We're back with a new season of Back From Reality!
And to celebrate the upcoming premiere of The Edit — a new play written and directed by Gabrielle Scawthorn, inspired by this very podcast — we’re releasing a mix of previously unreleased interviews, your favourite episodes from season one, and new content from inside the production.
🎭 The Edit runs at Belvoir St Theatre, Downstairs, from 7–26 October 2025.
🎟️ BOOK TICKETS: belvoir.com.au/productions/the-edit
In today’s episode, Gabrielle speaks with Cosima De Vito, one of the most unforgettable voices from the debut season of Australian Idol.
It’s hard to overstate just how big Australian Idol was in 2003. With millions tuning in each week, the show launched the careers of Guy Sebastian, Shannon Noll — and of course, Cosima, whose powerhouse vocals and presence won her a devoted following. But her time on the show ended in heartbreak, as she was forced to withdraw from the Top 3 due to vocal nodules, just before the finale.
In this conversation, Cosima opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of that moment, how it shaped her career and personal life, and what it took to rebuild her voice and confidence. She also shares the story behind her moving single “Mama”, and what it means to write and release music on her own terms.
🎵 Listen to Mama on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/track/6blRhJ35mBledNGh2mlxFb
📲 Follow Cosima:
Instagram: @cosimadevito
Facebook: facebook.com/MissCosimaDeVito
🎙️ Back From Reality is a podcast about the human impact of reality television, hosted by actor and writer Gabrielle Scawthorn. It was originally created as part of an Arts Council England-supported project to develop a new piece of theatre about the reality TV industry. That play became The Edit.
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts:
Back From Reality on Apple Podcasts
📱 Follow Gabrielle on Instagram:
@gjosca
🎭 The Edit
📅 7–26 October 2025
📍 Belvoir St Theatre, Downstairs
🎟️ BOOK NOW: belvoir.com.au/productions/the-edit
This podcast was made with the support of the Arts Council England National Lottery Projects Grant.
