Donovan transferred to the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney's Surry Hills in 2004 and it was in this year that her stepfather encouraged her to audition for the second season of Australian Idol.
Despite her record sales being lower than other Idol finalists such as Season 1 winner Guy Sebastian, Season 1 runner-up Shannon Noll and even her own runner-up Anthony Callea, Donovan has achieved five Platinum accreditations, making her the eighth highest selling Australian Idol alumnus overall.