Before The X Factor and The Voice UK, Popstars and Pop Idol were the early noughties singing competitions that aspiring entertainers hoped would launch their careers. Pop Idol, created by Simon Fuller, aired on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The original panel featured Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman, and Neil Fox, with Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly as hosts.
The show's success led to a second series, won by Michelle McManus, and spawned the global Idol franchise, with adaptations worldwide like American Idol, Australian Idol, and Idols. However, Pop Idol went on an indefinite hiatus after Simon launched The X Factor in the UK in 2004.
Finalists' Paths After the Show
Jessica Garlick finished ninth on Pop Idol, but first appeared on TV at 16 when she won the Welsh final of BBC One's Star for a Night. That same year, she featured in Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music. After Pop Idol, Jessica represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest the following year. Her entry, Come Back, came joint third, making her the second-highest placed British entrant at the competition in the 21st century. She tried to revive her music career in 2009 but is thought to have since gone into teaching.
Aaron Bayley finished eighth on the first series, despite Simon nicknaming him 'The People's Champion'. After the show, he performed on the nationwide Pop Idol Arena Tour. He later tried to become a wedding singer, and in 2011 he joined Andy Scott-Lee, Stacey McClean, Rikki Loney, and Kavana in the supergroup G*Mania, which toured performing Glee songs.
From Pop Idol to Musical Theatre and Beyond
Despite coming sixth, Rosie Ribbons landed a five-album deal and released Top 20 singles 'Blink' and 'A Little Bit', also supporting Liberty X on tour. After her record label went bust, she was released from her contract. Rosie entered Australian Idol in 2007 but didn't make the final 12. Returning to the UK, she released the single Turning Point featuring MOBO Award winner MC Neat in 2011. In March 2012, she was featured vocalist on the Alonestar EP "Warrior", which also featured Ed Sheeran on the track "All Falls Down".
Hayley Evetts, fifth on Pop Idol, went on to perform in musicals like Grease and Thriller, auditioning for The X Factor in 2012 but failing past boot camp. In 2016, she was meant to represent Romania in Eurovision but pulled out due to a knee injury. She became part of touring band Essential Groove UK but has since stepped out of the spotlight.
Zoe Birkett's West End and Take That Success
Zoe Birkett found fame on the show at 16, making the finals. As the highest-placing female contestant, she was signed by Simon Fuller's 19 Management, and her solo single Get Happy went straight to number one. In 2014, Zoe appeared in the Big Brother house, coming ninth. In recent years, she became an acclaimed West End star, winning plaudits for portraying Tina Turner in the musical in 2024. Earlier this year, she joined Take That on their Circus Live tour, voicing a giant Circus Ringmaster puppet before joining the band on stage for the "Lulu bit" of Relight My Fire.
Darius Danesh's Tragic Death
Darius Danesh finished third in Pop Idol, following his earlier participation in Popstars. The Scottish singer released his debut album Dive In in 2002, with number one hit Colourblind. He supported Shakira on the European leg of her 2003 world tour. He later appeared in the musical Chicago as Billy Flynn, won the first series of Popstar to Operastar, and landed an opera role in Carmen at London's O2 Arena. He lived in the US, where he married actress Natasha Henstridge in 2011; they divorced a few years later. Tragically, Darius was 41 when he was found dead in his US apartment in Rochester, Minnesota, on August 11, 2022. According to his girlfriend, he had been "living with a broken neck" and an undiagnosed heart condition when he died after inhaling chloroethane. Autopsy documents listed "toxic effects of chloroethane" and "suffocation" as contributing to his death, ruled an accident by the medical examiner.
Gareth Gates and Will Young's Enduring Careers
Gareth Gates scored several big hits, including the million-selling cover of Unchained Melody, number one Stupid Mistake, and Spirit in the Sky with The Kumars, the 2003 Comic Relief single. He moved into musical theatre, playing the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and completing an 18-month stint as Marius in Les Misérables. He also took roles in Loserville, Legally Blonde, and Boogie Nights the Musical. Gareth later joined pop group 5th Story for ITV2's The Big Reunion. More recently, he has performed across the country with his show Boyband in the Buff, performing hits of the 90s and 2000s.
Will Young was the first Pop Idol champion. His winner's single Evergreen sold over 1.1 million copies in its first week, becoming one of the fastest-selling singles in UK chart history. His debut album From Now On went straight to number one, and his second album Friday's Child went five-times platinum. He won BRIT Awards in 2003 and 2005. Will came fifth in World Idol, took acting roles, and received an Olivier nomination in 2013 for Cabaret. In 2016, he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing but quit for "personal reasons". In 2021, he appeared on The Masked Singer as 'Lionfish', finishing 10th. Will recently announced The Evergreen 25th Anniversary Tour, marking a quarter of a century since his Pop Idol victory. He will tour with his full band in February and March 2027, opening at Manchester's O2 Apollo on February 20 and concluding at Cardiff's Utilita Arena on March 13.
