Who is he?
Head of A&R at RCA Records.

Who has he worked with?
Robson and Jerome, Zig and Zag, Westlife, Girl Thing and Five. He might have worked with Take That, but turned them down saying 'The lead singer is too fat.'

How did he get into the business?
Simon started out as a postboy at EMI. 'I used to bug people in the International Department as I kept wandering in and asking for a job. When one came up, they gave it to me. I was in the right place at the right time', he says.

What do you think of the show so far?
It's amazing. I thought it would be a success but I've been pleasantly surprised by the reaction to it. I've also been pleasantly surprised by the standard generally. As you know I've got my favourites - four of them. And yes, they've all got through. No, I'm not telling you who they are.

Your best Pop Idol moment?
The YMCA girl. She captured the public's imagination by doing an horrendous performance with the right spirit.

Your worst Pop Idol moment?
Getting up early for the Criterion auditions. I had to get up at 7.30am - a good two hours earlier than usual. I'm not good in the morning.

Things you wish you hadn't said...
Nothing. I have no regrets. I'll live with all the abuse from the press.

What sort of reaction have you had from the public?
They've been very supportive in the main. There have been a couple of instances of people giving me a hard time but you have to put things into perspective. This is a high-grade talent show - there is a war going on. I can handle a few negative comments.

What are your thoughts on the next round?
I think it will be really exciting how everyone reacts to the pressure of the next few weeks. Some people will thrive, others will wilt. I have my personal favourites but it's up to them how they handle the next few weeks and how the public react to them. I've got one tip for them all - rehearse.

PETE WATERMAN

Who is he?
Not many of our hopefuls knew this and most referred to him as that silver-haired man. Tut tut. Pete is one of Britain's most influential music producers. Remember Stock, Aitken and Waterman? Pete joined forces with them and revolutionised pop music in the 80s. He parted company with Stock and Aitken and now heads his own company: PWL.

Who has he worked with?
Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, The Bay City Rollers, John Travolta, The Specials, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Donna Summer, Bananarama.......who hasn't he worked with?

And recently?
Steps, Stephen Gately, Billie, Westlife, Tina Cousins, B*Witched and Cleopatra.

How did he get into the business?
Pete started his career DJ'ing at friends parties. He went down a storm and was booked to do dance venues for 50p a night. He then got a job as a local DJ.

What do you think of the show so far?
It's good. With all the people involved I had no doubt it was going to be a polished show but whether the public would take to it like they have is a different thing. I don't think anybody could have forecast the way the public has reacted to this show. It shocked me! I thought I was famous until this show - now I know I was never famous before!

Your best Pop Idol moment?
There have been too many to mention but it was probably last Saturday's show when Simon asked Sarah to marry him. I thought that was a great moment!

Your worst Pop Idol moment?
The only bad moment was when I had to do the show while I was ill with shingles. I was in so much pain it was horrendous. I didn't know why I was in so much pain until the next day when the Doctor said I had to go to hospital! I thought it was a shaving rash! Only when I look back, I see how poorly I looked. My God I was ill!

Things you wish you hadn't said...
I wish I hadn't said yes to doing the show! But I don't regret anything I've said because that's what I felt at the time. If I've overstepped the mark and said something that was wrong, I shouldn't have done the show in the first place. I find it amazing that people think I'm nasty sometimes. You say, 'Well, were they any good?' and they say, 'No, they were crap.' 'So was I untruthful?' 'No. But it was the way you said it.' Well, bad news is bad news however you say it.

What sort of reaction have you had from the public?
It's phenomenal - I can't quite handle it. Wherever you go, that's all people talk about. Part of you thinks, 'I'd just love to go out on a Saturday night and enjoy a pint.' But if that's what I wanted, I shouldn't have done the show. I was in the middle of having a pee at lunchtime today and a man asked me to sign an autograph for his daughter!

What are your thoughts on the next round?
I think it's going to get tough now. I've got no favourites whatsoever and I have no idea what's happening next. I'll just turn up, like the public, and will see what happens. I really don't want to know what's going to happen.

