Update September 15th

Last nights show was an improvement on last weeks but that's probably due to the fact that there seemed to be an abundance of talent up north. The bickering judges weren't as bad this week and Pete Waterman seemed to be in a much cheerier mood, which is good coz he really amuses me with his little (often sarcy) comments.

Geri was her usual self - all over the male talent like a cheap Italian suit and terribly uninterested in the mingers, of which there were a few. Not that I blame her, I'd be the same myself. What was she like in that Parka? *lol* I suppose they are trendy these days but I remember them from the first time around and I have ghastly memories of them!

Louis still does nothing for me although I do like the way he stands up to Pete and stops him from domineering the entire show.

And then we have Davina ... how could anyone say anything bad about Davina? Last night she had her Mother Hen head on and was comforting all the rejected hopefuls ... awwww. I like Davina (have I said that before?)

The contestants seemed to be a lot better this week but that may have been down to editing of course. The talent up north may have been better than what we saw from the London auditions but the dramatics upon rejection remain the same no matter where in the country (or world) you go. That Gail who had her neck in one of those brace thingeys was a typical example. I mean she just couldn't sing and yet she seemed absolutely devastated when they didn't put her through. Why? She was bloody murder.

One rather controversial contestant that I think we may see and hear a lot about over the next wee while is 17 yr old Andrew Coleman. He is the blind guy who sang really well albeit a bit Ronan'ish. Personally I thought he was great, I loved his voice. More than that though, I really admired his guts. He went along to those auditions knowing that his chances were slim because of his disability and he put everything into impressing the judges. The boy has balls!

The judges could see quite clearly that he has talent and potential and they really had no choice but to put him through. They did so, however, after starting to let him down gently by pointing out that his chances of making it into the band are very slim. Quite frankly I think it's disgusting that they thought that let alone said it to him on camera. Surely that's discrimination?

They have no idea whether Andrew's blindness would prevent him being part of the band so why rule him out so soon? Okay, I understand that being in a boyband involves more than just looking good and being able to sing - you need to be able to dance and stuff. I've seen blind people do the most amazing things before now so why do the judges think it is impossible for Andrew to play his part in the band? If they had asked him about learning dance moves and stuff and tested him out then they could have made up their minds but they didn't and I think that's wrong. Give the boy a chance! A fair chance!

If he'd entered the Pop Idol series which was looking for a solo singer I bet he'd have gone far. He had much the same appeal as Gareth - a slight disability which pulls at peoples heart-strings; good enough looking and a fab voice. How far Andrew goes in this competition is anyones guess but I really hope that he sticks with it whether he gets in or not.

Talking of pulling at heart-strings, how could anyone not feel sorry for poor Danny one of last years Pop Idol rejects? The guy tries so hard and I think his voice is quite good. It's just his image, and he realises that. What a shame. I did think it was a bit unfair of the judges to call him back in to sing Anastasia after they'd rejected him the first time coz it must surely have built his hopes up. They had no intention of putting him through, Pete just wanted Geri and Louis to hear him singing Anastasia which he did very well. Then, when they were finished with him they told him to sling his hook! Poor guy.

Oddly enough it was another black girl who impressed me most this week - Anneka. It was a black girl with a fab voice who stole the show last week and this week was no different. Anneka looked great and sounded even better. Perfect girl-band potential and I am sure we'll see a lot more of her in this series.

Oh, someone else who really impressed me was Rachael from Hull. I thought she was fabulous! It'll be interesting to see how she deals with a variety of songs through the series coz I did wonder if maybe her voice was suited to the slower type of song. Immaterial of what her voice is best suited to I thought she was excellent. One thing which worries me greatly is that she is only 16. The judges brought back horrific memories for me of Zoe from Pop Idol. "Oooooooooooooh she's ooooooonnnnnllllly sixteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnn!!!!!!!!" Aaaaaaaaaaaargh! I'm wondering what price I'd get from Willy Hills if I placed a bet on how many times we are reminded of her bloody age throughout the series *rolls eyes*

Another 16 yr old who impressed me was M050 - Matt. I can't believe that Pete hesitated to put him through. I thought he was great and VERY cute too. He said that he wants to sing with feeling ... Ooooo he could feel me! What a dish of fish! *cough* Where was I? Oh yes, his voice ... fabulous and I hope he does well.

Pete made me laugh out loud when he asked Alisha if she was a checkout operator and then told her to check out *LOL* Quite frankly she was murder, but entertaining in a funny kind of way. Lord alone knows why she cried when they rejected her, I mean she must surely realise that she's not a singer? Maybe she was offended by Pete's humour? If so then she really shouldn't be looking at a career in the music industry coz she'd encounter a lot harsher people (and words) than Pete Waterman.

Did you see that blonde thing Laura? What was she like?! I thought her knockers were going to fall out of that tent she was wearing and I could barely bring myself to look! She certainly wasn't last in the queue when they were handing out bosoms, that's for sure! I had to laugh as well when Pete pointed out that she still had the price on her shoes and funnier still was when she announced to the world that she planned on taking them back to the shop after the audition *LOL* Completely mad, but good on her for entertaining us.

Someone else that was good for a laugh was Sarah - the Geri lookey-likey. I didn't get a chance to hear if she could sing or not coz Geri sang along with her and drowned out her voice. They should have put her through for the effort she went to. Well done girl!

Another piece of eye-candy for me was that Irish blokey Keith. His voice was pretty good too - powerful, although I think he sounded a bit rock'ish. Great potential though and with the right training I'm sure he could be a great pop singer. He has the perfect image for a boyband - very sexy. Geri obviously thought so too coz she was all over him like a cheap Italian suit. Lucky bitch, I bet she got his number off him *laugh*

Ooooh and that Irish dame, Nadine I think her name was, she was fab too! Apparently she made it into the band who were formed from the Irish series of Popstars but she was thrown out coz she'd lied about her age. I bet she does well in this series. They cut her off pretty quickly so we didn't really get a chance to hear her but from what I heard she was fab and I can't wait to hear some more of her. She is also a very beautiful girl and I am sure guys up and down the country would love to have her bent over the cooker ... Oh dear me ... I do apologise, I meant of course that guys up and down the country would love to have her posters on their bedroom wall. *cough*

From complete talent to no talent - Rob from Dudley. What the f**k? I was so embarrassed for him that I couldn't even watch. That was a face only a mother could love and as for his voice ... I've heard better sounds coming from my backside! No wonder the judges were in stitches *lol* Why on earth did he go for an audition?

I thought the judges were a bit harsh on that girl with the piercings whose name I can't remember. When she removed the stud from her tongue I thought she sounded okay but they rejected her. I've heard worse go through and I think she should have been given a second chance to impress.

Controversial contestant number 2 was Hazel the pregnant Irish girl. Pete was certainly out of order to say that she shouldn't go through. She had a bloody good voice! Why shouldn't she go through?! In this day and age it's the done thing to be a working mum and I think she was quite right to go for the audition. If she got as far as being chosen for the band then obviously she'd have to really think hard about her decisions coz it's obviously not easy to juggle a young baby with a pop career but as she said - she'll cross that bridge when she comes to it. I thought her personality was fab as well. Mind you, all the Irish contestants we saw had a great personality - very bubbly and fun loving. That's what they need in a band instead of all those tw*ts who are up their own ar*e. Go Hazel!

I said last week that we'd probably see more of the mad Romanian twins but I didn't expect to see them so soon! How funny are those two?!?! Completely bonkers but 10 out of 10 for trying! I absolutely loved them to be honest. They're nothing like pop-band material but I think someone should snap them up for a comedy show or something coz I'm sure I wasn't the only one rolling about laughing at them last night.

I was really quite surprised that we didn't see any Scottish people at the Scottish auditions last night. Maybe it was just the editing but we certainly didn't see any Scottish people go through. Maybe only Irish people turned up at the Scottish auditions? What a disgrace if none of my fellow countrymen were put through. I'll boycott the show if that's the case *lol*

So, show number 2 of the series was very good and it certainly looks like the series will be entertaining. I'm really looking forward to when they introduce the Big Brother type format where they put the final 10 boys and the final 10 girls in a house and the public have to vote them off one by one until we are left with 5 boys and 5 girls. I imagine that will be riveting viewing for me and all the other reality TV addicts and I expect that my phone will be red-hot every week from voting. My phone bill will go through the roof too, which isn't quite so good *rolls eyes* Just imagine though - all those dishy guys wandering about the house in the nudey-dudey *faint* When does it start????????? *laugh*

Update September 21st

I thought this weeks show was rather dull to be honest. In fact dull pretty much sums up the series itself. I know it's only week three and there are weeks and weeks to go but I don't remember Popstars or Pop Idol being as dull as this after 3 weeks.

