Gareth Paul Gates captured the hearts nation with his singing voice, well actually it was mainly because he had a really bad stammer. He is the the other Pop Idol finalist.

It was widely believed throughout the whole Pop Idol programme that he'd win but Will did. However the show already is in the past and whether he won on the night or not doesn't really seem to matter. He is currently living the pop star life in Kensington.
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Samantha Mumba interview by MyVillage -10/02

Born in Dublin in 1983,.Mumba began her career grooming early on when her parents enrolled her in that city's renowned Billy Barry Stage School at the tender age of three. When in London, Samantha lives in a luxury apartment in Kensington.
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Holly Rachel Valance was born on 11th May 1983 in Melbourne, to parents Rachel and Ryko. Holly's mother is from Southampton, England and her father hails from Yugoslavia. Both her parents were fashion models.

The Australian has been given a £1.5 million home in South kensington from her record company as her base in London.
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Vanessa Mae is a musician who has received critical acclaim as a violinst. She has been compared with Menuhin, Heifetz and Kreisler. The Director of the Royal College of Music pronounced her a "true child prodigy - like Mozart and Mendelssohn" when she was 11. She is the youngest violinist in the world to have recorded both the Tchaikovsky and Beethoven Violin Concertos and by 13 Vanessa-Mae had made three highly praised recordings. She performed with the Philharmonia aged 10, toured internationally with the London Mozart Players and made her UK debut tour with the Tchaikovsky by the age of 12.

Half-Thai, half-Chinese, Singapore-born Vanessa-Mae moved to London at four, adopting Britain, British nationality and her English father. At five, she took up the violin. At eight she reached the first crossroads of her life, choosing to concentrate on the violin, after collecting her prize in the British Young Pianist of the Year Competition. Vanessa-Mae shares the same birthday as the legendary Paganini and was born on 27 October 1978. Aside from performing classical concerts all over the world, Vanessa-Mae has appeared on many massive rating network TV and radio shows where she has performed classical repertoire as well as many of her own arrangements. She started writing her own cadenzas for Mozart concertos at 9, went on to play her own arrangements of 'Over the Rainbow' on the Children's Royal Variety Performance, and recorded arrangements of contemporary pop tunes by Paganini and Heifetz as well as her own versions of 'Yellow Submarine' and other 'pop' songs.

Brian May awarded university honour - 21/11/02
Queen guitarist Brian May has been awarded an honorary doctorate of science. The University of Hertfordshire honoured the rock star who in his youth was an accomplished astronomy student.

He got a 2:1 honours degree at Imperial College in London and was part-way through his PhD when his music career took off.

May said after receiving his award at a ceremony in The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans: "I'm just very thrilled. Astronomy is very important to me. I still keep up with astronomy, but only as an amateur."

His wife, former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, joined about 1,000 other students in the cathedral for the ceremony.


Brian Harold May was born on July 19th 1947 in Hampton to parents Harold & Ruth. He started school in 1952 at Cardinal Road Infants School and then Hanworth Road Primary School, Feltham.

In 1954 his father began to teach him to play the ukulele and he had piano lessons. He won a scholarship and started at Hampton Grammar School, which is where he found fuel for his interest in astronomy.

He formed his first band in 1964 called "1984". They played several small gigs that year. He left school in 1966 with eleven 'O' levels and four "A" levels in Science. He began at Imperial College in 1967 studying physics and fully intended to become an astronomer. When he eventually left he had achieved a BSc Honours degree in Physics & Maths. He began work on a thesis to obtain a doctorate, but never completed it. During his final Post-Graduate year he taught Maths at Stockwell Manor School.

He has three children, Jimmy, Louisa & Emily. Best known as the guitarist in rock band Queen, May has also enjoyed notable solo success. May enjoyed his biggest UK solo hit in September 1992 with the number 5 single, 'Too Much Love Will Kill You'. Brian is married to actress Anita Dobson, well known for her role as Angie in Eastenders.

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5th 1946 in Zanzibar, to parents Bomi & Jer Bulsara. Freddie moved to India in 1947. He attended boarding school in Panchgani, just outside Bombay. Whilst there he began his piano lessons, reaching Grade 4 in practical and theory. The family, with the addition now of younger sister Kashmira, moved to England in 1963. Freddie left Isleworth school in 1964 with three "O" levels and one "A" level in Art. He went to Ealing College of Art to study Graphic Illustration. He left college in 1969 with a Diploma in Graphic Art & Design (the equivalent of a Degree).

Freddie joined his first serious band in 1969, the were called IBEX. He was single and shared his large house and garden with several cats, creatures he adored. He loved opera and ballet, Marilyn Monroe was his favourite actress and Aretha Franklin just one of his many favourite singers. He liked to drink either Champagne or iced Vodka and Indian food was one of his favourites. He died on November 24th 1991.