Australia’s own princess of Christmas, Delta Goodrem, will distribute her 2024 holiday pop treats all the way from the US.
For the first time, Goodrem’s Christmas special will beam out this Sunday night from Hollywood, with a lineup featuring Josh Groban, Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys), Calum Scott (Train), Christina Perri and Australian DJ and producer Fisher. Also joining the cast for the holiday special is celebrity chef Curtis Stone, and fashion designer Camilla Franks.
Goodrem is making herself at home in Los Angeles. The California metropolis is, right now, the centre of the pop music universe. It’s the right place and the right time for Goodrem, who is working on a new album, her first through her new label Atled Records.
“There’s so many wonderful people, part of the community (in L.A.), that I can ask to be a part of the show. We can make it a really warm environment where people knock on the door, and feel at home with a fantastic performance area.”
Now in its fifth year, the holiday special will take a trip to Christmases past, revisiting moments with the late Olivia Newton-John, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue.
Expect Goodrem to duet with Backstreet Boy Howie, who she toured with 2022; the pair spent a lot of time on the road in each other’s company. The singers will perform “Jingle Bells,” zooming into different hospitals around the world and celebrating the work of nurses and other frontline workers.
And in one special moment, Goodrem will perform with Men at Work frontman Colin Hay for a medley. Will the collaboration be available at some point for us to stream? “Absolutely,” she insists.
Goodrem is coming off another busy stretch. In 2023, she marked her return to the movies with the Netflix film, “Love Is in the Air,” and celebrated the 20th anniversary of her record-breaking debut album, Innocent Eyes, which logged 29 weeks at No. 1 back in 2003, making it the highest-selling debut album in Australian history.
Next April, Goodrem will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her hit album “Mistaken Identity” with two dates at the Sydney Opera House, produced by TEG, followed by a pair of shows in London Hackney Empire. Her as-yet-untitled next album is the follow-up to 2021’s “Bridge Over Troubled Dreams,” which opened atop the ARIA Chart for her fifth leader, and will house “Hearts on the Run,” which dropped earlier this year.
Five years on, “Christmas With Delta” continues to grow, and its star continues to dream. Launching in 2020 during COVID lockdowns, the special “came from a place, I wanted give back to deserving families. How could we bring a lot of joy through music and continue that connection through the Christmastime, and still make it very Australian and keep it like true to us.”
She continues, “Now we’ve started to branch out into different parts. I love that. It’s sort of a celebration of another chapter of exactly where I am as well. I wouldn’t put it past us doing it in the snow next year.”
“Christmas With Delta” airs Sunday, December 22nd, at 7pm on Channel 9 and 9Now. The special raises funds and awareness for the Delta Goodrem Foundation.