Popworld

Did You Know?

• Popworld launched a magazine of the same name in 2003, but production stopped after one year.
• A weekly magazine called Popworld Pulp launched in April 2007 with 130,000 copies, but was axed after a week due to selling only 7% of its newsagent allocation.

History

Popworld began as a website founded by pop mogul Simon Fuller in 2000, with an accompanying show first transmitted daily at teatime on E4 aimed at a pre-adolescent audience. The original hosts were Nickelodeon presenter Simon Amstell and 16-year-old Miquita Oliver. Initial ratings were dismal, but improved as Amstell and Oliver gained greater control over what they could say and their relationship warmed. The programme joined Channel 4's T4 youth strand in spring 2001.

Early series featured Leigh Francis as the character Barry Gibson. During Amstell and Oliver's tenure, the show employed surreal humour and references to Jewish culture in the United Kingdom, such as Amstell reading The Jewish Chronicle. The tone grew increasingly dry and sarcastic, with singers and bands subtly mocked by 2004 and more overtly thereafter. Notable incidents included openly gay Amstell coming on to homophobic reggae star Beenie Man, Britney Spears walking out of an interview in tears, and The Kooks refusing a second interview after Amstell's repeated references to the singer's ex-girlfriend Katie Melua.

In February 2006, Amstell and Oliver announced their departure; Alex Zane and Alexa Chung took over until the series finale in July 2007.