June 25th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Andy Bell has admitted that he has been having some hearts to hearts with fellow Popstar To Operastar singer Joe McElderry.
The former Erasure star was keen to speak to the former X Factor winner, after he was outed as being gay on Twitter last year and later admitted his homosexuality in an interview with a tabloid newspaper.
Andy himself has been openly gay for decades. On 17 December 2004, he publicly announced that he is HIV-positive and has been aware of this since 1998. Speaking about Joe’s decision to come out, he told The Sun:
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June 17th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Popstar To Operastar contestant Melody Thornton is said to be having a bad week, behind the scenes of the ITV show.
The former Pussycat Dolls singer is said to be suffering from homesickness, as she misses spending time with her family and friends in America.
A source told The Sun that the brunette beauty broke down in tears during a recent rehearsal. They said:
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June 17th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Claire Richards is busy rehearsing for this week’s Popstar To Operastar live show and ITV insiders have revealed that the former Steps singer will perform Sempre Libera, from Verdi’s opera La Traviata.
The chunky performer, who will also soon star in her own Sky Living show titled Claire Richards: Slave To Food, will take on the role of Violetta Valéry, a famed courtesan for the song and an ITV source told The Sun that she’s been trying hard to get into the colourful character all week.
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June 17th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Claire Richards will explore her tendency towards yoyo dieting, in a new Sky Living show titled Claire Richards: Slave to Food.
The Popstar To Operastar contestant has always struggled with her weight and has done various magazine shoots over the years showing off her new slimmer body, but her new shape doesn’t ever seem to last for long.
She is now trying to understand why she has such an unhealthy attitude to food, and after posing for a recent naked photoshoot, agreed to allow TV cameras to follow her for a year, as she tries to get to the bottom of her issues.
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June 14th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
When Claire Richards gave her last magazine interview in March, she’d just lost a massive 5st and was a svelte size 10 after a year-long diet and fitness blitz. Yet, just three months on, the former Steps star, 33, has put on nearly 2st, going from 10st 4lbs to 12st, and is a size 16 again.
Now she’s bravely stripped off for a Closer magazine exclusive photo shoot in a bid to learn to embrace her fuller figure.
She reveals: “There’s always been a part of me that feels food is my addiction. I’ve never smoked or taken drugs, but in the past eating has been a compulsion.”
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June 13th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Jocelyn Brown became the second celebrity to be voted off Popstar To Operastar last night, after she and Joseph Washbourn found themselves in the bottom two having received the lowest amount of public votes.
Vanessa Mae and Katherine Jenkins voted to save Joseph, but Simon Callow voted to save Jocelyn. As Rolando was this week’s head judge, he had the casting vote and voted to save Joseph.
Upon being voted out, Jocelyn said: “I feel like I’ve had a nice journey and I’ve learnt a lot.”
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June 12th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Hit entertainment show, Popstar to Operastar contiunes with our best selling recording artists and challenges them to ditch the pop and become opera divas!
Presented by Myleene Klass, this year’s celebrities include X Factor winner Joe McElderry, soul diva Jocelyn Brown, Erasure front man Andy Bell, singer/songwriter Midge Ure, solo recording artist formerly of the Pussycat Dolls Melody Thornton, Steps singer Claire Richards, Toploader’s Joseph Washbourn and Buck Fizz star and former Eurovision winner Cheryl Baker.
They may have topped the charts but our singing sensations will be hoping they can be number one in the classical arena. Read more & comment »
June 11th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Joe McElderry has admitted that he may be a bit “stupid” for agreeing to appear in ‘Popstar to Operastar’.
The 19-year-old X factor winner, who was dropped from Simon Cowell’s SYCO record label earlier this year – confessed that he is enjoying his training for the show and hopes to end up singing like Pavorotti.
He said: “I’m a bit stupid, aren’t I? I’m putting myself through the whole process again. Crazy or what? But it’s going to be fun, and I do like a challenge.
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June 11th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Joe Washbourn and Andy Bell have reportedly refused to give up smoking, despite the advice of their Popstar To Operastar mentors, Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazon.
The Toploader frontman and Erasure star are said to be sneaking out of rehearsals for the ITV show, for sneaky cigarette breaks, even though their singing instructors have banned the disgusting habit.
Joe told The Sun:
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June 8th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry.
Joe Washbourn has confessed that he never suspected he would be competing on ‘Popstar to Operastar’ “in a million years”.
The Toploader singer confessed that while his new role was an unexpected one, he has so far “thoroughly enjoyed” learning how to sing classically because it is so different to the style of the ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ hitmakers.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “It’s pretty random singing opera. I didn’t think I’d do it in a million years but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the rehearsals, so I thought, ‘Why not?’
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