Popstar to Operastar (series 2)

Background

On 4 August 2010 Group Finance Manager, Ian Griffiths, confirmed at ITV's Interim Results Meeting that Popstar to Operastar had been recommissioned for a second series.

On 12 May 2011, Digital Spy revealed the full line-up for series 2: X Factor winner 2009 Joe McElderry, Ultravox frontman Midge Ure, Toploader's Joe Washbourn, Erasure's Andy Bell, Bucks Fizz's Cheryl Baker, The Pussycat Dolls' Melody Thornton, Steps' Claire Richards and US soul singer Jocelyn Brown.

In the same article it was confirmed that Myleene Klass would present Series 2 alone. Meat Loaf and Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen would be replaced as judges by Simon Callow and Vanessa Mae.

The second series aired on Sundays at 8pm. It began Sunday 5 June 2011, finishing its run on Sunday 10 July 2011.

Popstars

The results came with no particular order.

Results summary

Colour key:

¹ Indicates that the casting vote would lie with that judge if the panel reached a split decision.
² Indicates that the casting vote was required as the panel failed to reach a majority decision

Episodes

Voting percentages are from ITV.com

     Most Public Votes      Eliminated      Bottom two

Week 1

Performances

Cheryl Baker: "Barcarole (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour)" from Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Joe McElderry: "Una furtiva lagrima" from Gaetano Donizetti

Melody Thornton: "Habanera (L'amour est un oiseau rebelle)" from Carmen by Georges Bizet

Midge Ure: "Questa O Quella" of Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi

Did not perform (immune for week 1)

Andy Bell

Jocelyn Brown

Claire Richards

Joseph Washburn

Bottom two

Midge Ure - Eliminated on judges tied 2-2, with deciding vote given to Katherine Jenkins to save Melody Thornton

Melody Thornton

Voting Results Rolando Villazón and Vanessa-Mae saved Midge Ure. Simon Callow and Katherine Jenkins saved Melody Thornton.

Guest Performers Katherine Jenkins - "Una Voce Poco Fa" from The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini

Week 2

Performances

Andy Bell: "'O Sole Mio" by Eduardo di Capua and Giovanni Capurro

Jocelyn Brown: "Chanson Bohème (Les tringles des sistres tintaient)" from Carmen by Georges Bizet

Claire Richards: "O Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini

Joseph Washbourn: "Toreador Song (Votre toast je peux vous le rendre)" from Carmen by Georges Bizet

Did not perform (immune for week 2)

Cheryl Baker

Joe McElderry

Melody Thornton

Bottom two

Jocelyn Brown - Eliminated on judges decision 3-1

Joseph Washbourn

Voting Results Only Simon Callow voted to save Jocelyn Brown, with remaining three judges saving Joseph Washbourn

Guest Performers

Rolando Villazón - "No Puede Sur"

Week 3

Performances

Cheryl Baker: "Je veux vivre" from Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod

Andy Bell: "Non più andrai" from Marriage of Figaro by Mozart

Joe McElderry: "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi

Claire Richards: "Sempre Libera" from La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi

Melody Thornton: "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns

Joseph Washbourn: "Madamina, il catalogo è questo" from Don Giovanni by Mozart

Bottom two

Melody Thornton - Eliminated on judges decision 3-1

Joseph Washbourn

Voting Results Only Vanessa-Mae voted to save Melody Thornton, with remaining three judges saving Joseph Washbourn

Guest Performers

Week 4

Performances

Cheryl Baker: "Mein Herr Marquis (Adele's Laughing Song)" from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II

Andy Bell: "Largo al factotum" from The Barber of Seville by Rossini

Joe McElderry: "Nessun dorma" from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini

Claire Richards: "Casta Diva" from Norma by Vincenzo Bellini

Joseph Washbourn: "Torna a Surriento" by Giambattista De Curtis and Ernesto De Curtis

Bottom two

Andy Bell - Eliminated by unanimous vote of the judges 4-0

Joseph Washbourn

Guest Performers

Week 5 (Semi Final)

Performances

Cheryl Baker: "Un bel di vedremo" from Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini

Joe McElderry: "Granada" by Agustín Lara

Claire Richards: "Der Holle Rache (The Queen of the Night Aria)" from The Magic Flute by Mozart

Joseph Washbourn: "Fin ch'han dal vino (The Champagne Aria)" from Don Giovanni by Mozart

Cheryl Baker / Joe McElderry (duet): "Canto della Terra" by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto

Claire Richards / Joseph Washbourn (duet): Con te partirò by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto

Result

Joseph Washbourn - Eliminated by public after receiving the fewest votes

Claire Richards - Eliminated after finishing third in the public vote

Guest Performers

Alfie Boe - "Who Am I" from Les Misérables

Note: Rolando Villazón was absent as a judge in this episode because of a concert he had in Switzerland. Therefore, Opera tenor, Alfie Boe filled in for him.

Week 6 (Final)

Performances

Cheryl Baker: "The Flower Duet (Sous le dôme épais)" from Lakmé by Léo Delibes (a duet with Katherine Jenkins) and "Je veux vivre" from Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod (solo)

Joe McElderry: "Musica proibita" (duet with Rolando Villazón) and "Nessun dorma" by Giacomo Puccini (solo)

Result

Joe McElderry - Winner by public vote receiving 77.1% of the votes

Cheryl Baker - Runner-up by public vote receiving 22.9% of the votes

Guest Performers

Andrea Bocelli

Ratings

Episode Viewing figures from Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB).

Impact

After the show, Joe McElderry signed a record deal with label Decca, and it was announced he was to release an album of classics, to expose his operatic voice. The album was titled 'Classic' and it was released in August 2011 and charted at no.2, the highest chart position for an album Joe has ever released.