Where are these former Singapore Idol contestants now?

For those who grew up in the 2000s, one of the most memorable television shows is Singapore Idol. It ran for three seasons in total—2004, 2006, and 2009. The competition brought fame and recognition to its contestants, turning many of them into household names. Some of the Singapore Idol contestants also went on to release albums and dabble in the local and overseas entertainment scene. 

If you’re like us and wondering where the former Singapore Idol contestants are now, continue reading to learn more.

Taufik Batisah (Season 1)

He was crowned the first Singapore Idol in 2004. Since then, Taufik has released five albums with the latest one titled Fique in 2014. More recently, he sang the National Day Parade song titled Stronger Together in 2022. 

These days, when he’s not performing, Taufik takes on the responsibilities as the co-owner of Chix Hot Chicken which opened its second outlet along Prinsep Street in February 2025. He’s also a licensed and certified property agent under Propnex Realty Pte. Ltd., and runs Batisah Realtors with his business partner Siti Khan and brother Mus Batisah. 

Nat Ho (Season 1)

Although Nat didn’t emerge as one of the few finalists in the debut season of Singapore Idol, he still enjoyed his fair share of fame by starring in drama series, including The Little Nyonya, Polo Boys, and Tanglin. 

He relocated to Seoul, South Korea in 2024 to pursue his love for songwriting. Nat has co-written South Korean singer Luce’s With You, and Mexican boy band By The Way’s first single, Lambo. 

Hady Mirza (Season 2)

After winning the second season of Singapore Idol, Hady bagged numerous awards — including Most Popular Singapore Artiste and Most Popular Regional Song — at Suria’s music award ceremony, Anugerah Planet Muzik. Most notably, Hady was crowned the first Asian Idol, beating fellow idol winners from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and India. 

Hady is still in showbiz, performing regularly for events and television shows. In 2024, he staged his first-ever, sold-out concert at The Theatre at Mediacorp.

Jonathan Leong (Season 2)

Arguably one of the most recognisable faces of Singapore Idol, Jonathan clinched the first runner-up position in the second season of the competition. After which, he signed on as a recording artist at Hype Records and a principal performer at Resorts World Sentosa. 

In 2015, Jonathan tied the knot with Star Search contest-turned-entrepreneur Jeneen Goh. 

Last year, the couple announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child after two years of IVF. Jeneen gave birth to their daughter Leia Lexi in May 2024. Currently, Jonathan works at an investment asset management firm as the Head of Wholesale in Southeast Asia. 

Sylvester Sim (Season 1)

As one of the most popular contestants in Singapore Idol history, Sylvester was the first runner-up in 2004. He last released a mandarin single named A New Hope in 2016. Six years later, her joined Taufik Batisah at the President’s Star Charity show to perform numerous songs. 

Now, he’s mostly stepped out of the spotlight and founded SGEE Ventures, a consumer and trade events organiser company.  

Sezairi Sezali (Season 3)

The Singapore Idol third season winner released his first music album Take Two in 2010. Subsequently, he was signed to Sony Music Singapore in 2014, releasing two other albums titled Violets Aren’t Blue and Undertones. Besides singing, Sezairi also ventured into acting and dancing, taking on roles in homegrown film 1965 and Wild Rice’s The Emperor’s New Clothes. 

Now, Sezairi still remains as a singer and musician. Earlier this year, Sezairi released a new Malay single titled Kata.

Tabitha Nauser (Season 3)

Tabitha took part in the third edition of Singapore Idol in 2009 and emerged as second runner-up. She went on to release numerous songs including Bulletproof and Body Language. In 2019, she appeared in Netflix’s Singapore Social which also starred Sukki Singapora, Nicole Ong and Mae Tan. Besides being a singer these days, Tabitha is also a mum of one. She and her partner, Louie Salmon-Pansuk, welcomed their daughter in 2023. 

Olinda Cho (Season 1)

Known for her androgynous style in the inaugural season of Singapore Idol, Olinda left a lasting impression among all Singapore Idol fans. In 2017, she participated in the popular Chinese singing contest Sing! China, where she was mentored by Jay Chou. 

Besides singing, Olinda manages her own entertainment company, Oli Mgmt. In 2023, she began designing customised sneakers under E7E together with her friends. 

Haneri (previously Daphne Khoo) (Season 1)

After emerging as the third runner-up of the 2004 Singapore Idol, Haneri made her album debut, Desperate, in 2007. According to her interviews, she took on a new moniker in 2017 because she “needed a new persona.” 

Now, she hosts a weekday evening show titled The Sunset Sessions with Daphne Khoo on Kiss92 radio station.