The second and final series of the British reality television show Pop Idol aired on ITV on from 13 September to 20 December 2003. Michelle McManus was announced as the winner and received a £1 million recording contract to release her debut album. Ant & Dec returned to present the show on ITV, whilst Simon Cowell, Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman and Pete Waterman all returned as judges.
The second series was not as successful as the first series, and the viewing figures for the finale were much lower. Waterman considered McManus an unworthy winner. In 2004, Pop Idol was axed and ITV announced a new show created by Cowell, with no involvement from Pop Idol creator Simon Fuller—The X Factor. The perceived similarity between the two shows later became the subject of a legal dispute.
Live shows The live shows began on 25 October, and continued through to the live final on 20 December.
Finalists Finalist Age Hometown Status Leon McPherson 20 Stoke Newington Eliminated 1st on 25 October Kirsty Crawford 19 Northampton Eliminated 2nd on 25 October Andy Wood 20 Leeds Eliminated 3rd on 1 November Brian Ormond 24 Dublin Eliminated 4th on 1 November Kim Gee 23Grimsby Eliminated 5th on 8 November Andy Scott-Lee 23 Rhyl Eliminated 6th on 15 November Roxanne Cooper 16 Hull Eliminated 7th on 22 November Susanne Manning 21 Reading Eliminated 8th on 29 November Chris Hide 18 Lancing Eliminated 9th on 6 December Sam Nixon 17 Barnsley Third place on 13 December Mark Rhodes 22 West Midlands Runner-up on 20 December Michelle McManus 23 Glasgow Winner on 20 December * as of the start of the series
Heats and live shows
Results summary Colour key –Contestant was in the bottom two –Contestant was in the bottom three –Contestant received the fewest public votes and was eliminated –Contestant received the most public votes (weeks 1-8) –Contestant won the competition –Contestant who the judges selected as a wild card
Stage:HeatsWildcard Live showsWeek: 13 Sep 20 Sep 27 Sep 4 Oct 11 Oct 18 Oct 25 Oct 1 Nov 8 Nov 15 Nov 22 Nov 29 Nov 6 Dec 13 Dec 20 DecPlaceContestant1Michelle McManus1st31.4% 5th9.9%1st17.2%6th10.7%1st23.3%1st24.3%2nd29.0%1st40.0%1st40.3%Winner58.2%2Mark Rhodes 2nd20.3% 10th4.9%7th7.1%2nd15.5%5th10.9%5th13.7%3rd15.1%3rd19.0%2nd33.6%Runner-up41.8%3Sam Nixon 3rd19.4% J/C2nd12.4%5th11.1%5th11.5%2nd16.8%2nd18.0%1st34.2%2nd23.4% 3rd26.0% Eliminated(week 8)4Chris Hide2nd19.3% 3rd11.0%6th8.1%3rd13.5%6th10.9%3rd16.9%4th12.2% 4th17.5% Eliminated(week 7)5Susanne Manning 3rd16.1% 1st27.2%1st16.8%4th13.4%1st22.3%4th11.9%%4th13.8% 5th9.7% Eliminated(week 6)6Roxanne Cooper 2nd23.5% 8th5.2%3rd13.4%7th9.6%3rd16.5% 6th13.2% Eliminated(week 5)7Andy Scott-Lee 1st21.1%7th7.1%2nd16.0%4th12.3% 7th9.8% Eliminated(week 4)8Kim Gee 2nd24.2% 6th8.2%8th5.7% 8th4.6% Eliminated(week 3)9Brian Ormond2nd16.8% 9th5.2% 9th5.0% Eliminated(week 2)10Andy Wood 1st28.2% 4th11.0% 10th4.2% Eliminated(week 2)11Kirsty Crawford 1st19.9% 11th4.2% Eliminated(week 1)12Leon McPherson 1st28.6% 12th4.0% Eliminated(week 1)WildCardDanielle Tedford 3rd17.5% 2nd16.2% Eliminated (Wildcard round)Jason Brook3rd17.4% 3rd10.4% Eliminated (Wildcard round)Jodie Connor 4th15.2% Eliminated Eliminated (Wildcard round)Rebecca Hayes4th9.8% Eliminated (Wildcard round)Kieran McDonald 4th10.7% Eliminated (Wildcard round)Glen Harvey 4th15.1% Eliminated (Wildcard round)Heat 5Tina Perry 5th6.9% Eliminated (Heat 5)Craig Chalmers Eliminated Eliminated (Heat 5)Becky Oakley Eliminated (Heat 5)Elizabeth Anastasiou Eliminated (Heat 5)Katy Pullinger Eliminated (Heat 5)Tamsin Vaughn Eliminated (Heat 5)Heat 4Becca Hossanney 3rd15.5% Eliminated (Heat 4)Jamie Tinkler 4th8.7% Eliminated (Heat 4)Tarek Jabre 5th8.4% Eliminated (Heat 4)Sarah Nowak Eliminated Eliminated (Heat 4)Elizabeth Rogers Eliminated (Heat 4)Laura Ross Eliminated (Heat 4)David Archer Eliminated (Heat 4)Danielle Wooley Eliminated (Heat 4)Heat 3Suzanne Carley 5th7.7% Eliminated (Heat 3)Hayley Bamford Eliminated Eliminated (Heat 3)Kate Ainscough Eliminated (Heat 3)Rachel Ifon Eliminated (Heat 3)Amy Kellegher Eliminated (Heat 3)Michael Morrison Eliminated (Heat 3)Heat 2Adam Garner 5th9.4% Eliminated (Heat 2)Samantha Jones Eliminated Eliminated (Heat 2)Bianca Lindgreen Eliminated (Heat 2)Maxwell Roche Eliminated (Heat 2)Kelly-Marie Smith Eliminated (Heat 2)Wesu Wallace Eliminated (Heat 2)Heat 1Eddie Parry 5th9.4% Eliminated (Heat 1)Jade HewittEliminated Eliminated (Heat 1)Tim Mvula Eliminated (Heat 1)Helen O'Brien Eliminated (Heat 1)Emma Dane Eliminated (Heat 1)Darja Schabad Eliminated (Heat 1)
In week 1 of the finals, Chris and Andy received the same vote percentage as did Roxanne and Brian. In week 2, Mark and Chris received the same vote percentage.
Live show details
Heat 1 (13 September- Recorded on 10 September 2003)
+ Contestants' performances on the first live heat Act Order From Song Result Emma Dane1 Preston"Hero" (Mariah Carey)Eliminated Jade Hewitt2 Sheffield"I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated Eddie Parry3Staffordshire"Still" (Lionel Richie)Eliminated – (5th place) Helen O'Brien4 Kessingland"Promise Me" (Beverley Craven)Eliminated Tim Mvula5 Chester "Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel)Eliminated Michelle McManus6Glasgow"Don't Be a Stranger" (Dina Carroll)Advanced – (1st place) Darja Schabad 7 Riga"Underneath Your Clothes" (Shakira)Eliminated Chris Hide 8 Lancing"End of the Road" (Boyz II Men)Advanced – (2nd place) Jason Brock9 Woburn"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams)Eliminated – (3rd place) Rebecca Hayes10London"Stop!" (Sam Brown)Eliminated – (4th place)
Notes; The hosts revealed the contestants who received the top five numbers of votes in reverse order. Michelle McManus and Chris Hide advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other eight contestants were eliminated. Jason Brock and Rebecca Hayes returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 2 (20 September-Recorded on 17 September 2003)
+ Contestants' performances on the second live heat Act Order From Song Result Samantha Jones1Tamworth"The Power of Love" (Jennifer Rush)Eliminated Maxwell Roche2Staines"Your Song" (Elton John)Eliminated Bianca Lindgreen3London"Think Twice" (Celine Dion)Eliminated Wesu Wallace4 Brighton"Overjoyed" (Stevie Wonder)Eliminated Kelly-Marie Smith5South London"Endless Love" (Diana Ross)Eliminated Susanne Manning6Reading"Piece of My Heart" (Erma Franklin)Eliminated – (3rd place) Brian Ormond7Dublin"Amazed" (Lonestar)Advanced – (2nd place) Kirsty Crawford8Northampton"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin)Advanced – (1st place) Adam Garner9Buckinghamshire"Knocks Me Off My Feet" (Stevie Wonder)Eliminated – (5th place) Jodie Connor10Oldham"One Day I'll Fly Away" (Randy Crawford)Eliminated – (4th place)
Notes The hosts revealed the contestants who received the top five numbers of votes in reverse order. Kirsty Crawford and Brian Ormond advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 8 contestants were eliminated. Jodie Connor and Susanne Manning returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 3 (27 September- Recorded on 24 September 2003)
+ Contestants' performances on the third live heat Act Order From Song Result Kate Ainscough1 Windermere"Show Me Heaven" (Maria McKee)Eliminated Amy Kellegher2Romford"Get Here" (Oleta Adams)Eliminated Kieran McDonald3 Musselburgh"Goodnight Girl" (Wet Wet Wet)Eliminated – (4th place) Michael Morrison4 Bromley"Always and Forever" (Heatwave)Eliminated Rachel Ifon 5 Birkenhead"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (Otis Redding)Eliminated Hayley Bamford6Yorkshire"That's What Friends Are For" (Dionne Warwick)Eliminated Roxanne Cooper7 Hull"Beautiful" (Christina Aguilera)Advanced – (2nd place) Sam Nixon8 Barnsley"Walking in Memphis" (Marc Cohn)Eliminated – (3rd place) Suzanne Carley9Watford"Run to You" (Whitney Houston)Eliminated – (5th place) Andy Wood10Leeds"Easy" (Commodores)Advanced – (1st place)
Notes The hosts revealed the contestants who received the top five numbers of votes in reverse order. Andy Wood and Roxanne Cooper advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 8 contestants were eliminated. Kieran McDonald and Sam Nixon returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round.
