I just liked this blog.

 

http://sophiestropspopstartooperastar.blog...e-6-winner.html

 

Sophie Strops about... Popstar to Opera

A blog about Popstar to Opera Star by an opera fan

MONDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2010

Popstar to Opera Star Episode 6 - The Winner

 

Darius won. I’m really happy for him and I think Bernie was too but Darius was even happier. He really appreciated it and even though he’s been lucky to get to the finals of two reality TV shows, there is nothing like winning. It is the most amazing feeling. It’s not about being better than anyone else, reality TV shows often aren’t about that in any case, it’s about feeling loved or at least liked very much. Even though coming second or third or anywhere else is also pretty special and absolutely amazing there is just something about being the winner that’s one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I’ve only done online reality TV so it’s not the same but I’ve finished second, I’ve finished third and I’ve won five times and I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite that happy as when I won, knowing that so many people actually liked me. And I think my fifth win was the happiest of all.

 

Second, third and anything lower down are great achievements too but part of the drama of reality TV is about turning eviction and even second place into a tragedy and it’s difficult not to be caught up in that and to feel you’ve done something wrong and that people don’t like you. It’s crazy really but that’s how it’s presented all too often and that’s how it can make you feel. Bernie was very generous and sporting and an example for anyone who finishes second in anything.

 

Darius isn’t stupid. I’m sure he knew he was the best singer right from the start although Marcella probably scared him a bit when she sang Queen of the Night and he would have been wary of Bernie and probably secretly glad Vanessa didn’t put the effort in. He knows he’s a good singer but he also knows he’s really lucky. He’s the best singer, he’s the person who deserves to win… but that can mean nothing if the public don’t like you. And the public did like him.

 

It’s a shame there wasn’t time to talk to Darius about the win but he was so emotional, he might not have been able to say much. Arrogant? Darius? No way. He was so humble and so appreciative and that’s another reason why he’s such a deserving winner. They had a few words with Bernie, she was funny without trying to steal Darius’ limelight. Not that he even seemed very aware of the limelight, he was too busy feeling loved.

 

Darius finished the show with a vocally tired but rousing performance of Non piu andrai. Well done, Darius!

Thanks PIP I also saw that on a certain site, it never changes does it. I hope he will get invited to do various things, b ut he must strike now not disappear again. hopefully his management wont let him.I see Rolando is singing at the albert hall in may.

 

Almighty are we indeed if we can stop the Loose Women juggernaut on our own. Ridiculous.

 

Pre-show a couple of things fell into place for Darius.

 

Celebrities who'd favoured him privately eventually came out and said so in public, including the presenters of Top Gear who were miffed at LW getting the factual programme award at the NTAs.

Jenny Colgan the writer was one of his supporters. that surprised me because inone of her early books she wrote about going to a darius gig but in the foreword there was apointed remark about not getting co-operation fromD's people.

 

Did he do a little subtle campaigning by just being himself at that big video game launch party a day or two before the finalwhere he met up with Jacqui. He's very difficult to resist in the flesh.

 

He was fresh in people's minds thanks to the TV appearances but also by Clyde's Billy Connelly prank which was commented on by the other Scottish radio stations ( including West Sound for whom D did the Burns Supper last year) and those stations' DJs then urged their listeners to Vote Darius. The Daily Record also had the story. It went all around twitter, blogs, evry place people could comment because those who wanted Darius to win passed it on because it said they were voting for him and his haters passed it on thinking it made him a laughing stock. So win/win for Darius.

 

ITV ran that huge videoed interview, the one where bizarrely Darius is asked to read The Daffodils and sing an opera version of Colourblind, but they seemed to put it out in youtube sized chunks every few hours or that's the way we seemed to pick them up. i was picking up the links from twitter,thinking it was the same one and it would be yet another part of it. Perhaps their attention had been drawn to the bias against Darius in the previous weeks and they were trying to redress the balance. at one point "Darius" was trending on twitter because the stuff about our Darius was adding to an upsurge in posts about Darius Rucker.that was just happenstance as he would put it.

 

There were no distractions on the night. No negative VTS or wrong for Darius song choices. It was the final. they had to be seen to play it straight.

 

New viewers saw only a hard working Darius and saw Non Piu Andrai for the first time with good choreography against a breathy Bernie standing practically - she hit a high C but some viewers may just have thought she screeched. I reckon he got the best of that one.

 

 

Rolando openly said he wanted Darius to shine in the duet and he did. They blasted it out of the ballpark. True, Darius slipped into MT mode for the emotional bit and continued MT voice through "the World" but my goodness did he recover it for the most magnificent ending doing the hardest thing of all, counter singing into the face of one of the world's finest tenors. I'm pretty certain that was the moment Darius won the competition.

 

By contrast Bernie's and Katherine's duet was "sweet". Bernie hit some excellent notes but her voice sounded very thin next to Katherine's and she rarely covered her voice and sang most of it MT style. She had a harder task in that way than Darius - she'd sung the song many times before.

