Pop Idol managers 'naive'

Waterman (left) often had differing views from Cowell (right)

Pop Idol pundit Pete Waterman has criticised fellow judge Simon Cowell and other managers of the show's winner Will Young for not letting him appear on a music TV show.

Young, who recently became the fastest-selling artist in UK history, is the first number one star not to appear on the BBC's Top of the Pops despite being available for the show.

I would've let him do one song

Pete Waterman

Waterman, who is also a successful producer, said the star's managers were "naive" for demanding that Young sing both songs from his double A-side single.

Producers of the BBC show said he would only be able to sing one song - or a medley - but will now screen a video instead after Young's record company refused to back down.

Cowell is head of S Records - which Young is signed to - and sat on the show's judging panel alongside Waterman, a successful songwriter and record producer.

"I would've let him do one song," Waterman told BBC's Hard Talk programme.

Will Young will sing on ITV1's CD:UK, reports say

"I think his management will find it great publicity but I think his management are naive to ask the BBC to change their rules of a lifetime to do two tracks."

It could open the floodgates for labels to ask for entire shows to be devoted to their acts, he said.

"Next the artist will want three tracks and then four tracks and in fact why don't you have us on the whole of Top Of The Pops because we've got a greatest hits out."

But Young has been allowed to sing two songs on ITV1 show CD:UK on Saturday morning, according to press reports.

The singer is managed by 19 Management, run by ex-Spice Girls svengali Simon Fuller, who created Pop Idol with Cowell.

Waterman was behind the success of Steps

They are hoping to set the singer up for a long, successful career after the debut single, Evergreen/Anything Is Possible, sold more than 1.1 million copies in its first week of release.

But Waterman rejected claims that managers would have a stranglehold over Young's career and earnings.

The management company would take 20% of his earnings for 12 years with a 10% option on the following six years, he said.

But he said that would never be enforced.

"Trust me. I can put anything I want on a piece of paper. It's not worth the piece of paper its written on," he said.

"You know that if they [the artists] don't want to work with you they walk. You can't stop them."

Waterman was the man behind hits by acts including Kylie Minogue, Steps and Bananarama.