So you wanna be a pop star? Do you have thick enough skin to take the heat? That will be a question answered by the new Fox television series, �Pop Idol�, the latest wanna-be pop themed series to hit television. (Hey it�s Fox, they have to copy every idea or they wouldn�t be, well Fox). 

The new series in the American version of the hit British show from last year, where aspiring pop stars strut their stuff before a panel made up of industry judges. So it�s a little bit like the now defunct Star Search, which gave Britney Spears among others their first national exposure. 

The star panel on hand when a reporter for the New York Post watched the tapping of the show last week included industry veterans Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and record producer Simon Cowell. 
 
"That was the worst rendition of a Stevie Wonder song I've ever heard," the New York Post has Cowell telling a wanna-be "Pop Idol" contestant during the show's New York auditions. "You're killing me." 

"I cannot bear the thought of patronizing or lying to somebody I think is useless," Cowell told The Post. Cowell�s no-holds-barred criticism earned him the nickname �Mr Nasty� among British viewers who watched him in action on the hit British incarnation of the show last year. 

It appears Cowell�s co-panelist are not quite as mean spirited in their criticism. 
"I understand the mentality, but why shatter someone's dreams?" Abdul told the Post. "Talent always shines through."

Jackson opts to be honest but in a more gentle way, �"I say to all these kids: you're not competing with your friends, you're competing with your idols. If you love Whitney Houston, you're competing with her. They need to be great, not just good."

Like other series of its kind, the winner is promised a record deal. The judges have thus far visited six cities, watching pop star hopefuls deliver two songs each before casting judgment upon them, deciding whether they will go on to the next round. The series is set to debut on June 11th and will feature around ten wanna-be pop stars each week and viewers will be asked to phone in their votes. Through a process of elimination the field will be narrowed down to two contestants, with viewers voting to decide who will be the ultimate winner.