Rik Waller, a former contestant on ITV's Pop Idol, has faced an unexpected journey after his initial success. From reaching the top 10 and charting with Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You', he experienced a fall from grace, ultimately leading him to visit a Job Centre.
ITV's Pop Idol star Rik Waller looks almost unrecognisable 23 years after the show - and has an unpredictable new career. The series, which was one of the biggest TV sensations of the early 2000s, only ran for two series but brought Kent-born Rik to fame. 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. But sadly, the star had to leave prematurely due to laryngitis.
Despite the setback, he rose to 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). Rik, now 43, has since 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. Due to a lack of 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.' The Mirror reports that he had been 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'
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