She stole our hearts flying above the crowd at the Olympics opening ceremony. Now Nikki Webster is trying life as a poppet pop star. By Claire Halliday.

Sunday. 1.15pm. At Highpoint Shopping Centre in the midst of Melbourne’s suburban sprawl, I’m due to meet Nikki Webster for an interview in the middle of her publicity tour. But she’s proving hard to pin down. “Nikki’s just backstage getting ready,” says Nicole Hart, the publicity manager from Nikki’s record company. She’s going to ask Nikki if I can come back and say hello. She disappears.

Pre-pubescent girls line the cattle-pen-like barricades designed to keep them in orderly control. A security guard says they’ve been here since before 11am. Little girls with freckles, floppy fringes, pink polar fleece and Spice Girls T-shirts.

Ross Dicesare and Sophie Gatward from radio station Fox-FM take the stage to hype the throng into a pre-Nikki giggle-fest.

By way of proving Nikki’s apparently meteoric rise, the Fox crew tell the gathering about the recent Jeans for Genes fundraising day (for the Children’s Medical Research Foundation) where a pair of her jeans, painted by artist David Boyd, sold for $22,500. In company with Jennifer Aniston and Kylie Minogue, Nikki’s pants fetched the highest bid. The fans scream out that they know purple is her favourite colour and that water is her favourite drink. Some seem disappointed by the announcement that Nikki will only be signing album covers and that the posters they’re clutching in Chupa Chup sticky palms (Nikki’s favourite flavours are cherry and pineapple) may not get a look-in.
Continue reading Flying High

She captured the hearts of millions at the Sydney Olympics, she’s become Australia’s hottest new popette with her huge hit “Strawberry Kisses” and now Nikki Webster writes exclusively for big hit to let you know what she’s been up to…

“STRAWBERRY KISSES” VIDEO
I had so much fun making the “Strawberry Kisses” film clip, not only on the day but in preparation for the clip, designing the costumes for me and my dancers who are all my friends and rehearsing the dance sequences. One thing that was really different was having the little character DJ in the film clip. Wow! How amazing seeing DJ in a 3D image. It was quite different making the video because he wasn’t really there, I sort of had to just pretend. Then to see the finished product with all the animation complete I thought to myself how lucky I am.

ON THE ROAD
I’ve been on tour to promote my CD all around Australia and getting to meet all my fans and being able to perform “Strawberry Kisses” for them. I’ve been to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. I did lots of radio and TV shows, and instores in Sydney and Melbourne. The one in Melbourne was just amazing. It was at Highpoint Shopping Centre, which has lots of different levels, and all around the levels there were people watching. It was great! There were so many people, and they’re so supportive, it’s fantastic. It’s like, wow, you sort of worry if people are going to turn up, but when so many people do you’re like “I never knew I had so many fans!” It’s a lift-up definitely.

NO.2 DEBUT
I got the call at six o’clock in the morning to tell me that my first pop single debuted at No.2 on the chart! I was like, “Nah, you must be kidding!” And to debut, not even go from a lower number to a higher number, in the first week to go in at No.2 was pretty fantastic. We haven’t had a party to celebrate yet, we’re going to have one a bit later on, but I went over to my managers house and had dinner at my managers house, so it was good. We had soup and lasagne!

GOING PLATINUM
Then I found out that “Strawberry Kisses” had gone gold which means it had sold 35, 000 copies. Now it’s just gone platinum, which means 70, 000 people have bought it! I was so excited. Basically, I did this for my fans, I make music for children and their families, and to see that I’ve had such a great reaction to the song, is fantastic. I’m just so excited!

THE WIZARD OF OZ
Last but not least, announcing that I had been cast in the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz which I will perform at Star City in Sydney, later this year. Playing Dorothy is something that I’ve always wanted to do, it’s one of my all-time favourite musicals. I used to play Dorothy, and dress up as Dorothy and stuff like that! I’m really looking forward to it. Rehearsals start in October, and the Sydney season starts in November, then I travel around the country with it until February!