I remember being entertained throughout the first 3 weeks of both those series and I certainly remember thinking "Ohhhhhh there's a star in the making" quite a few times. During the past 3 weeks I think there's been about 2 people who have stood out from the rest and there certainly hasn't been anyone who I'd describe as amazing. That doesn't mean that there isn't any talent in amongst the final 50, it could just be that the editors haven't shown us the best of the bunch. Remember what happened with Pop Idol? We didn't see anything at all of Will Young until we were on the last few shows. Maybe there's a few Will's and Gareths amongst the final 50. Fingers crossed. Oh, and fingers crossed there's no Zoe's in there. She's oooooonnnnnnnly sixteeeeeeeeeeeeen *rolls eyes*

Af first I thought it was unfair of the judges to make the poor souls perform in front of everyone at the callback auditions. But then it dawned on me that it would test their ability to perform in front of a crowd and so the judges were quite right. If they can't perform in front of a hundred or so people then there's little hope of them making it big and managing to perform in front of several thousand.

What was that silly bitch Stephanie thinking of? Remember her that couldn't provide ID but insisted she was 16 when even Andrew the blind guy could see she was about 10! I thought her singing was a bit cabaret myself and I couldn't understand why they put her through in the first place. I was bloody livid though when she finally confessed that she was only 13 after they kept her for the second day. What a stupid selfish lying bitch! Someone else should have been in her place but instead they were sent packing and I didn't hear them say anything about calling someone back to replace her. Davina and Geri were all over her consoling her and stuff but if it had been up to me I'd have told her to sling her bloody hook and grow up! 13 or not! She was old enough to go there and lie through her teeth so she's old enough to get slapped into reality. Not literally you understand, I'm not that harsh.

Another thing which confused me was the decision to put that Jeremy whose fiance gave birth when he was auditioning through to the final 50. I didn't think much of him at all, looks-wise or voice-wise. Maybe the judges saw a side to him that the editors chose to hide from the viewers. Bizarre.

That black girl with the wild hair who freaked out the judges with her odd behaviour seems to have been put through to the final 50 too. What's that all about? She sang 3 songs during the show all of which were crap. Maybe they need a token black person in the girl group? How patronizing. There were better black girl's sent home! What are the judges thinking about?

I was really pleased to see Paul Rose go through to the final 50. He said he'd had some coaching since his last appearance and when he opened his mouth I thought maybe it had been football coaching. Dear me. I thought he'd f***ed it up to start with but he came right in the end. Good on him. I really hope he gets stronger as the series progresses coz I would love to see him in the band. He seems like a bloody nice guy and not at all pretentious. I like him.

Hazel the pregnant Irish girl was very good again and I am pleased that she too made it to the final 50. She needs to sing something a bit less Anastasia'ish though coz I am sure there's much more to her voice than meets the eye.

Those two brothers who sang the ode to Davina were very good - until they sang on their own. "Don't call us" I'd have been shouting as they walked off. Dear me. They were fab together though and their little ode was well written. They'll go far I think, but not as solo artists.

The big disappointment for me was when Andrew the blind guy didn't get through to the final 50 :( What a shame. He has such a lovely voice too but I think the dancing was his downfall. I really hope he sticks with it and keeps trying coz I am quite sure someone could make a star out of him.

Oh, another thing which totally baffled me was that Justin bloke that they called back after Geri had a sleepless night worrying about rejecting him. Was it just me or was he bloody crap when he sang? My partner and I looked at each other and said at the same time - "They wasted their time calling him back!" and then they said he was through. We were like - what the f**k?? AND he is through to the final 50! Lord alone knows what kind of bands these are going to be.

Incidentally, did anyone else notice something strange about Geri's nose when she was talking to the group? It looked like she had a great big scar down the right side of it. A story there?

The boys outperformed the girls with the singing coach. I loved that song they sang and they sounded great. The girls kept f***ing up though and from what I've seen of who has gone through to the final 50 I doubt very much if we're going to end up with anything like as powerful a group as the Spicers. The boys didn't seem much better either but then, sadly, they just have to look good to sell records *rolls eyes* I wonder if the two groups will be called the Mings and the Mingettes? Appropriate enough I think.

So, as I have said - very disappointing this week, not even anyone to give us a laugh. Here's hoping next week's show is better *yawn*

Update September 28th

*yawn* Oh dear, pardon me.

This update wont take long, that's for sure.

After tonights episode I'm still wondering when I'll get interested in this rubbish. Those hyenas that appear just before the show starts are more entertaining than the contestants themselves.

Talent wasn't really in abundance this week, or if it was we didn't see much of it. Dramatics, however, were very evident. What are some of those people like? How on earth do they expect to deal with the pressures of stardom when they can't even cope with this?! Fools. The dramatics were so good this week that Dame Judi Dench will be worried about the competition for the next oscars!

The big disappointment for me this week was when Paul was told he wasn't going through :( What a shame. I really liked him and I thought he would have at least gone into the house, but alas. I bet that Pete Waterman had something to do with it.

That Jeremy bloke is through and I expect he'll get into the house coz Pete likes him. I really don't see why everyone raves about him. His voice and his looks are very average as far as I'm concerned. He certainly doesn't blow me away. Mind you, very few of them do. *yawn*

I was amused by the few people who insisted on trying to make a song 'theirs' aka doing a Darius. When will they learn? Very few people can do that successfully and most end up looking as big a prat as Darius did on Popstars.

I spotted a black guy on tonights show but I didn't catch his name. There are, I think, 2 black guys in the final 30 and I don't know either of their names but one of them is fabulous. I'm wondering why we haven't seen much of him before. I can't say he has your typical boyband looks but he is rather sexy, I think. More than that though, his voice is wonderful and he really impressed me. If he doesn't make it into the band then I imagine he'll be snapped up as a solo artist coz he certainly has talent.

Matthew is another one I really like and I am pleased that he's got this far. I have a suspicion that his age might prevent him from getting into the house and Pete as much as hinted at that during tonights show. I don't see why they can throw him out because of his age when they clearly told people of 16 that they can apply. If they don't want 16 year olds then they should be telling them not to apply. Fools. Matthew is fabulous - his voice is great and he has the right image.

Another real star is Hazel. She has been consistently good since the series began and if she doesn't make it into the band then there is something far wrong. She is by far the best female vocalist we've seen on the show!

That Owen blokey was pretty average and I don't think he looks the part either so I was confused as to why they were all raving about him. Bizarre.

Similarly, Chloe seems to be a bit of a non-starter as far as I'm concerned. But yet they keep raving about her as if she is fabulous. Maybe I'm missing something? Surprising really considering the amount of time she was in front of the cameras.

When they called them into the room to be told whether they were through to the final 30 I think they f***ed up a bit by allowing them to go out the way they came in. Those waiting outside didn't need a calculator to work out who came out shouting that they were through or crying that they were going home so it must have been obvious to the last few whether or not they were through. I also thought it was a bit selfish of those who got through to come running out screaming when there were others in tears. I know they were excited and stuff but a little consideration for those less fortunate wouldn't have gone amiss.

I don't like hardly any of the girls who are left. Most of them seem to be up their own a*se drama queens and the quicker they flop the better. I might take to more of them once we get a chance to really see them up close and personal when they start the shows from the houses but right now I think I only like Hazel.

Some of the boys are a bit irritating too and talent is severely lacking. There are no Will's and Gareth's in amongst them, with perhaps the exceptions being the black guy and Matthew, but even those two didn't blow me away like Gareth and Will did during Pop Idol.

So, another week has passed and another week I am left wondering why I watch this drivel. I suppose next week might be a bit more exciting as we watch the judges visit everyone at home to tell them whether or not they are in the final 20. At least we'll get a nosey around their houses and that could very well be more interesting than the contestants themselves.

Update October 1st

Normally I only update the page after the show on a Saturday night but there's been a few things happened over the past few days which have forced me to do a wee update.

