Popstars The Rivals
Encyclopedia
Popstars The Rivals was a British television
talent show
series that was broadcast on ITV1
in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars
franchise
. Unlike the Popstars, which resulted in the formation of one winning group – Hear'Say
- Popstars: The Rivals created two rival groups, Girls Aloud
and One True Voice
, who competed against each other for the Christmas Number One spot on the UK Singles Chart
.
Popstars The Rivals aired on ITV
on Saturday nights from 7 September 2002, beginning with three pre-recorded episodes of preliminary audition
rounds, before switching to live broadcasts of studio performances. During the rounds of live show, viewers voted for their favourite performers by telephone
and the Red Button
on digital television
remote control
s. In the final weeks, five females and five males were chosen by the British public to form the two groups, boyband
One True Voice
, and girlgroup
Girls Aloud
. The final episode of Popstars: The Rivals aired live on 22 December 2002. During the broadcast, Pepsi Chart Show presenter Neil Fox revealed in a live link-up
that "Sound of the Underground
" recorded by Girls Aloud had reached Number one on the Singles Chart, thereby becoming the Christmas Number One. One True Voice's double A-side single, "Sacred Trust/After You're Gone
" entered the chart at Number Two.
The series was hosted by Davina McCall
, with the performances judged by Pete Waterman
, Louis Walsh
and Geri Halliwell
. In addition to the main show, Popstars The Rivals Extra aired on ITV2
, presented by popstar Dane Bowers
and Pop Idol
finalist Hayley Evetts
.
, Paul Adam nor Nicki Chapman
, the three judges from the first series of Popstars, returned for Popstars: The Rivals. Lythgoe had left ITV to work with Simon Fuller
at 19 Entertainment
and become the executive producer of Pop Idol and American Idol
, although he initially expressed an interest in appearing. Chapman also went to 19, where she managed the careers of Pop Idol winner and runner-up Will Young
and Gareth Gates
. Adam turned down the opportunity to return as he was too busy working as a music executive at RCA Records
.
The judges for Popstars: The Rivals were announced as record producer and songwriter Pete Waterman
, who as part of 1980–90s production trio Stock Aitken Waterman
had worked with Kylie Minogue
, Jason Donovan
, Rick Astley
and Steps amongst others; Geri Halliwell
, who rose to fame as part of Spice Girls
and later had a career as a solo popstar; and Chris Evans, who had presented breakfast shows on BBC Radio 1
and Virgin Radio
, and The Big Breakfast
and TFI Friday
on Channel 4
. Evans later decided not to appear, and after approaching Sharon Osbourne
, producers chose Louis Walsh
, a music manager who had represented Boyzone
, Samantha Mumba
, Ronan Keating
and Westlife
, and who had judged on the 2001 Irish edition of Popstars as the third judge.
, who had hosted the Popstars finale in 2001, and also hosted Big Brother
, God's Gift
, Streetmate
, Don't Try This at Home
, and the 2001 BRIT Awards
. Former Another Level singer Dane Bowers
and former Popstars and Pop Idol
contestant Hayley Evetts
presented Popstars: The Rivals Extra on ITV2
.
, which aired during the winter months of 2000 and 2001, and Pop Idol
, which aired in the winter months of 2001–2002. Popstars resulted in the formation of one winning pop group
, Hear’Say
, who was selected solely by the judges, but Pop Idol made extensive use of viewer interactivity
with the home audience voting for their favourite act to win the competition either via the show's official website or by calling premium-rate telephone number
s. In the months since Popstars finished, the five runners-up of the show had formed their own group, Liberty X
, and were enjoying more commercial success than Hear’Say. The British media had also begun to create a rivalry between the two groups.
The Popstars producers drew upon this rivalry for Popstars: The Rivals to create two winning pop groups, a boy band
and a girl group
, in a "battle of the sexes", to vie for the Christmas Number One spot in the UK Singles Chart
, a traditionally competitive time in the British music market. To further the rivalry, members of the public were to select who would remain in the show by voting for their favourite acts using premium-rate telephone numbers, text messaging, via the Popstars website, and with the Red Button
on digital television
remote control
s. Each week, the singer with the fewest public votes would be eliminated from the competition until five males and five females remained, who would then form the two rival groups. Elements of Channel 4
's Big Brother
, which aired during the summer months since 2000, were used in Popstars: The Rivals when the final ten boys and final ten girls moved into two houses and lived together, watched by television cameras.
s began on 9 August 2002 at the Wembley Conference Centre
in London. and continued in a number of cities around the United Kingdom. This stage of the competition was broadcast over three episodes, with auditions taking place in London, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. Most contestants were invited to audition after sending in video tapes of themselves singing, but open auditions were also held at Wembley Conference Centre
in Wembley
, London on 9 August 2002 and at the Lowry Hotel
in Manchester a week later. This was in response to the massive demand of the original Popstars series which had seen thousands turned away due to time restraints. Just two of the hopefuls advanced from the London open auditions.
The open auditions were broadcast across 3 episodes. Around 100 contestants made it through to the next round of the competition.
After two days of the workshop, 52 contestants failed to progress and left the competition. 13-year-old Stephanie McMichael was eliminated after producers discovered she had lied about her age and was below the age limit.
The final 50 were next reduced to 30 through another series of workshops. Pete Waterman mentored the boys, Louis Walsh oversaw the girls and Geri Halliwell acted as an intermediary between the two groups. After much deliberation, the judges called contestants to see them individually and deliver their verdicts. All the contestants returned home, with 30 left in the competition.
The ten eliminated acts were:
Boys – Justin Webb, Sean Haven, Owen Doyle, Jacob Thompson, Jeremy Medcalf
Girls – Kimberly Walsh
, Pollyanna Woodward, Nicola Roberts
, Annika Gavitas, Charlie (?)
Kimberley Walsh
, one of the girls who did not make the final 10, took Kaneswaren's place for the live shows. A special half-hour episode was broadcast on 14 October 2002 to show these changes, with Geri Halliwell informing Hazel of her elimination and Louis Walsh inviting Kimberly back onto the show.
Nicola Roberts
, who also failed to make it through, replaced 19 year old Nicola Ward
, who quit the show over what she
considered "exploitation" of contestants by the producers.
Boys
Girls
In the final, the six remaining male and female singers performed. Five of the boys formed One True Voice
and five of the girls formed Girls Aloud
.
The first live show was broadcast on ITV1
on 12 October 2002. The live final took place over two weeks, a couple of weeks before Christmas
on 23 November for the boys and 30 November for the girls.
Bottom three:
Jamie Shaw, Chris Park and Andrew Kinlochlan received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Jamie was told that he was safe, leaving Andrew and Chris in the bottom two. Andrew was eliminated.
Bottom three: Linsey Brown, Emma Beard and Kimberley Walsh received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Kimberley was told that she was safe, leaving Linsey and Emma in the bottom two. Linsey was eliminated.
* Note:
Two of the male contestants were due to be eliminated via the public vote in this show. However in the results show, Peter Smith shocked everyone (including the judges) as he announced that he was actually several months too old to be involved in the competition and left the show. This meant that only one of the singers would be voted out by the television audience and there was no bottom three.
Nikk Mager received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated.
Davina announced at the beginning of the show that two girls would be leaving the competition this week.
All the girls got positive comments from at least two of the three judges. Nadine received the best verdict from the judges. After she had performed "Fields of Gold", Louis told her "The performance of the night. Stole the show for me" while Geri said "I'd love to buy a single of yours already".
The girls were split into two groups and were told that one girl would be eliminated from each group. The four girls with the lowest votes were Kimberley Walsh, Chloe Staines, Emma Beard and Cheryl Tweedy. Chloe and Emma were the two girls who were knocked out.
