With the Idol crown now within the grasp of only 32 aspiring singers, and with an eager public ready to throw in their two cents, the wild ride all the way to the top is about to get started.

Canadian Idol judge Jake Gold shares his thoughts on the blood, sweat and tears that have marked the road to Idol as this year’s hopefuls prove they’ve got that X-factor to be the country’s next pop star.

Like the rest of the nation, Gold has been tuning in to watch episodes of Idol and seeing the drama unfold from a TV viewer’s perspective. However, as one of four instrumental opinion-shapers on the show, Gold’s perspective runs deep with moments of joy and heartbreak, especially with a job description that involves realizing or crushing the dreams of many a starry-eyed singer.

Though the TV cameras only capture Gold’s deceptive poker face, the judge admits it was difficult to deliver the bad news to a roomful of singers who’ve made it all the way to the Top 155.

"It’s tough. It’s not easy. They’re working hard, but they also know somebody’s gotta go. That’s just the way the game works," Gold tells Eye on Idol.

And it’s a game that the young singers are playing seriously – a fact that’s often lost on the public who only want to see the William Hungs and, therefore, only witness on television a fraction of the entire Idol experience.

But, for Gold -- who knows the emotional ups and downs the competitors must go through, not to mention the unrestricted criticism they must face -- the whole Idol journey and the people who choose that path deserve more credit than they are given.

"I think people need to realize that there are a lot of brave people out there willing to bare their soul on television," he believes.

He also adds, "That’s tough…which is why they owe it to the people that are performing to vote for the best performer. They owe it to those people because that’s the best those people can do. They can’t change the way they look."

If the question of "looks" is a constant factor, especially when the majority of the Idol constituents are young and impressionable, what does this judge hope the public will keep in mind when it’s time to choose the Canadian Idol?

"It’s hard for them not to think of how people look because it is a television show," Gold admits. "But I think it’s really important that they choose it based on singing performance and not just based on a popularity contest."

More than just a judge, Gold heads his own business as a talent manager. And with a career that involves spotting and cultivating good talent, it’s presumable he’s looking for something extra from the Idol hopefuls.

"I’m just looking for that spark, that thing that makes me feel something," Gold says as he tries to put his finger on it. "It’s a real intangible. It’s real tough to describe because it’s not something that you can really quantify."

But if what he’s trying to explain is not as clear-cut, he’s got one simple piece of advice to the public before they get ready to cast their ballots on June 16.

"Vote for the people that move you. Don’t just vote for the people that look good. Vote for the people that make you feel something that you didn’t already feel."