The first thing which got my back up was the news that Hazel has been thrown out because she is 10 days too old. What an absolute load of w*nk! And let me say before anyone jumps on me and points out that I harped on and on about how wrong it was when that 13 year old Shirley Temple wannabe tried to con the judges a couple of weeks ago - THERE ARE DIFFERENCES! I'm not being hypocritical, there really are big differences between the two cases - The Shirley Temple wannabe was 3 years too young; she had as much talent as a dead budgie and most importantly she tried to deceive the judges. Whereas Hazel has loads of talent, she is only 10 days older than they'd have liked and she did not try to deceive anyone.

But, as the shows producers stated - rules are rules, and I suppose we have to accept that, harsh and sad as it may be.

I don't just think it's sad because I like Hazel, I think it's sad because the eventual group would most definitely have benefited with Hazel as a member. I still, however, think they've been harsh on her, rules or no rules.

I mean it was their f**k up and personally I think that because the discrepancy was so minor they could have overlooked it on this occasion.

I mean who the hell cares if she is 10 days too old? I'm quite sure that people would rather have someone nice like Hazel who has lot's of talent in the band than some dumb 17 yr old up-their-own-ar*e wannabe with nasal congestion!

It's a loss to both the show and the eventual band and it is an unnecessary loss!

The other piece of news I wanted to mention is the sad news that Hear'say have decided to split up. Now, I know that lot's of you will be screaming "About time too" and all sorts of other derogatory remarks but let's not forget that we loved them 5 minutes ago!

I must confess that I too have slated them in recent months and I hoped that they'd call it a day before now. Well, I didn't really slate them, I just kept saying that they'd had their day, and they had.

I read an article this morning saying that their downfall was that they were manufactured. I disagree. Lot's of other manufactured bands have lasted far longer then Hear'say have. Their downfall, in my opinion, was themselves. I read articles and watched interviews in which it was obvious that they were forgetting who they were and where they'd come from and this put me off them immediately. I believe many others felt as I did and that's why they failed so soon.

That farce where they tried to replace Kym was another big mistake. They insisted that the auditions were fair but they didn't fool anyone. Immaterial of whether or not Johnny was actually the best of the bunch they should have used their heads and chosen someone like themselves - a person off the street. The public would have respected them far more if they had. When they chose Johnny they were setting themselves up for a lot of stick and their failure to see that was a big mistake, a mistake that the public would never forgive them for.

I don't, however, believe the story about the gun incident being a publicity stunt. In this day and age of terrorism and what-not I don't think anyone would be so stupid as to fake an incident like that, no matter how desperate they were for publicity. But, the way they'd been behaving should have made them see why people were so sceptical about the incident. But I don't think any one of them did see.

Kym Marsh wasn't the only member of the group to grow too big for her boots - they all did in one way or another. Kym just happened to be the worst of the bunch. Maybe she thought herself better than everyone else just because she was sha**ing that dwarf from Eastenders.

As I said before - I am sad that they've split up. I loved the original Popstars series and I was so pleased when Kym, Danny, Noel and Suzanne were chosen for the band. I haven't missed out Myleene, I just wasn't overly impressed that she was chosen. There was no doubt at all that the girl was very talented, but in my opinion she wasn't a team player and she always struck me as a bit of a bitch. I was very surprised when they chose her and I think it was a mistake. The Kym and Myleene clash was inevitable and I don't think such a clash would have happened if one of the Liberty X girls had been chosen over Myleene. We'll never know.

But yes, I was an avid follower of Hear'say in the early days and I really hoped that they'd do well. They were never going to be around forever and a day but I imagined that they'd be around for at least 2 or 3 years.

It makes you wonder what the potential band members of this series must be thinking. With any luck they will learn from the mistakes Hear'say made. If they don't, they'll end up going the same way. That's a dead-cert!

Update October 5th

Just finished watching this weeks show and I was soooo impressed with the vast range of uPvc doors we saw as the 3 judges toured the British Isles in order to tell the final 30 who was in and who was out. I've never seen such an extensive range of doors. Gosh. We saw some lovely houses too. Not that I had a nosey or anything *cough* Okay, I confess - I taped the show and paused it a couple of times to study the condition of the carpets and check for dust on one or two mantelpieces. There wasn't a Royal Doulton bathroom in sight. Hackers! lol

This weeks show was slightly more interesting than last weeks, but then, it couldn't possibly have gotten any worse. Unfortunately the first of the two shows tonight didn't contain anything by way of news as far as which 10 boys made it to the house. I'd already read the names in the currant bun earlier this week, and to be honest there were no surprises.

I was, of course, delighted when Matt was told he was going into the house. I think Matt is fab and sooo cute. I really hope he proves himself in the house and gets into the eventual band. What the f**k was Pete on about when he told him not to wear white shoes to an audition? "Judges don't like white shoes" he said. Eh? What's that got to do with the price of cheese in Finland?

Keith got in which quite pleased me coz I think he is okay. Pete said he wasn't a looker but since when was Pete Waterman an expert? I think Keith looks fine and his voice is okay too, although I will confess it's nothing special.

Nick, the Robbie Jackson looky-likey is also in, although why I have no idea. He must have something that I've missed over the weeks *yawn* Nice house though.

I was so distressed when Jacob didn't make it :( He is completely yummy *faint* What a shame. I thought of sending him my address so that he could come over for me to *cough* console him. I'd console him night and day! All over my house! In every room! In every position! Even in public! Oh dear. It's me hormones, I do apologise.

Now then, controversy! Chris! I know lot's of you think he is fab and God's gift and what-not but puleaze! He's a bloody minger and he can't sing! What's more, he is (allegedly) a bit of a thug. I read in a newspaper that he (allegedly) beat up an 8 yr old kid with a snooker cue. For that reason alone I think he needs to be booted out in the first week, but he wont be, coz all the teeny-bopper girls who think he is lush will be pressing redial on their mobiles to keep him in *rolls eyes* There are too many Chris's in the Pop Industry, we need something different. Get him out!

I don't remember seeing anything of Michael Green in the past few weeks but I'm certainly looking forward to seeing much more of him once he gets in the house. Shower scenes preferably! *faint* What a dish! Good voice too, but who cares whether or not he can sing, get him in the house and get him in the shower. Now!

Awwww poor Jeremy didn't get in. Shame. Personally I never liked him much, but he seemed a nice guy and I was disappointed that he didn't get in. Not.

Jamie Shaw is another one I don't remember seeing anything of during the past shows. He got in but God knows why. His voice didn't seem at all spectacular and he's nothing special to look at. What's more, he's as camp as a case of Babycham in a pink tent in Mykinos! He'll go down well in the house with the other boys. No pun intended *cough*

Poor Justin never got in, but I never thought he should have been called back in the first place. His voice was crap and he looked too much like that wimpy bloke from Sclub 7.

I didn't think much of that Owen blokey either and I was pleased they didn't put him in the house. His voice wasn't all that and neither was his face. But I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, just as I did the other's who didn't make it.

Anton is a star! I think his voice is fabulous and he is by far the best of the boys. If he doesn't make it into the band there is something far wrong! He would be snapped up as a solo artist if he failed to make it into the band coz I dare say someone big in music must see his potential. He just has to make it into the band!!

What a scream when Geri wound Andrew up! What a complete bitch LOL I loved it! I've never seen this Andrew before but he seemed okay. Not bad looking, if a bit posh, not to mention camp. I expect that he'll get on fine with Jamie *nudge-nudge wink-wink*

I wasn't too disappointed when they told Sean that he wasn't going into the house. He was a bit cocky for my liking and his voice did nothing for me.

Peter from Ireland has a good voice and seems like a really genuine guy, so I was pleased when he was told he was in.

Daniel was the last of the boys to be told he was in and that pleased me too coz he has a really distinctive voice. Good looking too which is a plus.

Then we have the dull girls *yawn* Do I really have to comment on them? They'll probably have flopped by the time I finish this update.

Dramatic Emma was the first one to be told that she was in. A bit Karen Carpenter'ish I thought and I can't say she impressed me much, but then, very few of the girls did.

