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Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Pop Idol star Rik Waller unrecognisable with brand-new career 24 years later
Rik Waller was one of the breakout stars of the first series of Pop Idol in 2001, but his singing career came to a standstill after he left the show and he is now unrecognisable Pop Idol, one of the early noughties' biggest telly sensations, only ran for two series but launched the careers of Gareth Gates and Will Young as well as Michelle McManus. It also catapulted Kent-born crooner Rik Waller to fame, who was a hot favourite to win the inaugural series of the reality singing competition. Back in 2001, a then 20 year old Rik wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stellar vocal prowess, securing a spot in the final ten. However, the singer's journey was cut short due to a bout of laryngitis. Despite his premature exit, he did enjoy some chart success with his rendition of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You, which climbed to number six in the UK singles chart. He 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 44, Rik bagged roles on various UK reality shows, including a stint on 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 scrapped a planned tour and split up. The last time Rik graced our screens was in February 2007, with an appearance on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. It was rumoured that the singer had lost his ability to belt out tunes after damaging his voice, leading him to confide in 2007: "I'm getting tired of singing and I can't rely on it for 100 per cent of my income. I've got two people to think about now, and talent doesn't always pay the bills." Amidst a whirlwind romance, he found love with a Pagan woman and the pair were reportedly sketching out plans for a Pagan wedding ceremony. But their union came to an end amid whispers she had influenced Rik's decision to step away from the limelight. In 2019 he went on to say he was 'gutted' that his fellow Pop Idol contestant, Michelle McManus, was married, writing on Facebook: "Gutted that Michelle McManus is married, but she looked gorgeous and wishing her all the best." In a candid 2013 chat with the Daily Mail, Rik laid bare the harsh reality of job-seeking as he recounted: "The most demoralising thing I've ever had to do was queue up at the Job Centre and have people look at me saying, 'What a failure'. "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." Rik bared his soul as he continued: "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." He admitted, finding solace in simpler 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, the chart-topping days were a distant memory as Rik returned to his roots, moving back in with the folks. There, he secured a gig as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard, while also dabbling in the disco beats of his Dad's mobile karaoke and disco venture. According to his Facebook page, the former singer is still an exam invigilator and lives in Leicester.
The Guardian
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bristol memorial service pays tribute to civil rights activist Paul Stephenson
More than 500 people including leading British civil rights figures filled Bristol Cathedral on Friday for a memorial service for the late Paul Stephenson, known for his role in the Bristol bus boycott. Stephenson played a pivotal part in rallying thousands of people for a 60-day boycott in Bristol in 1963 over the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to hire black or Asian drivers, contributing to the creation of the first Race Relations Act in parliament two years later. He died aged 87 in November. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Tributes were paid at the memorial service by the peers Paul Boateng and Simon Woolley, as well as the former head of the equal rights watchdog Sir Trevor Phillips, the TV presenter Sherrie Eugene-Hart, and in a written statement from the former boxer Frank Bruno, to an audience that included the actor David Harewood. The service was attended by civic leaders including the former Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, the leader of Bristol city council, Tony Dyer, and His Majesty's representative, the lord lieutenant Peaches Golding. Music chosen to reflect Stephenson's broad tastes was played including classical choral music and Labi Siffre's (Something Inside) So Strong. Addressing the congregation, Boateng said: 'None of us would be here if Paul hadn't refused to give up his seat when they told him to, if he hadn't faced the humiliation of arrest, the fingerprinting, the day in court; none of us would be here,' he said. Stephenson was made an OBE for his services to equal opportunities in 2009 and was awarded honorary doctorates at three UK universities. The first black person to be granted the freedom of the city of Bristol, Stephenson also received a Pride of Britain lifetime achievement award in 2017. Bruno's tribute said: 'I am sure today you will hear many stories about Paul. I am only disappointed that, while alive, his life was not honoured more nationally – not just in the south-west but across the entire UK – with far more substantial recognition.' He added: 'I feel that when God created Paul, the mould was destroyed. We will never see the likes of Paul Stephenson again. May we all live happier, easier lives thanks to his actions.' Stephenson was born in Rochford, Essex, in 1937. At three years old he was evacuated to a care home in Great Dunmow in the Essex countryside with seven white children where he stayed for seven years. In 1953 he joined the RAF as a cadet, serving until 1960. He went to college to study youth work before moving to Bristol in 1962 to be a youth and community development worker and a supply teacher. In 2012 he released his autobiography, Memoirs of a Black Englishman. The dean of Bristol, the Very Rev Dr Mandy Ford, said: 'It is a great privilege and honour for us to be hosting this service to give thanks for the legacy of Paul Stephenson. Paul was a true giant who leaves a lasting legacy in the city of Bristol and beyond.'
