Auditioning for Australian Idol was a dream come true for New Gisborne’s Mikayla Burke.
The moment was all the more moving for the 20-year-old who just last year discovered she had significant hearing loss.
Mikayla was in her final year of study at the Australian Institute of Music, and planning her career, when she learnt that her hearing was declining.
“I found out last year that I had lost half of my hearing,” she said. “For a singer, that’s a massive thing to hear.”
“I had lost the lower frequency and I was told that it could get worse.”
Mikayla had been experiencing some hearing difficulties in the lead up to her discovery but did not know the extent of the loss.
“I was actually in denial at first,” she said. “I was with a friend and sirens for an evacuation were going but I could not hear anything even though she said they were quite loud.”
“Before then, I kept saying “pardon” a lot when people were speaking, and people were telling me that I needed to get my hearing checked.”
Mikayla said she got tested “as a joke, to prove everyone wrong” but instead made a heart-sinking discovery.
The source of Mikayla’s hearing loss and how it may impact her future is currently unknown but she has since been fitted with two hearing aids. She also has hearing checks every six months to monitor her condition.
“They don’t know if my hearing loss is the result of a condition I was born with or something that has later developed,” she said.
“It’s a little bit confusing and it’s a scary thought: knowing that it could progress rapidly.”
“It has been hard. I’ve always had to rely on my ears for music and it was really hard to find that out.”
Mikayla has been able to adjust to her new way of hearing but it meant a whole different approach to taking the Idol stage.
“Heading into auditions, as people came off the stage, other contestants asked things like, “Were the judges nice?”, while I was asking people how loud the music was or the mic,” she said. “My worry was just being able to hear.”
She faced the judging panel, Kyle Sandilands, Marcia Hines and Amy Shark, with nerves and excitement. Her song: Reach Out I’ll Be There by Four Tops.
Amy Shark described Mikayla as “a diamond in the rough”.
“I was on one of the biggest stages and it was just a surreal experience,” she said.
“It’s something I have always wanted to do and something that I don’t know if I will be able to do in three years time.”
While Mikayla waits to learn more about her hearing loss, and how it will shape her future, she is determined to follow her passion.
Mikayla has been singing since she was 14 years old. She has spent recent years performing at a range of gigs and events, as well as performing for elderly residents at local aged care homes.
Mikayla aims to continue spreading joy and connection through her venture Singing Seniors.
Australian Idol captured one of Mikayla’s visits to Arcare Aged Care Gisborne during filming for the series. The nation-wide singing competition marks its 11th television season in 2026.
Mikayla’s Australian Idol audition aired yesterday. If you missed the episode, you can stream it on 7plus.
