Keith fell for Hayley during filming of Popstars: The Rivals Extra, which she presented.

But he says he didn't know who she was at first because he didn't watch Pop Idol, where Hayley made it into the final ten.

The pair are now planning to spend Christmas together.

The pair will front digital channel ITV2's programme Popstars: The Rivals Extra when the series begins on Saturday.

Evetts made it to the last five on Pop Idol and has since helped out on ITV1's This Morning.

She said: "Having been involved in Popstars and Pop Idol, I think I have a unique insight into this fantastic event and can help ease some of the singers' tensions."

"Being behind the scenes this time round, I hope to give the performers some sound advice, or a shoulder to cry on," she added.

As the series progresses viewers will see interviews with the lucky final few as they live together, as well as video diaries in which they talk about their hopes and fears.

Davina McCall will present coverage on the ITV1 version of the show.

She says the first night of the Pop Idol tour at Wembley made her realise the extent of her success.

Evetts has contributed a cover version of That Ole Devil Called Love Again for the new Pop Idol big band LP, which is released on April 8.

She told The Sunday Express: "When you're on live TV there are millions of people watching you but you only see the camera.

"What's happened only really sank in on the first night of the tour when we played Wembley. When you hear that crowd you just think 'Oh my God!'. They you see 11,000 people screaming.

"Last night when I shouted 'Hello Sheffield!' the house lights went up and I'm like 'Oh, there you are'. That was quite scary - but nice scary."

She is proud of her achievements but also confident about her future.

"To go for an audition then, at the end of it, do a tour and release an album is brilliant. Obviously I'd like to be successful but I just take every day as it comes really and don't worry too much. I'm a very positive person. I know that if it's meant to be it will be."

Hayley met the former Take That star backstage at one of the Pop Idol concerts.

She says she wanted to marry Mark when she was younger.

Hayley told OK! magazine: "Anastacia was lovely, but Mark Owen of Take That came backstage at the Manchester gig and I just lost it.

"This was the man I wanted to marry when he was in Take That and there he was telling us how much he enjoyed our stuff. I had to stop for breath."

Hayley is still looking to sign a recording deals, and says she's keeping her options open: "I met with a writer just the other night, who has got some very good ideas for after the tour.

"I'd like to go down the pop route rather than the dance-diva stuff. But it's been great being able to do the This Morning presenting and The Brits as well.

"The other day, Kylie Minogue came up to me and said: 'Oooh, hello you. How you doing?' I was completely gobsmacked."

Hayley appears on the Pop Idol The Big Band Album singing That Ole Devil Called Love. The album is released on April 8.

The singer has just finished a week-long presenting slot on This Morning.

She says her main ambition is to make an album as a pop singer.

Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh have both been signed to Simon Cowell's BMG label, while Rik Waller has signed a separate deal.

Hayley adds that she hopes to remain friends with Pop Idol winner Will Young.

A viewer vote will decide which one of four songs they will perform.

Evetts is appearing all this week on the This Morning show Inside Pop Idol, which will review ITV's recent talent competition.

The four songs are Jennifer Rush's Power Of Love, Berlin's Take My Breath Away, Eternal Flame - popularised recently by Atomic Kitten - and Whitney Houston's One Moment In Time.

Viewers are being asked to phone in with their votes.

The numbers are:

The Power of Love - 09011 900 921

Take My Breath Away - 09011 900 922

Eternal Flame - 09011 900 923

One Moment In Time - 09011 900 924

Evetts will also be taking part in the upcoming Pop Idol stadium tour.

Fellow reject Hayley Evetts has also decided to stay in London to support the remaining trio of Gareth Gates, Darius Danesh and William Young.

Pop Idol returns this Saturday at 6.10pm.

Evetts said: "I've been in the flat ever since I was voted off. It's weird being there when you're not taking part in the show, but I've enjoyed myself.

I'm not ready to go home yet and I want to be around for Zoe because I know exactly how she feels.

Hayley watched the show on Saturday, but refused to sit in the studio audience.

"It would have been too painful. I don't think I could have stopped myself from shouting out when the judges made nasty comments and said they thought Zoe would go."

She has known the contestant for more than a year, after working with her on Popstars.

Hayley lost out in the public vote after singing a rendition of That Ol' Devil Called Love on Saturday night.

"I've known Hayley the longest because I worked with her on Popstars," says Nicki.

"It was so sad to see her go because she's a great singer and she gave a fantastic performance."

Pop Idol's ITV2 presenter Kate Thornton says she also cried when she heard the news of Hayley's departure from the show.

"I've never cried on air before but Hayley is someone I consider as a mate," she said.

"I've really bonded with the girls over the last five months, especially with Hayley.

"She's extremely talented and a really nice person so I'm genuinely sad to see her go. I just hope the music industry appreciates her talent and signs her up straight away."

The 26-year-old from Birmingham has already appeared in ITV's Pop Idol's forerunner Popstars.

But Hayley is no stranger to the music industry, having featured previously on two singles.

The first, a single called More, has just been released by Cream Records. She has also appeared on a charity single for a Birmingham hospice.

But of the moment she was voted out in last night's show, Hayley said: "It just went really silent. I cried when they showed the montage at the end and there was sobbing from Zoe and Will. We just gave each other a hug."

Despite high praise from all the judges following her rendition of That Ol' Devil Called Love, they correctly predicted her departure.

Judge Simon Cowell's comment that she had been had been "so sexy" had left her "speechless", not least because her father was in the audience and some of the production team made jokes about it.

She added: "I did not know what to say, I was quite speechless."

Hayley also told of the contestants' shock when a row erupted between Cowell and another of the judges, Pete Waterman. Waterman angrily criticised Cowell's disparaging comments to Darius Danesh, suggesting he wasn't hearing right.

Hayley said: "We were sat there looking at each other. I think we were a bit shocked. I said: 'Oh my God."'

She contracted tuberculosis and had to be put in an isolation ward when she was 14.

Hayley is one of the five remaining contestants on the ITV show.

Her mum Karen Evetts says Hayley is lucky to still have her singing voice after the illness.

Online bookmakers Blue Square quote odds of 1/2 on Hayley being the next to go.

Darius Danesh is the second favourite at 2/1.

She became ill with an allergy to seafood which left her unable to eat anything for almost a week.

Hayley says the adrenaline of performing on the ITV show is also taking away her appetite.

"I was really ill and the weight fell off,' she says.

"Everybody keeps telling me I'm too thin now and I agree. I do need to put a bit on, so I am eating plenty, taking a tonic and drinking one of those build-yourself-up formulas.

"Until I was 22, I was really skinny, but I went on to develop a curvier figure which I really liked. Now, I'm anxious to get it back."

She sang That Ol' Devil Called Love and the judges were unanimous in their praise.

The 25-year-old's sultry performance prompted judge Simon Cowell to tell her she was "so sexy".

Fellow judge Pete Waterman added: "You smouldered, I wanted to just grab you."

But they correctly predicted that the two million people who voted would choose to get rid of Hayley.

Darius Danesh provoked a furious shouting match between Cowell and Waterman over his rendition of Let's Face The Music and Dance.

Cowell said Darius had given the worst performance of the night but Waterman described the performance as "brilliant".

Glaswegian Darius, 20, got his own back by taking a swipe at record company executive Cowell, who has a habit of belting his trousers high above his waist.

After hearing Cowell's comments, he said: "With your waistband being so high you might want to undo it one notch, because it might be restricting the blood flow to your head."