 

The reaction to the songs tells you how well they were performed. D/R's was moving as it should have been but B/K's left most people dry eyed.

 

I think it was pretty much decided before the quartet started. they were fairly evenly matched in that I think but Darius's low voice didn't come through as sharply as Bernie's.

 

Then there were the votes fromKYm and Marcella's voters. I think most wouldn't have voted but those who did voted for because for weeks, they thought their soprano was better than Bernie, better than Darius too but he was their way to kick the show just like we used Will to kick that bunch on PI. We did it because there was the same blatant favouritism back then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks PIP I also saw that on a certain site, it never changes does it. I hope he will get invited to do various things, b ut he must strike now not disappear again. hopefully his management wont let him.I see Rolando is singing at the albert hall in may.

 

What date is Rolando singing at the Albert Hall, Preston ?

May 3rd I think and it's at The Royal Festival Hall unless I'm thinking of a different concert.

 

It'll be up on their site probably.

I just liked this blog.

 

http://sophiestropspopstartooperastar.blog...e-6-winner.html

 

Sophie Strops about... Popstar to Opera

A blog about Popstar to Opera Star by an opera fan

MONDAY, 22 FEBRUARY 2010

Popstar to Opera Star Episode 6 - The Winner

 

Darius won. I’m really happy for him and I think Bernie was too but Darius was even happier. He really appreciated it and even though he’s been lucky to get to the finals of two reality TV shows, there is nothing like winning. It is the most amazing feeling. It’s not about being better than anyone else, reality TV shows often aren’t about that in any case, it’s about feeling loved or at least liked very much. Even though coming second or third or anywhere else is also pretty special and absolutely amazing there is just something about being the winner that’s one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I’ve only done online reality TV so it’s not the same but I’ve finished second, I’ve finished third and I’ve won five times and I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite that happy as when I won, knowing that so many people actually liked me. And I think my fifth win was the happiest of all.

 

Second, third and anything lower down are great achievements too but part of the drama of reality TV is about turning eviction and even second place into a tragedy and it’s difficult not to be caught up in that and to feel you’ve done something wrong and that people don’t like you. It’s crazy really but that’s how it’s presented all too often and that’s how it can make you feel. Bernie was very generous and sporting and an example for anyone who finishes second in anything.

 

Darius isn’t stupid. I’m sure he knew he was the best singer right from the start although Marcella probably scared him a bit when she sang Queen of the Night and he would have been wary of Bernie and probably secretly glad Vanessa didn’t put the effort in. He knows he’s a good singer but he also knows he’s really lucky. He’s the best singer, he’s the person who deserves to win… but that can mean nothing if the public don’t like you. And the public did like him.

 

It’s a shame there wasn’t time to talk to Darius about the win but he was so emotional, he might not have been able to say much. Arrogant? Darius? No way. He was so humble and so appreciative and that’s another reason why he’s such a deserving winner. They had a few words with Bernie, she was funny without trying to steal Darius’ limelight. Not that he even seemed very aware of the limelight, he was too busy feeling loved.

 

Darius finished the show with a vocally tired but rousing performance of Non piu andrai. Well done, Darius!

 

This was the opera love who started off thinking Darius had a voice but was a right arrogant so and so.

I wondered if Rolando might guest star at The Night of a Thousand Voices on May 2nd at the Albert Hall.

from having a shufty round various forums, I feel he won on the night becuase he just pulled it out of the bag on the night, while she had already peaked, lots of comments on his voice being deserving to be in the final along side Marcella, Bernie..kym and Danny were the ones expected to win via fanbases,

 

as you say - loose woman canvassing all series LOL,,dont tell me every single vote Bernie got was unbiased, while every one Darius got was biased, Wonder how many voted, the charity hopefully did well,

Edited February 22, 201015 yr by prettyinpink

If nothing goes wrong, i may try and go and see Rolando, I've now found I can go out at night as long as I leave straight away and catch the first train back, and Dave is there to make sure she's OK. I did enjoy his singing.

BBC3 beats ITV1's Operastar finale

22 February, 2010 | By Kate McMahon

 

The finale of Popstar to Operastar failed to hit ratings high notes on Friday night, with just 4m tuning in to see Darius Campbell scoop the top prize – 300,000 less than the audience that were watching EastEnders cast interviews on BBC3.

 

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/ratings/bbc3...5011119.article

 

Good job it has 2 repeats and iplayer

now thats not what it says on twitter, I'll go bring it over

 

this from itv

 

TVinsider On Friday @poptoopera had an audience of 4.1m / 15% share, peaking with 4.6m as Darius was announced as the winner

Edited February 22, 201015 yr by prettyinpink

Wonderful to see the percentages and very interesting!

 

thats nice to read - think on a certain fansite they are putting the result down to us voting LOL, comments about our phone bills and about there only being five of us - I would like to take credit for the win LOL but unless Bernie only had a few voters too - that was never gonna sway it.

I dont EVER recall Darius saying he didnt want to do anything else, and wanted an opera career...it is quite amazing how people can hear what they want to hear.

