Fame Academy winner heads for No 1

Fame Academy winner David Sneddon is on course to top the chart with his debut single – but his sales have taken a huge dip compared to other TV talent show winners.

While Pop Idol star Will Young notched up 1.1 million in first-week sales, with his debut single Evergreen/Anything is Possible, Sneddon is expected to manage just a tenth of that.

The singer won the BBC competition late last year which guaranteed him a £1m (€1.54m) record deal and a year of luxury.

His single Stop Living a Lie is believed to have sold just under 20,000 copies on its first day in the shops yesterday.

That is around half as many as Popstars – The Rivals band Girls Aloud managed on their first day on sale for hit single Sound Of The Underground.

However, Sneddon is still outselling the girls three to one this week and should knock them off the No 1 spot they have occupied for four weeks.

Another TV show find, Zoe Birkett, looks set to become the lowest charting Pop Idol contestant so far.

First day sales for her debut release Treat Me Like A Lady would put her at number 16 if they continue at the same pace until the weekend.

Birkett made it through to the final four of Pop Idol last year.