Pop Idol
Format	Talent Show
Created by	Simon Fuller
Presented by	Ant & Dec
Judges	Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman, Neil Fox
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	46
Production
Producer(s)	19 Management Thames Television
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Picture format	16:9
Original run	October 5, 2001 – December 20, 2003

Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on October 5, 2001; the show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer, or 'pop idol', in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. A second series was broadcast in 2003. For the British television series, see Pop Idol. ... Image File history File links Pop_Idol_logo. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Simon Fuller (born May 17, 1960 in Hastings, England) is one of the most important figures in the entertainment business in the world. ... Anthony McPartlin (born 18 November 1975) and Declan Donnelly (born 25 September 1975), from Newcastle upon Tyne, England are popular presenters of light entertainment television programmes in the United Kingdom, as the duo Ant & Dec. ... Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is a British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britains Got Talent. ... Pete on the cover of his autobiography I Wish I Was Me Peter Alan Waterman, OBE (born in Coventry on January 15, 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. ... Nicki Chapman (b. ... Neil Andrew Howe Fox (born 12 June 1961) is a British radio and television presenter, known for many years as Dr Fox before he became Foxy in the 2000s. ... 19 Entertainment, based in the United Kingdom, is a leading creator and producer of entertainment properties, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, as well as versions of the Idol format in more than 30 countries around the world. ... Thames Television was a franchise holder of the British ITV television network, serving London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... The 16:9 aspect ratio (also known as widescreen) is an aspect ratio that is 16/9 or 1. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ...

The Idol series has become an international franchise; it has spun off many successful shows such as American Idol, Australian Idol, Latin American Idol, Idols (Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, South Africa, Serbia-Montenegro & Macedonia), Canadian Idol, Idols West Africa, Indian Idol, Indonesian Idol, New Zealand Idol, Hay Superstar, Nouvelle Star , Pinoy Idol (Philippines), Deutschland sucht den Superstar, Singapore Idol, Malaysian Idol, Vietnam Idol, Music Idol (Bulgaria), Ídolos Brazil, Ídolos Portugal, A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star (France), Kokhav Nolad (Israel) and Super Star. Countries that have their own versions of an Idol series. ... i eat poop alot A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting, and trademarks of an original work of media (usually a work of fiction), such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, or a video game. ... For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ... Australian Idol is the Logie Award winning Australian version of the hit British TV show Pop Idol. ... Latin American Idol is a reality television series on the Sony Entertainment Television network based on the popular Pop Idol. ... Idol was a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. ... Canadian Idol is a reality television show on the Canadian television network CTV, based on the popular British show Pop Idol and its American counterpart American Idol. ... The Judges (f. ... Indian Idol is a popular television show on Indian television, a singing talent contest to determine the best undiscovered young singer in the country. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... NZ Idol, more commonly known as New Zealand Idol, is the New Zealand version of the Idol series originated as the hit British TV series Pop Idol. ... Hay Superstar / Hye Superstar (Õ€Õ¡Õµ Սուպերսթար) is the Armenian & version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. ... Nouvelle Star (a. ... For Associated Broadcasting Companys former Idol franchise, see Philippine Idol. ... Deutschland sucht den Superstar (German for Germany seeks the superstar) is a German television program, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. It is the German version of Pop Idol, broadcast on RTL. The producers were not allowed to use the words pop or idol in the title (Frank Farian... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Malaysian Idol is the Malaysian version of the Idol Series that started in UK, similar to shows such as UKs Pop Idol and American Idol in the franchise. ... – Thần Tượng Âm Nhạc: Vietnam Idol is the Vietnamese version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. ... Music Idol is the Bulgarian version of the British television hit show Pop Idol. ... Ídolos Brazil is a reality television show based on the popular British format Pop Idol. ... Ídolos is a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. ... A La Recherche De La Nouvelle Star is a reality television show based on the popular British show Pop Idol. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Superstar may refer to any of the following : A widely acclaimed celebrity, such as a star of motion pictures or music, who has great popular appeal and is prominent, or who is a major attraction. ...

Series format

Unusually, the format was created not by TV producers but by music impresario Simon Fuller, in 1998. Having initially seen the project as web-based, the reality TV boom of the late '90s led him to take his format and inject elements of the variety talent shows of the 1970s and Popstars. A TV Program format is a license to produce and to broadcast a national version of a copyrighted foreign TV program and to use its name. ... An impresario is a manager or producer in one of the entertainment industries, usually Music or Theatre. ... Simon Fuller (born May 17, 1960 in Hastings, England) is one of the most important figures in the entertainment business in the world. ... Countries which had a version of Popstars Popstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. ...

