Trio battle for places in Pop Idol final

Darius, Will and Gareth are battling it out in Pop Idol to see which two remain at the end of tonight's show.

In the penultimate show, judges Neil Fox, Nicki Chapman, Simon Cowell and Pete Waterman, pick two songs for each contestant to sing.

It will then be down to the public to decide which two singers go forward to next week's final programme.

Gareth, from Bradford, is the bookies' choice to win the Pop Idol title, but Darius has made an impressive final push to be installed as second favourite.

In a phone poll for GMTV, 46% named Gareth as their Pop Idol, with 27% voting for Darius and 25% choosing Will.

Darius is also being supported by an internet campaign pleading with viewers to vote for him.

An email says: "Gareth and Will are going to be pop stars. Whether you like it or not that's a simple, undeniable fact.

"Voting for either of them will simply reaffirm what is already an absolute, carved in stone, unavoidable reality. But the fate of Darius still hangs in the balance."

Following tonight's programme the two remaining contestants embark on a week of election-style campaigning to convince the nation of their talents.

The eventual winner of the programme will be awarded a contract with the record company BMG and management outfit 19.