New face steps in at Hear'Say

LONDON, England -- The manufactured pop band Hear'Say have named their newest member -- 23-year-old unknown singer Johnny Shentall.

Shentall, whose girlfriend is Lisa Scott-Lee of the former teen band Steps, replaces Kym Marsh who quit the made-on-TV group last month blaming backstage bust-ups.

The original members of Hear'Say shot to fame last year after enduring a gruelling selection process on national television in the series "Popstars."

"Johnny is an all-rounder, he has the right look, he sings well, dances well and is perfect for the role," blonde band member Suzanne Shaw told a packed news conference in London.

Shaw and fellow group members Danny Foster, Noel Sullivan and Myleene Klass covered Shentall's head with a coat before whipping it off to reveal him to the media.

But the five declined to sing something to introduce Hear'Say's newest voice. Fans will have to wait until the band's new single is released over the next few months, record label Polydor said.

Shentall, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was formerly with the band Boom.

He beat thousands of young hopefuls who had braved wet and windy weather at the weekend for the chance to audition for a place in the chart-topping band.

"I've always been a performer," he said, adding that his rapid transformation from wannabe to the real thing in just two days had been "a whole rollercoaster ride for me."

He said his girlfriend was very happy and proud that he had been selected. Shentall will go straight to work with the band to record the new single and will join them on tour in September, Polydor said.

Hear'Say, formed last January after an exhaustive search filmed for the TV show "Popstars," became the first British group to top the single and album charts simultaneously with debut releases.

They have since sold 1.2 million albums and 1.5 million singles.

Marsh blamed arguments for leaving the group, telling a newspaper: "There were so many rows I needed counselling. Yes, Myleene and I did fight.

"The arguments started even before we released a single and carried on while we were in the band."