JUST when you thought it was safe to go back out into the world again along comes Pete Waterman with another of those tacky shows to find us a pop band that we really don't want.

This time a group of girls and a group of boys will battle it out for the coveted Christmas number one single, but personally I don't know why they are bothering because knowing the British public it's almost certainly a foregone conclusion that the boys will get to number one.

And the Rivals bandwagon will be rolling into Manchester next week to pick up the people who didn't make it on either Popstars or Pop Idol.

But the pop wannabees needn't worry about having the desire, commitment or talent to stay at the top once they are given the multi million pound helping hand up the career ladder.

Because it seems that once you've won one of these talent shows and had a couple of hits with a mediocre song that was originally written for someone else and dated someone more famous than you, you can do just about anything.

Kym from Hear'Say is proving that theory right at the moment as she prepares to marry Eastenders star Jack Ryder. The Wigan lass hasn't done anything except get herself photographed shopping in IKEA and picking up her wedding dress.

But Pop Rivals judge Geri Halliwell should be able to give anyone looking to pursue their career in this way every bit of help they need. After all she has made a career out of doing just that.

After leaving the Spice Girls in 1998 she has sought publicity in every way possible rather than actually produce some decent songs, which is what she is supposedly famous for.

So, we can now only look forward to a predictably obvious ending to the year. And what's worse is, it will become compulsive viewing, and the band that ends up coming second will still be the winner in the end - it's what's happened every other time.