Pop idol star looks unrecognisable 24 years later after surprising career change

RIK WALLER WAS ONE OF THE FIRST EVER CONTESTANTS TO APPEAR ON POP IDOL - BUT HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT SINCE THEN 15:48, 31 May 2025 An original star of Pop Idol now looks

unrecognisable 24 years after appearing on the singing contest. Pop Idol was a major TV sensation of the early 2000s, and despite only airing for two series, it launched the careers of the

likes of Gareth Gates, Will Young and Michelle McManus. It also propelled Kent-born singer Rik Waller to stardom, who was a strong contender to win the first series of the reality singing

competition. In 2001, the then 20-year-old Rik impressed judges Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, Nicki Chapman, and Neil Fox with his exceptional vocal talent, earning him a place in the final

ten. However, his journey was abruptly ended due to laryngitis. Despite his early departure, he did achieve some chart success with his cover of Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love

You, which reached number six in the UK singles chart. He also signed a record deal with EMI, rumoured to be worth around £400,000, and went on to release a cover of Something Inside (So

Strong). Article continues below Now aged 44, Rik has appeared on various UK reality shows, including Celebrity Fit Club. Around this time, he was dropped by his record label, EMI, and

formed a band that signed with Red Admiral Records. However, after disappointing ticket sales, they cancelled a planned tour and disbanded. The last time Rik appeared on our screens was in

February 2007 on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, reports the Mirror. Rumours swirled that the singer's vocal prowess had diminished after he reportedly damaged his voice, leading him to admit

in 2007: "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." During a frank 2013 conversation with the Daily Mail, Rik shared the humbling experience of job hunting: "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 opened up about the pain of losing his career: "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." Despite the setbacks, he found contentment in life's simple pleasures: "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 left his chart-topping days behind and returned to his roots, moving back in with his parents.

He secured a job as a secondary school exam invigilator under his birth name, Richard, while also getting involved in his father's mobile karaoke and disco venture. His Facebook page

reveals that the former singer continues to work as an exam invigilator and now lives in Leicester. Article continues below A recent picture shows him with purple hair as he looks completely

different from his Pop Idol days.