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The road to Canadian Idol has been a long one for Paul Clifford. For the past two years, he just barely missed the cut into the Top 22. While some may have been broken by such disappointment, Paul persevered. He returned to audition once again in Vancouver this year, and won yet another Gold Ticket to Toronto. Paul proved that the third time really is a charm, as his hard work and improvement finally landed him in the Top 24.

Like fellow competitor Martin Kerr, Paul is originally from the UK. He moved to Port Moody, B.C. when he was 19. "It's so beautiful, with some great places to explore," he says of his Canadian hometown. "You take it for granted sometimes, but it's a very special place."

Paul is inspired by a variety of musicians and performers, including Dave Matthews, Freddy Mercury of Queen and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters; his own voice is often compared to that of fellow B.C. musician Bryan Adams.

When he's not playing music, Paul spends a lot of his time running, hiking, and watching movies - The Lord of The Rings trilogy and Wedding Crashers are two of his favourites.

Canadian Idol is the chance of a lifetime for Paul, one he's been waiting three long years for. "Idol gives people a chance to be a part of something big and allows them to dream," he says. "It gets your mind going on all the possibilities that could come your way. While it's a little scary, it's really making me dig deep and work on all the things that are important to me and my success."

Viewers can expect to see a lot of sincerity from Paul on Idol; he'll be singing and playing because that's what he loves to do, and because it comes from his heart.