SO the smile beat the stutter.Britain watched, in the throes of helpless obsession, as outsider Will Young was hailed as the conqueror of Gareth Gates.

Will's 4.6 million votes trounced Gareth's 4.1, and the whole vote broke British TV records.

Forget Big Brother, the election and, er, Opportunity Knocks. This was the apex of our fame-obsessed culture.

But oh, what fun.

The pubs of York were quieter than usual for a Saturday night, because most fans watched from their living rooms, but pockets of fans could still be found.

Gareth fan Melanie Lincoln saw the show in the Northern Wall, in Fossgate.

Before the result, she said: "I'm a singer myself, so I'm sympathising tonight.

"I'm in the finals of a contest in Bridlington, where there's a £1,000 prize. It's not quite the same, but it means a lot to me."

Rebecca Jackson had a different view: "Will is like Robbie (Williams) and Gareth is like Ronan (Keating, ex-Boyzone). Given that choice, wouldn't anyone go for Robbie?"

Despite this sentiment, Will's coronation surprised most people; Gareth was installed as the favourite weeks ago. Many polls, including one in the Evening Press, put him in front by a mile. So what happened?

Will voter Rosie Patrick, of Hull Road, offered an answer.

"I reckon all the Gareth fans thought he had it in the bag; they didn't need to vote," she said.

"And all the Will fans knew they had to work extra hard to get the result, so they rang in droves."

Well, maybe, but already, Gareth's family have cried "fix". Surely, though, this fuss will be forgotten in short order, and it will all just start again.

One person who probably won't be involved next time is York's Hayley Bamford.

A top 50 finisher, music and theatre student Hayley was invited down, along with other late losers, to join the victor on stage for the final song.

It gave the producers the perfect tableau: Will borne aloft by adoring comrades, all rivalry forgotten. Then, as the cameras went off, things changed. Hayley and her cohorts were barred from the party, given £20 each, and ushered out into the night.

Hayley, who backed Will, said: "I'd have to think hard about going through it all again. But I probably won't be able to resist the temptation.

"I suppose, if nothing's happening for me at the time, I'll give it another go."

There is some consolation for Hayley. At least one agent has shown an interest in her, and she'll soon be off to London to seek fame under her own steam.

Here's to ya, Hayley. There's always another chance, and Will Young will come and go.

Just ask Rick Astley.

Updated: 11:25 Monday, February 11, 2002