IT was a ratings hit and paved the way for talent shows like the X Factor.
And this year marks two decades since ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals first hit our screens.
Hosted by Davina McCall, it created two opposing pop groups, a boy band and an all female group, in a battle of the sexes.
Judged by music moguls Pete Waterman and Louis Walsh, and Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, wannabes had to compete for a place in the winning bands, later named One True Voice and Girls Aloud.
The bands were then pitted against each other in a race to be Christmas number one.
Girls Aloud – made up of Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, the late Sarah Harding and Nadine Coyle – won with Sound of the Underground and they went on to become one of the biggest-selling groups in the UK, selling four million albums.
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Not only did One True Voice not win, they disbanded eight months later.
From Girls Aloud rejects to the star who was the infamous ‘other woman’ in a Britain’s Got Talent judge’s marriage, we reveal what happened to the contestants.
Javine Hylton
The 20-year-old from Ladbroke Grove, West London, was a favourite to win a spot in the coveted girl group and even host Davina was stunned when she missed out to Sarah Harding.
ITV was deluged with complaints from viewers saying they were unable to register their vote for Javine, but TV executives dismissed the claims following an inquiry.
But she went on to have a successful pop career, representing the UK at Eurovision in 2005.
She found herself at the centre of a scandal when she had an affair with So Solid Crew rapper MC Harvey in 2006, while he was married to Mis-Teeq rapper Alesha Dixon.
The couple divorced, with Harvey, real name Michael Harvey Junior, and Javine going on to have daughter Angel, now 14. But they later split after she thought he cheated on her.
Now 40, Javine has since had two more children and prefers to stay out of the limelight and focus on her family instead.
Matt Johnson
At just 17, Matt, from Chester, was the baby of the five-piece boy piece. When the band split in 2003, he signed a solo record contract with Jive Records.
But he left the label over a disagreement in musical direction and went on to compete in the X Factor in 2004, but only made it to the boot camp round.
Now a dad-of-two, Matt, 36, is still in music and has a big fanbase, getting more than a million monthly streams on Spotify.
He also runs his own label Tristar Records championing other musicians.
Anton Gordon
After One True Voice, Anton, from Neasden, North West London, auditioned for the X Factor in 2006 but didn’t make it past the producers round.
The 38-year-old singer-songwriter, who now goes by the name Anton Romero, hasn’t given up on music though.
He has released several tracks on YouTube and often posts videos of him singing to his Instagram.
Keith Semple
The Northern Irish singer-songwriter headed to America after his time in the band to front Chicago-based rock band 7th Heaven.
He had another stab at reality TV when he auditioned for American Idol in 2010 but lost his ‘golden ticket’ place and sadly had to leave the show due to only having a temporary work visa.
In 2012, Keith, now 40, announced he was leaving 7th Heaven to pursue his own music.
Then three years later, he auditioned for the US version of The Voice and got a place with judge Adam Levine from Maroon 5 but was eliminated in the very first live show.
Keith, who lives in Naperville, Illinois with wife Lynette and daughters Rowan, eight, and six-year-old Rozlyn, now fronts his band Semple.
Jamie Shaw
Jamie, from Cardiff, South Wales, got his first record deal aged 13 with Decca and after One True Voice, he bagged himself another solo deal with independent label Rockin’ Nation Music and even supported Backstreet Boys on their UK tour in 2006.
His solo album Different failed to take off though and he was dropped.
Then in 2014, he decided to swap singing for telly when he became an executive publicity assistant working on shows including BBC’s Doctor Who.
Jamie, now 36, married his wife Daniella Serrano-Shaw on the Greek island of Santorini two years ago and they have a daughter Mila-Rose, who turns two next month.
Daniel Pearce
Daniel, from Ashford, Kent, starred in West End musical Jailhouse Rock after One True Voice disbanded.
He went back to reality TV in a bid to revive his pop career when he auditioned for the X Factor in 2009 but failed to make it to the live shows.
That year, he provided backing vocals to Dizzee Rascal’s number one smash Dirtee Disco, performing alongside the Brit rapper at Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage.
The 43-year-old has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Craig David, Basement Jaxx, Chris Malinchak and The Chemical Brothers.
In 2011, Daniel, who has two sons Jude, 16, and Gabriel, 14, with ex wife singer Charlotte Hodson, formed the funk band Shuffler with former members of Jamiroquai and is now a backing singer for Genesis.
Nicola Ward
Nicola actually turned down a chance to be in Girls Aloud after quitting the show in an apparent row over pay – giving a previously rejected 16-year-old Nicola Roberts a shot at fame.
At the time, it was reported the 19-year-old thought she’d be paid too little. But she later revealed she didn’t sign the contract because her jealous boyfriend gave her an ultimatum.
She recalls: “He said, ‘it’s either me or the group, you’re going to have to make a decision because if you continue with this then I’m never going to see you and that’s it between me and you, it’s over’. And at the time, that was quite an ultimatum.”
She had another go at reality TV and auditioned for Pop Idol 2 but was told by Simon Cowell that he didn’t see her as a solo star.
She was then in two bands, Cookie and Cushh, who ironically supported Girls Aloud.
And last year, 39-year-old Nicola, who now sings on cruise ships, wowed viewers with her performance on BBC’s I Can See Your Voice
Hazel Kaneswaran-Grogan
A 25-year-old Hazel, from Dublin, Ireland was eight months pregnant when she auditioned for the show.
She impressed the judges and originally won a place but was suddenly booted out when it was discovered she was ten days older than the age limit permitted on the show.
She said at the time: “I never lied about my age. They saw my passport but it was only when contracts were being sent to the lawyers that it became an issue.”
After giving birth to her son, Oisin, now 19, Hazel went on to front Irish pop band Dove and had top ten hits in her native Ireland.
She remained on good terms with Popstars: The Rival judge Louis Walsh and wrote songs for Jedward who he mentored on the X Factor.
Hazel, who is also mum to Fionn, 18, Niallsean, 14, and Pierce, 13, is married to developer Martin Grogan and Is now a reiki teacher and past life regressionist.
She is also said to be the driving force behind the the music career of her younger brother Siva, 33, who was in the hit band The Wanted.
Chloe Staines
After being voted off Popstars: The Rivals, Chloe, from Chelmsford, Essex, formed the girl group Clea with fellow rejects Emma Beard, Lynsey Brown and Aimee Kearsley.
The band’s name was an acronym of the first letter of each member’s name.
They released their first single Download It in 2003 but it just narrowly missed out on a top 20 spot. Chloe quit the band when second single Stuck In The Middle charted outside the top 20 again and emigrated to Canada.
Now Chloe Morgan, the 38-year-old lives in Vancouver, Canada, where she works as a singer-songwriter and record producer.
And in 2015, she turned her hand to DJing, becoming a huge hit during lockdown hosting virtual dance parties.
Emma Beard
When Lynsey decided to leave Clea at the end of 2006, the band split and Emma and Aimee formed dance duo Loveshy. They had some success in America but disbanded in 2008.
The following year, Emma, from Northampton, appeared on the reality TV show Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend.
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Emma, 40, now works as a relationship manager for a top PR company and is mum to three-year-old twins Dylan and Ethan. She candidly revealed how she struggled to cope when they were first born and set up a podcast to help other new mums cope with the big life change.
Guests have included TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh.
Did you miss our previous article...
https://thecelebreport.com/television/michelle-keegan-looks-amazing-as-she-enjoys-a-pint-of-guinness-in-the-sun-with-her-granddad
