Reproduced from Music Week, 1995

He is the man who brought us - some would say inflicted - records by The Power Rangers, Zig And Zag and the World Wrestling Foundation.

He wasn't behind Mr Blobby's recording career, but openly admits he would have been, given half a chance.

But even Cowell's track record was insufficient to prepare the industry for the phenomenal success of Robson Green & Jerome Flynn, whose debut double A-side single Unchained Melody/White Cliffs Of Dover has now famously sold 1.9m copies, enough to make it the biggest-selling single of the Nineties so far.

In retrospect, it is easy to see that the package was perfect. Who better to cash in a nation's sentimental remembrance of the 50th anniversary of VE Day than a pair of popular small-screen soldiers?

But in the case of Robson & Jerome, it was the people themselves rather than the concept which initially grabbed Cowell's attention; he is far from undiscerning when it comes to television spin-offs.

"I've lost count of the number of actors and actresses I've been offered, but you've got to be careful to go with the right ones," he says.

In fact, he spurned the chance to set another Soldier, Soldier star, Denise Welch, on the pop trail, but he says he knew from the start that Robson & Jerome were a phenomenon waiting to explode.

"I had a real gut feeling about them and was aware of the fanaticism of Soldier, Soldier fans. And I do believe there is such a thing as star quality, which they both have in abundance," Cowell says.

It wasn't all plain sailing, though, as the duo were initially not in the least interested in broadening their horizons. They had sung Unchained Melody in an episode of the ITV drama series, but needed convincing to take things any further.

"I hadn't seen the show, but I received a tip-off from a colleague in BMG accounts," he says. "I got straight on the phone to their agents, but there was huge resistance all round. They are not motivated by money and have turned down lots of advertising offers, so I had a hard job convincing them.

"After three months, I sent a letter saying 'do you realise we're sitting on a number one record?'. That's when we came up with a deal."

Flynn, the blond half, states their move into the music industry wasn't as cynical as some believe.

He says, "We were very nervous about moving from acting to singing. We were afraid it might jeopardise our credibility as actors."

But, he adds, they took their lead from another small-screen star who had successfully made the transition. "Jimmy Nail gave us hope," he says. "He proved to us that not all actors-turned-singers are absolutely awful."

The follow-up I Believe/Up On the Roof notched up pre-sales of 600,000 to guarantee the pair their second number one single and proved conclusively that these are no one-hit-wonders.

A self-titled album produced by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Nigel Wright follows next Monday, featuring the four tracks from the singles alongside covers of Daydream Believer, Amazing Grace, Danny Boy and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore. With the exception of a somewhat unemotional version of The Walker Brothers classic, the covers are all faithful renditions of the originals.

This is no bad thing, according to Cowell. "It's always difficult doing cover versions," he says. "There's always a temptation to change it, but you have to remember the song was written to be recorded in a certain way. You can leave the audience cold if you try to reinvent the wheel."

Flynn agrees, "We're just singing songs we like for people who watch Soldier, Soldier. If we had tried to leave our own mark, we really could have murdered the songs. We weren't vain enough to think we could improve on The Drifters' Up On The Roof."

Flynn, who professes to being an Oasis fan, also thinks the duo's success is good for the industry as a whole:

"I'm told 85% of acts don't make any profit, and it's great that we do," he says. "And if we've brought 1.9m people into record shops, it can only be good news for retailers and other acts."

Cowell agrees, "Everybody in the industry wants more people in the stores, so they deserve credit for that. Plus, the profits they generate will supply funding for other artists."

The timing of the current single seems odd, as a late-October release is too early to snatch the Christmas number one slot, but Cowell says RCA had other considerations in mind.

"We had to ask ourselves if we wanted a Christmas number one or if we needed a strong single to set up the album," he says. "I see it as a nice autumn hit, which will generate a lot of interest in the album."

But he adds, there is always plan B. "We haven't absolutely decided, but we are considering releasing Amazing Grace just before Christmas."

Which would appear to cover all options and pave the way for the duo, with their 15m-strong fanbase, to give The Beatles a very strong run for their money in the Christmas sales battle. But what happens next?

Cowell says, "Their appeal is mainly to over 35-year-olds, but kids aren't embarrassed to buy their records, either. They're not a fashion item, so they could continue to have success, but it all depends on whether they want to stay in the pop game."

Jerome adds, "We'll have to wait and see what happens. If the album fails, it'll be the end of our new pop career. If it doesn't ... who knows?

"All I know is that I'm not a pop star and will never regard myself as one."