judges Marcia Hines and Mark Holden. The first series premiered on 27 July 2003 on Network Ten. A large majority of viewers initially disliked him for his insensitive, cold attitude (including controversial comments on a female contestant's weight), but towards the end of his tenure he became popular for his candid assessments of performances based on his expertise and experience within the record industry. He was also Australia's judge at the first (and so far only) World Idol in December 2003. 2005–2006: Seven Network Near the end of the 2004 series of Australian Idol, it was announced that Dickson would be leaving the show and Network Ten to move to the Seven Network to broaden his interests as a presenter and producer. The move caused controversy at the time, as the popularity of Idol and Dickson himself were at their peak. His first role at the Seven Network in 2005 was as host of the second season of reality TV series My Restaurant Rules, succeeding Curtis Stone. Also that year he was a contestant in Dancing with the Stars, placing third. During this time, Dickson and his business partner and manager, David Wilson, formed Watercooler Media, an independent television production company. In December 2005, Dickson began his first stint on radio, hosting the morning show on Sydney and Melbourne radio stations Vega 95.3 and Vega 91.5, both part of the Vega radio network. In 2006, Dickson was the host of Australian Celebrity Survivor on the Seven Network. 2007–2009: Return to Australian Idol and Network Ten On 30 November 2006, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dickson would return to Network Ten in 2007 to become a fourth judge on the fifth season of Australian Idol, rejoining Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and his successor Kyle Sandilands. Season five premiered on 5 August 2007. Also in 2007 Dickson accepted an offer to be a judge on The Next Great American Band on Fox in the U.S. He was scouted by American Idol executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick based on his performance at World Idol four years earlier. His fellow judges were Sheila E. and John Rzeznik, and the series premiered on 19 October 2007. Australian Idol and The Next Great American Band were filmed simultaneously, which meant Dickson traveled back and forth between the U.S. and Australia for his filming duties. In 2008 and 2009, he was again a judge