Bottom three: Only one contestant was eliminated this week. Anton Gordon, Mikey Greene and Matthew Johnson received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Anton was told that he was safe, leaving Mikey and Matthew in the bottom two. Mikey was eliminated.
Nadine, Javine and Nicola found out they had made it to the final when the results were announced. Cheryl, Sarah, Kimberley and Aimee knew that one of them would be heading home. Davina then revealed that Sarah and Kimberley were through, leaving Cheryl and Aimee pushing for the one remaining spot. Aimee was eliminated.
on November 23, 2002. Each of the singers performed one song before the public voted for who they wanted in the band. The contestants knew that one of them would miss out.
Results:
Davina McCall returned in the results show to announce the five boys who had qualified. Matthew Johnson became the first member and he was followed by Keith Semple, Daniel Pearce and Anton Gordon. This left Jamie Shaw and Chris Park fighting for the last remaining spot. Davina revealed that Jamie was the final member of the band, meaning Chris was eliminated.
Note: Sarah was suffering from a sore throat prior to the live show but still managed to perform.
Results:
Davina returned in the results show to reveal the lucky five who had made the band. Cheryl was the first to hear her name called out, despite the negative comments from the judges, and she was joined by Nicola, Nadine and Kimberley. Sarah and Javine were therefore in the bottom and Sarah eventually found out she was to become the fifth member of the group. Javine was eliminated.
had been formed, ITV broadcast a special show on 22 December 2002 to reveal which of the two groups (if either) had made it to number one in the UK Singles Chart
. The show connected with Neil Fox at the Pepsi Chart Show studios where he ran down the top 10 singles before revealing the act that had charted highest. Girls Aloud were the lucky ones, with their song "Sound of the Underground
" reaching number one with first week sales of around 213,000. "Sacred Trust"/"After You're Gone", the double A-side from One True Voice went straight in at number two having sold close to 137,000 copies, while another Popstars: The Rivals act, The Cheeky Girls
charted at number three. "Sound of the Underground" remained at number one for four weeks in total, stretching into 2003.
The girls performed their new single live together for the second time at the end of the programme. Both acts had premiered their debut singles a couple of weeks before on Popstars: The Rivals.
released their debut album Sound of the Underground in May 2003 and it went to Number 2 in the UK albums chart
. They released three singles in 2003 which charted in the top 3 in the UK. They have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles (including four number ones), two UK number one albums, and having been nominated for four BRIT Awards
, winning Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise
".
Each of the girls have also launched careers outside of the band. Cheryl Cole
has become a successful solo artist in her own right, following a guest appearance on will.i.am
's "Heartbreaker
" in 2008. Her debut solo single "Fight for This Love
" saw international success, reaching number one in Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, as well as top ten in eleven others. Her album 3 Words
was certified three times platinum in the UK. Cole is also a judge on the highly popular series The X Factor
and a L'Oréal
spokesperson. Nadine Coyle
released her debut album through a partnership with Tesco
in November 2010. She has worked with numerous songwriters and producers including Steve Booker
, Guy Chambers
, Toby Gad
, Tony Kanal
, and William Orbit
.
Following an appearance in the BBC television film Freefall
, Sarah Harding
had a starring role in the film St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Harding recorded three solo songs for the soundtrack. Nicola Roberts
decided to start a solo career of her own. In June 2011, she released her debut single Beat of My Drum
which was critically acclaimed. September saw the release of Roberts' debut album Cinderella's Eyes
which was also critically acclaimed by many reveiwers. Roberts also created Dainty Doll, a make-up range aimed at fair-skinned individuals like herself. She has become vocal in her support of laws preventing minors from using sunbeds, in addition to highlighting the dangers of tanning in a BBC Three
documentary Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning. In 2010, she filmed a guest appearance on Britain's Next Top Model
. Kimberley Walsh
has become a notable television presenter, following her appearances alongside Cole on The X Factor, her coverage of the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
for MTV
, and a stint co-presenting The 5 O'Clock Show
. She is currently hosting Suck my pop
for Viva
alongside Will Best. Walsh has also modeled for high street chain New Look and Schwarzkopf
hair products.
, the winning male group, had a very different level of success. After the disappointment of missing out on the top spot with their debut single and despite the Popstars: The Rivals joint tour with Girls Aloud being cancelled due to poor sales, they released a further single entitled "Shakespeare's (Way With) Words
" which only just reached the top 10 in the summer of 2003. Daniel Pearce
quit the group at the beginning of June 2003 and, despite the band denying reports that the group was going to split, they inevitably broke up in August 2003. Pearce later went on to audition for the 2009 series of The X Factor
, reaching the judges' houses stage before being eliminated. Keith Semple moved to the United States and became the lead singer of Chicago
-based rock band 7th Heaven. He auditioned for the ninth season
of American Idol
, but lost his "golden ticket" place due to his legal status and residency considerations.
after being given a £500,000 record deal with independent record label Concept Records
, the label of Popstars
rejects Liberty X
. Four of the five girls who failed to qualify for Girls Aloud created CLEA
(the name comes from each girl's initials). Javine Hylton
decided to pursue a career as a solo artist, with a debut single Real Things
reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom. She was also chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
, where she performed a song called "Touch My Fire
".
Two girls from Romania who did not make it past the auditions, Monica and Gabriela, were given a record deal to release songs as The Cheeky Girls
. They charted one place behind One True Voice in the 2002 Christmas countdown with "The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)
" and released an album entitled PartyTime. They went on to release several more singles, including "Take Your Shoes Off" and "Hooray Hooray It's A Cheeky Holiday".
When CLEA
disbanded, members Aimee Kearsley and Emma Beard formed a group named LoveShy and attempted to be the British entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest but were knocked out by another girl group, The Revelations
. Former Phixx
member Nikk Mager auditioned for The X Factor
in 2008, in front of Cheryl Cole
from Girls Aloud. He failed to advance through the audition stages. Stephanie McMichael, a contestant who pretended she was 16 but then revealed she was 13, later went on and appeared as a contestant on Big Brother 2008
. She was the first to be evicted, and later released a single called "Camera Shy", and went on to audition for The X Factor
.
London radio station Capital FM received complaints from viewers during their news bulletin. However, the company Red Fig who handled the voting, denied the viewers claims. A spokesman for the show also said they were "satisfied" with the procedure.
sponsored the show in a £
4 million deal which covered the programmes on ITV1 and ITV2 and the official website. The sponsorship provided promotion for the show nationwide in McDonald's restaurants. Martin Strowde, the sponsorship director at Granada Television
said "We're delighted that McDonald's has teamed up with us for what promises to be the most exciting hit this autumn".
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
series that was broadcast on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
in late 2002. It was the second UK series of the international Popstars
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
. Unlike the Popstars, which resulted in the formation of one winning group – Hear'Say
Hear'Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
- Popstars: The Rivals created two rival groups, Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
and One True Voice
One True Voice
One True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week...
, who competed against each other for the Christmas Number One spot on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Popstars The Rivals aired on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
on Saturday nights from 7 September 2002, beginning with three pre-recorded episodes of preliminary audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
rounds, before switching to live broadcasts of studio performances. During the rounds of live show, viewers voted for their favourite performers by telephone
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
and the Red Button
Red Button (Digital Television)
Red Button is a button on the remote control for certain digital television set top boxes in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and By Directv in the USA. It is for interactive television services such as BBC Red Button and Astro...
on digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
s. In the final weeks, five females and five males were chosen by the British public to form the two groups, boyband
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
One True Voice
One True Voice
One True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week...
