DELTA & GUY: ‘THE TRUTH ABOUT US’ The pair go deep about their dating history
‘The Voice’ coaches open up about what it’s like working together after previously dating
It was the story that sent the Australian music industry into a spin – princess of pop Delta Goodrem and former Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian secretly hooked up! The unlikely pair confirmed they “went on a few dates” after Sebastian spilled the beans about their romance accidentally, while being interviewed on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show in 2015. Married to his long-term sweetheart Jules since 2008, the proud father of two ignited a scandal with the news of his dating
Goodrem, 34, as fans assumed this meant he had cheated on his now-wife with the Aussie songstress.
“When Jules and I had been broken up for about a year I went on two dates with her,” Sebastian, 37, clarified to The Daily Telegraph at the time.
And now, four years on, the pair have finally broken their silence, sharing all the details about their romantic past ahead of The Voice season eight launch on May 19.
“With Delta, it’s not like we were romantically involved,” Sebastian reveals to WHO, grinning.
“We actually just kinda hung out. Call it dates or whatever, we were just actually hanging out.
“And to be honest it was so brief we were just kids and I would completely say, I mean it’s Delta, she’s gorgeous! I would own that like she’s my ex-girlfriend, but we were never like girlfriend and boyfriend, we were literally just seeing each other.”
When Goodrem discovers Sebastian – who she has known since she was a teenager – has addressed their brief fling in an interview, she throws her head back in laughter.
“Oh my God, was he talking about that?” she asks incredulously.
“He’s so funny. We love talking about it because it’s so funny. We watched Harry Potter. One of our dates was [that]!
Unfortunately for the couple, who were both signed to label Sony and
together would have become music royalty, it wasn’t meant to be. “We didn’t even really split up,” Sebastian adds.
“The first thing I said to Jules when we got back together was like, ‘Oh, P.S. I went on a few dates with Delta’ and she was like ‘Hang on … what?’
“But I mean, to be honest, it wasn’t weird at all.”
While Sebastian and Goodrem are very relaxed about their romantic history being public knowledge these days, it wasn’t always the way.
“I fought to not have it come out that we went on some dates,” Sebastian recalls.
“I went to Denis [Handlin, Sony CEO] and I said, ‘Denis I’ve heard that they’re going to print something, do not let that happen.’ ’Cause I’d split up with Jules and I didn’t want her to get hurt by it, I didn’t want her to think I’m just off dating random people because we were only apart for like a few months.”
Fortunately for the much-loved singer, he did reconnect with his now-wife and the pair have two children, Hudson, 7, and Archer, 5.
“We were sort of getting back together, but then Idol happened, and then we were like not together but kind of trying to get back together,” he explains.
“And then I moved to Sydney. I remember calling her one day just saying, ‘I just can’t get my head around this, I just can’t get my head around why we’re not together. Can we just be friends for a while and let’s just see what happens?’”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
The “Battle Scars” singer went on to marry his long-term love in a ceremony at Sydney’s Manly beach in 2008.
An openly public couple, the pair – who recently moved into their newly built home in Sydney’s south – have never hidden the rigours of marriage and family life from fans.
But as they celebrate Sebastian’s new role as coach on The Voice, 16 years since he took out the first season of Australian Idol, the star singer says he and his wife are in the best place they’ve ever been.
“To be honest, I think a combination of the [house] build and watching Married at First Sight has just made my wife and I closer to where we need to be,” Sebastian says, laughing.
“You go, ‘Wow my marriage is awesome.’ We’re like the Cam and Jules, like, we love each other, we’re so close now.
“And then The Voice kicked in and its actually been, to be honest, a massive fresh breath. It’s been awesome.
“The last year and a half has been the least I’ve ever travelled. So, it’s been really cool just to stay home. But I’ve been really busy, and I’ve been recording. I’ve been at home, and I’ve been with the kids and I’ve still been able to achieve what I wanted to achieve.”
As for Sebastian and Goodrem, they are both thrilled to be finally working together after years of friendship.
“Guy and I have always had each other’s backs and he’s been there for me,” Goodrem explains.
“If I really need help, he’s the artist I go to. And likewise, I am the person he speaks to.
“We’ve both been in the same label for like 20 years together. We’ve both, you know, been in the trenches and we’ve also been two artists that have continually had music and had hits out there consistently. And so, we both have that love and respect for each other. He’s a genuine friend and I love him to pieces.”
Sebastian joins Goodrem as another Aussie accomplice on the line-up of superstar coaches, alongside international artists Kelly Rowland and Boy George.
“It has felt like he has been there the entire time,” Goodrem reveals.
“It feels like we didn’t have to find a new shift like normally we would have. It’s felt like he’s been with us for years. Probably because obviously it was a lot easier from the fact that I knew him and I’m very close with George and Kelly. And they love him.”
“It feels like Guy has been here the entire time” —Delta Goodrem
• The Voice returns on Sun., May 19, at 7pm on Nine.