Former Idol contestant back in the town

For most Winnipeg TV viewers, there’s nothing odd about sitting on the sofa while tuning into Canadian Idol.

Unless you’re Lisa Bell.

The Transcona native says it’s been strange watching competitors perform on CTV’s reality show at her home in Winnipeg.

After all, she was one of those competitors not too long ago.

“It’s surreal, knowing you were there,” Bell says.

“I was taken aback. I was thinking, ‘What am I doing here? I should be there,’” she says with a laugh.

Bell beat out thousands of hopeful singers from across the country earlier this year and became one of two Manitobans among the 24 semifinalists selected to perform on the show, now in its sixth season.

Unfortunately, she was voted off earlier this month after making it into the Top 20 group.

“It all went by so fast,” she recalled. “I expected anything that day, because the show is so unpredictable.”

Even though she is no longer able to compete for the Idol crown, Bell says the experience has opened all kinds of doors in the entertainment industry for her.

But that’s nothing new for the 27-year-old, who already has more than a passing familiarity with performing.

Bell has not only performed with her group, LaVitaSoul, she also scored parts in Rainbow Stage productions of The Full Monty and Footloose, and has also worked on shows in Toronto.

She’s even recorded a single, Tell Me Why, for Soulchoonz Records.

For the next few months, Bell says she plans on working on her first full-length solo album, performing around the city and working at the coffee shop she managed before she boarded a flight to Toronto.

Bell admits that even though she’s glad to be back home with her family, she misses the fast-paced world of performing on national television.

“I miss the pace. The go, go, go all the time,” says Bell, referring to her busy schedule that was filled with photo shoots, interviews and rehearsals.

Contrary to popular belief, Bell says hearing comments on her performance from the judges was the least nerve-wracking part of the experience.

“It was the easiest part. I thought I’d be more nervous than I was, because that’s the last thing you have to worry about. Before that, you have to worry about your hair, your song, if your voice is up to par.”

Bell’s older sister, Natalie, says she and their family had been telling Bell to try out for Canadian Idol for the last few years.

Natalie, who refers to Bell as “Miss Powerhouse,” says she and her two daughters were with Bell during her audition before the judges in Winnipeg earlier this year.

“When she got the gold ticket, my kids were going nuts,” she says.

Bell hopes to be sitting in the audience when one of her fellow competitors will be named this year’s winner in September.