, and girlgroup
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. The final episode of Popstars: The Rivals aired live on 22 December 2002. During the broadcast, Pepsi Chart Show presenter Neil Fox revealed in a live link-up
Teleconference
A teleconference or teleseminar is the live exchange and mass articulation of information among several persons and machines remote from one another but linked by a telecommunications system...
that "Sound of the Underground
Sound of the Underground (song)
"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, later featured on their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
" recorded by Girls Aloud had reached Number one on the Singles Chart, thereby becoming the Christmas Number One. One True Voice's double A-side single, "Sacred Trust/After You're Gone
Sacred Trust/After You're Gone
"Sacred Trust/After You're Gone" is the debut double-A side single by One True Voice. It was released on 16 December 2002, the same day that female winners Girls Aloud released their single Sound of the Underground. The two songs were competing for the coveted Christmas Number One spot in the UK...
" entered the chart at Number Two.
The series was hosted by Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
, with the performances judged by Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
, Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
and Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
. In addition to the main show, Popstars The Rivals Extra aired on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
, presented by popstar Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers is an English R&B singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer. He was a part of R&B boyband Another Level between 1997 and 2000 when he performed on seven Top 10 singles...
and Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
finalist Hayley Evetts
Hayley Evetts
Hayley Evetts born 4 March 1976 in Birmingham, England is a singer, TV presenter and stage actor. She rose to fame on the hit British TV talent show Pop Idol. She first came to the attention of the public when she appeared on Popstars, the TV show that launched Hear'say and Liberty X. After failing...
.
Judges
On the judging panel, neither Nigel LythgoeNigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
, Paul Adam nor Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman
Nicki Chapman is an English television presenter who also works in the British pop music industry. She was also a judge on the ITV reality shows Popstars, with Nigel Lythgoe and Paul Adam, and Pop Idol, along with Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman and Neil Fox...
, the three judges from the first series of Popstars, returned for Popstars: The Rivals. Lythgoe had left ITV to work with Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller
Simon Fuller is a British artist manager, television producer and creator of the Idol franchise, first seen as Pop Idol in the UK. Fuller is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Fox TV reality show So You Think You Can Dance and other U.S...
at 19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
and become the executive producer of Pop Idol and American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, although he initially expressed an interest in appearing. Chapman also went to 19, where she managed the careers of Pop Idol winner and runner-up Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
and Gareth Gates
Gareth Gates
Gareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
. Adam turned down the opportunity to return as he was too busy working as a music executive at RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
The judges for Popstars: The Rivals were announced as record producer and songwriter Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
, who as part of 1980–90s production trio Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
had worked with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
, Rick Astley
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
and Steps amongst others; Geri Halliwell
Geri Halliwell
Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English pop singer-songwriter, author and actress. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic...
, who rose to fame as part of Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
and later had a career as a solo popstar; and Chris Evans, who had presented breakfast shows on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
, and The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast
The Big Breakfast was a British light entertainment television show shown on Channel 4 and S4C each weekday morning from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002 during which period 2,482 shows were produced. The Big Breakfast was produced by Planet 24, the production company co-owned by former...
and TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
. Evans later decided not to appear, and after approaching Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
, producers chose Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
, a music manager who had represented Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, Samantha Mumba
Samantha Mumba
Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Early life, education and early career:Mumba was born in Dublin,...
, Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
and Westlife
Westlife
Westlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
, and who had judged on the 2001 Irish edition of Popstars as the third judge.
Presenters
The series was presented by Davina McCallDavina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
, who had hosted the Popstars finale in 2001, and also hosted Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, God's Gift
God's Gift (TV series)
God's Gift was a British television game show broadcast for 2 series . It was produced by Granada Television and presented from the studio floor by Davina McCall and Claudia Winkleman . Stuart Hall provided the voiceover for both series...
, Streetmate
Streetmate
Streetmate was a dating game show in the UK that first aired on Channel 4 from 30 October 1998 to 9 March 2001 and ran for 3 series. It was hosted by Davina McCall. It returned on 27 September 2007 but it moved to ITV2 as part of the channel's XXL Thursday line-up...
, Don't Try This at Home
Don't Try This at Home (TV series)
Don't Try This At Home was a reality show produced by LWT with Golden Square Pictures and broadcast on ITV between 16 May 1998 and 1 September 2001. It took up the slot of the Saturday challenge game show slot left by its long running and more sedate predecessor You Bet!...
, and the 2001 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. Former Another Level singer Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers is an English R&B singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer. He was a part of R&B boyband Another Level between 1997 and 2000 when he performed on seven Top 10 singles...
and former Popstars and Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
contestant Hayley Evetts
Hayley Evetts
Hayley Evetts born 4 March 1976 in Birmingham, England is a singer, TV presenter and stage actor. She rose to fame on the hit British TV talent show Pop Idol. She first came to the attention of the public when she appeared on Popstars, the TV show that launched Hear'say and Liberty X. After failing...
presented Popstars: The Rivals Extra on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
.
Production
Popstars The Rivals drew on the success of the first series of PopstarsPopstars (UK series 1)
Popstars was a UK talent show series that was broadcast on ITV in early 2001. It was the first UK series of the international Popstars franchise, and was billed as a documentary on the formation of a modern pop group. The series began with audition rounds of aspiring singers performing songs...
, which aired during the winter months of 2000 and 2001, and Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
, which aired in the winter months of 2001–2002. Popstars resulted in the formation of one winning pop group
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Hear’Say
Hear’Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
, who was selected solely by the judges, but Pop Idol made extensive use of viewer interactivity
Interactive television
Interactive television describes a number of techniques that allow viewers to interact with television content as they view it.- Definitions :...
with the home audience voting for their favourite act to win the competition either via the show's official website or by calling premium-rate telephone number
Premium-rate telephone number
Premium-rate telephone numbers are telephone numbers for telephone calls during which certain services are provided, and for which prices higher than normal are charged. Unlike a normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider, thus enabling businesses to be funded via the calls...
s. In the months since Popstars finished, the five runners-up of the show had formed their own group, Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
, and were enjoying more commercial success than Hear’Say. The British media had also begun to create a rivalry between the two groups.
The Popstars producers drew upon this rivalry for Popstars: The Rivals to create two winning pop groups, a boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
and a girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
, in a "battle of the sexes", to vie for the Christmas Number One spot in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, a traditionally competitive time in the British music market. To further the rivalry, members of the public were to select who would remain in the show by voting for their favourite acts using premium-rate telephone numbers, text messaging, via the Popstars website, and with the Red Button
Red Button (Digital Television)
Red Button is a button on the remote control for certain digital television set top boxes in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and By Directv in the USA. It is for interactive television services such as BBC Red Button and Astro...
on digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
s. Each week, the singer with the fewest public votes would be eliminated from the competition until five males and five females remained, who would then form the two rival groups. Elements of Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, which aired during the summer months since 2000, were used in Popstars: The Rivals when the final ten boys and final ten girls moved into two houses and lived together, watched by television cameras.
Applications and auditions
Initial auditionAudition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
s began on 9 August 2002 at the Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre near Wembley Stadium, Wembley, in London, England.-History:Opened in 1977, it was the first purpose built Conference Centre in the UK. Events included conferences, corporate hospitality, annual general meetings, banquets and sports events including...
in London. and continued in a number of cities around the United Kingdom. This stage of the competition was broadcast over three episodes, with auditions taking place in London, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester. Most contestants were invited to audition after sending in video tapes of themselves singing, but open auditions were also held at Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre
Wembley Conference Centre was a conference centre near Wembley Stadium, Wembley, in London, England.-History:Opened in 1977, it was the first purpose built Conference Centre in the UK. Events included conferences, corporate hospitality, annual general meetings, banquets and sports events including...
in Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
, London on 9 August 2002 and at the Lowry Hotel
Lowry Hotel
The Lowry Hotel is located by the River Irwell in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Although the five star hotel named after the artist L. S. Lowry is within the boundaries of the City of Salford, it is promoted as "The Lowry Hotel, Manchester"...
in Manchester a week later. This was in response to the massive demand of the original Popstars series which had seen thousands turned away due to time restraints. Just two of the hopefuls advanced from the London open auditions.