Why on earth they have put Cheryl into the house is anyones guess. This girl is the biggest drama queen I've seen on tele in years! She's shown throughout that she can't handle the pressure so why they think she'll be able to handle the pressure of being in a pop-band is beyond me. She is an ideal candidate for The Priory and I expect she'll have shares in Valium before the years out. The most ridiculous thing is that she doesn't even have a great voice! What number do I dial to get her out???

I finally found something nice about Chloe - her kitchen! No, seriously, I think I've been a bit harsh on Chloe in the past. She seems a lot nicer than I had first thought and one couldn't help but feel sorry for her when the story came out about her Godfather dying. I think maybe she is just a bit over-ambitious and it comes across on screen as arrogance. I'm willing to wipe her slate clean and see how she is in the house, but I doubt if the rest of the public will be as soft as me.

Polly put the kettle on or whatever she was called didn't get in. She is a lovely looking girl but her voice failed her. Shame.

Kimberly was too Sclub7'ish and I wasn't sorry to see the back of her.

Am I rushing through the girls? Sorry, I'll try to be more enthusiastic *files nails*

Oooo more controversy - Nadine! Noone likes her except me and Louis lol I admit (as she does) that she can't dance and that is a big worry coz I can't imagine that dancing is something that one can learn. Someone who can dance can be taught to dance better but I am not sure if someone who can't dance can be taught to dance. It will be hell for the other band members if she slows them down so I don't know if maybe they've made a mistake putting her in the house. Dancing aside, she has a fabulous voice and for that reason alone she deserves her place in the house. I just don't envy whoever is going to try and teach her to dance. Eek.

I never realised that Nicola did Stars in their Eyes as Britney! I remembered her though as soon as I saw her. She is in the house but I can't think of anything to say about her really. In fact I'm bored with this whole girl thing already. Someone make some tea!

Charlie was too nasal and I was pleased when she got her cards. Cheerio.

I was totally confused when they told Anneka that she wasn't through! I mean what were the judges thinking about????? She has a fabulous voice!!!! VERY powerful! Why on earth they didn't put her in the house is totally beyond me. I was lost for words when they said she was out. What a loss to the eventual band.

The farce of the night was when they told poor Hazel that she was in. Why they bothered to broadcast that bit I have no idea coz most people knew she'd been kicked out for being 10 days too old. I've already commented on this issue on my last update so I better not repeat myself again. All I will say is BLOODY DISGRACE!

I was a bit disappointed when Nicola Roberts was told that she wasn't through. I quite liked her, she was pretty and had a good voice. Obviously not good enough for the judges. Bizarre.

Not a lot to say about Amy except that she has a yummy looking brother. She's not bad looking herself actually, and that could be the reason she got through.

Another looker is Jervine (I've no idea how you spell her name!). She has a good voice too, if a bit Rosie Ribbon'ish. Can't say I was that impressed with her but she was okay I suppose.

Another drama queen is Sarah who also got through. There are going to be so many fights in that house! There has to be! You can't have all those drama queens cooped up together and not have a fight or two. Move over Jade and Adele! Drama aside, Sarah struck me as really genuine and I liked her. Very pretty too, although the all important voice wasn't all that.

The final one for the house was Lyndsey. I was more impressed with her boyfriend than I was with her voice, but I think I'll reserve judgement on her coz there's something about her that I suspect might surprise us.

I think I should really be reserving judgement on all of them coz we've seen very little of them really. The next few weeks will be the real telling time and I'm looking forward to the shows from the houses. I'm hoping and praying that teeny-bopper girls don't rule the voting but something tells me my prayers will be in vain *rolls eyes* Oh well, I'll maybe have more luck with my other prayers which relate to Michael, Jacob and me in the shower *faint*

Update October 10th

This update is really for people in the Leeds area. I need your help.

I received an odd message on the Message Board yesterday from a guy who works for Radio Aire. He asked me to make contact with him, which I did, and the result was a telephone conversation this afternoon in which he asked me various questions relating to my interest in Popstars: The Rivals and other reality TV shows.

To begin with I thought it sounded quite genuine because I've been asked to do such interviews in the past but the more the interview progressed the weirder it became.

I won't go into detail about the content of the interview but if you are in the Leeds area and can listen to Radio Aire please listen out for an interview being broadcast, possibly over the weekend.

I know that it's not one of my friends taking the piss coz I checked the number and the guy certainly called from Radio Aire but I am leaning towards thinking that it might be one of the presenters taking the piss, although for what reason I have no idea. Well I do, I've laughed myself when I've heard them phoning up people for a laugh.

Anyway, listen out folks and let me know if you hear anything.

Update October 12th

I have to take my hat off to the guys tonight - they were fabulous.

The opening Beach Boys number they performed as a group was absolutely fabulous and I don't think that any group anywhere could have done it better. Simply superb.

I was a bit surprised when I realised that the shows were coming from the studio because I had (stupidly) expected them to come from the house. It turns out that we're not really getting to see much activity in the house at all. Such a shame because I was so looking forward to some steamy shower scenes. Oh well.

First up was Keith and I thought he was very good. He has a good powerful voice and he chose a song which reflected that. I think Louis was a bit harsh when he said that Keith doesn't have the correct image. I can see, to an extent, where he is coming from but at the same time Keith is by no means a minger. I like him, he is a nice guy, good sense of humour and has a good voice.

Next up was Chris, my least favourite contestant. To be honest I wasn't overly impressed by his performance. In fact I thought it was quite weak. I couldn't believe it when he chose to grovel to the viewers by saying that he wasn't at all arrogant or cocky. Perhaps if he hadn't portrayed himself as such then people (like me) wouldn't have formed such an opinion of him. He has certainly left it too late to get back into my good books and I was actually hoping that he'd leave tonight. But no such luck. Roll on 2 weeks time.

Then we had cute adorable little Jamie. How could anyone not like him? He makes you want to cuddle and protect him. His performance wasn't all that great though, unfortunately. I struggled to hear him throughout much of the song but I know he can do much better so it was easy to forgive him on this occasion.

Star of the entire show was, without a doubt, Daniel. Absolutely outstanding performance!! I haven't actually been that impressed with Daniel in the past but tonight he changed my opinion completely. What a voice!! He simply must get into the band!!

As soon as Andrew came on stage I said to my partner that he had an immediate disadvantage because he has received little or no coverage throughout the series in comparison to the other 9 guys. The other 9 have all built up a following whereas Andrew had to start from scratch. The only way he could have pulled it off tonight was if he had shone as brightly as Daniel did. And he didn't. He was far too warbly and made me think of Rosie Ribbons from Pop Idol. Having said that, I don't think he was the worst and I don't think he should have been the one to leave. I never fancied him for the band but I thought he should have been given another week or so in the show.

Anton is someone who has always been popular with me. I love his voice. I wasn't blown away by him tonight but I think that was his choice of song. It didn't show us the immense power and range he has to his voice, but perhaps he knew he was safe and wanted to keep his good stuff up his sleeve for when it really begins to get tough.

Mmmmmmmm Matthew. He is my favourite and I have loved him since the first time we saw him. Why Pete didn't want to put him through in the early stages is a mystery because, to me, it was obvious that this guy had talent. He has absolutely everything that a member of a boyband should have - good voice, good dance skills, good personality and good looks. Immaterial of the fact that I think he is a complete dish of fish I loved his performance tonight. He showed us the power he has in his voice and I want him in that band!!!!!

Nick, the Robbie Jackson looky-likey was good tonight, but nothing special. One thing which did stick out tonight was how nice a guy he is. He certainly went up in my estimations although he isn't one of my final 5.

Pete was very good and I loved the song he chose to sing. I don't think he will make it to the final 5 though.

Last but not least we have Mikey *faint* Geri said to him that he sang well and that all the girls at home would fancy him. She was right but she omitted to say that a lot of the boys at home would fancy him too! What a complete dish. What I could do with him if I had 10 minutes in the back of a Ford Escort on a wet Monday afternoon! *cough* I need a cold shower.

The show tonight moved up a peg or two in my estimations even though I don't agree with who went home. I'm not looking forward to the girls next week though and I think that it's bizarre that Louis thinks they have a hope in hell of getting the Christmas Number 1. I may be completely wrong but I doubt it.

The talent amongst the boys is outstanding and I'm not just talking about vocal talent. Image sells records these days and those guys could sell millions without even opening their mouths. The girls have an uphill struggle in my opinion.