NICKI CHAPMAN

Who is she?
A publicist who recently became Creative Director of 19 Management where she works alongside Simon Fuller, the man who made the Spice Girls massive. She also appeared on ITV's Popstars.

Who has she worked with?
The Spice Girls, Take That, Charlotte Church, M People, Kylie Minogue, David Bowie and S Club 7 to name a few.

How did she get started?
At the age of 21, Nicki applied for a promotions job in the music industry. The next day, she called and said I need to know if you want me, I've been offered another job, but this is the one I really want. Needless to say, they hired her.

What do you think of the show so far?
I am amazed and thrilled that it's been so popular. Everybody is talking about it which is very exciting for me because I was there 14 months ago when Simon Fuller came up with the idea. I think the standard of the final 10 is extremely high and the suspense is killing me.

Your best Pop Idol moment?
YMCA girl definitely, that was so entertaining.

Your worst Pop Idol moment?
When the chap threatened to have a fight with Pete. I was petrified because he really meant it.

Things you wish you hadn't said...
'I really enjoyed your performance.' That's what I say when I can't think of anything else. I would like to point out though that my role is very different from that of the other judges. Along with Simon Fuller, I am going to end up managing the winner of Pop Idol, so I have to be careful what I say. That's why I'm not too critical.

What sort of reaction have you had from the public?
Great. I am the friendly face, the one who smiles, so people are always really nice to me. They'll come up and say things like: 'I can't believe what Simon said!' I've also had people sing to me on the street. Recently, I was at Heathrow airport with my mum at 6am when I heard this singing. I looked round and realised it was for me. It was very strange as there I was, waiting to go through the security checks. After they'd finished singing, this guy shouted 'Give us a job, Nicki.' I almost got sung to on a plane, too. The steward told me that they nearly sang to me over the tannoy. I was so glad they didn't as I would've died with embarrassment.

What are your thoughts on the next round?
It's going to be a lot tougher on the contestants and what I think you'll see is big improvements in some of them. What you'll notice is that some of them have more than just great voices. You'll see that they are the whole package. They've got charisma, charm and personality as well as talent.

And finally...
There is a girl who goes into the chat room claiming to be my daughter. I haven't actually got a daughter, but I do read her comments and I'm pleased that she's always really complimentary about me.

DR FOX

Who is he?
A Capital Radio DJ most famous for presenting The Pepsi Chart.

Who has he worked with?
As a top DJ, Foxy has interviewed any pop idol you care to mention.

How did he make it?
Foxy did some DJ'ing while he was at Bath University. He sent a demo tape to Radio Wyvern and they gave him a job as a DJ.

What do you think of the show so far?
I think it's been spectacular, both as a great TV show and as must-see viewing. It's also been awesome in terms of the talent that we've found.

Your best Pop Idol moment?
I have two - the YMCA girl who made me cry with laughter, and me and Simon having a bit of a barney. It got such an amazing reaction from the country, it was weird. I seemed to be speaking for the nation at that moment.

Your worst Pop Idol moment?
Apart from seeing lots of people cry, the worst moment for me was Sarah not getting through. I would have much preferred her to get through than Rik because I think she's got much more chance of being a star. If she'd been in another heat, she may have got through. But I'm sure she'll end up doing something really good. She appeals to both men and women - she's beautiful and talented.

Things you wish you hadn't said...
There's nothing I've said that I didn't mean.

What sort of reaction have you had from the public?
It's been staggering. Everywhere you go, it seems people are addicted to the show. Today, I was at the airport and people were coming up and saying, 'I'm so glad you said that to Simon. We agree with all your comments.' They also say that although they don't like the way he says things, they do actually agree with Simon. The only people who might not agree with him are the family of the person he's slated!

What are your thoughts on the next round?
We're in a different ball game now. The show is live so it's going to sort out the men from the boys. I think we're going to see people, who everyone's being raving about, struggle and people who they thought were underdogs, rise to the top. So far, we've been comparing them to each other, now we'll be comparing them to Robbie Williams, Madonna and Kylie - anyone who can appear on our TV sets on a Saturday night. If they're not stars now, they'll get kicked off. I'm going to be even harsher - I want to see superstars.