Pop Idol(2001)

Pop Idol is a British music competition series that aired on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The show tasked viewers with voting for the UK's best new young pop singer across two series. Hosted by Ant and Dec with judges including Simon Cowell, the programme became a cultural phenomenon, establishing the template for talent-search television. Pop Idol went on indefinite hiatus in 2004 when Cowell launched The X Factor. The format proved so successful that it spawned an international franchise, though legal disputes with Popstars led to the word "Pop" being dropped from most international versions—American Idol, Australian Idol, and Idols became global hits. Pop Idol's influence on reality television and the music industry remains significant, having launched careers and redefined how networks discover new talent.