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Pop Idol Mark takes to the streets
Dec 16 2003
Pop Idol finalist Mark Rhodes kicked off a whirlwind week of campaigning yesterday with a withering attack from the show's judges ringing in his ears.
The 21-year-old from Darlaston, Walsall, upset the odds on Saturday when the public voted him and Michelle McManus into next week's final at the expense of favourite Sam Nixon.
The pair will now travel the country on their own battle buses to win support for this Saturday's final. The winner will be offered a recording contract, with the song All This Time released as their first single.
However Mark will be hoping he is more popular with the public than with the show's judges Neil Fox and Pete Waterman who yesterday claimed the Midland hopeful had no right to be in the final.
"There was nothing that Mark did on Saturday to make me think he should be in the final," said Fox.
"When Mark came out he looked like his parents had dressed him to go to church, either that or he was doing a gig as a bluecoat. He should be doing cabaret and if he is the Pop Idol, then that will be very disappointing." Waterman agreed, saying:
"I actually felt sorry for him during his performance on Saturday because I didn't realise he would be that far out of his depth. Obviously, this show is not about talent or singing any more."
In Wolverhampton a huge crowd turned out in the city centre to cheer Mark as he arrived on his open-top double-decker bus.
Mark said: "It is amazing. The amount of support I've got from everybody is just fantastic. They have just been golden, they really have."
