Michelle McManus

Profession: Pop Idol winner
Place/Date of Birth: Glasgow, 08 May 2020

Pop Idol Michelle to star as Virgin Mary - July 19 2007
Michelle McManus is set to play the Virgin Mary in a new musical stage role.

The Pop Idol winner is to star in a disco version of the nativity story, Discotivity, where she will play the leading role.

The panto-style production will tell the story of the birth of Jesus set to disco tunes.

It runs from August 1 to 27 at Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon, before going south to the Arts Theatre in London’s West End from December 4 to January 20.

The 27-year-old singer said: "People may be surprised that I’ve chosen to play this role but I loved the script.

"I felt this was a great challenge and would be a lot of fun as well."

Discotivity is written by journalist Toby Rose and features music mixed by DJs and producers Luke Hope and Alan X.

Glaswegian Michelle shot to fame after winning the Pop Idol TV singing contest in 2003 and went on to forge a singing and radio career.

Michelle faces reality - April 04
Those 15 minutes of fame may have been stretched to three months, but Michelle McManus is ’officially’ the least successful reality TV pop act ever.

After the Pop Idol winner’s last single limped into the charts at number sixteen, selling 8,000 copies (thank goodness for her rellies eh?) Michelle is now even less successful than fellow Glaswegian David Sneddon. Sources say McManus will not release another single. So, the next time you see her in HMV she might be behind the till.

All This Time at Number One- Jan 04
Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus is still clinging onto the top spot with her first hit single, All This Time...

This is despite the fact Pop Idol judge Pete Waterman has branded her ’rubbish’.

Pete said ’"The winner was rubbish and I think her low sales probably reflect that. She won’t even last six months."

Michelle’s number one! - 12/01/04
Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus made history as the first Scottish female to make a chart debut at number one.

She will enter the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, after finally toppling Mad World sang by Gary Jules. Michelle, 23, said getting to the top of the charts "meant the world" to her. She added: "It feels absolutely amazing, I’m still in a dream-like state, I am extremely grateful to everyone who bought the single, thank you so much.’

Michelle moves to London - 22/12/03
Michelle McManus is leaving Glasgow behind as she heads off for a new life being the Pop Idol 2003 in London.

But the 23 year old will not be lonely, she is taking her two current flat mates with her. She said ’We’re all single and don’t have any ties, so it should be fun. We’ll have a bit of a Sex and the City-type lifestyle, going out a lot, dating and being girly!’

Biography

Michelle McManus was born in 1980, and the 23 year old has been crowned Pop Idol 2003. She is from Baillieston, Glasgow, and has four sisters Maria, 15, Lynsey, 22, Laura, 18 and Kerry-Ann, 12.. Michelle always loved singing, as a little girl she used to stand on the coffee table to sing and entertain her family.

She went to St Bridget’s primary school and later St Ambrose High School in Baillieston, where she says otrher children bullied her because of her size. But she didn’t let that stop her from being in the school plays like Grease and The Boyfriend.

Michelle beat 20,000 people to be the winner of Pop Idol, while nearly all throughout the contest being told that she wouldn’t win as she would be ’too big for a Pop Idol’. However, Michelle has proved her critics wrong. On winning Pop Idol, Michelle picked up a £320, 000 cheque and a £2 million recording contract with Simon Cowell’s record company BMG. But she stands to earn a possible £20m from record sales, tours and sponsorship, that’s if Simon doesn’t take a huge chunk of it!

Her debut single is released on 5th Jan, All This Time.
July 2007

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