Pop Idol star Gareth Gates gets Wednesbury into the Christmas spirit
Pop Idol runner up and musical theatre star Gareth Gates helped Wednesbury get into the festive spirit as he switched on the town's Christmas lights.
The pop star, known for his cover of Unchained Melody as well as playing the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, performed the honours at the switch-on event in the town centre last night.
Hundreds of people turned out to see Gates, who mingled with the crowds as well as performing two of his hits, the Elvis classic Suspicious Minds and Spirit in the Sky, before pressing the plunger with help from other guests including a Queen Elsa lookalike, from Frozen, and Wednesbury poet laureate Brendan Hawthorne.
Other guests included the Deputy Mayor of Sandwell Councillor Shirley Hosell.
Wednesbury councillor Elaine Costigan said: "It was absolutely fantastic, a great turnout, even more than we expected.
"These events are so important because they get people off of their sofas and out into the town to have some fun.
"I am so happy with the way it all turned out," she said.
Stalls lined the streets for the event for people to explore and there were also other attractions including a fun-fair and a local school choir.
Gates appeared on the 2002 series of Pop Idol and although he lost out to Will Young he was soon signed by Simon Cowell's record label BMG.
The singer said: "I did a performance in Wednesbury a few months ago and it sold out and it was so much fun.
"I wanted to come back and do something else in the town and this was the opportunity," added the singer, who has family in the West Midlands.
Elsewhere in Sandwell, Christmas lights were also switched on in Tipton last night while West Bromwich lights will be switched on tonight.
