His mother, Cathy Hales, and partner, Brooke Rodger, alternately cried and laughed around the television at home in Nicholls as Dickens a musically untrained shearer was named to front up against Sydney musician Wes Carr in just five days' time.

''Now I can wear my dress to the Opera House,'' Ms Rodger said, between laughter and tears.

Ms Hales, a public servant who works for ACT Cemeteries, was ''speechless, which is a really big thing for me''.

''The phones are going nuts here,'' she said, as a neighbour ran up the driveway cheering.

''It's just the most indescribable feeling.''

After 38,000 people auditioned for the singing competition around Australia, it's come down to Dickens, who'd performed only in pub karaoke before Idol and Carr, a musician who trained as a child at the Johnny Young Talent School and made his living from performing.

Melbourne labourer Mark Spano was eliminated last night but left the show unable to pick a winner from the final two.

''Wes is the best musician I've ever known and Luke is just a freak of nature and I'm glad to be beaten by two complete freaks in the nicest possible way, guys,'' Spano said.

Dickens, who moved to Young as a teenager to become a farmhand and later a shearer, spent his childhood in Canberra, where he attended St John the Apostle Primary School and later St Francis Xavier College, Florey.

His raw talent has impressed everyone from Cyndi Lauper to Chris Isaak and Kirk Pengilly, of INXS, who have been mentors to the finalists.

He has been praised for ''his honesty and Everyman spirit''.

Last night, Dickens said, ''This is the coolest thing I've ever done. I've got my heart set on music. I'll always be a shearer, mate, but this might be one who won't have to shear for a little while, that's all.''

The 26-year-old last night sang the 1973 Bob Seger classic Turn the Page and a song especially written for him, which will become his debut single should he win on Sunday.