FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MOST SUCCESSFUL FAME CREATOR OF THE CENTURY, SIMON FULLER, SPEAKS EXCLUSIVELY TO TIME ABOUT HIS LATEST PLANS The creative force behind Po

LONDON 28.10.2002 (PROTEXT) - In this weeks issue (November4), TIME reveals the plans and future projects of Simon Fuller,king of music reality TV and creator of the hugely successful TVshow, Pop Idol. In a rare and exclusive interview with TIME, theBritish entrepreneur speaks about the evolution of music realityTV and his future plans. TIME details Fullers brand new reality TV concept, a talentcontest for faded stars who will compete for a comeback.Collaborating with U.S. network Fox, Fuller says, Its [the show]where we go to people who have had a taste of fame, but sadlytheir candle has been snuffed. The show, with a working title ofSecond Chance Idol, is Fullers solution to the saturation in thereality TV market. Giving stars a second chance to flourish,Fuller tells TIME that, The clever thing is to take it [realityTV] and parody it. Never done before, the show could reach U.K.sscreens as early as next February and audiences will get tochoose between famed old names like Tiffany, Vanilli (from MilliVanilli) and Debbie Gibson. TIME reflects on Fullers phenomenal success with Pop Idol, theT.V. show that received 32 million viewer telephone calls whenthe audience voted for its favourite performer. Scheduled for asecond series in the U.K., it also did equally well in the U.S.as American Idol, commanding $60 million through sponsorship andad revenue. Coca-Cola and Ford, the headline sponsors havealready signed on for the next series. The show will also debutin Germany on November 9 as Germany Seeks A Superstar, and willpresent some of the 10,000 hopefuls who have flocked from fourcities. TIME shows how Fuller gained credibility while working withAnnie Lennox for twelve years. He also managed the famous SpiceGirls who under his direction sold over 40 million albumsworldwide and he later launched the music band, S Club 7, whichhad its own TV show and sold more than 7 million CDs. In 1985Fuller founded 19, a privately-held group of companies namedafter his first hit act; a synthesizer- heavy song about theaverage age of Vietnam veterans. TIME reports Fullers other upcoming projects in the U.S. thatinclude a movie, Ajs, which Fuller describes as a cross betweenFame and Grease and a reality TV show called Superstar Girl thatwill reinvent the beauty pageant. As TIME explores the evolution of reality TV shows, it chartsthe successes and failures of the industry and reflects on agenre that is said to have become as essential to modern dayculture as drama and comedy. For the full article please go towww.timeeurope.com. The international editions of TIME magazine are publishedspecifically for readers outside of the United States. There arefour regional publications covering Europe, the Middle East andAfrica; Asia; the South Pacific and Canada. Each edition offersreaders access to Time Inc.'s global resources with regional,relevant stories. TIME is Europe's leading weekly newsmagazine,with a circulation of 600,090 across EMEA and 315,000 in Asia.Founded in 1923, TIMEs worldwide circulation is more than 5.6million.

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For further information please contact:

Emma Gilpin Heather TomlinsonDirector of Public Affairs PR Manager TIMEEurope TIME Europe T:+44 (0) 207 322 1193 T: + 44 (0) 207 322 1034F: +44 (0) 207 322 1181 F: + 44 (0) 207 322 1181M: + 44 (0) 7802 955 243 M: +44 (0) 7734072 662 Email: emma.gilpin@timeinc.com

Email:heather.tomlinson@timeinc.com

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