Gareth in Birmingham

Gareth Gates is a British pop singer and songwriter, born in Bradford in 1984. He became known as the runner-up in the first series of Pop Idol and followed the programme with recordings including “Unchained Melody,” “Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)” and “Spirit in the Sky.” His early albums include What My Heart Wants to Say and Go Your Own Way. In 2002, Gareth Gates joined the other finalists for the Pop Idol Live arena tour and later toured UK arenas with winner Will Young. His stage career subsequently moved into musical theatre: he played the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at London’s Adelphi Theatre, then appeared as Marius in the 25th-anniversary tour of Les Misérables and its 2010 concert at The O2.