Michelle McManus

The second and final winner of U.K.'s Pop Idol, Michelle McManus became one of reality TV's first major casualties, after struggling to match the success of the show's previous victor, Will Young. Born in 1980 in Glasgow, she auditioned for the 2003 series, and despite criticisms of her image by judge Pete Waterman, became the favorite to win the show. Following performances of songs by Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, and Donna Summer, she beat Mark Rhodes in the final with 58 percent of the vote. After signing to Sony BMG, her debut single, "All This Time," spent three weeks at number one, while her first album, The Meaning of Love, reached number three. However, after her second single, the title track "The Meaning of Love," stalled at number 16, she was dropped by her label, and a year later she parted company with management company 19 Entertainment. In 2007, she set up her own record label, McManii Records, and released the track "Just for You." McManus has since released a book entitled You Are What You Eat, performed in a production of The Vagina Monologues, and co-hosted the Scottish TV show The Hour. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi