbell confirmed the relationship.

Anthony Callea is working on a third album for release in 2009.

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