The open auditions were broadcast across 3 episodes. Around 100 contestants made it through to the next round of the competition.
Bootcamp
The 102 remaining contestants had to travel to London for the bootcamp stage, where they were met by Davina McCall. With only 50 places available in the next round, the judges had tough decisions to make. The contestants were put through various workshops to test both their singing and dancing abilities. All contestants were able to choose and song to perform, while choreographers judged them on their dancing.After two days of the workshop, 52 contestants failed to progress and left the competition. 13-year-old Stephanie McMichael was eliminated after producers discovered she had lied about her age and was below the age limit.
The final 50 were next reduced to 30 through another series of workshops. Pete Waterman mentored the boys, Louis Walsh oversaw the girls and Geri Halliwell acted as an intermediary between the two groups. After much deliberation, the judges called contestants to see them individually and deliver their verdicts. All the contestants returned home, with 30 left in the competition.
Judges visits
The last two episodes before the live shows saw the final 30 being reduced to a final 20, with five boys and five girls failing to make the cut. The three judges were assigned contestants to visit separately and deliver the good or bad news of whether they had reached the live finals. The remaining contestants would move into a house together for the live stages of the competition.The ten eliminated acts were:
Boys – Justin Webb, Sean Haven, Owen Doyle, Jacob Thompson, Jeremy Medcalf
Girls – Kimberly Walsh
Kimberly Walsh
Kimberley Walsh is a British slalom canoer who competed in the mid 2000s. She won a silver medal in the K-1 team event at the 2005 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Penrith, west of Sydney.-References:*...
, Pollyanna Woodward, Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
, Annika Gavitas, Charlie (?)
Finalists
Ten male and ten female finalists were chosen to perform in the live shows. There was some controversy as one of the original finalists, Hazel Kaneswaren, was forced to pull out of the show because she was 10 days too old at the time of the auditions. The show had an age limit of 24 and Hazel had just turned 25. Her situation was further complicated by the fact that she was eight months pregnant. She had the baby in October 2002.Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
, one of the girls who did not make the final 10, took Kaneswaren's place for the live shows. A special half-hour episode was broadcast on 14 October 2002 to show these changes, with Geri Halliwell informing Hazel of her elimination and Louis Walsh inviting Kimberly back onto the show.
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
, who also failed to make it through, replaced 19 year old Nicola Ward
Nicola Ward
Nicola Ward began her television career on UK television show Stars in Their Eyes, where she performed as Britney Spears. In 2001, she successfully auditioned for the initial series of Pop Idol, but was eliminated before the live rounds began. She went on to reach the final ten female contestants...
, who quit the show over what she
considered "exploitation" of contestants by the producers.
| Category | | Acts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | Daniel Pearce Daniel Pearce Daniel Pearce is an English musician who was a finalist on the reality TV show Popstars The Rivals. He won a place in the boyband One True Voice, which subsequently released two top ten singles, "Sacred Trust"/"After You're Gone" and "Shakespeare's Words... (23) |
Anton Gordon (19) | Andrew Kinlochlan (23) | Peter Smith (23) | Mikey Greene (21) |
| Chris Park (20) | Keith Semple (20) | Jamie Shaw (17) | Matt Johnson (16) | Nikk Mager (18) | |
| Girls | Sarah Harding Sarah Harding Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals... (20) |
Aimee Kearsley (16) | Cheryl Tweedy Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls... (19) |
Emma Beard (18) | Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals... (20) |
| Lynsey Brown (19) | Nicola Roberts Nicola Roberts Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud... (16) |
Nadine Coyle Nadine Coyle Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009... (17) |
Javine Hylton Javine Hylton Javine Dionne Hylton , often known simply as Javine, is an English singer. She is most notable for representing the UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2005; beating competition favourite, model Katie Price, for the ticket to Kiev... (20) |
Chloe Staines (18) | |
Results summary
Colour key| – | Contestant was in the bottom three/four but was declared safe. |
| – | Contestant was in the bottom two but was declared safe. |
| – | Contestant was eliminated |
| – | Contestant qualified for One True Voice One True Voice One True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week... or Girls Aloud Girls Aloud Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor... . |
| – | Contestant decided to leave the competition. |
Boys
| Contestant | Week 1 | Week 3 | Week 5 | Week 7 (Final) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anton Gordon | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Qualified |
| Matt Johnson | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Qualified |
| Daniel Pearce | Safe | Safe | Safe | Qualified |
| Keith Semple | Safe | Safe | Safe | Qualified |
| Jamie Shaw | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Bottom two - Qualified |
| Chris Park | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Eliminated |
| Mikey Greene | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 5) |
| Nikk Mager | Safe | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 3) | |
| Peter Smith | Safe | Withdrew | Withdrew (week 3) | |
| Andrew Kinlochlan | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 1) | ||
Girls
| Contestant | Week 2 | Week 4 | Week 6 | Week 8 (Final) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nadine Coyle | Safe | Safe | Safe | Qualified |
| Nicola Roberts | Safe | Safe | Safe | Qualified |
| Cheryl Tweedy | Safe | Bottom four | Bottom two | Qualified |
| Kimberly Walsh | Bottom three | Bottom four | Bottom four | Qualified |
| Sarah Harding | Safe | Safe | Bottom four | Bottom two - Qualified |
| Javine Hylton | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated |
| Aimee Kearsley | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 5) |
| Emma Beard | Bottom two | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 3) | |
| Chloe Staines | Safe | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 3) | |
| Lynsey Brown | Eliminated | Eliminated (week 1) | ||
Live show details
The live shows took on a format where the girls and boys performed on alternate weeks. After the performances had ended the public voted via telephone or the red button to save their favourite act. The live shows were broadcast in two parts, with the performances in the first episode and the results in the second. In the initial episodes, the three contestants with the lowest number of votes made up a bottom three. One was immediately told they were safe and the other two had a nervous wait before one was saved and the other left the competition. In weeks 3 and 4, two contestants were eliminated from each category. The person who was knocked out had to sing again at the end of the show after seeing a montage of their competition journey.In the final, the six remaining male and female singers performed. Five of the boys formed One True Voice
One True Voice
One True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week...
and five of the girls formed Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
.
The first live show was broadcast on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
on 12 October 2002. The live final took place over two weeks, a couple of weeks before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
on 23 November for the boys and 30 November for the girls.
Week 1 (12 October 2002)
Category performing: Boys| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Pearce | 1 | Against All Odds Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) "Against All Odds " is a song by British singer Phil Collins recorded for soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which its protagonist implores an ex-lover to "take a look at me now", knowing that reconciliation is "against all odds" while considering it worth trying... |
Safe |
| Jamie Shaw | 2 | When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" was a popular single by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. It was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.... |
Bottom three |
| Keith Semple | 3 | Reach Out I'll Be There Reach Out I'll Be There "Reach Out I'll Be There" is a 1966 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s and is today considered The Tops' signature song... |
Safe |
| Andrew Kinlochlan | 4 | Hard to Say I'm Sorry Hard to Say I'm Sorry "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" is a 1982 Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit ballad performed by American rock group Chicago, written by band member Peter Cetera and producer David Foster from the album Chicago 16, released in 1982. The song hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on September 11... |
Eliminated |
| Nikk Mager | 5 | A Little Bit More A Little Bit More "A Little Bit More" is a song written and first performed by Bobby Gosh. The first hit version was recorded by the band Dr. Hook and was released as a single in 1976. It made #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #2 on the UK Singles Chart... |
Safe |
| Mikey Green | 6 | Drive Drive (The Cars song) "Drive" is a 1984 song by The Cars, the third single from the band's Heartbeat City album and their biggest international hit. It was written by Ric Ocasek and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange with the band. Lead vocals were by Cars bassist Benjamin Orr.... |
Safe |
| Peter Smith | 7 | Since I Don't Have You Since I Don't Have You "Since I Don't Have You" is a song by the doo-wop group The Skyliners. Released in 1958, the single reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also the top five of the R&B chart... |
Safe |
| Matthew Johnson | 8 | Amazed Amazed "Amazed" is the title of a song written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey. The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar, whose version was released in March 1999 as the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill... |
Safe |
| Chris Park | 9 | More Than a Woman More Than a Woman (Bee Gees song) "More Than a Woman" is a disco song written by the Bee Gees for the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever.... |
Bottom two |
| Anton Gordon | 10 | Same Old Song It's the Same Old Song "It's the Same Old Song" is a 1965 hit single recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is today one of The Tops' signature songs, and was notably created—from initial concept to commercial... |
Safe |
Bottom three:
Jamie Shaw, Chris Park and Andrew Kinlochlan received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Jamie was told that he was safe, leaving Andrew and Chris in the bottom two. Andrew was eliminated.
