Pop Idol's Rik Waller unrecognisable 23 years on with astonishing new career
dailyrecord.co.ukITV's Pop Idol star Rik Waller looks almost unrecognisable 23 years after the show - and has an unpredictable new career. The series, which was one of the biggest TV sensations of the early 2000s, only ran for two series but brought Kent-born Rik to fame.
In 2001, the then 20-year-old wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stunning vocals, making it into the final ten.But sadly, the star had to leave prematurely due to laryngitis.
Despite the setback, he rose to success with his rendition of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which climbed to number six in the UK singles chart.He inked a record deal with EMI - rumoured to be worth around £400,000 - and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So Strong).
Rik, now 43, has since appeared on various UK reality shows, including Celebrity Fit Club, but around this time, he was dropped by EMI and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records.Due to a lack of ticket sales, they cancelled a planned tour and split up.
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