 

oh well, its over, and I want to see Darius do well now, he has shown he has talent, I for one woudnt have voted if I didnt think he deserved it, can you imagine if Darius had been as hopeless as the others, now that would have been embarrassing in the final!!! I dont think any one would have wanted that, not even Darius.

Onwards and upwards!! I think Dairus is born to do MT though

In actual fact PIP, it was probably exactly that which did cause Darius to win. I'm sure Bernie had avid fans and family who voted in a similar manner to us, but if we hadn't voted repeatedly, it's likely D would have lost by 0.2% rather than won. It makes me feel terrific, to know that all the votes I and my family cast, along with all the numerous votes people from this site and other huge D fans too, made the difference. I'm not sure which site you are referring to, but I personally would like to thank them very much indeed, for giving me even more joy from D's victory

 

Regarding the viewing figures, over 17 million people tuned in to the live Eastenders, so it's not surprising that so many made the trip over to BBC3 for the cast interviews that followed.

 

For those still unflinchingly holding the opinion that Darius doesn't have talent, isn't popular and can't win anything, I hope you enjoy this enormous slap in the face, and pray it allows you to wake up to reality :D

oh yes, I totally agree, BP - some one said on D;s face book they knew the margin and it was close in the semi final..oh no it wasnt!! and for sure Bernie had avid fans etc voting like mad too.

 

I am so happy I did continue to vote, as you say..it would be interesting to know the overall voting number, as 0.2 % is what, 1 extra vote for every thousand?

If I had voted the two or three times that poster had mentioned, and Darius had lost by such a small margin.well, would I be a sorry bunny now!!

Haven't been able to get on here earlier but hope its not too late to say

 

Congratulations to Darius

Never too late Caroline!!

 

I'm so glad I overcame my guilty conscience for upping our phone bill quite considerably....I kept thinking I shouldn't vote anymore.... then did!! Those few extra votes we all made may have made all the difference.

Just as governments "lose" elections rather than their opponents win .

Remember Neil Kinnock, almost certainly the next PM, and then he had the Sheffield Rally and celebrated with some silly shout and arrogantly introduced his candidates as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary etc. They hadn't been elected by the people yet!

 

Discounting the way Kym's, Marcella's, new voters' votes, Bernie made bad decisions.

 

She chose the wrong song.

 

Her best was Voi Che Sapete,

 

It was a song which was lower and made her concentrate on all of it rather than working her way up to high notes. Her voice sounded richer on it.It was in Italian which is far better than her French, which grates on me every time I hear it. She had a proper character to play in it.

 

She changed the choreography.

 

In week 4 she was having fun, her personality was coming out while she worked with her dancers. She should have done the same or added something extra- a surprise for the final.

She thought she'd sing the song better. She did but it looked static and limp after Darius's trun with "McFly".

 

If she'd gone before, people might have forgotten what it was really like when the lines opened after Darius.

 

I don't know who decided on the running order. Maybe they tossed for it. It was definitely on D's side because he raised the bar and Bernie was visibly just not able to answer him on either song.

 

Katherine as her duet partner was not up to her but the way she took on the challenge was.

 

She did not appear to be really holding her own, certainly not the way Darius was with Rolando.

 

Katherine is good but she isn't in Rolando's league and Bernie didn't at any time really rise against Katherine with a Wow factor - Darius did.

 

Bernie knew it would be an extra task for her to sing the song operatically because she'd sung MOR versions of it so often.. Why didn't she have the courage to askto sing something else which was new. Darius would have I'm sure, Rolando or not.

 

They sang it like girls having fun and didn't get the emotion of the piece over.

 

Bernie and Katherine could have swept all before them with a decent rendition of the Flower Duet, especially if they sang it in italian . That would have immediately pulled the rug from D and R.

 

And the most important factor for general impression - Bernie let her nerves show. Darius might have been quaking inside but he didn't flinch once.

Edited February 22, 201015 yr by Baytree

Non Piu Andrai

 

Impossible Dream

 

Brindisi

 

Announcement

The 9pm hour was won by ITV1's Popstar to Operastar, in which former Popstars and Pop Idol also-ran Darius Campbell made it third time lucky to take the singing competition's crown.

 

Popstar to Operastar ended its run with 4.1 million viewers and a 16% share , beating BBC1's Masterchef, which pulled in 3.2 million and 12%.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/feb/2...live-eastenders

On D's facebook

 

Still on cloud 9 after Friday, so very happy and the weekend was a bit of a blur. Very busy few days of meetings coming up and this is only the start. I'm back and hope you'll all be with me for the journey again ?? Love D x

OMG just soooooooo Bloody EXITED, HAPPY and sooooooo PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: ....................We will ALWAYS be on Darius' journey with him.......we're going NOWHERE without him!!!!!!!!!!! :wub:

Well, I doubt very much he'll want to come to the post office with me. It'd save Dave a job if he did but no, he's just too busy with meetings. These men are just never there when you want them. Dave'll have to do my carrying instead.

 

Seriously, I'm just really looking forward to the next thing and hoping it's not too long away.