Week 2 (19 October 2002)
Category performing: Girls| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javine Hylton | 1 | (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel like) a Natural Woman " A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The record was a big hit for Franklin, reaching number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and became a standard song for her... |
Safe |
| Kimberley Walsh | 2 | Baby Can I Hold You Baby Can I Hold You "Baby Can I Hold You" is the third single from American contemporary folk artist Tracy Chapman, released in late 1988. The song succeeded in reaching the top fifty in the United States, unlike its predecessor, "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", but it failed to become Chapman's second top forty hit,... |
Bottom three |
| Chloe Staines | 3 | Where Do Broken Hearts Go Where Do Broken Hearts Go "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is the fourth single from Whitney Houston's second album, Whitney. The ballad was released in February 1988. The song was written by Frank Wildhorn and Chuck Jackson. Wildhorn approached Jackson about the opportunity to write for Whitney Houston... |
Safe |
| Cheryl Tweedy | 4 | Now That I've Found You | Safe |
| Sarah Harding | 5 | Build Me Up Buttercup Build Me Up Buttercup "Build Me Up Buttercup" is the name of a song written by Mike d'Abo and Tony Macaulay, and released by The Foundations with Colin Young singing the lead vocals in 1968. This was the third major hit for The Foundations. Colin Young replaced Clem Curtis in 1968 and this was the first Foundations hit... |
Safe |
| Nadine Coyle | 6 | Show Me Heaven Show Me Heaven Australian singer Tina Arena released her version of the song as the fifth single for her 1994 album Don't Ask.-Chart performance:-Other cover versions:... |
Safe |
| Lynsey Brown | 7 | All Around the World All Around the World (Lisa Stansfield song) "All Around the World" is a song by Lisa Stansfield released in late 1989 for her album Affection. It is her biggest hit to date. Written and produced by Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, the debut solo single by Stansfield became a massive international hit.-Chart performances:It spent... |
Eliminated |
| Nicola Roberts | 8 | River Deep Mountain High | Safe |
| Aimee Kearsley | 9 | Never Had a Dream Come True Never Had a Dream Come True "Never Had a Dream Come True" is a song by S Club 7, released as a single on 27 November 2000. It was chosen to be the official 2000 BBC Children in Need song. The song was a great success in the UK, where it became the group's second #1 single on the UK Singles Chart and becoming the ninth... |
Safe |
| Emma Beard | 10 | You Might Need Somebody | Bottom two |
Bottom three: Linsey Brown, Emma Beard and Kimberley Walsh received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Kimberley was told that she was safe, leaving Linsey and Emma in the bottom two. Linsey was eliminated.
Week 3 (26 October 2002)
Category performing: Boys| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Park | 1 | You Take My Breath Away | Safe |
| Mikey Greene | 2 | I Want You Back I Want You Back "I Want You Back" was released in 1969 and in early 1970s became a number-one hit single recorded by The Jackson 5 for the Motown label. The song, along with a b-side cover of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You", was the only single from the first Jackson 5 album, Diana Ross Presents... |
Safe |
| Peter Smith | 3 | I Just Called To Say I Love You I Just Called to Say I Love You "I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a song, produced, written and performed by Stevie Wonder. It was one of Wonder's most commercially successful singles.... |
Withdrew* |
| Nikk Mager | 4 | Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow | Eliminated |
| Anton Gordon | 5 | Cherish Cherish (Kool & the Gang song) "Cherish" is the title of a 1985 single by American R&B band Kool & the Gang. The song was the third single released from the band's multi-platinum album, Emergency, which came out earlier in the year. The song is a romantic ballad that proved to be extremely popular when it was released and has... |
Safe |
| Keith Semple | 6 | Over My Shoulder Over My Shoulder (Mike + The Mechanics song) "Over My Shoulder" is a song by Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in February 1995 as the first single from their album Beggar on a Beach of Gold... |
Safe |
| Matthew Johnson | 7 | Everything I Own Everything I Own "Everything I Own" is a song written by David Gates. Originally recorded by Gates's band Bread for their 1972 album Baby, I'm a Want You, the single was recorded by The Connells, Jack Jones, Ken Boothe, Olivia Newton-John, Georgie Fame, Boy George, *NSYNC, Jude, Rod Stewart, Crystal Gayle, Nicole... |
Safe |
| Jamie Shaw | 8 | I Only Have Eyes For You I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.... |
Safe |
| Daniel Pearce | 9 | Celebration Celebration (song) "Celebration" is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981 and held that position until February 20, 1981. Late in 1980, the song had also reached number one on both the Billboard Dance and R&B... |
Safe |
Two of the male contestants were due to be eliminated via the public vote in this show. However in the results show, Peter Smith shocked everyone (including the judges) as he announced that he was actually several months too old to be involved in the competition and left the show. This meant that only one of the singers would be voted out by the television audience and there was no bottom three.
Nikk Mager received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated.
Week 4 (2 November 2002)
Category performing: Girls| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javine Hylton | 1 | Let's Stay Together Let's Stay Together (song) "Let's Stay Together" is a song by Al Green on his 1972 album of the same name. Released as a single in 1971, the song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the chart for 16 weeks and also topped Billboards R&B chart for nine weeks. It was ranked the 60th greatest song of all time... |
Safe |
| Aimee Kearsley | 2 | I Only Want To Be With You I Only Want to Be with You "I Only Want to Be with You" is a rock-and-roll song by Mike Hawker and Ivor Raymonde. It was the first solo single released by British singer Dusty Springfield under her long-time producer Johnny Franz... |
Safe |
| Emma Beard | 3 | Be My Baby Be My Baby "Be My Baby" is a 1963 single written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich, performed by The Ronettes and produced by Spector. When released as a single, the song reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Singles Chart and #4 on the UK's Record Retailer... |
Eliminated |
| Chloe Staines | 4 | Rescue Me Rescue Me (Fontella Bass song) "Rescue Me" is a song written by Fontella Bass, Raynard Miner and Carl William Smith. In 1965, it was released as a single by Fontella Bass. It would prove the biggest hit of Bass' career, reaching #1 on the R&B charts for four weeks and placing at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100... |
Eliminated |
| Nicola Roberts | 5 | Shout | Safe |
| Kimberley Walsh | 6 | Unbreak My Heart | Bottom four |
| Sarah Harding | 7 | Anyone Who Had a Heart | Safe |
| Cheryl Tweedy | 8 | You're Still The One You're Still the One "You're Still the One" is a song by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was the third country single from Shania Twain's 1997 album, Come on Over, while it was the first to be released to pop and international markets. Released in 1998, the single peaked at number two becoming Twain's first top ten... |
Bottom four |
| Nadine Coyle | 9 | Fields of Gold Fields of Gold "Fields of Gold" is a 1993 song by Sting from his album Ten Summoner's Tales. "Fields of Gold" and all the other album tracks were recorded at Lake House, Wiltshire, mixed at The Townhouse Studio, London, England and mastered at Masterdisk, New York. The harmonica solo is played by Brendan Power... |
Safe |
Davina announced at the beginning of the show that two girls would be leaving the competition this week.
