Company Magazine Interview

Hayley in Company Magazine April Issue

"I should be so lucky"

Pop Idol and Popstars finalist Hayley evetts, 26, is determined to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Kylie, and make it big in pop.

"The funniest moment of my last night on pop idol was just after my performance, when Simon Cowell told me he thought I was very sexy, I didn't know what to make of that comment! My
immediate thought was, 'Thats quite flattering.' but a second later later, I thought, 'actually, no, its not - that's just not right!'

When Ant and Dec announced I'd lost, everyone was in tears. I was sad I'd miss out on going to the studio with Darius, Will, Gareth and Zoe the next Saturday, as we were having such a
laugh together.

I did suspect I would be voted off that night. Darius and I had discussed it during the week and each of us had said, 'If its not me this
week, it will be me next week.' So when it came to the night itself, I was prepared for it. I gave it my best shot, because I wanted to go out on a high.

I may not have won pop idol but I dont consider myself as a failure. Around 13,000 people auditioned for Pop Idol, and I made it into the last 5 - that's not bad!"

When Will I be famous?

Kylie Minogue was one of my earliest pop idols. I used to dance around my bedroom when I was ten, singing 'I should be so Lucky' into my hairbrush. I've wanted to be a pop star ever
since then, although I didn't start singing properly until much later. I was brought up in Quinton, Birmingham, by my mum Karen who's training to be an optician, and my dad, Malcom, a lorry driver. My younger brother, Steven is 22 and a mechanic. So there isn't any
historyof performing in my family- although my nan's cousin, Denny Laine, used to be in Wings with Paul McCartney.

I was in the school choir and I loved being in
school shows, but becoming a singer was just a childhood dream. I left school at 16, I started work for the Birmingham Health Authority looking after medical records, then I worked in the liver unit looking after transplant patients, which I loved. But even though I wanted to make a career out of nursing I didn't feel really settled.

It wasn't until I was 20 that I discovered I
had a talent for singing- some friends and I ended up in a karaoke bar after a boozy birthday meal. The fact I'd had a few glasses of wine definitely helped me pluck up the courage to sing. I had a great time
and we started going regularly.

A year later, I decided to leave nursing and got a part-time job at a fancy dress shop. I was still keen to become a singer and would scour the local papers and the stage for
adverts for session singers or band auditions. Then, in the summer of 2000, I saw the adverts for the popstars auditions. It sounded like a fantastic opportunity, so I went to the Birmingham heats. I'd never done an audition before, so I didn't know what to expect.

I was fine until I got there and realised I would have to audition in front of all the other potential contestants as well as the 3 judges- Nicki Chapman, Nigel Lythgoe and Paul Adams. But I managed it and sand the SClub 7 song 'Reach for the Stars'. When I watched myself on tv later, I looked petrified! I'm amazed I got through to the London heats. We were in london for 5 days and that's when I met Darius. He got a slating on Popstars which wasn't deserved as he's such a nice guy. But the people I got to know best were Taz and Noel, who, of course, made it into hear'say. I knew Noel would make it- he was just so brilliant.

When I was told I wasn't going to make it into the final five, I was devastated. The judges said I wasn't right for the project. In retrospect, I don't regret it, because I love singing on my own. Anyway, I think I'd have cracked up if I'd got into Hear'say. It must have been hard for them: they had to live in each other's pockets 24 hours a day.

After popstars, I gave up my job and made a charity record for a local cancer hospice. I also did vocals on a dance track called more by
the band Mareeko, which is on a cream compliation.
Then last summer, I saw the advert for Pop Idol, and decided to give it a go. When I got to the audition in Manchester, the first person I saw was Nigel Lythgoe. He remembered me from popstars, and was encouraging. I never thought he deserved his 'Nasty Nigel' nickname- UNLIKE Simon Cowell.

I sang 'One for Sorrow' by Steps. The feedback I got from Pete, Foxy and Nicki was great. Pete said I weas the only person from that day's audition who had the right idea about what to wear- I was wearing tight white trousers, a big black belt and a black and silver top.

Then Simon said, 'Will I remember you in 12 hours' time? No I won't you have no sparkle and no charisma.' That was when I started disliking him! But because the other 3 had given me the
thumbs-up, I was through to the next round.

Reaching for the stars

To win my heat and get into the final 50 I sang the Whitney Houston song 'I have Nothing'. I remember thinking, what can I say to Simon
Cowell when he's nasty to me? I had a speech prepared!

When you perform you feed off the other people in the room. So, when you smile at Nicki she smiles back. But Simon never gave any reaction during the whole of pop idol, simon never gave any reaction during the performances. He looks blank. I don't know what it takes to excite him. I should have brought a pole in to dance around- maybe I'll do that for pop idol 2! As soon as he said, 'Hayley,' I thought, 'Here we go, stand proud girl'. Then he said 'I'm not going to criticise you, you have what we're looking for.' I couldn't believe it.

Being in the final ten was great. We were all living in a suite in a London Hotel, and we really bonded. We did everything together during the day, and at night, we'd sit in someone's room and chat.The first week, we went out to a pub to have something to eat, and the next day, there was a photo of us in a newspaper under the headline, 'pub idols'. I
thought the press attention was hilarious. Most of it was positive, but it did annoy me when one of the tabloid newspapers ran a poll the day of my final show and put me last. There wasn't any need for that and it made everyone uncomfortable.

But the other things that went with the show were great- the place we lived, the voice coaching and travelling around in buses with blacked -out windows. The clothes I wore were fantastic- getting styled and groomed was a dream come true, because I'm clothes and shoes-mad! It was true star treatment. Even though we had to work hard, too, I knew it was the life I wanted.
It was horrible when people had to leave. It hit me hardest when Aaron left because for the first time I realised this was a compeition.

The run-up to final night was complete madness- it was like a big reunion in the sudio the last 50 were all there. There was a brilliant atmosphere but you could feel the tension. I
think we all thought, thank god its not us up there!
The final 50 were waiting in the wings before the winner was announced, because we knew we'd be going on to sing with Gareth or Will. None of us had a clue which one of them would win, but I was in tears already. I have to say I always had faith in Mr Young. From the day we met, we gelled. We're all friends, but he's my best buddy. I knew he could do it.

Now its all over, I've decided to stay in London, and my boyfriend, Will, plans to move down here, too. He's been incredibly supportive; even though its the kind of experience that really tests a relationship. Will has kept my feet on the ground.

Although I didn't win Pop Idol, I now know I can go out there and do it. I really want a record deal and I hope it happens soon. But
this has been a fantastic platform. Millions have watched us sing- you cant ask for more than that. The whole experience has made me even more determined to succeed as a singer. I really want to make it big.