Pop Idol rivals want to be elected

The surviving two Pop Idol contestants will embark on an ‘‘election style’’ campaign in a bid to secure the public’s vote, TV bosses announced today.

The final two wannabes will go head-to-head next Saturday for the Pop Idol crown but first face a gruelling publicity campaign around London.

The contestants will even have to produce their own ‘‘manifesto’’ on why they should be chosen as the victorious Pop Idol.

Gareth Gates, 17, Will Young, 23, and Darius Danesh, 22, will fight it out for the final two places on tonight’s edition of the show.

A spokesperson for Pop Idol said: ‘‘This will be their most intense promotional activity to date and they will go off individually to do interviews on radio and TV.

‘‘It’s all in a bid to get everybody’s vote and will be like a General Election.

‘‘They will go off and do their individual campaigns and will have their manifestos with them.’’

She added that the ‘‘campaign’’ would be good training for the promotional work that comes with being a pop star.

‘‘They’re really excited about it,’’ she said. ‘‘They’ve had a taste of being a celebrity and being recognised in the street and this is their first opportunity to see what it is like to go through the intense promotional bit.’’