Google Me: Life in the fast-lane to pop fame

JULIE MIDDLETON goes looking on the web for TV-made stars

Pop Idol is a British-born, three-year-old television phenomenon which has manufactured stars out of, among others, Americans Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard, England's Will Young and Australian Guy Sebastian.

There's even a World Idol, Kurt Nilsen from Norway, who was crowned on Boxing Day.

The also-rans, among them American Clay Aiken and Australian Shannon Noll, have also launched stellar careers from their appearances. And the show is putting stars in the eyes of wannabees all over the world - Britain is coming up to its third annual Pop Idol search, America is already there, and the contest has run in more than 12 countries including South Africa, Poland and Germany.

So how are the idols doing - and, by inference, what can the winner of New Zealand Idol expect?

Here's the bro with the 'fro, Guy Sebastian, who was in New Zealand this week: "The other night (in Sydney) I was sitting at the traffic lights and these two girls just jumped into my car. They had recognised me, and demanded I drop them off somewhere. I thought it was easier not to argue, so I did it, but it's that kind of invasion of privacy that goes on. Some girls are just really forward and while all my mates think it would be heaven, it's not."

Rail-thin Clay Aiken, an American Idol runner-up, says: "My anonymity is gone for good. I'm more cautious. I do put my hood on to get what I need to get done. When I'm at a restaurant I do try to get people to wait until I'm done eating and then I'm happy to sign an autograph."

American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, 21, confesses that at industry functions, "it's horrible when someone comes up to compliment my voice, because a lot of the time, I have no idea who they are ... I swear I don't know why God put me here, because I'm not into going out and doing the rub-shoulders thing."

Another American Idol winner, the rotund Ruben Studdard, says of his instant fame: "I didn't know it would be this quick. I never knew that the things I wanted to do would come this fast, but this is the route that God took me, and so I'm excited."

Once a farmer, Shannon Noll says: "I'm just rolling with it all. I've heard about reality TV people getting post-reality syndrome, so I think as long as you keep it real and understand that everything can change in seconds, it keeps you working harder."