Longerenong College student grabs Australian Idol golden ticket

And just like Charlie Bucket, he has a golden ticket.

Billy Menhennet auditioned for the 2024 iteration of Australian Idol, and after blowing away judges with his performance of Zach Bryan's Something in the Orange, he walked away with a golden ticket.

Singing informally has been a part of Menhennet's life for as long as he can remember.

"I've always been singing ... there are old videos of me when I was two or three singing Home Among the Gum Trees," he said.

"My Pa plays guitar so I would sing with him when he played, that's how it started and I liked it so I kept going."

Menhennet was involved with school products when he was younger, but has mostly sung for himself.

A year ago he started to upload comedy skits to TikTok, and while at a function his friends realised he could sing.

He thought he might try his hand uploading videos of song covers to social media.

Menhennet grew up in Miners Rest and his family own a farm in Smythes Creek - four years ago they moved to a house closer to the family farm.

He works full time at a broadacre cropping and sheep farm in Waubra while also studying agriculture.

On a whim, while out with some friends they encouraged him to apply for this year's Australian Idol.

He did the application online and then put it out of his mind.

Months later, he got the call-up, and got to the audition stage.

There have been some nerves singing in a more formal setting "with the three judges right in front of you", Menhennet said.

"I just went for it, I was nervous going into it, but then I thought 'I'm here' so I just went and did it."

Menhennet said there has been lots of support from the community, including at his first gig at a pub on Friday, January 26.

"Even the students at trade school are getting around it," he said.