Bradford’s Gareth Gates is celebrating Valentine’s Day in a new show featuring romantic songs from much-loved musicals.

The singer, who shot to fame a decade ago on the first series of Pop Idol, joins celebrated West End theatre star Scarlett Strallen, who has starred in Mary Poppins, in Valentine’s at the Musicals.

The show features romantic songs from West End and Broadway musicals, such as My Funny Valentine from Pal Joey, Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You from Jersey Boys and Last Night of the World from Miss Saigon. Former Bradford Cathedral choirboy Gareth, 26, who is married to dancer Suzanne Mole and has a two-year-old daughter, Missy, was runner-up to Will Young on Pop Idol in 2002.

Plagued by a stammer since childhood, Gareth struggled to say his name at his Pop Idol audition but went on to win viewers’ hearts with his singing voice. He later became a speech coach with the McGuire Programme after using the technique to help control his stammer.

After Pop Idol, the East Bowling teenager was signed up by Simon Cowell and had a Number 1 hit with Unchained Melody, which became the biggest-selling single of the last decade, selling 1.3 million copies.

In 2006, after a string of singles and albums, it was reported Gareth had been dropped by his record company, BMG. That year he appeared in a television documentary called Whatever Happened To Gareth Gates? and signed a new record deal.

His third album, Pictures of the Other Side, was released in 2007.

In 2008 he appeared on ITV’s Dancing on Ice and the following year he moved into musical theatre, playing the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the West End. He recently played Marius in the 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables. Last year it was reported that Gareth had made £6.5 million from his career so far. Valentine’s at the Musicals is at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on February 13 and the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on February 14.