Update October 22nd

I must apologise for the delay in updating the site. I was away from home for a few days to attend a family gathering and then I had some family visiting me this week which prevented me from spending much time online.

Overall, I wasn't impressed by the girls' on Saturday but that shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone because I have always lacked enthusiasm where the girl band are concerned.

Their opening number - "We Are Family" was pretty crap and nothing like as professional as the boys' opening number last week. Many of the girls' were out of tune and the song was way too big for many of their voices.

Sarah was first up and from the moment she opened her mouth I heard a karaoke singer. Very average.

I almost changed channel when Kimberley started singing *rolls eyes* Thankfully she got better as the song progressed but not much. She certainly has the right girl-band look but her voice has no power to it. She chose a very powerful song and murdered it with her flat voice.

A few weeks ago I decided to give Chloe the benefit of the doubt and this week I wondered if I should have stuck to my guns. She started off out of tune but she gathered confidence and lost her nerves quite quickly. She too chose a very powerful song to sing but at least she had the range and power in her voice to carry it off. Quite impressive.

I was really pleased when they chose Nicola to replace that girl who left because of the *cough* contract (my arse!!). Nicola didn't make it into the house because of her image and I thought that was disgraceful. She isn't a minger by any stretch of the imagination and what's more important - she has a fabulous voice! This week she proved herself and shone as one of the real talented girls in the show. She totally blew me away with her performance and if she doesn't make it into the band there is something far wrong!

S Club 7 looky-likey Amy wasn't bad. She wasn't good either. She is a prime example of someone who is in the show based completely on how she looks. I'm not saying that she can't sing - she can, but not very well. She is very young and may improve if she lasts the course but I won't lost any sleep if she falls by the wayside before the end of the year *yawn*

Controversial Nadine was up next and she shone as brightly tonight as she has every week. The power and range of her voice were very evident tonight although I think she chose a song which was a bit beyond her, but when all's said and done she carried it off and quite well too. Immaterial of her past I think she has the talent to be in the final band.

Cheryl was another one who screamed karaoke at me as soon as she opened her mouth. Very VERY average and personally I don't think she has what it takes to be in the final band.

I thought Lynsey was okay really. She certainly wasn't the worst and she certainly shouldn't have been voted out tonight. The song she chose was probably the reason people didn't vote for her. Her performance itself was actually okay; nothing spectacular but not awful.

Emma on the other hand was absolutely awful and I am absolutely gobsmacked that anyone voted for her. Why anyone would vote for someone who sang completely off key throughout the entire song is beyond me. I, along with millions of others, expected her to be waving bye-bye tonight but she made it through to the next round. Lord alone knows why. She was absolutely terrible and I do not exaggerate.

They certainly saved the best for last - the star of the show was, without doubt, Javine. What a voice! She reminded me of a young Whitney Houston and if Javine doesn't go far there is something wrong with the music industry in this country. Tremendous performance!

Overall this weeks show was very weak and I am struggling to imagine a powerful girl-band at the end of it. Roll on the boys next week.

Update October 27th

Phew! What a show!

Where do I start?

The opening song was fabulous. The harmonies made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Having said that, they didn't blow me away as much as they did 2 weeks ago when they sang that catchy Beach Boys number. But they were still good.

I didn't think that any of the songs this week were very good and some beggared belief as to why they were chosen. But, the boys did a much better job than the girls' did last week.

ITV really f***ed up with the sound this week. I thought it was me but other people have commented that we could hear the backing singers and the audience far more than we could the actual performer.

Davina, complete with 3 million emotions, goes up higher and higher in my estimations every week. She is just so natural, so genuine and so professional. I love her.

Daniel was up first and he had a lot to live up to after his performance 2 weeks ago. He failed. I'm not saying that he was bad - he wasn't. I enjoyed his performance and I love his voice. I think the song he chose was pretty crap and didn't allow him to show off his voice to it's fullest extent. Only 8 out of 10 this week but he should still make it to the final band.

My favourite - Matt was very good this week again. He didn't blow me away and I didn't particularly like the version he sang but he was still great. He has a lovely voice and is great looking. He must get into the final band!!

Nikk was very weak this week and I can't say I was bawling into a kleenex when he was voted off. I've always thought he lacked something but I can't quite put my finger on it. I don't know why he was voted off this week because he wasn't the worst at all, but at the same time it was always unlikely that he'd make it to the final band so he is as well being out this week as next.

I liked Keith's performance tonight. I thought he showed good control with a difficult song. He has a strong voice and could bring something good to the band. F**k those who say that he doesn't have the right image. He is not a minger! He's not typical boy-band material but he does have talent and that should count for much more! Get him in the band!

What can I say about Anton that I haven't said a million times before?! He was excellent tonight - absolutely fantastic. They were right in saying that he would be better off as a solo artist but I think being in the band might be a good place for him to start. I can't praise Anton enough and I absolutely love his voice. I could listen to him all day. The other thing that Pete said which echoed my sentiments was when he mentioned those people who knock shows like Popstars. I agree that there are a lot of crap performers on shows like Popstars and Pop Idol but at the same time it has to be said that these shows do uncover some marvellous talent. Will Young is a prime example and Anton is another. If it wasn't for shows like this then people like Will and Anton would be singing in the shower for the next 20 years and the public would be missing out on amazing entertainment. So it's two fingers up to those who knock the show!

Weepy Jamie was up next. That guy would cry at the opening of an envelope! Dear me! I like Jamie, he has a sweet voice and I thought he did a great job tonight. He sang a favourite song of mine and he did it well, but the arrangement of the song was a bit iffy and must have made people think that he was crap. He wasn't crap at all; it was just that particular arrangement. Pete Waterman himself said that they chose a 'different' version of the song because he thought it suited Jamie's voice better. I think they f***ed up. I had to listen to it twice before I could hear how well he actually sang. I was very impressed by his performance tonight, and it takes a lot to impress me, especially when it comes to people singing my favourite songs. I do think Davina was a bit dramatic with her tears though - his performance wasn't that moving lol Having said all that, I'm not convinced that he should be in the final band but this weeks performance has made me wonder if maybe I am wrong. Put it this way - he has talent so if he does make it into the band it won't be a disaster.

My least favourite contestant is Chris and he didn't impress me much this week at all. He was off-key at times but when he sang in tune he was actually okay. He's been playing the sympathy card for a few weeks but I haven't bought it. Maybe he is a nice bloke but he doesn't strike me as such and as one of my hero's once said - "The Lady's not for turning!" LOL

Now then - controversy - Peter. Personally I didn't like his performance this week and I didn't think he should be in the final band. Peter certainly has talent but amongst those who remain I don't think he shone. The worst thing is that Peter is probably one of the nicest guys in the series and from that point of view it was really distressing to watch tonights show :( I'm lost for words as to why his real age wasn't picked up by the shows producers. They managed to pick up on Hazel's lies so why did they not notice Peter was too old? Bizarre. It says so much about the type of person that Peter is that he did what he did tonight and the way he did it too. There wasn't a dry eye in the studio last night and I dare say that scene was repeated in homes across the country. I cannot possibly criticize Peter for having lied about his age because, as he himself said, he was merely following his dream. I can only hope that he realises his dream someday. What a bloody nice bloke.

Last up was the most gorgeous thing I've seen on tele since Enrique - Mikey *faint* Whilst his image makes me go weak at the knees his voice was pretty crap this week. Very karaoke. It is easy to forgive him though coz I know that he is normally much better.

So, this weeks show, whilst full of drama and controversy, didn't blow me away like the last show 2 weeks ago. My opinion hasn't changed as to who I think should make up the final band - Matt, Anton, Mikey, Dan and Keith but I think they all have to do better next time if they are to secure their places. Some of the weaker performers, such as Jamie, were very good tonight and if guys like him continue to shine like that then they could quite easily sneak into the band.

Update November 2nd

I must apologise for the major delay in updating my Popstars: The Rivals page. This was mainly due to the sudden and sad death of my step-father. I spent some time at home in Aberdeen with my family and whilst I have kept up to date with developments in the series I haven't really been in the mood to update the site. Anyway ...

I have a few updates to do and so they will be brief in comparison to normal.

The girls show on Saturday the 2nd wasn't anything spectacular. I've always found it difficult to enthuse about the girls, with the exceptions being Nicola, Javine and Nadine. The rest are, to coin a phrase, distinctly average. This weeks show was a prime example.

