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Pete: Pop Idol was fake


FORMER Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman has blasted the show as "fake" and said it should have been "taken off the air" for convincing Michelle McManus she could be famous.

In an interview with New magazine, Pete raged: "For me, after Pop Idol 2 finished, that was it.

"It's just television - it's not about music.

"I caught a glimpse of The X Factor and I just thought 's**t, I'm glad I'm not doing that', because everything I hated about that whole thing came back to me.

"I hated the fakeness of it all. The producers telling you you've got to put certain people through."

Pete, who says he turned down the chance to be a judge on X Factor, added: "I think what we did to Michelle was appalling. We should have been taken off the air.

"She didn't have a great voice and she was grossly overweight. But we made her believe that she was talented enough to win, when she never was.

"That makes us guilty of lying to the public."


In the interview Pete also had strong words for first X Factor winner Steve Brookstein, Lisa Scott-Lee, Pete Doherty and even Charlotte Church.

He said: "Charlotte has an amazing voice, but have you seen her in a basque?

"Rachel Stevens can wear a basque. You expect to see her in one, looking sexy and singing a frivolous song.

"Charlotte Church you don't - it's not what she does.

"If you're going to do something completely different, by God, you've got to do it well."

Sun

Scots Pop Idol Michelle McManus dodges the flak to bring out her comeback single


POP Idol Michelle McManus is making a musical comeback with a brand new single about life after the talent show The Glasgow singer will perform Breaking Free live for the first time on this Friday's Children In Need programme.

The song is an upbeat track about Michelle's experiences since winning the show and how she has moved into a new phase of her life.

Written by Jez Ashurst and Caroline Lofts and recorded in London last month, it hits on her weight loss and her dreams and aspirations for the future.

It will be released for sale in spring, but Michelle wanted to give her Scots fans a taster of what's to come by singing it on the Scots leg of the BBC charity show.

Michelle said: "I wanted to perform the song on Children In Need as I wanted to debut the song in Scotland.

"It is very important to me to have my home country's reaction to it too. I am really proud of my Scottish heritage and am a great supporter of Children In Need. I'm truly honoured to be taking part this year."


Michelle, who is still working on album tracks which she hopes will be ready in the new year, is really excited about performing the new song. She said: "I'm really proud ofthe new material. Life is really wonderful at the moment and I can't wait to go back home for a few days to see my family and friends and to hear some lovely Scottish accents."

The news of Michelle's return to recording will be a slap in the face for former Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman. Just this week the acid-tongued pop svengali blamed Michelle for the death of the TV talent show.

Pete, who judged Pop Idol with Simon Cowell and Nikki Chapman, believes Michelle put an end to showcasing real talent on aTV music show.

He said: "Michelle McManus killed the music talent show.There is still room for aTV talent show for television but not for music. They lied to Michelle McManus and told her she could be a star but she could never be a star. The X Factor has become a TV show. It is no longer a music spectacular. It's unfair on the kids."

Pete also hit out at Michelle for failing to lose weight on the show where she was voted the nation's favourite Pop Idol.

He said: "Michelle McManus was an average singer who even put on weight during the 14 weeks she was on the programme - you would have thought she would have lost some weight."

In a chat with Tony Horne in the Morning on Newcastle's Metro radio, Pete also slammed Simon Cowell accusing him of caring more about TV ratings than the future of his artists.

He said: "Simon came back from America and killed Pop Idol stone dead dailyrecord