‘POPSTARS’, the new ITV series tracing the fortunes of wannabe chart heroes vying to land a record deal, has already attracted scandal with news that a desperate failed contestant attempted to bribe a judge.
The ardent hopeful in Manchester is reported in the The Sun newspaper today (January 12) to have approached the show’s boss Nigel Lythgoe and offered him #125,000 if he won a place in the 13-part series, which commenced on Wednesday night (January 10).
The man, aged around 22, is reported to have said: “I’ll pay your wages for a year if you take me on. I don’t know why you won’t take me, I’m one of the best performers by far,” and added: “I’m going to Hollywood anyway because that way I can get into politics.”
Nigel, who described the man as “just weird,” added that the panel of judges had been bombarded with bribes of one sort or another. “Everybody that came along wanted desperately to get in the band – enough to make them go through what they did.”
Paul Adams of Polydor Records, added: “Every time we looked up a girl would be focusing on me or Nigel, giving us the eye.”
By the end of the show, a five-piece band will have been manufactured from the 3,000 raw hopefuls and a single will be released through Polydor.
Meanwhile yet another pop group/TV tie-in in the UK is set to kick off on ITV in February, when seven-piece act allSTARS appear in a S Club 7-meets-‘Friends’ style of show, which a spokesperson for programme makers Carlton TV said would be reminiscent of ’70s puppet faves The Banana Splits.