One of the UK's top-earning TV format exports, Pop Idol made extensive use of premium-priced viewer interactivity, with viewers voting by telephone, mobile telephone texting (not used on series one), through the "red button" on digital television sets, or via the official website. The final of the first series of Pop Idol in February 2002 received the highest-ever one-night vote for a UK TV show, making the show one of ITV1's most profitable. The sister show on ITV2, Pop Idol Extra, also made extensive use of mobile phone text messages to raise additional revenue. The first Pop Idol received very high voting figures despite allowing only telephone and Internet voting and not making use of texting or the "red button". A TV Program format is a license to produce and to broadcast a national version of a copyrighted foreign TV program and to use its name. ... For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation). ... Red Button is a button on the remote control of the digital television set top box in the UK and Malaysia. ... Digital television (DTV) refers to the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by means of discrete (digital) signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV. Introduced in the late 1990s, this technology appealed to the television broadcasting business and consumer electronics industries as offering new... 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December February 27, 2002 Alicia Keys wins five Grammys. ... ITV1 is the name, in England, Wales and the Scottish borders, for a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel, broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... ITV2 is a free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ...

The Saturday night primetime show initially followed the audition process, as hopefuls sang before four judges (Pete Waterman, Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman and Neil "Dr" Fox) at various locations around the UK. Besides the successful auditionees, the poorest "singers" were often aired due to their obvious lack of talent or presence. Poor singers often faced harsh criticisms from the judges, especially from Simon Cowell (whose controversial rantings also made him famous on American Idol). The judges' reactions to such performances often ranged from disgust to nearly open laughter. Pete on the cover of his autobiography I Wish I Was Me Peter Alan Waterman, OBE (born in Coventry on January 15, 1947) is an English record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. ... Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is a British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britains Got Talent. ... Nicki Chapman (b. ... Neil Andrew Howe Fox (born 12 June 1961) is a British radio and television presenter, known for many years as Dr Fox before he became Foxy in the 2000s. ... For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ...

Once auditions wrapped up, the series moved to the Criterion Theatre, where further auditions saw the judges decide on a group of 50. Unusually, this was the final point at which the judges had direct control over the contestants' fates, as the remainder of the results would be driven solely from viewer voting. The Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the West End of London. ...

Stage 3 of the series moved to a conventional TV studio. The 50 contestants were split into five groups of ten, each of whom sang one song for the judges, accompanied only by a piano. Each judge offered their opinion, and at the end of the pre-recorded show phone lines opened for votes. Later the same evening a live show followed in which the voting results were revealed, the top two earning a place in the final ten. In series 2, a wildcard round (an innovation that originated on American Idol) was added, in which the judges selected ten rejected contestants and gave them a second chance. In this special edition, one contestant (Susanne Manning) was selected by the viewer vote, and one (Sam Nixon), chosen by the judges. This meant that the next stage began with twelve contestants, rather than the ten in series 1. For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ... Susanne Manning was a contestant on the second series of Pop Idol in the UK. She was known for her husky voice and caused the most headlines out of all the contestants at the time. ... Sam Nixon (born 21 March 1986) is a UK pop singer and television presenter. ...

The final stage moved to a more lavish TV set, where all remaining contestants sang on live television, accompanied by either a backing track or live band. Most editions had a theme, with contestants singing songs from a particular genre or artist (no original songs were performed at any stage in the competition). Again, the judges offered comments, but the results were decided by viewer voting. Again, a live results show was broadcast later in the evening, but this time the singer with the lowest votes was eliminated, the rest continuing to the following week, until only the winner remained.

Exceptions to the usual format were limited. In series 1, Darius Danesh was promoted to the live shows when Rik Waller dropped out. Danesh was third in the results for the group where Waller had won his place. Also, the first two live shows of series 2 saw two contestants leave, in order to rebalance the numbers after the addition of the two extra performers from the wildcard show. Darius Danesh (born August 19, 1980) in Scotland. ... Rik Waller promotional photograph from the Back to Reality TV show on Five Rik Waller (born: 1982 in Gillingham, Kent, England) is an English singer best known for being a finalist on the British television series Pop Idol. ...

