We've had Big Brother and we've had Popstars. Now a new BBC programme, which starts tonight, aims to combine the two.

Fame Academy will pluck 12 pop hopefuls from obscurity and hot-house them in a mansion in North London for the next three months.

inside the fame academy

Their skills will be honed by performers such as Robbie Williams and David Gray.

The catch is that each week, one will be voted out, leaving just one eventual winner in the Fame Academy,

This morning on Breakfast, we found out exactly what's in store for the showbiz hopefuls, from the head of the academy and it's choreographer.

Eleven contestants have been chosen so far. The twelfth will be picked tonight (Friday). Their ages range between 18 and 31 - and two of the hopefuls already have recording contracts.

"We are going to run this as any academy should be run" the head teacher Richard Park told us.

Could this be the new Nasty Nigel?

"We are going to have rules..They will need to concentrate and give one hundred per cent and be completely focused. "

During their three-month stay, the Fame Academy contenders will be expected to get up at 6.30am for their first work-out.

Their food will be chosen for them by their choreographer - and they'll be expected to eat healthily.

And, it seems, Park himself may be shaping up for the role played by "Nasty Nigel" in the ITV series pop stars.

On Tuesday's show, he'll be "grading" his pupils. Those who don't make the grade will have to sing on Friday's programme - and the worst one will be booted out.

"The students are between 18 and 31 years old. I think they are more mature than on some other shows, " says Richard Park.

"They are going to be a pretty sanguine group of people. It will be interesting to see how they relate socially."

	:	BBC Fame Academy
Meet the contestants

Fame Academy begins tonight on BBC One at 8.30pm