A forerunner to The X Factor, it made big household names of its finalists. Now James Moore reveals what happened next…
Will Young
The eventual winner, his first single Anything Is Possible/Evergreen was the best-selling single of the Noughties.
He’s had three other No1 singles, four chart-topping albums and is worth over £13million.
Now 42, he says Pop Idol was a “huge starting point”.
Gareth Gates
The show’s runner-up shot to No1 with Unchained Melody, sold 3.5m records, starred in musicals and did Dancing On Ice.
At 17, he lost his virginity to model Katie Price before marrying a dancer and becoming a dad. Now 37, he recently split with Corrie star Faye Brookes.
(Image: ITV)
Darius Danesh
Had a No1 hit with Colourblind before starring in musicals such as Chicago and winning ITV show Popstar to Operastar in 2010.
Known today as Darius Campbell, 41, he is divorced from Canadian film star Natasha Henstridge.
Rik Waller
Forced to quit the series with laryngitis, he later had a top 10 single and did Celebrity Fit Club.
Now 40, he quit music in 2007 and has worked as an exam invigilator and running a mobile karaoke business.
Jessica Garlick
Went on to represent the UK at Eurovision, coming third with Come Back. Now 39, she married personal trainer Owen and had two kids. A bid to revive her musical career in 2009 failed.
(Image: ITV1)
Zoe Birkett
She had a top 20 hit with Treat Me Like A Lady before being dropped by Simon Fuller’s record label.
The ex-Big Brother contestant is now 36, a theatre star, mum and kids’ author.
Hayley Evetts
Now 45, she released a single, briefly starred on Coronation Street and auditioned unsuccessfully for The X Factor in 2012.
Knee injury stopped her representing Romania at Eurovision in 2016.
Laura Doherty
After Pop Idol, she went back to college in Northern Ireland, graduating in 2006 with a music degree and going on to teach hip hop in schools.
(Image: PA)
Rosie Ribbons
The Welsh singer, now 39, had two top 20 hits before appearing on Australian Idol.
She later returned to the UK where she continued making music with the likes of Ed Sheeran.
Aaron Bayley
The Geordie ex-train driver, 45, performs at weddings in the Aaron Bayley Band.
Korben Niblett
Also known as Chris, he is now a manager for global cosmetics giant Estee Lauder.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
