I did not like show, i found it very fake and over produced, the winners have gone on to achieve nothing

I love Pop Idol! This is soo true! I'm really glad Michelle McManus won! She had the best voice! GO MICHELLE!

Pop Idol is now just so much pants. As a one off, it was great, but as a continuing show, it's become one mundane performer after another, each one receiving either heaps of gushing praise from Paula Abdul (because she's too nice to be honest) and sometimes the other judges, or getting genuinely hammered by the panel (which is something the viewer doesn't want either since they've already had to put up with the damn performance!). I only ever tune in to test my theory that the best of the bunch are either really attractive and able to sing passingly well, unattractive or average-looking and able to sing quite well, or very, VERY occasionally, both attractive and able to sing well - which is always going to be the winner. So far, in my opinion, my theory is correct - which is so sad. It means that most viewers are only watching to see some eye-candy and the panel are always going to vote for this eye-candy to keep those viewers happy (and (hopefully) voting). The poor contestants who can actually sing have little chance of winning because even professional singers who aren't also extremely attractive have difficulty cutting it in the looks-oriented, real world. Which means that they will inevitably be beaten by someone better looking. The show might just as well become a showcase for new totty - not fashion models, who need to be able to walk gracefully in high heels and so on, but porn models - because, after all, sex sells more than anything, and money is the producers' God. Why not drop all this pretence of these contestants winning because they can sing? Beyonce, Britney, Christine, Mariah, Alecia, Anastasia, Milan etc aren't famous and rich because of their voices but because they are stunning lookers who flaunt their booty.