Michelle McManus (born 8 May 1980, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish singer, actress and television personality who won the second series of Pop Idol in 2003. McManus has been only briefly successful as a recording artist.

Music career

McManus's first album, The Meaning of Love, reached number 3, while the title track only reached number 16. The best performing track from the album was the first release "All This Time", which debuted at number one on the UK Singles Charts in January 2004, and stayed there for three weeks.

In July 2005, McManus parted with management company 19 Entertainment, and signed up with Sanctuary Entertainment. She is currently recording and writing a new album, which is set to be released in 2007. McManus appeared on the TV show Loose Women, confirming that she wants to take her time with her second album, to make sure it is something she can be proud of.

Other projects

On 22 June 2005 she appeared in a 60-minute television special of You Are What You Eat with the author and TV personality Gillian McKeith. Currently McManus has lost 10 stone, and is planning on losing more to get to her target of 10 stone and a size 12. McManus has said she may have surgery to remove excess skin from around her arms, legs and stomach. A follow up was broadcast on the 13 December 2005, which caught up on how she was doing since the last programme.

McManus also released a book in December 2005, You Are What You Eat: Michelle's Diary which documented her journey from winning Pop Idol to appearing on You Are What You Eat to recording her second album.

In late 2005, McManus was a guest reporter for the BBC One travel show Departure Lounge.

McManus is currently presenting a show on Scottish radio station Clyde 1, and she presented the Scottish votes during the BBC's Making Your Mind Up 2006 programme.

In November 2006, McManus was a reporter on BBC Children in Need live from Scotland. In December 2006 she released a successful fitness DVD.

She has more recently been seen in the UK tour of The Vagina Monologues and can currently be heard as the presenter of Let's do the show right here on BBC Radio Scotland.

From December 2007, McManus will be seen in a run of the Musical Discotivity at the Arts Theatre in London's West End.

Discography

Albums

• Pop Idol: The Idols - The Xmas Factor (December 2003)
• The Meaning Of Love (February 2004) #3 UK

Singles

• "All This Time" (January 2004) #1 UK
• "The Meaning of Love" (April 2004) #16 UK