Jarvis criticises TV talent shows

Jarvis Cocker was one of Britpop's biggest stars

Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has criticised TV talent shows such as Pop Idol and the X Factor, saying the winners never have "good voices".

Speaking to the Radio Times, the 43-year-old said he thinks contestants only get through if their voices betrayed "zero personality".

"It saddens me because I love pop music and these shows prove that it's become an industrialised process," he said.

Cocker recently released his first solo album called Jarvis.

The star, who led one of the biggest bands of the Britpop era, said: "They never pick people with great voices. They pick people who show off how many notes they can fit into a 10-second period.

The kind of pop I was brought up on is over Jarvis Cocker

"A great voice expresses something and gives you some idea of the personality behind the voice. There's zero personality in the voices of any of the people who sing on these shows."

The Sheffield-born singer admitted he would "be straight out" if he appeared on a TV talent show.

"The kind of pop I was brought up on is over," he said.

"The pop charts used to be where everything happened. Now the most interesting stuff is happening outside in the independent music sector."

Jarvis Cocker invaded Michael Jackson's Brits performance in 1996

He also confessed he regretted the publicity he received following the stage invasion of Michael Jackson's performance at the Brits in 1996.

"There is an obsession with celebrity in our society, but I think people are starting to realise that it really isn't very nice," he said.

He said he was disappointed people still remembered the stunt. "I would rather people remember me for what I create," he added.

Cocker will play at the Royal Festival Hall on 23 June as part of the Meltdown festival.