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RIK WALLER WAS A FIRM FAVOURITE ON THE FIRST SERIES OF POP IDOL BUT HIS LIFE TOOK A VERY DIFFERENT DIRECTION AFTER THE SHOW PHOEBE JOBLING Property Writer, AMY JONES Lifestyle & Features

Writer, PETER HART Weekend Editor – OK! and PAUL MCAULEY Community reporter 19:19, 01 Jun 2025 Rik Waller, an original star of Pop Idol, is now unrecognisable 24 years after his appearance

on the singing contest. The Kent-born singer was a strong contender to win the first series of the reality singing competition in 2001. At just 20 years old, Rik impressed judges Simon

Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman, and Neil Fox with his exceptional vocal talent, earning him a place in the final ten. However, his journey was cut short due to laryngitis. Despite his

early departure, he did achieve some chart success with his cover of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which reached number six in the UK singles chart. He also signed a record

deal with EMI, rumoured to be worth around £400,000, and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So Strong). Now aged 44, Rik has appeared on various UK reality shows, including

Celebrity Fit Club. Around this time, he was dropped by his record label, EMI, and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. However, after disappointing ticket sales, they

cancelled a planned tour and disbanded. The last time Rik appeared on our screens was in February 2007 on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, reports the Manchester Evening News. Article continues

below At the time, in 2007, Rik said: "I'm getting tired of singing and I can't rely on it for 100% of my income. I've got two people to think about now, and talent

doesn't always pay the bills." During a candid chat with the Daily Mail in 2013, Rik revealed his struggles with job searching: "The most demoralising thing I've ever had

to do was queue up at the job centre and have people look at me and saying, 'What a failure'." He shared the hurt caused by the collapse of his career: "When you've

lost the ability to do the job you've always done, it's an incredible stab in the back to find people are actually laughing at you." He explained his aversion to engaging

with the media: "It's why I don't make a lot of effort to talk to the press these days - it can be more trouble than it's worth." However, he discovered satisfaction

in life's modest joys: "If you've got a roof over your head and food on the table, I don't know how anyone can be truly unhappy." By 2014, he had abandoned his

chart-topping pursuits and returned home to live with his parents. He found employment as a secondary school exam invigilator, using his birth name, Richard, and helped out with his

father's mobile karaoke and disco business. Article continues below His Facebook profile indicates that he continues working in exam supervision and resides in Leicester. A recent

photograph reveals him sporting purple hair, a stark contrast to his appearance during his Pop Idol days.