Pop Idol 2 - articles

With a Little Bit of Help From My Friends

Sam and Mark topped the singles chart on 15th February 2004 with a little bit of help from their friends on Pop Idol.

Sam and Mark were number 19 with The Sun has Come Your Way on 30th May.

Michelle wins Pop Idol final

Michelle McManus was voted the winner of Pop Idol 2003.

Michelle and Mark competed in the Pop Idol final which ran for two hours and 45 minutes.

10.26 million votes were cast in the final - easily beating the 8.7 million votes of Pop Idol I.

Michelle said: "I just want to say thanks - and to everyone who said I couldn't do it, I've done it. Later on she admitted that when the result was announced: "I thought my knees were going to buckle underneath me!"

Mark said: "I could not have done any better with the songs. I think I did myself justice. I'm proud of myself."

Pete Waterman stomped off in disgust and did not show up in the ITV2 show, Pop Idol Extra.

Michelle has won a recording contract worth £2 million with Simon Cowell's record company BMG and will be represented by the 19 management company.

Bookies Ladbrokes admits it took "a hammering" and says a number of people will be collecting winnings worth thousands after placing bets on Michelle to take the title at odds of 33/1 earlier in the competition.

Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said: "A number of punters can celebrate Christmas with £3,300 after placing bets on Michelle at odds of 33/1.

The prime minister discusses Pop Idol

The British prime minister, Tony Blair, discussed Pop Idol in a meeting with his constituents in Sedgefield, Durham.

He said the Blair family were big fans of Pop Idol and it was “regular family viewing”.

He added there was surprise at home that Sam was not in the final but refused to predict the winner.

Susanne and Michelle

It's not all fun and games in the Pop Idol House. Press reports said that Susanne couldn't stand Michelle and refused to be pictured next to her.

An insider reportedly said: "Susanne is beginning to rub people up the wrong way. She acts al innocent and clueless on the show but she's playing a very clever game."

But after she was voted off Pop Idol, Susanne said she thought she had been given the boot because of the press reports.

Susanne denied she had insulted Michelle. “It’s easier to believe that I said those things than not,” she said.

Pete Waterman on Michelle

Pete Waterman said it would be a joke if Michelle won Pop Idol.

Pete said: "To me Michelle has not got the greatest voice. She has a strong voice but I can take you to karaoke bars across Britain and you will find stronger voices.

"If you look at our pop idols in the past 40 years, they are not like her. It's like thinking that she could become the next supermodel - I do not think so.

"Someone once told me that 'to be successful, we have to look successful' and that's the best advice I've ever been given."

Voting collapses in Pop Idol

Despite the record number of votes in the final, the total number of votes cast during the series was only 25 million. Over 31 million votes were cast in the first series of Pop Idol.

The Darkness, Mad World beat The Idols

The Darkness with Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End) or Gary Jules with Mad World are leading the midweeks for the Christmas number one.

The twelve Pop Idol finalists - The Idols - and their cover of John Lennon’s classic, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) are struggling to get sales.

The single was released so that it could become the number one hit this Christmas. Simon said: "If this isn't the Christmas number one I will eat my hat." Was that a promise Mr Cowell?

The twelve Pop Idol finalists

The twelve finalists were Andy, Brian, Chris, Kim, Kirsty, Leon, Marc D, Mark R, Michelle, Roxanne, Sam and Susanne.

Two finalists were chosen in the wildcard show on 18th October. The eight chosen to appear in the show were Susanne Manning, Rebecca Hayes, Kieron McDonald, Sam Nixon, Danielle Tedford, Jodie Connor, Glen Harvey and Jason Brock.

The judges chose Sam to go through to the final twelve and the viewers chose Susanne with 27.2% of the votes.

Michelle and Kim could make it big

Simon Cowell has advised Michelle and Kim: "Don't diet."

He said losing weight could cost the girls votes and added: "It would work against them. The public voted for them because they didn't look like normal pop stars. That's their appeal."

Both girls weighed in at 15 stone before the auditions. Michelle lost two and a half stone on a spinach and broccoli diet but Kim said she would not lose any weight.