World Idol

infobox television
show_name = World Idol


format = Interactive reality game show

starring =
country = UK
network = various
first_aired = 2003
last_aired= 2004ParticipantsPlacement (Points)
"Winner" (106) "2nd" (97) "3rd" (83) "4th" (80) "5th" (72) "6th" (62) "7th" (56) "8th" (55) "9th" (45) "9th" (45) "11th" (36)

"World Idol" ("Germany:" SuperStar Weltweit, "Middle East:" SuperStar El Alaam) was the title of a one-off international version of the television show "Pop Idol", featuring winners of the various national "Idol" shows around the world competing against each other.

The performance show was held on December 25 2003, with the results show held on January 1 2004. It was made in the UK, using the set from the recently completed second series of Pop Idol. After presenting the competitors, viewers from the 11 participating countries were allowed to vote by telephone, but not for the participant from their home country. All participants sang in English except for Diana Karazon, who sang in Arabic. British presenters Ant and Dec hosted the show in all english speaking countries, while local presenters hosted for their own country in the local language. The only exeption to Ant and Dec's english speaking role was that CTV edited the show in Canada to use "Canadian Idol" host Ben Mulroney instead (the show on Fox, which used Ant and Dec as hosts, was not simulcast with the CTV feed, to prevent Canadians from calling the American toll-free Number to vote for Ryan Malcolm). Victoria Beckham performed her UK #3 hit "Let Your Head Go" during the results interval.

Judge Simon Cowell (from the original Pop Idol) was very critical of the format. He went as far as saying he hated it, in that it made the winners from the ten other "Idol" competitions into losers. Cowell also thought many of the judges were trying to copy his abrasive style. Television critics also panned the program, particularly as the UK phone voting was profit-making, whereas tradition dictates that Christmas specials of such programmes donate profits to charity.

Results

The points awarded (Eurovision style) were:

_{Each country's Idol automatically gained the maximum 12 points. Therefore the most points an Idol could gain from another country was 10}

Judges

The judges of the competition were:
* Randall Abrahams (South Africa)
* Simon Cowell (representing United States, is also judge on original UK show)
* Nina De Man (Belgium)
* Ian "Dicko" Dickson (Australia)
* Shona Fraser (Germany)
* Jan Fredrik Karlsen (Norway)
* Elias Rahbani (Pan-Arabia)
* Henkjan Smits (Netherlands)
* Pete Waterman (United Kingdom)
* Zack Werner (Canada)
* Kuba Wojewódzki (Poland)