THE Popstars TV programme may have captivated the nation but it has left Padiham girl band singer Marie Atkinson grating her teeth. DAVID HIGGERSON reports. GIRL pop/rock group Bliss chased fame and fortune for two years, only to see the five members of TV "discoveries" Hearsay win success overnight.

But it isn't jealousy that makes singer Marie Atkinson, 18, annoyed.

"First of all they put them through those agonising auditions, which were televised, then they were subjected to ridicule and now they are being told how to act and how to look.

"I wouldn't like that.

"I like my independence."

Pausing for breath, I had hoped Marie was through with her tirade against the manufactured group.

But she added: "The whole idea for the programme is wrong.

"Instead of putting five people who look good and can sing together, they should have gone out to the pubs and clubs of Britain and found the groups who were already together, singing and entertaining."

Had Nasty Nigel and Co done as Marie suggested, then undoubtedly Bliss would have been in the running.

For nearly two years, Bliss have travelled the country chasing success.

They began by singing in pubs and clubs in East Lancashire before progressing to festivals, radio shows and, at the end of last year, a warm-up gig at Wembley before Steps came on stage.

The week before they had been playing Accrington Town Hall. Then this year, two of the band members -- Abigail Jackson and Laura Heyworth -- left to follow other musical interests, something, they surely couldn't have done had they been picked up by Popstars.

Within days, two replacements had been lined up in the form of Lorna-Jayne Heaton and Antonia Robbins.

Bliss was re-born, much to the delight of Marie, a former pupil of Ivy Bank High School, Burnley, pupil and currently a student at Burnley College.

She said: "When I set my mind on something, I go out and get it."

As her stunning figure suggests, sport and physical fitness are subjects close to her heart.

She said: "I have always wanted to be a star but it has only come to the forefront in the last couple of years because sport was always my big thing at school.

"But now I am in Bliss I am determined to succeed and do things properly.

"We have started in the pubs and clubs and worked our way up.

"I think this year is going to be our year. We have done all the hard work and, once we have finished recording some new songs, it should be up, up and away for us."

Despite aiming high, Marie keeps a level head. Hence the reason she is currently juggling her mock A-level exams with gigs and TV appearances. She is taking law, computer studies and sports studies. On Thursday, she balanced two mock A-levels with an appearance on Granada Tonight. Blonde Marie added: "At the moment I just want to get the A-levels out of the way.

"Bliss for me is being able to forget about them for a few weeks so I can concentrate on working on Bliss.

"We have a few gigs lined up from April, including the Party On The Pier with Radio City in Liverpool, and we will be touring schools with them. But I know how fickle the music industry can be.

"I just want to have the A-levels in the bag so if it all goes wrong I have something to fall back on."

The temptation of another dig at the Popstars phenomenon proved too much to resist.

She added: "At least when we hit the big time and appear at the Brits, we won't have to be worried about being booed at by the music industry."