All the girls got positive comments from at least two of the three judges. Nadine received the best verdict from the judges. After she had performed "Fields of Gold", Louis told her "The performance of the night. Stole the show for me" while Geri said "I'd love to buy a single of yours already".
The girls were split into two groups and were told that one girl would be eliminated from each group. The four girls with the lowest votes were Kimberley Walsh, Chloe Staines, Emma Beard and Cheryl Tweedy. Chloe and Emma were the two girls who were knocked out.
Week 5 (9 November 2002)
Category performing: Boys| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mikey Greene | 1 | Hello Hello (Lionel Richie song) "Hello" is a song by Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from Richie's multi-platinum album Can't Slow Down, the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart , the R&B chart , and the adult contemporary chart . The song also went to number one... |
Eliminated |
| Chris Park | 2 | If You Don't Know Me By Now If You Don't Know Me By Now "If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and recorded by the jersey soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, which became their first hit after being released as a single in 1972 topping the R&B chart and peaking at number three on the Pop chart.The... |
Safe |
| Daniel Pearce | 3 | For Once In My Life For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song... |
Safe |
| Matthew Johnson | 4 | Pray Pray (Take That song) "Pray" is song by boyband Take That. Written by Gary Barlow and released on July 5, 1993, it was the second single from their second album Everything Changes. It is the first of 11 singles by the band to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying at number one for four weeks and starting a... |
Bottom two |
| Anton Gordon | 5 | You Can't Hurry Love You Can't Hurry Love "You Can't Hurry Love" is 1966 song originally released by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song topped the United States Billboard pop singles chart and in the UK in the top 5, released and peaking late summer in 1966... |
Bottom three |
| Keith Semple | 6 | Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. It was recorded by Elton John and released in 1976, both as a single and as part of the Blue Moves album. It was his second single on Rocket Records. The song is a mournful ballad about a romantic relationship... |
Safe |
| Jamie Shaw | 7 | Working My Way Back To You Working My Way Back To You "Working My Way Back to You" is the debut single from Irish Boyband Boyzone. It was released in May 1994. The song reached #3 on the Irish Singles Chart. It is one of the few songs to feature Mikey Graham on lead vocals. The band recorded two versions the song, one of which was a collaboration with... |
Safe |
Bottom three: Only one contestant was eliminated this week. Anton Gordon, Mikey Greene and Matthew Johnson received the lowest number of votes and ended up in the bottom three. Anton was told that he was safe, leaving Mikey and Matthew in the bottom two. Mikey was eliminated.
Week 6 (16 November 2002)
Category performing: Girls| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aimee Kearsley | 1 | You Keep Me Hanging On | Eliminated |
| Javine Hylton | 2 | End of the Road End of the Road "End of the Road" is a 1992 Grammy Award-winning, number-one song recorded in May 1992 by Boyz II Men for the Motown label. Written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons. It is Boyz II Men's most successful single and replaced Diana Ross and Lionel... |
Safe |
| Nicola Roberts | 3 | The Wind Beneath My Wings | Safe |
| Sarah Harding | 4 | I'll Be There | Bottom four |
| Kimberley Walsh | 5 | Emotions | Bottom four |
| Nadine Coyle | 6 | When I Fall In Love When I Fall in Love "When I Fall in Love" is a 1952 popular song recorded by many artists.When I Fall in Love may also refer to:* When I Fall in Love , an album by Chris Botti, with a version of the 1952 song... |
Safe |
| Cheryl Tweedy | 7 | Nothing Compares to You | Bottom two |
Nadine, Javine and Nicola found out they had made it to the final when the results were announced. Cheryl, Sarah, Kimberley and Aimee knew that one of them would be heading home. Davina then revealed that Sarah and Kimberley were through, leaving Cheryl and Aimee pushing for the one remaining spot. Aimee was eliminated.
Week 7 - Boys final (23 November 2002)
The boys' final was broadcast on ITV1ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
on November 23, 2002. Each of the singers performed one song before the public voted for who they wanted in the band. The contestants knew that one of them would miss out.
| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Semple | 1 | You Are So Beautiful You Are So Beautiful "You Are So Beautiful" is a song written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. It was first recorded by Preston and made popular in a version by Joe Cocker.... |
Qualified |
| Daniel Pearce | 2 | Candle in the Wind Candle in the Wind "Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.... |
Qualified |
| Matthew Johnson | 3 | I'll Be There for You | Qualified |
| Anton Gordon | 4 | I Believe I Can Fly I Believe I Can Fly "I Believe I Can Fly" is a 1996 song by R&B singer R. Kelly. The song was written, produced and performed by Kelly and was featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Space Jam. The song later appeared on Kelly's 1998 album R..... |
Qualified |
| Jamie Shaw | 5 | Everybody Hurts Everybody Hurts "Everybody Hurts" is a song by R.E.M., originally released on the band's 1992 album Automatic for the People and was also released as a single in 1993. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the UK Singles Chart and #3 on the French Singles Chart.-History:Much of the song was written by... |
Bottom two - qualified |
| Chris Park | 6 | With a Little Help From My Friends With a Little Help from My Friends -Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction... |
Eliminated |
Results:
Davina McCall returned in the results show to announce the five boys who had qualified. Matthew Johnson became the first member and he was followed by Keith Semple, Daniel Pearce and Anton Gordon. This left Jamie Shaw and Chris Park fighting for the last remaining spot. Davina revealed that Jamie was the final member of the band, meaning Chris was eliminated.
Week 8 - Girls final (30 November 2002)
The girls final was broadcast on ITV1 a week later, on 30 November 2002. As with the boys there were six contestants remaining so one would lose out on a place in the band.| Artist | Order | Song (original artists) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Harding | 1 | Holding Out for a Hero Holding Out for a Hero "Holding Out for a Hero" is a song written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler. It was released in 1984 on the soundtrack to the film Footloose. It later appeared on Tyler's Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire album. It hit #96 for the first time in UK in 1984,... |
Bottom two - qualified |
| Nadine Coyle | 2 | I Wanna Dance With Somebody | Qualified |
| Kimberley Walsh | 3 | Chain Reaction Chain Reaction (song) "Chain Reaction" is a melodic Pop song, sung by Diana Ross, written by the Bee Gees, who also provided the backing vocals for the single. The track was released on the album Eaten Alive in 1985 and as a single twice - in 1985 and again in 1986.... |
Qualified |
| Javine Hylton | 4 | I'm Every Woman I'm Every Woman "I'm Every Woman" is a hit song recorded by Chaka Khan in 1978. It was Chaka Khan's first hit outside of her recordings with funk band Rufus; the song was included on her platinum debut solo album Chaka. Produced by Arif Mardin and written by successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie... |
Eliminated |
| Nicola Roberts | 5 | I'm So Excited I'm So Excited "I'm So Excited" is a song by American recording artists The Pointer Sisters. The track, written by The Pointer Sisters and Trevor Lawrence, was originally released in 1982 and saw a re-release in 1984. It is considered to be one of the group's signature songs.-Background:The song appeared... |
Qualified |
| Cheryl Tweedy | 6 | Right Here Waiting Right Here Waiting "Right Here Waiting" is a ballad recorded by Richard Marx on his second album, Repeat Offender. "Right Here Waiting" hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the 700th song to do so. It also peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom.-Background and writing:... |
Qualified |
Note: Sarah was suffering from a sore throat prior to the live show but still managed to perform.