Source: big hit magazine

Since we last talked to Nikki, she’s raced to the top of the charts with Strawberry Kisses and been all over TV screens in a Movie World commercial. Does she never slow down? “I’m the sort of person that likes things that happen quickly,” smiles Nikki. “I don’t think I’ll ever look back and think that it’s been too much, too soon.”

But it has to be asked, if she’s that busy combining her singing career with appearances on TV and in magazine ads, when does Nikki find time for her homework? “On days when I’m doing interviews, I’ll have a tutor come along and we’ll do all the work in a lunch break,” she explains. “The school has been collecting all the work I’ve missed and I’ve been trying to catch up on the weekend when I haven’t got anything on.”

It’s good to see that despite fame and chart success, Nikki keeps up with her Maths and History. “It’s not that bad,” she says of having to go from performing one minute to algebra the next. “I want to get through school because it’s something to fall back on. It’s kind of exciting doing school this way – it’s a bit different.”

And if you’re thinking that those horrible music industry types must work poor Nikki into the late hours of the night, think again. There are strict regulations for teenage performers which control the amount of work someone like Ms Webster can do. “It has been hard with the welfare rules but you’ve always got to do the right thing,” she says. “In the studio they always make sure I’m alright, that I’ve got a drink in the studio and that I’m not tired. They were really wary about things like that.”

Nikki’s next single, Depend On Me, and her debut album, Follow Your Heart, are both released this month!

Source: Smash Hits

Six Aussie dads celebrate Father’s Day with their biggest fans – their kids

It’s easy to forget that celebrities have a life away from the spotlight and, like most people, it revolves around family. To celebrate Father’s Day on September 2, New Idea Features Editor Monique Butterworth gathered some famous dads and children – and a couple of famous kids and their dads – to share what they love doing best together.

Nikki Webster and dad Mark

When your daughter has an album racing up the pop charts, a lead role in the musical The Wizard of Oz and was the star of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, a quiet dad and daughter afternoon at the movies soon turns into an autograph signing frenzy.

Mark Webster, 41, loves lining up for lollies and popcorn if it means an afternoon at the movies with his daughter Nikki, 14. ‘Dad and I love going to the movies,’ laughs Nikki. ‘He gets the popcorn and lollies, and he eats it all! He’s the one with the sweet tooth!’

For Australia’s ‘it’ girl of the moment, finding time to kick back at the flicks is tough. ‘Nikki’s a busy girl,’ laughs Mark. ‘But we catch a movie whenever we can.’ Nikki already has plans for Father’s Day. ‘We’ll take Dad out for a nice meal,’ she says. ‘I think he’ll score a couple of presents. He’ll probably get breakfast in bed, too.’ But any suggestions of a soap-on-a-rope are quickly quashed. ‘I hope not!’ laughs Mark.

Source: New Idea (via NikkiWebster.dk)
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Nikki Webster finds the Yellow Brick Road to her liking, writes CAMERON ADAMS

IF YOU look hard enough you can see Atlanta and Georgia. But we’re not in Kansas, it’s actually deepest Maribyrnong — Highpoint Shopping Centre to be precise — and there’s a whole army of Atlantas, Georgias and Madisons waiting to see Australia’s own Dorothy, little Nikki Webster.

As they wave their Nikki singles under the pop poppet’s nose to get signed (with a heart over the ‘i’ if they’re lucky) they’re not screaming as as they would for a male star. There’s a different kind of feeling on display here: it’s admiration.

For little Nikki is living the dream of young girls the nation over. She’s a household name with a debut album out before her 15th birthday. She’s an email-buddy of Kylie, signed to Farnsey’s record label and about to star in a million-dollar musical production of The Wizard of Oz.
Continue reading Little wizard of Oz

David Dale

After attending the recent launch of Nikki Webster’s album Follow Your Heart, this column formed two opinions: 1) Nikki Webster seems to be a good singer and a pleasant person, but she must start eating more; 2) The entertainment industry has barely begun to exploit the newly identified audience segment called “the Tweens” (which means consumers between six and 11, who are too old forHi-5 and too young for Britney Spears).

