I won Australian Idol – then fell prey to a hoax

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Casey Donovan was a shy sixteen-year-old from the Sydney suburbs when she first auditioned for the talent show, Australian Idol. It felt like a long shot but to her surprise, she was voted through week after week until in December 2004 she did the unthinkable –becoming the youngest and first ever Indigenous winner of the show. Soon after, as she was touring Australia with a number one single in the charts, she received a phone call from an unknown number. Despite Casey's misgivings they started speaking daily, quickly becoming intertwined in each other’s lives –before falling victim to a devastating hoax. But who was the voice on the other end of the line? (Photo: Casey Donovan stands on stage, singing into a microphone. She has short, dark, tightly curled hair and is wearing a black dress with thin shoulder straps. Her head is tilted slightly back, her eyes are closed, and her mouth is open wide as she appears to be holding a powerful note. Warm stage lighting highlights her face and shoulders, while deep blue spotlights fan out across the dark background. The microphone is angled towards her, and the rest of the stage is mostly in shadow. Credit: Don Arnold/WireImage) Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Zoe Gelber