some 20,000 wannabes from up and down the land will flock to the auditions. ordinary workers from all walks of life, who wish to escape the rat-race for ever. from these, the jury must pare the numbers right down to 10 hopefuls.

each week, the contestants have to take on a really grotty job and make a fair fist of it, with a display of flair and individuality: jobs like –
lumberjack
encyclopaedia brittanica salesman
fast food operative
taxi driver
famous magician’s publicist
construction worker
pig farmer
ballet dancer
grease dumpster emptying guy
that person who has to desemenate a bull
proctologist

at the end of their ordeal, they must face the jury, who will undermine the skills and talent exhibited, with rude sarcasm and rapier wit. however, a baying television audience controls the final votes.

the winning contestant receives a massive cash prize, new car, luxury holiday in Hawaii and a lifetime’s supply of chocolate digestives.
every week there are floods of tears and dashed dreams that occasionally make this show uncomfortable viewing - but it is a timely reminder of how early retirement with a full pension whilst retaining your compos mentis and a full set of teeth is an almost unattainable dream.
-- po, Sep 24 2003

Another article about the Arab show http://www.hollands...new_081903053.shtml
Because krelnik's link didn't work right, for me. [Vernon, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Sam should have won by a mile... http://www.itv.com/popidol/bios_sam.stm
[po, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

This is almost too real. Oh wait, there's good stuff at the end.
-- kevindimie, Sep 24 2003


Some of those seem like distinctly ungrotty jobs - maybe that's just because I'm unemployed...
-- hippo, Sep 24 2003


which one do you fancy doing then, hippo?
-- po, Sep 24 2003


(Some translation for Americans: "grot" is British slang for dirt or grime, and "Pop Idol" is the original title of what you know as "American Idol").
-- krelnik, Sep 24 2003


thank you krelnik. I thought yours was called the same :)
-- po, Sep 24 2003


What do egyptians from Port Said call their regional version of Pop Idol, I wonder?

(first one to guess the correct answer gets a big orange)
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


// C'mon, at least give them some real suck-ass jobs: //

Proctologist.
-- waugsqueke, Sep 24 2003


Nope [waugs]. Not even close.
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


See my last anno. I like your answer though. Quite surreal. Just made me choke on my tea.
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


Actually, there is an Arab world version of "Pop Idol," it just wrapped up a few weeks ago. It is called "Superstar". See link.
-- krelnik, Sep 24 2003


oh not port side AGAIN!
-- po, Sep 24 2003


I'll give you all a clue. It's a feeble pun on how I feel after watching one of these shows.
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


+ Instead of just a regular cash prize they should give you a million-dollar contract to do one of the jobs for a year.
-- AO, Sep 24 2003


Aw. You spoil all my fun you do [waugsqueke].
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


Alright . It was Suez Idol.

I apologise.

(but proctologist would work too)
-- squeak, Sep 24 2003


<SC>Don’t take this the wrong way but I prefer you when I close my eyes</SimonCowell not StarChaser>
-- po, Sep 24 2003


Telemarketer... sorry ;-)
-- RayfordSteele, Sep 24 2003


<Thinks that "American Idol" has certainly not replaced "Pop Idol" in most vocabularies.>
-- bristolz, Sep 24 2003


The mexican version is called "Pop stars" (yes, in english).

But we claim we're an ideologically independant country.
-- Pericles, Sep 24 2003


If I could bash out all my teeth and lose my mind right now, would you give me the prize? And what the hell do I need the digestive biscuits for? Oh, bikkies. Sorry, my un-England mind took a minute on that one. Yes please, as well as a lifetime supply of Jamaican ginger cake from Sainsbury's.

Oh, and I'd like to be David Blaine's publicist. I could use the hamburgers.
-- k_sra, Sep 25 2003


with panache?
-- po, Sep 25 2003


even the //that person who has to desemenate a bull // ?
-- po, Sep 25 2003


Gross!
-- k_sra, Sep 28 2003


let this programme be the end of all talent shows. woowoo. croissant po!
-- jonthegeologist, Sep 28 2003


Buggar! Sam has gone.

how come the US has had 3 Pop Idols when we are just concluding our 2nd and we started the event?
-- po, Dec 13 2003


Because we overdo everything until everyone is sick of it, then we move on to the next thing.
-- krelnik, Dec 13 2003


thats a shame. less is more in my mind.

by the way - thank you for the link, Vernon. you don't do that very often.
-- po, Dec 13 2003


congratulations to Michelle.
-- po, Dec 20 2003



random, halfbakery