She has captivated Australians with her warmheart, beaming smile and big voice.

But life hasn’t always been breezy for SouthKorean-born singer Dami Im.

Relocating to Brisbane when she was nine, Im —who features in Seven’s Sunday Night programtomorrow — was the target of bullies at school andstruggled to fit in with her peers.

“I couldn’t speak a word of English and, with mypersonality, I was like oh so terrified of beingthrown into this environment where I don’t knowanyone, I don’t speak the language that everyonespeaks,” she says.

“All the kids that look like people I have seen inthe movies, you know, and I couldn’t tell thedifference between anybody.”

Moving through her school years with a quietdetermination, it wasn’t until last year that Im’s lifechanged forever.

After conjuring up the courage to audition forSeven’s reality singing series The X Factor, the softlyspoken 25-year-old became an instant hit withaudiences.

And even though she was knocked out in theearly stages, she was thrown another lifeline whenFremantle’s Matt Gresham pulled out of thecompetition.

Taking that opportunity with both hands, Imquickly redeemed herself and delivered a string ofspine-tingling performances that included covers ofPrince’s Purple Rain and U2’s hit One, a track shehad never heard before.

Then, following in the footsteps of Perth’sSamantha Jade, Im was crowned The X Factor’s2013 winner.

Tomorrow night, the cameras delve beyond Im’smusical roots and into her cultural upbringing andpersonal life, including how she met her husbandNoah Kim, to unveil another side to the bubblysinger that Australians have come to know andlove.

Filmed just weeks ago, Im embarks on a heartfeltjourney back to her homeland accompanied by herThe X Factor mentor Dannii Minogue, who stepsin as Sunday Night’s guest reporter.

Also joined by her mother and grandmother, Imreturns to Seoul to reunite with family but soonfinds herself retracing her grandfather’s footstepsby venturing into the most militarised border inthe world, straddling North and South Korea.

Crossing the border, the atmosphere istense as they film under the watchful eyesof surrounding guards.

“I knew that my grandpa was from NorthKorea originally, we never really talkedmuch about him, about his history,” Im says.“Like Grandma said, we really need to bereunified, North and South. It’s so true theolder generation are very sad about thedivision between the two. They have family overthere but the young people sort of forget.”........................................................................................................■ Sunday Night airs tomorrow at 7.40pm on

Seven/GWN7.Personal: Dami Im and Dannii Minoguepose at the North/South Korean border.

Dami’s emotional journey Some of Australia’s high-fliers are heading toWA’s North West for one of the most

exciting events on the WA social calendar.Among those who have made the pilgrimage

to Kununurra for the annual KimberleyMoon Experience tonight is Aussie tennisgreat Alicia Molik and husband Tim Sullivan.

The visit marks a special occasion for thecouple, below, who wed in 2011, as theirsecond child is due in six weeks and the tripaway is their last before Molik gives birth to asibling for their two-year-old son Yannik.

Arriving in the Kimberley on Wednesday, thecouple enjoyed the long-table dinner atDurack Homestead on Thursday night, whileMolik has been out coaching local kids at

tennis clinics during the day.With musical talentcoming from Eskimo

Joe, the Waifs andJohn Williamson,

700 guests havepaid $454 a headto sit in theexclusive corporatecircle while another

3300 have snappedup general admission

tickets to make it theKimberley Moon

Experience’s first sellout.Rumour has it former

Australian prime minster Bob Hawke and wifeBlanche d’Alpuget will be among the black-tiecrowd tonight.

Picture:CallyDupe

Moon brings stars

Manu Feildel isthe latest tojoin the list ofcelebrityvisitors whothink Perth’srestaurant

prices are unacceptable.The Frenchman has called

Australia home for the past 14years and has travelledextensively around the country as part of his star roleas a judge on Seven’s MyKitchen Rules.

Despite praising WA’s freshproduce and Perth’s trendy CBDdining scene, Feildel says thereis no excuse for restaurants tobe “gouging” locals and touristswith high prices.

“I love Perth. It is a beautifulcity but I do find it veryexpensive,” Feildel told AAAWeekend.

“When you go to big cities likeSydney and Melbourne, wherethere’s been amazingrestaurants for a long time, theprices are not as high.

“It is a little bit disappointingto go somewhere that is in thesame country and has the sametax.”

The 40-year-old has beenenjoying the picturesque sights of the Kimberley for thepast week as a celebrity guest ofthis year’s famous Ord ValleyMuster.

Before heading to the kitchento create a lavish dinner at thehistoric Durack Homestead on Thursday night, thecharismatic chef and soon-to-beauthor managed to enjoy a swimat Lake Argyle Resort’sincredible infinity pool, where

he was mobbed by locals andvisitors for a selfie.

But the one side of his famethat doesn’t impress Feildel is

some of the tabloid attacks onhis character.

Whether it is tales that he isfighting with fellow MKR judgePete Evans, has a drinkingproblem or has secretly marriedhis fiancee, Perth jewellerydesigner Clarissa Weerasena,Feildel calls the storiesfabricated rubbish.

“It bothered me for a longtime. Some magazines have gotthe need to make up stories to

fill up their mags with bulls…,”he said. “For me they have gotthe lowest job ever, I have got thebest job.”

“I was drinking and making afool of myself and then I havebeen married five times in thelast two years — you can go onand on.

“They have to sit there infront of the computer to makeup stories to sell theirmagazines.”

And as for his love of a drink,he says he is just a “normalguy”.

“I am a normal guy, I am notcoming out of a cocoon,” he said.

“Mate, I am serious at work, Ilove what I do cooking and I lovedoing TV but I sleep, I burp, Ifight, I drink, I party, I dancelike everyone else — not more,not less.”Ross McRae

Time out: Manu Feildeltakes a dip at Lake Argyleresort. Picture: Cathy Finch

Manu gives Perth prices a serve

‘I love Perth. It is abeautiful city but I dofind it very expensive.’

Manu Fieldel

AAA WEEKENDACCESS ALL AREAS

Ross McRae & Jessie PapainEditor Ross McRae Phone 9482 3124 Reporter Jessie Papain Phone 9482 3146Email ross.mcrae@wanews.com.au Follow twitter.com/todayAAA

122 Follow all the gossip online atthewest.com.au/aaa May 24-25, 2014