About Michelle McManus
Michelle McManus (born 8 May 1980) is a Scottish singer, columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter who won the second and final series of the UK talent show Pop Idol in 2003. She formerly presented the Afternoon radio show broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, and is the host of The Entertainment Mix (2024–present) which airs on BBC Scotland. In January 2004, McManus became the first Scottish female artist to debut atop the UK Singles Chart with a debut single. McManus's debut single, "All This Time", entered the UK Singles Chart at number one in January 2004. Her debut album, The Meaning of Love, was released in February 2004, and debuted at number one on the Scottish Albums Charts and number three on the UK Albums Chart. Later that year, BMG dropped McManus from the label, and in 2007 she founded her own record label, McMannii Records. Later that year, McManus released a promotional single, "Just For You" from her then upcoming second album Dancing to a Different Beat, which was scheduled for release in 2008, but the release was eventually shelved. A return to music in 2012 saw the release of "Take You There", a duet with Mànran, which reached number seventy on the Scottish Singles Charts, and in 2017, McManus was a featured vocalist as part of the Choirs with Purpose release "We All Stand Together". From 2009 to 2011, McManus was a co-presenter of STV's lifestyle magazine show The Hour, originally alongside Stephen Jardine and later Tam Cowan. She was also a columnist for the Glasgow Times until 2018. In 2019, McManus released her second album, the Christmas inspired Michelle McManus' Winter Wonderland, featuring the SoundSational Community Choir. In 2023, McManus released the single "Christmas Glow", and featured in a BBC Scotland documentary highlighting her Pop Idol win in 2003 and subsequent career titled Michelle McManus: Talent Show Winners. In January 2004, McManus made history when she became the first Scottish female artist to debut atop the UK Singles Chart with a debut single. When McManus won the competition, judge Pete Waterman stormed off the Pop Idol set in protest; he later branded her "rubbish".
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.