The opening number "That's What Friends Are For" did nothing for me, and some of the girls were totally out of tune which made it worse.

First up we had Javine, who must surely be a dead cert for the final band. As usual, Javine shone during her performance of the old Al Green/Tina Turner number "Let's Stay Together". I simply couldn't fault her. Very professional.

Next up we had Cheryl, my least favourite contestant. What can I say? She completely murdered that Shania Twain song. I listened to her performance twice just in case I was being unfairly harsh but no, she was bloody awful! If she gets in the final band it will be a complete disgrace because she is, at best, a cabaret performer and, in my opinion, she has no place in a pop band.

I know that many of you didn't like Chloe because she 'played up' to the camera and seemed a little full of herself, but based on her voice alone I think she deserved to get into the final band. I really enjoyed her performance of "Rescue Me" and I thought she sang really well. She isn't quite in the same category as the likes of Javine, but Chloe most certainly can sing. The voting public, however, didn't agree and booted her out. Why? I have no idea. She certainly wasn't the worst, not by a long chalk.

Next up was Emma. Emma hasn't been consistent throughout the series and I've often wondered how on earth she has made it this far. Tonights performance, whilst not the best, certainly wasn't the worst and, in my opinion, she didn't deserve the boot tonight. Cheryl was by far the worst tonight and this has been true throughout the series. Having said all that, Emma would surely have been voted off next week so it's maybe just as well that she was put out of her misery this week.

Then Nicola came on and sang "Shout", the ever popular Lulu number. It certainly wasn't Nicolas best performance but she was still very good. I can't fault Nicola at all - she has been consistently good throughout the series and if she doesn't get into the final band it will be a complete disgrace. She undoubtedly has the talent and if she doesn't get in the band it can only be because her image isn't in keeping with the 'normal' girl-band image. Bollocks! Okay she isn't your stereotypical blonde, blue-eyed, big-chested wannabe but she isn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a minger. What's more important is that she can sing. Surely talent is the most important factor? Hmm probably not.

Aimee sang next and did an okay performance of the catchy "I Only Wanna Be With You". Aimee is a prime example of what a stereotypical girl-band member looks like. Whenever I see her I see S Club 7. Aimees voice isn't awful but at the same time it lacks power and I really don't think she has what it takes. I think her days are numbered.

Kimberly is another of the girls who has the stereotypical girl-band image. Very pretty and her voice is quite good too. She didn't blow me away this week but she certainly sang well. I think she will probably make the final 5, but only because there are others who are weaker than her.

Sarah was next and she sang Cilla's "Anyone Who Had A Heart". I can't say I was overly impressed at the start of her performance but she certainly improved as the song progressed. I'd be tempted to use the word excellent but I don't want to go over-the-top. Very, very good though.

Last but not least we had the girl who noone wants to forgive - Nadine. I've always been a fan of Nadine because I've managed to put the past where it belongs and focus on the talent which is her voice. Tonight's performance was yet another example of how well this girl can sing. How anyone can possibly say that Nadine doesn't deserve to be in the final band is beyond me. THIS GIRL IS TREMENDOUS! People need to forget that she tried to cheat in the Irish Popstars and focus more on the immense talent that Nadine can bring to the band.

So, summing up, I think Cheryl should have gone tonight, but then I've thought that every week for weeks and still she hangs in there by the skin of her teeth. Knowing her she will scrape into the final 5 *rolls eyes* Get her out!

My preferred final 5 would be:

Javine
Nadine
Nicola
Sarah
Kimberley

Update November 9th

I had a feeling that this weeks show would annoy me, and I had a suspicion that the public would make a mistake by voting off someone who should make the final band. Little did I know ...

To begin with I didn't like the opening number - Prince's "1999". They sang it well but personally I don't like the song and so it did nothing for me. Mikey's voice was, by far, the weakest during that opening performance and, surprisingly, Jamie's was the strongest.

Matt was first to sing and, as always, he was full of enthusiasm. The song itself was pretty crap and I struggled to hear him properly over the music and backing singers. This could be interpreted as Matt's voice being weak, something which it isn't and I worried throughout the show that it might cost him his place in the band. Matt has been consistently good throughout the series and I hoped and prayed that people would remember this when voting. He deserves to be in the final 5!!

Next up was Mikey, one of my favourites. I must confess, however, that he has always been one of my favourites because he is absolutely, totally gorgeous. I loathe the song he chose to sing - "Hello" so that did nothing for me from the start. He did very little with the song which only made things worse and I had a sneaky feeling he might get voted off. I hoped that I was wrong but alas ... *sigh* I do think that Mikey had a place in the band, even though his voice wasn't as strong as some of the others. I felt that he would fit in perfectly coz the other stronger singers could carry him. But, at the end of the day, his image was the main reason I liked him and wanted him in the band and if I am to be fair he really didn't deserve his place. If I had closed my eyes and listened only to his voice I would have voted him off, probably before now. Having said all that, I can't tell you how disappointed I was when he was voted off. I really don't think the public made the right choice tonight. If anyone should have gone it should have been Chris. Poor Mikey. I'll miss his gorgeous smile.

Daniel was next to sing and I liked the song he chose - "For Once in My Life" - very catchy. I can't really fault his performance with the exception of all that warbling. What was that all about?? For as much as I rate Daniel's voice I can't help but think he tries a bit too hard to impress. That could piss people off coz they might interpret it as showing off. Hopefully that won't happen because if Daniel didn't make the final band it would be a sin. Excellent performance.

One of my favourites was up next - Keith. I worry so much that Keith won't make the final band because I think he is fabulous. Okay he doesn't have the perfect boy-band image but he is not, as I've said umpteen times, a minger!! I think Keith's voice is fabulous - very strong and he has great control. Tonight he sang "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" and his performance was absolutely fabulous. I could listen to that boy sing all day - what a voice!! He simply must get into the final band!!!

Next up we had Anton, who must surely be the only one guaranteed a place in the band. I think his choice of song - "You Cant Hurry Love" was a terrible mistake. It wasn't suited to his voice at all. If I am frank I have to say that Anton didn't sing at all well tonight, but, at the end of the day, the public know that Anton is fabulous and deserves to get into the final band. Everyone is entitled to a bad week and let's hope this is Anton's only one. Disappointing.

Chris was next. The arrangement of the song "If You Don't Know Me By Now" was pretty iffy but, and it pains me to say it, he sang it quite well. Immaterial of how well he performed tonight, he has not been consistent throughout the series and I definitely don't want him in the final band. I must, however, give him credit tonight because he was very good.

The final performance tonight was by cute little Jamie. He sang "Working My Way Back To You" and in a word his performance was average. I've never been Jamie's biggest fan and I've never thought he deserved a place in the final band, but, seeing as we lost Mikey tonight which means we have to have either Chris or Jamie as part of the final line-up I have to say that I'd prefer Jamie. If Jamie is fortunate to make it into the band he will be one who needs carried by the others. That is unless they do some major work on his voice. Tonight's performance - not bad.

Summing up tonight's show the word which springs to mind immediately is devastated. I think Mikey is a big loss to the band. He certainly shouldn't have gone tonight and I am surprised that the teeny-boppers weren't going mad with their mobiles to keep him in based purely on his looks. Could the tide be turning in favour of talent????? Yeah and there'll be blue snow on Christmas day.

Update November 16th

So, we were back with the girls this week. The opening number was well choreographed and some of the girls sang very well but those who didn't totally murdered the song. Nothing new there then.

One thing which got on my tit was all this palaver about who snogged who at that celebrity party the girls were at. Who bloody cares? The papers will undoubtedly be full of scandal once they hit the charts so let's save it till then *yawn*

Nadine was up first to open the show and she sang one of my favourite songs - "When I Fall In Love". As usual I couldn't fault her performance - tremendous. I thought she sang a very difficult song with beauty and power, two things which that song deserves. An outstanding performance from a girl with outstanding talent.

Next up was Kimberly who sang "Emotion". Quite ironic really considering that was something which her performance lacked. Kimberly is one of my chosen final 5 and I know she can do better than she did tonight. I think her performance suffered tonight from nerves, but when it boils down to it we can't be making excuses week after week. Harsh, perhaps, but realistic. We need a final band who can control their nerves.