Results and legacy

The first series was won by Will Young, with Gareth Gates coming in second. Michelle McManus won the second series. However, after the second series Simon Cowell was contracted to produce the first series of The X Factor for ITV (Cowell's Syco TV owns the rights to The X Factor) and the channel decided to focus on this new show, placing Pop Idol on indefinite hiatus. However, its impact was immense and led 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media to roll the format out globally; currently there are over 50 versions in 110 countries. ITV's licence to produce Pop Idol has since expired, meaning that other channels could theoretically acquire the series. Despite rumours (see below), no broadcaster has since acquired the rights to the format in the UK. William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... Gareth Paul Gates (born July 12, 1984, Bradford, England) is an English pop singer who shot to fame in 2002 when he came second in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. ... Michelle McManus (born 8 May 1980, Glasgow, Scotland) is a singer, actress and television personality who won Pop Idol in 2003. ... Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is a British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britains Got Talent. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... 19 Entertainment, based in the United Kingdom, is a leading creator and producer of entertainment properties, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom, as well as versions of the Idol series in more than seventy countries around the world and US Television show So... FremantleMedia (formerly All-American Television and Pearson Television) is an independent production company that holds the rights to the Goodson/Todman game show library which includes such classic game shows as The Price is Right, Match Game, Ive Got a Secret, and Family Feud. ...

All of the top three contestants from series 1 had number 1 singles in the UK. Will Young continues to be a credible recording artist (to the extent that many forget his career was started by a TV show). Darius Danesh had two hit albums and has appeared in the West End musical Chicago, playing the role of Billy Flynn. He has also appeared in the touring version of Guys and Dolls as Sky Masterson. Gareth Gates initially had great success, which later dried up. However, he released his third album in June 2007 which charted at No. 23. Series 2 contestants enjoyed significantly less chart success, which many believe damaged the credibility of the show, and helped hasten its demise in its home country. William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ... Darius Danesh (born August 19, 1980) in Scotland. ... For other uses, see Chicago (disambiguation). ... Guys and Dolls is a musical, with the music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown, a short story by Damon Runyon. ... Gareth Paul Gates (born July 12, 1984, Bradford, England) is an English pop singer who shot to fame in 2002 when he came second in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. ...

Indeed, with the exception of Will Young, it has been common to suggest that the UK is actually the nation where the alumni of such shows are least successful, as between Popstars, Pop Idol, The X Factor, and the BBC's Fame Academy, only Will Young, Fame Academy's Lemar, Popstars' Girls Aloud, and The X Factor's G4 (who were financially the most successful group to ever come out of a reality show), Leona Lewis and Shayne Ward have gone on to achieve notable success, whereas other nations' contests, most notably American Idol, produced singers who have gone on to much greater success than their UK counterparts. Fame Academy is the name of televised competition to search for and educate musical talents. ... Lemar (born Lemar Obika, 4 April 1978 in Tottenham, London) is a British R&B singer who has had a run of chart success in the UK since appearing on Fame Academy on BBC Television. ... Girls Aloud are a BRIT-nominated British girl group created by ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. ... G4 or G-4 may refer to: G4 (TV channel), a male-oriented (formerly video game oriented) TV channel G4TechTV Canada, G4s Canadian counterpart AEG G.IV, a German World War I heavy bomber Allegiant Air (IATA code G4) Group 4 of the periodic table Gulfstream G400 and G450... Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer-songwriter and winner of the third series of The X Factor. ... Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984 in Clayton, Manchester) is a British pop singer of Irish background, who rose to prominence in the UK and Ireland after becoming the winner of the 2005 series of the talent show The X Factor. ... For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ...

Immediately after the second series of Pop Idol, the same set was used to host World Idol, in which winners of various Idol series around the world, including original Pop Idol winner Will Young, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian, competed in a one-off competition, complete with a large judging panel featuring one judge from each country (Simon Cowell officially representing American Idol, with Pete Waterman the "official" UK judge). Surprise winner was Norway's Kurt Nilsen, who proceeded to minor UK chart success. Cowell was strongly critical of World Idol, and it is highly unlikely to be staged again. World Idol (Germany: SuperStar Weltweit, Middle East: SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other. ... Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American pop rock singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. ... Guy Theodore Sebastian (born October 26, 1981) is an Australian singer-songwriter and winner of the first Australian Idol TV talent competition quest in 2003. ... Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is a British artist and repertoire (A&R) executive for Sony BMG in the United Kingdom and a television producer, more commonly known as a judge on television programmes such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, American Idol and Britains Got Talent. ... Kurt Erik Nilsen (born September 29, 1978 in Bergen, Norway), won the Norwegian version of the television show Pop Idol, aired on TV 2 in May 2003. ...

Despite running for only two series, the show's legacy is huge, having spawned Cowell's own similar series The X Factor, and the many adaptions of Pop Idol around the world, notably American Idol, again featuring Cowell as a judge. For the current American Idol season, see American Idol (season 7). ...

Series one (2001/02)

Note: Not in every case were these the people announced by the hosts in the results show!^[clarify]

Pink indicates eliminated contestant. The winner is highlighted in green. Numbers in brackets indicate number of times in the bottom two/three.

