'Star gazing

The final installment of Popstars turned out to be a major ratings grabber for RTE with 878,000 people – a 60.7% audience share – tuning in on Sunday night.

"Not only is Popstars showcasing Irish talent but the money will be ploughed back into dramas and documentaries," says Commissioning Editor Kevin Linegan. "There has already been considerable media interest in the final and we hope we have another Riverdance on our hands."

There was high drama as it emerged that RTE had already dropped one of the six, Nadine Coyle, because she was a year-and-a-half shy of the 18-or-above age limit.

"Nadine has great potential, however she knew, as did all the other 4,999 that auditioned for Popstars that the age limit was eighteen and there would be no exceptions to the rule," says judge Louis Walsh.

The five remaining members – a replacement for Coyle will be announced shortly – are Kyle Anderson, 19, from Belfast; Liam McKenna, 19, from Tyrone; Emma O'Driscoll, 19, from Limerick; Andy Orr, 21, from Dublin; and Sinéad Sheppard, 19, from Cork.

Meanwhile, BMG Ireland have revealed that they'll be spending €2.5 million on launching the band, with their debut single – a cover of an old Guys & Dolls song – due on February 8th.