Pop Idol star Rik Waller is living a very different life these days, more than 20 years after he rose to fame. The singer from Kent wowed judges Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman, Pete Waterman and Neil Fox with his vocals back in 2001, when he was 20 years old.
Image Credit: Metro [Mandatory Credit: Photo by Steve Allen/REX/Shutterstock (377695b) RIK WALLER RIK WALLER, ROAD HOUSE CLUB, LONDON, BRITAIN - 26 FEB 2002]
He became a favourite to win the first series of the reality singing competition, and was catapulted to fame. Sadly, he had to pull out of the competition, despite making it to the final ten alongside the likes of Will Young and Gareth Gates. Rik was suffering from severe laryngitis, and his place in the show was instead taken by Darius Danesh.
Image Credit: Metro [Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (714965hm) Rik Waller in 'Celebrity Fit Club' - 2002 ITV ARCHIVE]
Despite the setback, he went on to score two UK top 40 hits with covers of I Will Always Love You and (Something Inside) So Strong, which featured in his 2002 album, From Now…. However, just five years later, Rik was forced to quit singing and his career came to an end after he reportedly lost his voice.
Image Credit: Metro [Rik Waller . Pop Idol flop Rik Waller revealed he has lost his singing voice so has become an - EXAM INVIGILATOR. See masons story MNKIRK. Reality TV favourite Waller, 31, made it to the last ten of ITV1's 2001 Pop Idol before withdrawing with severe laryngitis. But the heavyweight contestant still became a household name before his career nose-dived - with one of his gigs in in 2004 selling just two tickets. Waller yesterday revealed the vocal chords which bagged him a No.6 single hit with I Will Always Love You can now only - YODEL. It means he has abandoned his singing career and works full-time overseeing secondary school exams for Piper Assessment, in Sittingbourne, Kent. But rather than leaving music completely he is running a mobile karaoke and disco business which he tours venues with his father Kris, 63, in his spare time.]
He later appeared on various TV programmes including Celebrity Fit Club in 2002, and briefly on Never Mind the Buzzcocks in 2007. He now lives a very different life away from fame, after becoming an exam invigilator in Leicester. In 2013, Rik revealed he did run a mobile karaoke and disco business which he toured venues with his father in his spare time.
Image Credit: Metro [Rik Waller . Pop Idol flop Rik Waller revealed he has lost his singing voice so has become an - EXAM INVIGILATOR. See masons story MNKIRK. Reality TV favourite Waller, 31, made it to the last ten of ITV1's 2001 Pop Idol before withdrawing with severe laryngitis. But the heavyweight contestant still became a household name before his career nose-dived - with one of his gigs in in 2004 selling just two tickets. Waller yesterday revealed the vocal chords which bagged him a No.6 single hit with I Will Always Love You can now only - YODEL. It means he has abandoned his singing career and works full-time overseeing secondary school exams for Piper Assessment, in Sittingbourne, Kent. But rather than leaving music completely he is running a mobile karaoke and disco business which he tours venues with his father Kris, 63, in his spare time.]
But he had changed his name to Richard, and didn’t want to be referred to as Rik, after feeling like people thought of him as a ‘failure’. He told The Daily Mail: ‘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”.
![[Mandatory Credit: Photo by Steve Allen/REX/Shutterstock (377695b) RIK WALLER RIK WALLER, ROAD HOUSE CLUB, LONDON, BRITAIN - 26 FEB 2002]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234450288-bc7a-e1735466492693.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by ITV/REX/Shutterstock (714965hm) Rik Waller in 'Celebrity Fit Club' - 2002 ITV ARCHIVE]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234450287-4df0.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Rik Waller . Pop Idol flop Rik Waller revealed he has lost his singing voice so has become an - EXAM INVIGILATOR. See masons story MNKIRK. Reality TV favourite Waller, 31, made it to the last ten of ITV1's 2001 Pop Idol before withdrawing with severe laryngitis. But the heavyweight contestant still became a household name before his career nose-dived - with one of his gigs in in 2004 selling just two tickets. Waller yesterday revealed the vocal chords which bagged him a No.6 single hit with I Will Always Love You can now only - YODEL. It means he has abandoned his singing career and works full-time overseeing secondary school exams for Piper Assessment, in Sittingbourne, Kent. But rather than leaving music completely he is running a mobile karaoke and disco business which he tours venues with his father Kris, 63, in his spare time.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234450422-3e14.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
![[Rik Waller . Pop Idol flop Rik Waller revealed he has lost his singing voice so has become an - EXAM INVIGILATOR. See masons story MNKIRK. Reality TV favourite Waller, 31, made it to the last ten of ITV1's 2001 Pop Idol before withdrawing with severe laryngitis. But the heavyweight contestant still became a household name before his career nose-dived - with one of his gigs in in 2004 selling just two tickets. Waller yesterday revealed the vocal chords which bagged him a No.6 single hit with I Will Always Love You can now only - YODEL. It means he has abandoned his singing career and works full-time overseeing secondary school exams for Piper Assessment, in Sittingbourne, Kent. But rather than leaving music completely he is running a mobile karaoke and disco business which he tours venues with his father Kris, 63, in his spare time.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_234450429-4ec6.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
