Ricki-Lee Coulter

Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter (born 10 November 1985), also known mononymously as Ricki-Lee, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and television and radio presenter.

She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, grew up on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and began performing at age 15.

Ricki-Lee Dawn Coulter was born on 10 November 1985 in Auckland, New Zealand.

Her name is a nod to singer Rickie Lee Jones.

Her mother Loretta Sheerin, born in Tonga, was a model.

Coulter's parents separated before she was born, and she was raised by her mother.

Coulter and her mother relocated to Gold Coast, Queensland when she was three months old.

Coulter's father figure at the time was her grandfather Rocky.

Coulter's mother gave her every chance to visit her biological father in New Zealand when she was a child.

"He wasn't a part of my life. I'd go over there and stay with him and his family, [but] it was just weird to me. Then when I got to an age where I could speak up to Mum, about six or seven, I said, 'I don't want to go; I don't like it.'"

She attended Southport State School and experienced the personal struggles of a lonely childhood as she wanted a life similar to her school friends.

"Their mums and dads were married. They had brothers and sisters. They had afternoon tea. They had a cooked dinner. I never had that. I'd get home from school and there was nothing in the cupboard. I would eat mouldy bread and drink water because that would fill me up".

Coulter grew up mostly on her own because her mother worked two jobs to pay the bills.

During primary school, Coulter participated in many sports, including swimming, touch football and netball, which she played for six years.

When Coulter was nine years old, her mother met John, a man of Scottish descent who is now her step father.

Coulter has two half-sisters, Jodie and Emily.

As a teenager, she attended Southport State High School.

At the age of 15, Coulter had a serious knee injury that required reconstructive surgery.

She was told she would never play netball again.

Several months later, Coulter's ability to sing was discovered by her mother, who overheard her in her bedroom, which led to her performing at gigs in the Gold Coast and Brisbane areas with live bands.

Aside from singing, she also learned how to play several instruments, including the tenor saxophone, flute, and trumpet, and would often play them in school concerts and the school stage band.

During high school, Coulter excelled in music and sport.

After completing high school in 2002, she decided to focus on her music career, and began writing her own songs with her good friend Xy Latu.

Coulter rose to fame in 2004 on the second season of Australian Idol and placed seventh in the competition.

She subsequently signed with Australian independent label Shock Records, and released her self-titled debut album Ricki-Lee (2005), which produced the top-ten hits "Hell No!" and "Sunshine".

Both singles were certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

The following year, Coulter became a member of the Australian pop girl group Young Divas, before leaving in early 2007 to resume her solo career.

Coulter's second album Brand New Day (2007) was certified gold and included the top-ten singles "Love Is All Around", "Can't Sing a Different Song" and "Can't Touch It", the latter was certified platinum.

Coulter's first compilation album The Singles was released in 2008, featuring the top-twenty single "Wiggle It".

The role earned her a nomination at the 2009 Logie Awards for Most Popular New Female Talent.

She was also a full-time radio presenter for Sydney's Nova 96.9 breakfast show in 2010, alongside Merrick Watts and Scott Dooley.

In 2011, she ended her contract with Shock Records and signed with major label EMI Music Australia.

Coulter's third album Fear & Freedom (2012) debuted at number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart and became her first top-ten album.

It included the top-twenty hits "Raining Diamonds" and "Do It Like That", which were both certified platinum.

"Do It Like That" was also a top-ten hit on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart and earned Coulter her first ARIA Music Award nomination for Song of the Year.

Her fourth album Dance in the Rain (2014) became her second top-fifteen album, and featured the top-forty single "All We Need Is Love".

Coulter has branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in television and radio.

She returned to Australian Idol for seasons six and seven, as a presenter and reporter alongside James Mathison and Andrew Günsberg.

In 2019, Coulter became the host of Australia's Got Talent.

Coulter was announced in September 2022 as the co-host of the 2023 Seven Network reboot of Australian Idol alongside Scott Tweedie.