Former Australian Idol judge Mark Holden has come a long way since living in a rundown home in Los Angeles.

These days, the singer resides in Melbourne. In recent years, he contemplated downsizing from his large family home.

The ex-TV personality jokingly noted his “bloody swimming pool” only gets used 10 days a year.

It is a far cry from his time in the US. The Adelaide-born star previously lived in a house in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, which he described as a “wooden shack”.

Holden moved back to Australia from the US in 1996 and initially rented a property on Karma Ave in Malvern East.

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Australian Idol judges on the set. Mark Holden, Ian (Dicko) Dickson, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands.

Mark Holden, Ian (Dicko) Dickson, Marcia Hines and Kyle Sandilands on the set of Australian Idol

09/08/2009: 20/10/2003 PIRATE: Singer Mark Holden, judge on set of TV program

Holden was once famous for his “Touchdown” catchphrase on the hit reality show.

Over the years, the entertainer has reinvented himself as a barrister with a reported $10 million net worth after a shock sacking forced a total career overhaul.

The 71-year-old singer, once famous for his “Touchdown” catchphrase, moved into law after being dumped from the Idol.

“After being fired by Australian Idol in 2008 – I went to the Victorian Bar in 2010 and practised as a barrister til 2023 – had a Supreme Court practice as a junior to Victoria’s finest QC’s and was a duty barrister at the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court in the Family Violence and Personal Safety Court throughout that time,” he wrote on Instagram last month.

A follower asked: “Yes but did you ever execute a Touchdown in court?”

Holden replied: “no but my opponent in a County Court case gave me a Touchdown as we left court.”

Holden returned to a degree he started in 1972 but abandoned his pursue of music.

“When I was fired from Idol, I took a year off in 2008,” Holden told Mamamia in 2023.

“I figured I had a degree so I should do the course you needed to do for your practical training.”

Supplied Editorial Mark Holden Memoir My Idol Years

Over the years, the entertainer has reinvented himself as a barrister.

Holden’s transition to the bar was sparked by a chance meeting while buying his daughter an iPhone in 2009.

A fellow father in the Apple Store queue, who was a barrister, convinced him to join the profession.

At the time of speaking to Mamamia, the musician spent 12 years as a duty barrister at the family violence court.

“I really enjoyed it, but I’m pretty much over it now,” he said.

Despite his reported $10 million wealth, the reality of the music industry is far less lucrative.

Holden co-wrote the Vanessa Amorosi smash hit Absolutely Everybody, yet his half-share of songwriting credit earns just $0.00015 per stream.

“This is the perfect song for this moment in Australia … wishing absolutely everybody much love for 2026,” Holden wrote on Facebook in December to promote the song.

The royalty amounts to a measly $150 per 1 million streams.

His earlier music career was more profitable. Holden told the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) he made roughly $35,000 from his 1978 album Encounter by selling 80,000 copies.

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