Nicola was next and I cringed when I heard that she was to sing one of my favourite songs - "Wind Beneath My Wings". I suppose if anyone was going to carry it off it would be Nicola and she did an okay job, but nothing like I expected from her. Again, it could be put down to nerves, but I'm sick of using that excuse for poor performances. That's not to say that I thought Nicola's performance tonight was poor, it just wasn't what she is capable of. She didn't, by any stretch of the imagination, murder the song, which was a relief to me, but on a good week she could have blown us all away.

Next we had Aimee. I had a suspicion that she might be the one for the chop this week, even though I hoped it would be Cheryl. The reason I suspected that Aimee was for the chop was because she chose a song that many people wouldn't know. I've been a big fan of Motown music since I was about 12 years old and so I was very familiar with it but much of the voting public i.e. teenagers must surely have struggled to remember it. Choosing a well-known song is, in my opinion, crucial and Aimee failed miserably. Personally I thought she sang the song very well and I enjoyed her performance. What a shame that people at home didn't realise that she did actually sing the song well. Then again, Aimee is no great loss to the final band so it's no big deal. I'd still rather have kicked Cheryl out the door though.

Sarah was next and she confirmed my vote for her to be part of the final 5. A very good, strong performance albeit that I felt she screamed a bit and brought back Pop Idol Zoe memories for me.

Then Cheryl came on and totally murdered one of my favourite favourite FAVOURITE songs - "Nothing Compares To You". I couldn't believe it when I heard Davina announce her choice of song. Very few people could do that song justice and Cheryl was never going to be one of them. What a shambles of a performance. That song deserves much better than her and I thought she completely insulted a beautiful song by even attempting to sing it. Get her out!!!!!!!

Finally we had Javine singing "End Of The Road". I have to be honest and say that, for as much as I love Javine and want her in the final band, I thought her performance tonight was pretty crap. I think that song was so not suited to her voice and she could quite easily have f***ed up her chances of getting in the final band. Javine has a fabulous voice and so I find it easy to excuse her poor(ish) performance this week.

So, my opinion as to the final 5 for the girl-band hasn't changed at all. I'm just hoping and praying that Cheryl doesn't sneak in there, but knowing her she will. I doubt very much if I will buy their songs anyway, immaterial of whether or not Cheryl makes it in. Unless, of course, they release something exceptional. Possible, but doubtful.

Update November 23rd

OooooOooo crunch time for the vocal male harmony group aka the boy-band.

I was a complete nervous wreck throughout tonight's show because I so didn't want Chris to make it to the final band. As I have already said, I didn't particularly want Jamie in there either, but out of the two I preferred Jamie. There was, of course, no guarantee that BOTH of them wouldn't make it into the band and someone like Matt or Keith would get booted out. That would be a complete disaster as far as I'm concerned and so I sat on the sofa with imaginary rosary beads (or whatever they're called) in my hands, saying silent prayers and begging forgiveness for nicking that Milky Way from Woolies when I was 10.

I was well impressed with the boys opening performance of The Eagles song "Hotel California" with Keith and Jamie standing out from the crowd.

Having just heard that opening number I started (silently) screaming that Keith just had to make the band, but little did I know that his later solo performance would guarantee him his place.

Up first was my favourite of the boys - Matt. His place in the band was anything but guaranteed and I wasn't sure that his choice of song was a good one. Personally I don't like that song much but he sang it very well. He had great control, never missed a key and he gave it his all. Great performance and a well deserved place in the band! Go Matt!

Next we had Daniel, another of the dead-certs for the band. I really like Daniel's voice and I wanted him in the band. Tonight, however, I wasn't too impressed with his version of "Candle In The Wind". Give him his due, he sang well but I am sure he could have chosen a song better suited to his voice. That performance certainly didn't guarantee him his place in the band, even though it was highly unlikely that he wouldn't make it. Not bad, but nothing like he is capable of, but thankfully he got enough votes to get him in the band. Well done Daniel!

Next up was Chris. To be honest, for as much as I wanted him to sing badly, he didn't. I thought he sang very well and he chose a song well suited to his voice. I think the reason he didn't get the votes he needed was only down to the fact that Jamie was the more popular of the two. The voting certainly wasn't based on Chris's performance tonight because if it had been then he'd be in the band. I know I've been harsh on Chris over the weeks but I want to make it clear that I have based my opinions on how he has portrayed himself to me as a viewer. He appeared cocky and arrogant, two things which I detest. It's not my fault if his portrayal of himself was inaccurate - I can only base my opinions on what I see. Chris can sing, of that there is no doubt, but at the end of the day he wasn't better than the five who were chosen for the band. I wish him well in his career.

Anton was next to sing and oh my - what a disappointment. It goes without saying that I am a huge fan of Antons voice and that his place in the band was guaranteed, but that doesn't mean his performance tonight was anything spectacular because it wasn't. Yes he sang the song well but it wasn't outstanding. Anton is capable of pouring his heart and soul into the songs he sings but, for some reason, he failed to do that with R Kelly's "I Can Fly". The only part of the song where Anton shone was right at the end where he did that warbley thing with his voice and he did it well. Other than that, very average.

The final performance came from Keith and I'm finding it hard to contain my enthusiasm here. TREMENDOUS! He totally and utterly blew me away. From the very second he opened his mouth the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt a lump in my throat the size of a small bungalow in Clacton. If they released his version of that song I'd queue for a week to buy it. To go on national TV and sing a Joe Cocker song as well as Keith did tonight proves what people like me have said all along - this guys talent is exceptional. Keith totally deserved the most votes tonight but more than that he truly deserves his place in the final band. What a talent; what a voice.

The wait for the final band to be announced was torture. I had a good idea of who I thought would get in, but you can't ever take for granted how the public will vote. For as exceptional as I thought Keiths performance was tonight I wasn't even sure that the public would feel the same. But the main 3 contenders for getting the boot were really Jamie, Matt and Chris and, of course, I wanted Chris to be the one to miss out on a place.

To my absolute delight the first member of the band to be announced was Keith. I think they heard me screaming in Holland! Then, if I remember rightly, they announced Matt as the second member and, again, I screamed like a nympho during a multiple organizm. Daniel was next, but that was a foregone conclusion and so I didn't get quite so excited. Same with Anton when his name was announced. Then I had to hold my breathe when we were left with Jamie and Chris. My sister texted me to say to keep voting for Jamie but I didn't bother. I was pretty sure that Jamie's place was safe, and a few minutes later I had this confirmed. Praise the Lord!

So, the final band aren't exactly the 5 I wanted, but the only disappointment was Jamie in place of Mikey. Overall I am pleased with the outcome and I really hope the boys do well. Please please let them learn from the mistakes of Hear'say and don't allow them to become cocky and arrogant with their fame. They all seem great down-to-earth guys and long may they stay that way. Good luck to the boys as they start their career as One True Voice.

Update November 30th

Well well well. What an end to the series that was! Oh my ...

I suppose I should start at the beginning really, even though it's the ending which is foremost in my thoughts as I write.

The opening number "Love Shack" was very well performed by the girls. I couldn't fault any of them and they sounded great as a group.

The first girl to sing was Sarah and she sang "Holding Out For A Hero". What a powerful performance!! I can't say that Sarah has ever jumped out at me before tonight, but she certainly gave it her all on this the last show. Excellent. And so it was with complete shock that I found her standing with Davina at the end waiting to find out if she was the one going home. What on earth were the public thinking about? Why didn't people vote for her? She sang brilliantly. It's completely beyond me. It was, however, some consolation that she made it into the final band by the skin of her teeth.

Next up was Nadine who sang "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". Nadine is, as you must know, one of my favourites out of the girls and I knew she'd do the song justice before she even opened her mouth. At the end of it I realised that if any of the girls was going to take on a Whitney Houston number and pull it off it would be Nadine. Fabulous, and I was, of course, delighted when she was announced as being in the band.

Then we had embarrassing performance number 1 of 2. Kimberley. She chose to sing "Chain Reaction" and from the very start it was obvious she'd bitten off more than she could chew. The song was so not suited to her voice and I worried that the public would turn on her. I really can't find anything positive to say about Kimberley this week coz really it was a very weak performance which totally unimpressed me. I was quite pleased, however, when she was announced as having made it into the band. Those who voted for her certainly didn't base their vote on tonights performance, that's for sure.

