Yates's wannabes hit the right note

Three months ago, we mentioned that Yates's was running a talent contest to find Britain's newest pop star. Would you believe more than 12,000 contestants thought they had what it takes and entered? Judging by the amount of screeching that Snifter has heard when occasionally visiting a pub holding a karaoke night, a fair amount of sympathy must go to Yates's judges. Heats were held in 80 Yates's outlets and the screechers eliminated, with just 10 contestants going forward to a sing-off at the pubco's Leicester Square branch. The winner was Ryan Smith of Croydon, who walked away with a cheque for £10,000 and other prizes worth £5,000. The judges included Carrie Grant, who appeared as a singing coach on TV's Fame Academy and Pop Idol, and Keavy Lynch of girl band B*Witched. Evidently, members of the audience gargled their way through 1,500 bottles of Bacardi Breezer during the final. Yates's marketing manager Daniel James said the entire promotion had been a "tremendous success and had generated upturns in sales on off-peak nights".