From 2000 to 2002, Jackie O took the helm of the Australian version of Popstars, judging alongside music executive Chris Moss and band manager Michal Napthali.
One of her first TV ventures, she later revealed she was not even paid for her work on the first season of the show, which discovered and debuted Aussie girl group Bardot.
”I did Popstars for free … I didn’t get paid for Popstars,” she explained on a 2019 episode of her and Sandiland’s KIIS FM radio show.
“No one mentioned anything about money, so I didn’t mention money. I remember we were in Adelaide doing auditions … and you know how they hand out per diems, which is like $60 … they handed me this envelope, and I didn’t know what a per diem was.
“I opened it and I saw $67 in there, and I went up to the executive director and gave him a big hug and said, ‘Thank you so much!’
“I was stoked I was getting cash.”
