Pop Idol reject denies romance rumours

Disappointed teenage singer Zoe Birkett today denied rumours that she was having a romance with fellow Pop Idol contestant Gareth Gates following her exit from the smash hit ITV1 show.

The 16-year-old A-level student from Darlington, Co Durham in England, said talk of a romance between the pair was ‘‘just rumour’’ after she was shown a picture of Gareth crying as she was voted out of the show on Saturday night.