Results:
Davina returned in the results show to reveal the lucky five who had made the band. Cheryl was the first to hear her name called out, despite the negative comments from the judges, and she was joined by Nicola, Nadine and Kimberley. Sarah and Javine were therefore in the bottom and Sarah eventually found out she was to become the fifth member of the group. Javine was eliminated.
Battle for Christmas number-one
A month after Girls AloudGirls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
had been formed, ITV broadcast a special show on 22 December 2002 to reveal which of the two groups (if either) had made it to number one in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The show connected with Neil Fox at the Pepsi Chart Show studios where he ran down the top 10 singles before revealing the act that had charted highest. Girls Aloud were the lucky ones, with their song "Sound of the Underground
Sound of the Underground (song)
"Sound of the Underground" is the debut single by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, later featured on their debut album of the same name. The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, and Niara Scarlett, and produced by Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
" reaching number one with first week sales of around 213,000. "Sacred Trust"/"After You're Gone", the double A-side from One True Voice went straight in at number two having sold close to 137,000 copies, while another Popstars: The Rivals act, The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a pop duo consisting of twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia, from Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, but based in Britain. After appearing as auditionees in Popstars: The Rivals, they achieved success in the charts with four top ten hits between 2002 and 2004...
charted at number three. "Sound of the Underground" remained at number one for four weeks in total, stretching into 2003.
The girls performed their new single live together for the second time at the end of the programme. Both acts had premiered their debut singles a couple of weeks before on Popstars: The Rivals.
Girls Aloud
Following on from their Christmas number one, the female winners Girls AloudGirls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
released their debut album Sound of the Underground in May 2003 and it went to Number 2 in the UK albums chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. They released three singles in 2003 which charted in the top 3 in the UK. They have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles (including four number ones), two UK number one albums, and having been nominated for four BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
, winning Best Single in 2009 for "The Promise
The Promise (Girls Aloud song)
"The Promise" is a pop song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fifth studio album Out of Control . The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania...
".
Each of the girls have also launched careers outside of the band. Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
has become a successful solo artist in her own right, following a guest appearance on will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
's "Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker (will.i.am song)
"Heartbreaker" is the second single from rapper will.i.am's third album Songs About Girls. The British single version features guest vocals from Cheryl Cole; this version was also featured on Cole's debut solo album 3 Words which was released in October 2009.-Release and reception:Cheryl Cole's...
" in 2008. Her debut solo single "Fight for This Love
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. Initially, the song was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 16 October 2009 by Fascination Records however, in 2010 it was also released in Europe as the...
" saw international success, reaching number one in Denmark, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, as well as top ten in eleven others. Her album 3 Words
3 Words
3 Words is the debut studio album from British pop singer Cheryl Cole, released on 23 October 2009 by Fascination Records. The project is Cole's first solo release following a break from releasing material with her band Girls Aloud whom after seven years have enjoyed five successful albums and...
was certified three times platinum in the UK. Cole is also a judge on the highly popular series The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
and a L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
spokesperson. Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle
Nadine Coyle is an Irish singer, songwriter, actress, and model who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the band Six before becoming a member of successful girl-group Girls Aloud. The group amassed a joint fortune of £25 million by May 2009...
released her debut album through a partnership with Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
in November 2010. She has worked with numerous songwriters and producers including Steve Booker
Steve Booker (producer)
Steve Booker is an award-winning British music producer and songwriter best known for "Mercy", "Stepping Stone" and "Rain on Your Parade", three hits he produced and co-wrote for Duffy's Brit and Grammy award winning debut album "Rockferry"...
, Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
, Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
, Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal
Tony Kanal is an English musician, record producer and songwriter. Kanal is the bassist for the American rock band No Doubt...
, and William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
.
Following an appearance in the BBC television film Freefall
Freefall (TV programme)
Freefall is a BBC television film written and directed by Dominic Savage, that premièred on BBC Two on 14 July 2009.Set in the fall of 2007, Freefall is a dramatic satire of the mortgage crisis that led to the worldwide economic downturn...
, Sarah Harding
Sarah Harding
Sarah Nicole Harding is an English singer-songwriter, actress and model best known for being a member of the pop group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
had a starring role in the film St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold. Harding recorded three solo songs for the soundtrack. Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...
decided to start a solo career of her own. In June 2011, she released her debut single Beat of My Drum
Beat of My Drum
"Beat of My Drum" is a song by British recording artist Nicola Roberts. It was released on 3 June 2011, via Polydor Records, as the first single from Roberts's debut solo album, Cinderella's Eyes. It had an on-air, on-sale release date which meant originally it received no prior promotion,...
which was critically acclaimed. September saw the release of Roberts' debut album Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes is the debut studio album by English recording artist Nicola Roberts. A member of the British five-piece girl-band Girls Aloud, Roberts drew inspiration from her time with the band...
which was also critically acclaimed by many reveiwers. Roberts also created Dainty Doll, a make-up range aimed at fair-skinned individuals like herself. She has become vocal in her support of laws preventing minors from using sunbeds, in addition to highlighting the dangers of tanning in a BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
documentary Nicola Roberts: The Truth About Tanning. In 2010, she filmed a guest appearance on Britain's Next Top Model
Britain's Next Top Model
Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model is a British reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of Britain's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modelling industry...
. Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Walsh
Kimberley Jane Walsh is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, television presenter and actress. She is best known for being a member of girl group Girls Aloud, formed through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
has become a notable television presenter, following her appearances alongside Cole on The X Factor, her coverage of the 63rd British Academy Film Awards
63rd British Academy Film Awards
The 63rd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 21 February 2010 and honoured the best films of 2009. The Hurt Locker took home the most awards, receiving 6 BAFTAS...
for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and a stint co-presenting The 5 O'Clock Show
The 5 O'Clock Show
The 5 O'Clock Show was a daytime television chat show, which replaced The Paul O'Grady Show and is shown on Channel 4. It is presented by guest hosts every week. The format is along the same lines as O'Grady's show and consists of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts and musical performances...
. She is currently hosting Suck my pop
Suck my pop
Suck My Pop is a comedy music chat show presented by Kimberley Walsh and Will Best. It is a weekly show, currently showing on Fridays at 7pm, covering music and celebrity news...
for Viva
Viva (UK & Ireland)
Viva is a music video and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel was officially launched on 26 October 2009 by Alexandra Burke, with an exclusive live performance of her single "Bad Boys". The channel replaced TMF. The channel is owned by MTV Networks Europe and was...
alongside Will Best. Walsh has also modeled for high street chain New Look and Schwarzkopf
Henkel
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is an multinational company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.The company operates in three business areas: Home Care , Personal Care ,...
hair products.
One True Voice
One True VoiceOne True Voice
One True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week...
, the winning male group, had a very different level of success. After the disappointment of missing out on the top spot with their debut single and despite the Popstars: The Rivals joint tour with Girls Aloud being cancelled due to poor sales, they released a further single entitled "Shakespeare's (Way With) Words
Shakespeare's (Way With) Words
Shakespeare's Words is a 2003 single by Popstars: The Rivals male winners. It was released on June 2, 2003. The song was the second and final release by the band as they split up in August 2003 without having brought out an album.-Track listing:...
" which only just reached the top 10 in the summer of 2003. Daniel Pearce
Daniel Pearce
Daniel Pearce is an English musician who was a finalist on the reality TV show Popstars The Rivals. He won a place in the boyband One True Voice, which subsequently released two top ten singles, "Sacred Trust"/"After You're Gone" and "Shakespeare's Words...
quit the group at the beginning of June 2003 and, despite the band denying reports that the group was going to split, they inevitably broke up in August 2003. Pearce later went on to audition for the 2009 series of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, reaching the judges' houses stage before being eliminated. Keith Semple moved to the United States and became the lead singer of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based rock band 7th Heaven. He auditioned for the ninth season
American Idol (season 9)
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, but lost his "golden ticket" place due to his legal status and residency considerations.
