Two decades on and Jessica Mauboy hasn't forgotten.
The confident 36-year-old solo artist was a different performer back in 2006 when, as a teenager, she first appeared on the fourth season of Australian Idol.
While the proud Kuku Yalanji and and Wagaman woman's musical career has been on the rise since winning the hearts of a nation - and nearly the judges, the contestant was advised to "lose the jelly belly".
The comment that came from judge Kyle Sandilands has continued to have a lasting impact on Mauboy.
The pop star has clapped back at the controversial music figure years later amid her re-emergence on the talent program as a guest judge this year.
Mauboy said on a recent podcast episode that the body shaming struck a nerve.
"I was so young and I'd never had this put on me before," Mauboy told podcast host Sarrah Le Marquand on Something To Talk About.
"My mum never said that to me, my dad never said that to me, my sisters never said that to me and I never got it at school. No one ever commented about my body."
Mauboy said she has not let that perception define her career after finishing runner-up on the Australian Idol series.
She has achieved six top-10 Australian albums that has included two No.1 records among 16 top-20 singles, including nine top-10 hits.
The born-and-bred Territorian from Darwin, who has also made a smooth transition to acting, has claimed two ARIA music awards amid 25 nominations and a National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame induction.
But Mauboy admitted for the first time that Sandilands' remark, which came out of the blue, has always stayed with her.
"The comments Kyle made will be forever attached to everything I do," she said.
"Just talking about this, I felt like a little girl again."
Mauboy remembered feeling she had to stand there on the night and accept the peculiar criticism.
"I'm 16 (at the time)... I'm here to learn and I'm here to understand, but how in-depth is it about my appearance? Isn't it a singing show?" she said.
"It's awful, it's bullying, it's hurtful, and now that someone's put that (inference) in my mind, I'm going to obsess about it.
"If you're not strong enough or you've never been taught how to stand up for yourself, or love yourself, it can be a very scary place."
However, a silver lining emerged when Mauboy became a guest judge and a mentor on the current season of Australian Idol.
She privately pledged to make sure similar body-shaming comments "cannot go on".
"I have to be very careful (judging on Australian Idol) because I just know what it felt like having been on the show and having Kyle call me a jelly belly," Mauboy said.
"I think we need to hold people accountable and be mindful of what we're saying and who we're saying it to."
The beloved Indigenous artist, who also has Timorese heritage through her father, has returned to sit beside respective judges Amy Shark, Marcia Hines and, as it happens, a currently besieged Sandilands on its panel.
The shock jock recently got sacked from his radio gig on KIIS FM over management allegations of bullying that reportedly led to a fallout with his former host Jackie 'O'.
Sandilands has become embroiled in a legal stoush over the ripping up off his reported decade-long $100 million contract amid a first court appearance in the past week.
