Love it or loathe it, you can't ignore it. Pop Idol reaches the final tonight and, with ten million viewers expected, the show itself is the overall winner. Steve Pratt explains its appeal.

Only one question is on the lips of the viewing public tonight: Gareth or Will?. And it's an indication of exactly how thoroughly ITV's talent-spotting Pop Idol show has insinuated its way into the consciousness of the public that you can simply state Gareth or Will and most people will know exactly who you're talking about, without resorting to surnames or further explanation.

There may be a few who've been in a coma or alcoholic stupor for the past four months, and think Pop Idol is a work-shy father, but the rest of us are all too familiar with the highs and lows, ups and downs of the youngsters vying for the Pop Idol title and a record deal that practically guarantees them a Number One hit.

Another TV talent show didn't seem an obvious attraction after sitting through Big Brother, Popstars and Soap Stars. The fascination for watching unknown members of the public willing to do anything for their 15 minutes of fame and fortune was wearing thin. I tried to stay away from Pop Idol but was sucked in after a few weeks. It's addictive and, as yet, they don't manufacture a patch to stop you watching it.

Things didn't begin promisingly. The first few programmes of the mass auditions, as 100,000 hopefuls took part in what was billed as "the most exciting TV talent contest ever", seemed like a re-run of every other talent show of its ilk. The good, the bad and the downright untuneful subjected the judging panel - and viewers - to a medley of frequently unappealing sounds.

But the series gradually took hold as the hopefuls were whittled down to 100, then 50, which is when viewers took over to decide who was knocked out each week.

Initially, the idea of only one person from the final ten being eliminated each week in the closing stages seemed like a cynical money-making exercise. Surely, this was stretching an idea well beyond breaking point. The only winners were the programme makers who pocket a percentage of every phone vote, a considerable sum when you consider that 5.8 million votes were received for the semi-final.

But the method of reducing the final ten has proved inspired, not so much a singing competition as a gladiatorial spectacle, with the stage as the arena and viewers as spectators who give the thumbs up to the hopefuls they want to survive.

Everyone has their favourite. Here at The Northern Echo it's been an emotional cheering for Darlington student Zoe Birkett, the 16-year-old with the big voice, big talent and big future - even if she failed to make the final.

It's been a rollercoaster of emotions with enough tears (from the winners) and tantrums (from the judges) to rival a week in the life of Albert Square's Slater family. The contestants do their best and then face the double humiliation of standing there listening to the judges' criticism and then the dreadful wait before the result of the viewers' vote is announced.

Contestants have conformed to the "all human life is here" rule. They came in a variety of shapes and sizes with an array of accents and fashion sense.

There was illness, with Rik's departure with a bad throat saving everyone from having to decide whether an overweight pop idol was a valid proposition.

And there was the return of a face from the past, Darius, to fill Rik's place in the last ten. The Popstars reject gave himself a new look by shaving off his goatee beard and cutting off his ponytail, but couldn't disguise the arrogance that earned him the boot on the previous TV talent show.

Even the judges proved they'd been cast well. Nicky Chapman, a Popstars veteran, was the nice, sensible one. DJ Dr Fox was the voice of reason. Pete Waterman played grumpy git to fellow record producer Simon Cowell's Mr Nasty. No talent show should be without the equivalent of a pantomime King Rat. Of course, Cowell wasn't really nasty, just telling the truth without covering his criticism in a sugar coating like the others.

Even if you didn't watch the show, you couldn't ignore Pop Idol. Other media - TV, radio and press - have conspired, as they did previously with Big Brother and Popstars, to provide a running commentary on hopefuls' progress during the six days between programmes. The Monday morning office talk wasn't so much about what happened in Coronation Street as who'd been kicked off Pop Idol.

Now there are two - Gareth and Will (listed in alphabetical order to avoid any accusation of favouritism). The former has looked the likely winner from the start although last week's voting put only 29,000 votes between him and Will. The big question now is where will the 1.2 million votes that went to Darius end up tonight?

Gareth, with his spikey hair and stutter, has women of all ages wanting to smother him with kisses or mother him with kindness. Although Will has the better voice and wider range, Gareth just looks and sings more like a pop idol.

Whoever wins, the singing careers of all the final ten are likely to benefit from their appearances. Some already have record contracts. Others, including Zoe, are in discussions. All ten will appear in concert at London's Wembley Arena before going on a nationwide tour. Their fame looks like extending well beyond the prescribed 15 minutes. And with ratings climbing every week - and more than ten million viewers expected tonight - Pop Idol 2 can't be far behind.

* Pop Idol is on ITV tonight at 7.10pm with an update at 9pm and the result at 10.05pm