The majority of people at the CD launch were under the age of 10. They cheered and squealed as Webster sang and danced four numbers. Meanwhile, the adults stared in some alarm at Webster’s skinny arms and projecting shoulderbones, and worried at how fragile she looked by comparison with her dancers. She’s 14, but could pass for 11.

Her producer remarked in a speech that, while making the album, he tried to ensure she kept “doing her homework and eating”. In conversation, members of her entourage said Webster drives herself so hard that meals are not a big priority for her. We hope this is a passing phase.

Continue reading Queen of the Tweens will be bigger than Britney

Growing up fast . Nikki Webster is older than she looks – but at this stage her mum is drawing the line at a belly ring.

By Brett Thomas

A leading theatre producer has warned child star Nikki Webster not to grow up too quickly.

John Frost, one-third of the production team behind the $4million musical The Wizard Of Oz, in which Webster is starring as Dorothy, said: “I think she’s better off staying as a kid.

“When you think of the old days and child stars like Judy Garland, it all seems to turn sour.”

Frost said there would have been no Wizard Of Oz without Webster as Dorothy.

“She’s certainly flavour of the year,” he said. “Every little 13-year-old kid would love to be Nikki Webster.

She has a great voice, her dancing ability is great and she has a presence. When she walks on to the stage it lights up.
Continue reading Don’t Grow Up Too Fast, Nikki

Our Olympic darling is back with her own pop single and a movie role. It seems the sky’s the limit for Nikki Webster.

Nikki Webster is no ordinary teenager. At the tender age of 13, Nikki found herself in the international spotlight at the Sydney Olympics. Now, almost a year later, she’s back with a pop single, Strawberry Kisses. Looking more than comfortable in a plush office at record company BMG’s Sydney office, Nikki says she’s looking forward to the new direction in her already impressive career.

“This is a lot more fun [than the Olympics] because I’m doing my own album and video clip, which is fantastic. But they are both different. This is a pop song and a whole new image compared to the Olympics.”

The change is apparent in Nikki’s first video clip, which sees the Sydney teenager toss away her opening ceremony garb before stepping into a pair of funky pink leather pants and a matching midriff top. “I designed all the clothes,” explains Nikki. “I sit down with my stylist and say what I like. But I’m not very good at drawing, so she’s the one who does the sketches then finds the material and stuff like that.”

While Nikki sings about telling a boy how much she likes him, she says she doesn’t have a boyfriend, despite having been linked with pint-sized American pop star Aaron Carter. “We’re just friends,” says Nikki about Aaron, the younger brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter. “We went out together as friends for a radio station. He’s great and it’s interesting to see how he’s come along in his career as he’s the same age. But I still haven’t got a boyfriend.”

Of course, even at 14, Nikki would hardly have time, with promotional tours and dance classes taking up most of her days. In fact, her life is so busy that if it wasn’t for her regular dance lessons, Nikki would barely see her friends.

“My friends treat me no differently and have been very supportive. They’ve been with me every step of the way. They’re all dancers and so they’re all in the video. It was great to be able to have them share the experience. And hopefully when I do my performances they’ll be able to travel with me.”

Although Nikki hopes to start touring soon, she may have to put her travelling plans on hold to film her first Hollywood feature movie role, Vanilla Gorilla. The film, in which Nikki is set to play the lead, tells the story of a gorilla who teaches Nikki sign language. “Hopefully we’ll start filming that later this year, but because of the actors’ strike [in the US] it’s put us behind a little,” she says.

Not bad for someone who just last year admitted to dreaming of becoming a pop and movie star. “My dream has come true so quickly. I’d like to see my single and album do well next. But I’d also like to become an all-round performer who is around for a long time – someone like Kylie or Olivia, who are my idols and are loved by a whole range of audiences.”

Story: Erin Craven and Paula Shearer

Source: TV Week
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