Gareth beats Will to the millions

Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates is on course to earn more in single sales and advertising deals than winner Will Young.

Young, 23, has so far earned £650,000 from 1.1 million sales of his current No1 single Evergreen/Anything is Possible.

But Gates, 17, who releases his debut single Unchained Melody today, has already signed contracts and earned royalties worth an estimated £2.7 million.

Music stores have ordered 1.3 million copies of his song to meet demand, earning him at least £1 million, and his record company BMG is ready to press another 700,000 copies.

Some music insiders are predicting Unchained Melody could overtake Elton John's Candle in the Wind which sold 1.5 million in its first week.

Gates has already won a £1 million advertising contract for Wella Shock Waves.

Pepsi, which is paying him £750,000 to front its campaign, has said: "Gareth fits our brand of mainstream pop better than Will who is more jazz and blues."

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