The singer first shot to fame after competing on Australian Idol in 2005 and has since been candid about the highs and lows of her journey.

Australian Idol winner Kate DeAraugo is opening up about the toughest years of her life, revealing how she turned to drugs and alcohol to cope after a lifetime of struggling with body insecurities.

DeAraugo, 39, shot to fame in 2005 after winning the third season of the reality singing competition.

Now a mum of two boys, she’s reflected on her journey after living “through the highest highs and lowest lows”.

She’s celebrating the “wild times, beautiful moments and some of the darker moments” on her comeback tour, 20 years after her Idol win.

In a new interview, DeAraugo touched on that difficult time she now describes as her “12 years of darkness”, a period when she turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with a lifelong battle with body confidence.

“I’ve been fat shamed my entire life,” she told Woman’s Day.

DeAraugo opened up about her insecurities, which saw her try every diet, undergo extreme liposuction, secretly attend a Muay Thai martial arts camp in Thailand and get a gastric sleeve.

On March 26 2018, DeAraugo checked into rehab for six weeks, before spending another two years “learning how to live again” in a sober living transition house.

“That first year was a bit like being in ICU,” she said.

In 2021, DeAraugo told Channel 7’s The Morning Show “it was a dark time”.

“But an incredible learning experience now that I’m out the other end,” she said.

DeAraugo is now in a loving relationship and a proud mum to two beautiful boys — eight-month-old Noah and Hudson, who turns three next month.

In March, the singer celebrated her sobriety with a honest and heartfelt Instagram post.

“Hi, I’m Kate. I’m an addict and I’m gratefully clean, seven years today,” she shared.

“If you’re out there feeling lost in addiction, thinking there’s no way out, I’m here to tell you that’s not true.

“I was there. I had lost everything — everyone. I thought I couldn’t survive without drugs and alcohol.

“But I finally got out of my own way, listened to the people who wanted to help and took it one day at a time.”

She has also been candid about turning to weight loss medication as part of her journey to feeling comfortable in her own body.

“It’s not about chasing numbers, it’s about having the energy, confidence and headspace to show up for my boys (and myself),” DeAraugo posted on October 6.

“This journey isn’t about perfection — it’s about balance, health and celebrating the real wins.”

 

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Now, celebrating her newfound confidence and happiness, the Australian singer is thrilled to be doing what she loves again — touring the country with her show From Idol Till Now: Kate DeAraugo.

“Can you believe it’s been 20 years since I won Australian Idol?! I certainly can’t!” she wrote alongside the tour announcement.

“Life didn’t necessarily go the way I thought it would but I’ve lived through the highest highs and the lowest lows — and I didn’t want to let this milestone pass without celebrating it properly.

“I’ll be performing the songs that started it all for me on Idol, some Young Divas favourites, a few tracks that have carried me through along the way and even some new original music.

“And of course, I’ll be sharing plenty of stories — the wild times, the beautiful moments, and some of the darker moments too.”

Both DeAraguo’s debut single, Maybe Tonight, and the debut album that followed, A Place I’ve Never Been, went platinum after her Idol win.

She was also part of the pop group Young Divas, which featured fellow former Australian Idol contestants Paulini, Emily Williams, Jessica Mauboy and Ricki-Lee Coulter.

Their debut single This Time I Know It’s For Real reached number two on the charts and they released a self-titled album Young Divas, which went double platinum. The group disbanded in 2008, with each singer returning to their solo careers.