Popstar to Operastar

TV series
2010–2011
2 seasons
ITV1
Reality

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Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of current pop stars to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by Renegade Pictures. With the show being a singing competition, it featured appropriate judges: Rolando Villazón, Katherine Jenkins, Meat Loaf and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Villazón and Jenkins also mentor the contestants giving them the songs to sing during the live shows. Meat Loaf and Bowen were critic-judges, who talked about their performances. However, after the first series, it was announced that Meat Loaf and Bowen would not be returning as judges. Their replacements were confirmed to be actor and opera-director, Simon Callow and classical singer/violinist, Vanessa-Mae. The presenters of the show were confirmed to be Alan Titchmarsh and Myleene Klass with the non-operatic "Dies Irae" from Verdi's Requiem as the theme tune. However for the second series, Titchmarsh did not return to the show. The winner of the first series was Darius Campbell and winner of the second season was Joe McElderry.

About the show

Popstar to Operastar [sic] is a British television programme in which pop stars were trained to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show was repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme was produced by Renegade Pictures.

As a singing competition, it featured appropriate judges: Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón, Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and rock singer Meat Loaf, as well as TV home-interiors expert Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Villazón and Jenkins also mentored contestants, giving them the songs to sing during the live shows. Loaf and Llewelyn-Bowen were critic-judges who talked about entrants' performances. However, after the first series it was announced Loaf and Llewelyn-Bowen would not be returning as judges. Their replacements were confirmed to be actor and opera-director Simon Callow and classical singer/violinist Vanessa-Mae. Presenters were confirmed as Alan Titchmarsh and Myleene Klass, with the non-operatic Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem as the theme tune. For the second series, Titchmarsh did not return. Winner of the first series was Darius Campbell, and of the second was Joe McElderry.

The first episode of series 2 brought in 5.98 million viewers, bringing the show its highest ratings to date. Each week the results show featured a guest performance, normally an opera star singing to promote their upcoming album. For every vote cast, money was donated to the Nordoff-Robbins charity. The winner also received a payment for a charity of their choice.

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