ITV Pop Idol star Rik Waller unrecognisable 23yrs later with surprise new career

Rik Waller was one of the standout stars of the first series of ITV's Pop Idol in 2001, but his music career didn't exactly go to plan - here's what he's up to now

Pop Idol, one of the biggest TV sensations of the early 2000s, only ran for two series, but IT catapulted Kent-born singer Rik Waller to fame, who was a favourite to win the first series of the reality singing competition.

Back in 2001, the then 20 year old wowed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman and Neil Fox with his stunning vocals, making it into the final ten. However, he had to bow out prematurely due to laryngitis. Despite this setback, he found 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 inked 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 43, Rik has appeared on various UK reality shows, including Celebrity Fit Club, but around this time, he was dropped by EMI and formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. After disappointing ticket sales, they cancelled a planned tour and split up. The last time Rik graced our screens was in February 2007 on Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Rumours spread that he had lost his singing voice due to damage, reports OK!

In a 2007 interview, he confessed: "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." At the time, he was in a relationship with a woman who practised Paganism, and they planned a Pagan wedding ceremony. However, the relationship ended with whispers that she had encouraged him to quit performing.

In a candid 2013 interview with the Daily Mail, Rik revealed the humiliation of visiting a Job Centre: "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'." He added: "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.

"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 added: "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, Rik had moved back in with his parents and was working as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard. He also helped his father run a local mobile karaoke and disco service. According to his Facebook page, he still works as an exam invigilator and resides in Leicester.