Mad About Celebrity

So who watched Pop Star to Opera Star tonight? I certainly did and I really enoyed it. Even my hubby who hates reality shows with a vengeance enjoyed it.

Shame Alex James of Blur went out, though it was a bit of a foregone conclusion. He was – dare I say it – rubbish, but he was still, as always, superbly entertaining. And I am not biased beacuse he lives down the road from me (well almost) and makes cheese. Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen described his performance as being ‘in the style of Dennis the Menace’ and Meat Loaf said it was ‘like watching two girls kissing on a subway, so entertaining’, whatever that means.

Marcella Detroit, late of Shakespeare’s Sister was staggeringly good when she hit the high notes and Jimmy Osmond gave it a fair shot as well. Bernie Nolan was the Daniel O’Donnell of the programme – perfectly pitched, steadfast and just a tad boring.

But my initial favourite was of course the artist formerly known as Darius Danesh, who sang Nessun Dorma totally out of his comfort zone. As a bass/baritone it was obviously hard for him to hit the high notes, I think they even lowered the song for him, but he showed real potential.

Highlight for me though was Meat Loaf, leaping up and clapping, making comments that made no sense and being totally bonkers. While Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon – when he demonstrated how to sing – I was totally bowled over. Apologies to the person who pulled me up for describing him as a bod I’d never heard of. We’ll all have heard of him from now on. Amazing.

The seven others – Vanessa White of the Saturdays, Bernie Nolan, McFly’s Danny Jones, Jimmy Osmond, Kym Marsh, Marcella Detroit and Darius will sing again in next week’s show. Can’t wait. In the parting words of Alex James, ‘What a blast’.

alex james

I can’t wait till tomorrow night. Yet another new reality show but this time it’s high brow. Pop Star to Opera Star starts at 9.00pm Friday 15th January and gives pop singers the opportunity to have a go at singing opera under the direction of Katherine Jenkins and some bod I’ve never heard of called Rolando Villazon. But the best bit is that ‘rock God’ Meat Loaf is one of the critics along with Laurence LLewellyn-Bowen. “I’ll be looking for someone just like me,” the singer has been quoted as saying. It’s worth watching for that alone! Then we have Myleene Klass – OK – and Alan Titchmarsh hosting the show. Why Alan Titchmarch? Will they be singing in the garden? Or digging up the weeds mid aria?

Alex James of Blur and Maestro fame, Bernie Nolan – one of the Nolans of course, the pop star formerly known as Darius Danesh now Darius Campbell, Kym Marsh, a member of McFly, another from the Saturdays, Jimmy Osmond (my brothers made me do it – well tell them to do it instead of you then) and one of Shakespeare’s Sisters (no not that Shakespeare) are all competing. Will they be rubbish? I hope so – that will be far more entertaining! Pity they didn’t get Rhydian to do it – he would be bound to win.

jimmy osmond