Gareth Gates

Singer

Singer Gareth Gates is the spiky-haired, stammering pop star who emerged in 2002 as a contestant on the U.K. Pop Idol TV show. During the course of the show, audiences were captivated by his singing, and also by his ability to overcome a life-long stuttering problem. He narrowly lost the singing contest to Will Young, but competition judge and record producer Simon Cowell guaranteed Gates a record contract anyway. A few weeks later, his debut single, "Unchained Melody," was on top of the U.K. charts, beating out Young's first single. Gates followed up with a string of hits, including a cover of "Spirit in the Sky" and a cover of The Beatles' "The Long and Winding Road," a duet he sang with former rival Young. Gates became a genuine pop idol, with an endorsement deal with Pepsi, a book deal and tabloid reports of romantic dalliances with super-chested model Jordan. Gates's other hits include "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)," "Sunshine" and "What My Heart Wants to Say."

Other pop idols include Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard and Kelly Clarkson.