Troubled Australian Idol winner Kate DeAraugo resurfaces in rare TV interview three years after her battle with ice... and you won't believe what she looks like now

She faced a spectacular fall from grace following her Australian Idol win 16 years ago, after escaping conviction for the possession of ice and weapons in 2017.

But on Thursday, Kate DeAraugo - now three years sober - revealed she's completely turned her life around, and has made a surprising new career change along the way.

Speaking on The Morning Show, Kate told surprised hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur: 'I'm actually starting a [certificate] three in civil construction.

'It just means I am learning to operate big machines and excavators and... build stuff. It is really random but I’ve really enjoyed it. 

'I got out there and did traffic management for a while, and it has just sort of carried on to looking at other avenues in construction.'

The 35-year-old - who sang in the girl band Young Divas alongside former Idol contestants including Ricki-Lee Coulter - added: 'It opens up lots of opportunities to work on big civil sites and building big projects. I love it.'

Kate made headlines for all the wrong reasons in June 2017 when she was caught by police carrying .43 grams of ice in Shepparton, as reported by The Shepparton News.

Police also allege she was caught five days later with ice, and that she was illegally carrying a large knife and a tomahawk.

She was reportedly also caught driving under the influence of drugs and had faced up to 15 years in jail.

However, in November 2017, Kate avoided conviction after pleading guilty to possessing ice, drug driving and weapons offences.

She was handed a 12-month community correction order in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to eight charges. She was also disqualified from driving for a minimum of six months.

Speaking about her troubled past, Kate added: 'It's no secret that mental health, depression and addiction has been a big part of my story. 

'It's a big topic and one that I'm really happy to talk about, but potentially a little heavy for 9:30am on a Thursday morning.

'The good news is is that I'm nearly three years in recovery now. It was a dark time, but an incredible learning experience now that I'm out the other end.'