Heat 4 (4 October- Recorded on 1 October 2003)
+ Contestants' performances on the fourth live heat Act Order From Song Result Elizabeth Rogers1Liverpool"You're Still the One" (Shania Twain)Eliminated Sarah Nowak2 Maidenhead"Stuck in the Middle With You" (Stealers Wheel)Eliminated Jamie Tinkler3Middlesbrough "Right Here Waiting" (Richard Marx)Eliminated – (4th place) Kim Gee4 Grimsby"Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield)Advanced – (2nd place) Laura Russ5Wirral"Killing Me Softly with His Song" (Roberta Flack)Eliminated David Archer6South Wales"What Makes a Man" (Westlife)Eliminated Danielle Wooley7Nottingham "When I Fall in Love" (Doris Day)Eliminated Leon McPherson8 Stoke Newington"You Are Not Alone" (Michael Jackson)Advanced – (1st place) Becca Hossanney9Hailsham"Without You" (Badfinger)Eliminated – (3rd place) Tarek Jabre10East London"Let Me Entertain You" (Robbie Williams)Eliminated – (5th place)
Notes The hosts revealed the contestants who received the top five numbers of votes in reverse order. Leon McPherson and Kim Gee advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 8 contestants were eliminated. None of the contestants from this round made it into the Wildcard Round, making it the only group to not be represented at that stage.
Heat 5 (11 October- Recorded on 8 October 2003)
+ Contestants' performances on the fifth live heat Act Order From Song Result Tamsin Vaughn1 London"Holding Out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler)Eliminated Mark Rhodes2West Midlands"She's Like the Wind" (Patrick Swayze)Advanced – (2nd place) Katy Pullinger3 Weybridge"Desperado" (Eagles)Eliminated Becky Oakley4Tonypandy"You Might Need Somebody" (Shola Ama)Eliminated Tina Perry5Kent"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith)Eliminated – (5th place) Craig Chalmers6Edinburgh "I Believe I Can Fly" (R.Kelly)Eliminated Danielle Tedford7 Barrow-in-Furness"Fields of Gold" (Sting)Eliminated – (3rd place) Andy Scott-Lee8 Rhyl"Careless Whisper" (Wham!)Advanced – (1st place) Glen Harvey9 Hampshire"A Million Love Songs" (Take That)Eliminated – (4th place) Elizabeth Anastasiou10London"When I Need You" (Leo Sayer)Eliminated
Notes The hosts revealed the contestants who received the top five numbers of votes in reverse order. Andy Scott-Lee and Mark Rhodes advanced to the top 12 of the competition. The other 8 contestants were eliminated. Glen Harvey and Danielle Tedford returned for a second chance at the top 12 in the Wildcard Round. Craig Chalmers later went on to make the live finals of Any Dream Will Do in 2007.
Wildcard round (18 October)
For the first time (and only time) on the UK version of Pop Idol, there was a Wildcard Round where previously eliminated contestants returned for a second chance at making it through to the live finals. As a result, the final 10 was to become a final twelve. The judges announced which eight contestants would earn a Wildcard place at the end of the 11 October results show, and that after they perform the public would choose one contestant to go through, and the judges would pick another. The eight contestants who contested the Wildcard Round were Jason Brock, Jodie Connor, Glen Harvey, Rebecca Hayes, Susanne Manning, Kieran McDonald, Sam Nixon and Danielle Tedford.