Nicola too failed to move me with her performance tonight. She was up next and sang "I'm So Excited" which I immediately recognised as a bad song for her to have chosen. I'm a huge fan of Nicola's voice but I wasn't overly impressed tonight. She can do much much better. I noticed tonight that she is too plasticey with her singing and seems to concentrate on pronunciation as opposed to throwing herself into the song. If she is to be a success she needs to learn to put some soul into her singing and if she can pull that off she'll blow us away. But overall, tonight's performance was average. I was delighted when her place in the band was confirmed, but she will have to start smiling a lot more and put a lot more effort into her work if she is to succeed.

Javine, as you must surely have read on this page has, in my opinion, been a dead-cert for the final band since her very first audition. Tonight's performance, whilst not her best, was still great and I loved it. The song - "I'm Every Woman" was a disappointing choice and I felt that it didn't show off her voice to it's fullest extent. No matter though, she still performed brilliantly and I sat in complete shock when I realised that she was one of the two people left standing with Davina at the end. I was absolutely convinced that it must be Sarah who was going home because I just couldn't see how it could possibly be Javine. "Poor Sarah" I kept saying to my partner, "She must realise it's her that's going home coz she's standing there with Javine who is definitely in." But more on this later ...

Last up was Cheryl, the one I so wanted to get knocked out. The one I've wanted out since day one. She started off singing "Waiting For You" badly and it didn't get much better as the song progressed. I listened to her performance twice and I was convinced she was on her way out. That was, in my opinion, one of the most embarrassing performances of the entire series. My partner and I lost count of the times during the song where she went off key and out of tune. But yet, for some completely bizarre reason, she won the most votes this week. Hello? Were the voting public listening to the same person as me? She sounded like a cow in labour!! It made no difference what Cheryl sang this week or even how she sang it (and this is obvious coz she sang terribly and I defy anyone to say differently). Cheryl was the underdog and who do we as a nation always feel sorry for? Yes, the underdog. And so people, in their thousands, picked up the phone for entirely the wrong reasons. The result? We've got a sour-faced talentless bint in the final band. One can only hope that those people who voted for Cheryl are as quick to rush down to HMV to buy all their records. Something tells me they'll have forgotten her by then.

So ... how wrong was I?! How wrong was everyone?! I was most certainly not the only one sitting in shock on the edge of my sofa, that's for sure. It took a while for the reality of the situation to sink in but it soon became obvious why it is that Javine didn't get enough votes this week to secure her place. People were too complacent where Javine was concerned. Everyone and their cat (including me) just assumed that she'd get in and so probably noone thought to vote for her. That, together with the fact that her family, friends and general entourage started campaigning for Cheryl (why?!?!?) meant she was doomed from before she even opened her mouth.

Normally I'd be tempted to say that it's a sin that Javine didn't make it but I can't help but feel that she'll be better off with a solo deal.

Let's face it - look at the band - if they're the next Spice Girls I'll run naked down the High Street. I think a cornish pastie has a longer shelf life than that band. I mean come on, it's a 5 piece girl band which consists of 2 singers and 3 cabaret/karaoke singers. Maybe Louis Walsh will perform miracles with them and they will turn out to be fabulous but I'd bet my life that they're gonna be crap live performers. They'll sound great when Louis is twiddling all his knobs in the studio; he could make me sound like Madonna with his knobs. Mark my words.

I had very little interest in the girl band before they were even chosen but I have even less now that I know who they consist of. I said it before and I'll end this update by saying it again - the quicker they flop the better.

Update December 1st

Update December 7th

Good show tonight, especially from the boys - One True Voice.

I can sum the boys up in one word - tremendous. I couldn't find fault with any of them tonight - every one of them gave it their all and they sounded fabulous both individually and as a group.

Their singles are both good; the first - "Sacred Trust" I thought was rather Christmasey, which can't be a bad thing seeing as they're going for the Christmas number 1. The second - "After You've Gone" might take a while to grow on me, but I was impressed nonetheless. Daniel's vocal on both songs was, not surprisingly, tremendous. What a star. Was it me or did Anton sing no part of "Sacred Trust"? I was always waiting for him to kick in but the end of the record came and I'd heard nothing except for his part in the harmony. Odd.

As for the girls *rolls eyes* My opinion hasn't changed one little bit. Let's not beat about the bush - there are 3 singers in that band - Nadine, Nicola and Sarah. Cheryl and Kimberly are there for their looks and not their voices. Both girls, especially Cheryl are very weak performers and would be far better suited to cabaret performances in the Nags Head down the High Street. Lord knows I'll need a few drinks if I am to endure Cheryl's torturous voice on those singles over the next few weeks *rolls eyes* Having said that, I'm sure she will sound marvellous on the actual singles. As I've said before - the knobs they twiddle in the recording studio could make me sound like Madonna so I am quite sure that Cheryl will sound nothing like her real self when we hear the single.

I don't care what anyone says, Pete Waterman spoke the truth of the matter when he said that he had 5 boys all of whom could sing, whereas Louis has 5 girls who were (mostly) chosen for their image. What's more, the boys looked and sounded far better as a group than the girls did and I defy anyone to say differently.

I don't think the race for the Christmas Number 1 is going to be easy though. I am, of course, hoping the boys get it (coz they deserve it based on pure talent!) but there are a few very strong contenders outwith Popstars: The Rivals. Robbie Williams is just one. Whatever happens I just hope that the boys get a higher place in the chart than the girls. Come on the boys!! I won't be buying the girls record, purely out of principal. The group is a farce and I hope they don't last a year. I'd be quite happy if Nadine, Nicola and Sarah joined forces with Javine and formed a 4-piece act and left Cheryl to tour the harbour pubs of Newcastle and Kimberly to tour Butlins.

Update December 16th

Oh dear me. I've just heard that the girls are firm favourites with the bookies to land the Christmas Number One. What the f**k? is going on???

Okay I will admit that the girls tune is very catchy but surely people will realise that the band consists of 2 talented singers, a reasonably good singer and 2 talentless bints?! Maybe not. Maybe people will forget the fact that Cheryl is in there, or maybe people just don't care anymore. I suppose it's too much to expect for people to show support for the most talented of the two groups. In fact it's definitely too much too expect. People are fickle.

One thing's for sure - Out of pure principle I wouldn't buy ANY record the girls released, least of all this one. I wouldn't line Cheryl's pockets with dog poo let alone my hard-earned cash. Why on earth she is in there still beats me. I've yet to meet anyone (online or off) who has anything good to say about her voice.

Oh well. Roll on Sunday so we can get it all over and done with and start looking forward to Pop Idol II which, I've heard, is due to start in Autumn 2003.

Update June 17th 2003

Rumours are rife in the media that One True Voice are about to split up. I can't say that I blame them.

Oh how the public are fickle! Everyone, myself included, supported the very talented group of boys right up until the series ended and then, when it mattered, they switched allegiance to that bunch of (mainly) talentless bints - the girls aka Girls Aloud.

I, personally, never really changed allegiance but I have to confess that I have, up to now, preferred the music that Girls Aloud have produced. I can't say 'sang' because there are only 1 or 2 members of the group who can actually sing!

Perhaps the public were like me - swayed by the music itself as opposed to who was singing. I tend to believe that. I mean, if there are two records on the go - one is good - the other is fabulous, it goes without saying that people will buy the better of the two. That's exactly what happened at Christmas.

That doesn't mean that I, by any means, support the girls because I don't. I still absolutely detest that Cheryl thing who, as I always suspected, seems to have turned out to be a complete bitch. I'd have bought their two records had they been released by anyone. It just so happens that it was them who released them and, as much as it pains me to say it, I really did like both records.

Why the public have turned on One True Voice is anyones guess. It seems that the days of supporting the underdogs are gone and in are the days of kicking the underdogs when they are down. I'm not one such member of the public, but I will say that, unless they release some good material in the next wee while, they will lose all credibility.

It's a shame and a sin that such talent is going to waste. Every member of One True Voice has enormous talent and I fear that if they do split up we won't see much of any of them as solo-artists.

Once again we are faced with a situation where talent is secondary to image and music. It seems that a face-full of slap, and eye-full of cleavage, a catchy tune and much twiddling of knobs in a studio can sell records. Talent doesn't come into it, unless you take the knob-twiddlers and make-up people into account.