• according to voting totals released in Pop Idol book

is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jessica celebrates receiving 12 points from Austria at Eurovision Welsh singer Jessica Garlick, born in 1981, made her first steps into showbusiness when she was 16. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Rosemary Rosie Ribbons (born July 22, 1983) is an Australian-born, UK-based singer. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Zoe Birkett. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Darius Danesh (born August 19, 1980) in Scotland. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Gareth Paul Gates (born July 12, 1984, Bradford, England) is an English pop singer who shot to fame in 2002 when he came second in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. ... William Robert Young BA (Exon) (born January 20, 1979) is a British singer and actor. ...

Series two (2003)

• according to voting totals released in Pop Idol book

is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Kirsty Crawford, born November 25, 1983, is a recording artist originally from Glasgow. ... Mark Rhodes has quickly became popular with the younger audience after becoming a Pop Idol Runner-up and fitted nicely into the role of tv presenter for top of the pops reloaded. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Andy Scott-Lee (born 29 March 1980 in Bodelwyddan, North Wales) is a former British pop star of a quarter Chinese extraction, who is an ex-member of the band 3SL. After the band broke up, he appeared in the second series of Pop Idol, he made it to the... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Susanne Manning was a contestant on the second series of Pop Idol in the UK. She was known for her husky voice and caused the most headlines out of all the contestants at the time. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Sam Nixon (born 21 March 1986) is a UK pop singer and television presenter. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Mark Rhodes has quickly became popular with the younger audience after becoming a Pop Idol Runner-up and fitted nicely into the role of tv presenter for top of the pops reloaded. ... Michelle McManus (born 8 May 1980, Glasgow, Scotland) is a singer, actress and television personality who won Pop Idol in 2003. ...

Relaunch of Pop Idol

On October 1st 2006, ITV's licence to produce Pop Idol in the UK ran out and its creator Simon Fuller, with co-producers FremantleMedia and 19 Television, began talking to UK broadcasters about reviving the show in a revamped format on a different channel. Sky One and Five have both expressed interest in buying the show. [1] Simon Fuller (born May 17, 1960 in Hastings, England) is one of the most important figures in the entertainment business in the world. ... FremantleMedia (formerly All-American Television and Pearson Television) is a division of RTL Group which holds the rights to the Goodson/Todman game show library which includes such classic game shows as The Price is Right, Match Game, Ive Got a Secret, and Family Feud, as well as non... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Five, launched in 1997, is the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue television channel to launch in the United Kingdom. ...

Related programmes

Main article: Idol series

The Idol format has been launched in dozens of nations worldwide, and there have been many imitations of the programme. Countries that have their own versions of an Idol series. ...

A World Idol international television special was held in December 2003, featuring national first series Idol contest winners competing against each other; viewers worldwide voted Norwegian Idol's Kurt Nilsen "World Idol". World Idol (Germany: SuperStar Weltweit, Middle East: SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show Pop Idol, featuring winners of the various national Idol shows around the world competing against each other. ... December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → Events December 31, 2003 In Taiwan, President Chen Shui-bian signs a law that allows referendums to be held. ... Idol: Jakten på en superstjerne is a television show on the Norwegian television channel TV 2, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. ... Kurt Erik Nilsen (born September 29, 1978 in Bergen, Norway), won the Norwegian version of the television show Pop Idol, aired on TV 2 in May 2003. ...

The similar Popstars format preceded Pop Idol, and was succeeded in Britain by one series of Popstars: The Rivals and four series so far of The X Factor. After Popstars producers threatened legal action, a deal was struck that, among other clauses, does not allow the use of the word "pop" in the title of Pop Idol editions outside of the UK.^{[citation needed]} Countries which had a version of Popstars Popstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. ... Countries which had a version of Popstars Popstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. ...

See also

• Pop Idol: The Big Band Album
• Karaoke
• Popstars
• The X Factor (the successor of its series)
• Fame Academy
• Starmania

For other uses see Karaoke (disambiguation) A karaoke machine Karaoke from Japanese kara, empty or void, and ōkesutora, orchestra) (pronounced IPA: or ; in Japanese IPA: ;  ) is a form of entertainment in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and a PA system. ... Countries which had a version of Popstars Popstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. ... For the current series, see The X Factor (UK series 4). ... Fame Academy is the name of televised competition to search for and educate musical talents. ... Starmania is one of the most famous and succesful casting shows in Europe. ...

External links

• Pop Idol at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e Idol series
National franchises	United Kingdom (original) • Armenia • Australia • Belgium • Brazil • Bulgaria • Canada • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Kazakhstan • Malaysia • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Pakistan • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Russia • Singapore • Slovakia • South Africa • Sweden • Turkey • United States • Vietnam
International franchises	Africa • Arab world • Asia • Latin America • Serbia, Montenegro & Macedonia • West Africa • World Idol