Other contestants
A number of the contestants who failed to make it into One True Voice or Girls Aloud have managed to achieve some level of success outside of the show. The five boys who did not make it into One True Voice formed the group PhixxPhixx
Phixx were an English boy band formed in 2003 from the five runners up on British TV show Popstars: The Rivals. The original members were Andrew Kinlochan, Chris Park, Mikey Green, Peter Smith, and Nikk Mager. Between 2003 and 2005 they had four top 20 singles in the UK...
after being given a £500,000 record deal with independent record label Concept Records
Concept Records
Concept Records is a small UK-based independent record label headquartered in London.The company was founded in 1999 by former A&R man for Jive Records and Warner Bros. Records Max Bloom...
, the label of Popstars
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
rejects Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
. Four of the five girls who failed to qualify for Girls Aloud created CLEA
Clea (band)
Clea was an English girl group whose members met on the television show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Chloe Morgan , Lynsey Brown, Emma Beard, and Aimee Kearsley, decided to form a band after they were voted off the series...
(the name comes from each girl's initials). Javine Hylton
Javine Hylton
Javine Dionne Hylton , often known simply as Javine, is an English singer. She is most notable for representing the UK at Eurovision Song Contest 2005; beating competition favourite, model Katie Price, for the ticket to Kiev...
decided to pursue a career as a solo artist, with a debut single Real Things
Real Things (song)
"Real Things" is the debut single by English singer Javine Hylton. The single, which features a sample of M.O.P.'s "Ante Up", reached the top 5 in the UK singles chart and is currently the biggest hit of her career to date.-Release history:-Charts:...
reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom. She was also chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the
United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The United Kingdom was represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 by "Touch My Fire" performed by Javine.Javine Hylton was born on 27 December 1981 and as a yougster enjoyed listening to her mother’s collection of soul and reggae albums. At the age of 10, she was offered an arts scholarship...
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
, where she performed a song called "Touch My Fire
Touch My Fire
"Touch My Fire" is the fifth single by UK R&B star Javine. The single was the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest for 2005 and her first for Island Records. It was the first new material from Javine since her debut album, "Surrender", was released in 2004.The single reached the #18 in the UK...
".
Two girls from Romania who did not make it past the auditions, Monica and Gabriela, were given a record deal to release songs as The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls
The Cheeky Girls are a pop duo consisting of twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia, from Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania, but based in Britain. After appearing as auditionees in Popstars: The Rivals, they achieved success in the charts with four top ten hits between 2002 and 2004...
. They charted one place behind One True Voice in the 2002 Christmas countdown with "The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)
The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)
"Cheeky Song " is a 2002 single by Popstars The Rivals contestants The Cheeky Girls. The song was released while the show was still running, on 9 December 2002, and was later included on their debut album PartyTime. It spent four non-consecutive weeks at number two in the UK Singles Chart in...
" and released an album entitled PartyTime. They went on to release several more singles, including "Take Your Shoes Off" and "Hooray Hooray It's A Cheeky Holiday".
When CLEA
Clea (band)
Clea was an English girl group whose members met on the television show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. Chloe Morgan , Lynsey Brown, Emma Beard, and Aimee Kearsley, decided to form a band after they were voted off the series...
disbanded, members Aimee Kearsley and Emma Beard formed a group named LoveShy and attempted to be the British entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest but were knocked out by another girl group, The Revelations
The Revelations
The Revelations are a British based girl group formed in 2005.The members are of British, Swedish and Portuguese extraction, consisting of Swedish blonde Annika Magnberg , Portuguese brunette Sarah Vitorino , and redhead Louise Masters...
. Former Phixx
Phixx
Phixx were an English boy band formed in 2003 from the five runners up on British TV show Popstars: The Rivals. The original members were Andrew Kinlochan, Chris Park, Mikey Green, Peter Smith, and Nikk Mager. Between 2003 and 2005 they had four top 20 singles in the UK...
member Nikk Mager auditioned for The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2008, in front of Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
from Girls Aloud. He failed to advance through the audition stages. Stephanie McMichael, a contestant who pretended she was 16 but then revealed she was 13, later went on and appeared as a contestant on Big Brother 2008
Big Brother 2008 (UK)
Big Brother 2008 was the ninth series of the British reality television series Big Brother, that aired on Channel 4 and E4. The series was launched on 5 June 2008, and ran for 13 weeks until 5 September 2008. The winner of Big Brother 2008 was Rachel Rice who beat bookies' favourite Michael Hughes...
. She was the first to be evicted, and later released a single called "Camera Shy", and went on to audition for The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
.
Ratings
| Programme | Episode | UK Air Date | Timeslot | Viewers (millions) | Weekly Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ?? | 7 September 2002 | 19:15 | 7.6 | 19 |
| 2 | ?? | 14 September 2002 | 19:15 | 7.6 | 13 |
| 3 | ?? | 21 September 2002 | 19:10 | 6.8 | 15 |
| 4 | ?? | 28 September 2002 | 19:00 | 7.0 | 14 |
| 5 | ?? | 5 October 2002 | 19:00 | 7.8 | 12 |
| 6 | ?? | 5 October 2002 | 21:15 | 6.5 | 17 |
| 7 | ?? | 6 October 2002 | 19:00 | 5.3 | 24 |
| 8 | ?? | 12 October 2002 | 20:25 | 6.6 | 16 |
| 9 | ?? | 19 October 2002 | 19:00 | 7.2 | 16 |
| 10 | ?? | 26 October 2002 | 19:00 | 7.4 | 15 |
| 11 | ?? | 26 October 2002 | 21:05 | 7.4 | 16 |
| 12 | ?? | 2 November 2002 | 19:00 | 7.2 | 15 |
| 13 | ?? | 2 November 2002 | 21:05 | 6.8 | 19 |
| 14 | ?? | 9 November 2002 | 19:10 | 7.2 | 16 |
| 15 | ?? | 16 November 2002 | 19:05 | 7.3 | 17 |
| 16 | ?? | 23 November 2002 | 18:55 | 7.2 | 16 |
| 17 | ?? | 23 November 2002 | 20:55 | 8.9 | 10 |
| 18 | ?? | 30 November 2002 | 18:55 | 7.3 | 14 |
| 19 | ?? | 30 November 2002 | 20:55 | 8.5 | 10 |
| 20 | ?? | 7 December 2002 | 19:35 | 7.2 | 16 |
| 21 | ?? | 14 December 2002 | 18:45 | 5.4 | 24 |
| 22 | ?? | 22 December 2002 | 18:30 | 6.0 | 20 |
Controversy and criticism
As well as contestants being forced out for being over and under the age limit, ITV was met with controversy amid claims that the voting had been rigged in the girls final. It was claimed that viewers wanted to vote for Javine Hylton had been unable to register their votes, with some votes apparently being given to Sarah Harding in error. Hylton ultimately missed out on the final spot in Girls Aloud, which was given to Harding.London radio station Capital FM received complaints from viewers during their news bulletin. However, the company Red Fig who handled the voting, denied the viewers claims. A spokesman for the show also said they were "satisfied" with the procedure.
Sponsorship
McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
sponsored the show in a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4 million deal which covered the programmes on ITV1 and ITV2 and the official website. The sponsorship provided promotion for the show nationwide in McDonald's restaurants. Martin Strowde, the sponsorship director at Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
said "We're delighted that McDonald's has teamed up with us for what promises to be the most exciting hit this autumn".
See also
- Popstars (UK)
- Pop IdolPop IdolPop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
- Fame AcademyFame AcademyFame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one...
- The X Factor (UK)The X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
- Popstars (UK) discography