Gareth Gates dramatically transforms from shy Pop Idol teen to super ripped hottie in latest snap
32-year-old singer showed off his six pack as he cuddled up to Coronation Street girlfriend Faye Brookes
GARETH Gates has stunned fans by showing off his six pack on holiday.
The singer first rose to fame as a skinny 17-year-old with spikey hair and a stutter on the first series of Pop Idol in 2002, where he finished as runner up to eventual winner, Will Young.
But in a new picture posted to his Instagram page, Gareth, now 32, showed off just how far he has come since his debut, revealing his toned, tanned torso.
Posing with actress girlfriend Faye Brookes, who plays Kate Connor in Coronation Street, Gareth tilted his head and pouted while wearing a pair of black shorts and a baseball cap backwards.
With a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes and a drink in his hand, the Spirit in the Sky singer looked hunkier than ever as he held Faye close.
Captioning the shot, Gareth wrote: "Had the best day at @nikkibeachsainttropez";.
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The couple, who have been together for three years after meeting in a production of Legally Blonde in 2012 - wore colour-coordinating outfits, as Faye showed off her own enviable figure in a black strapless swimsuit with laced up side panelling.
The pair have enjoyed a series of sunshine breaks recently, as before heading to Spain, Gareth shared a number of pictures of them together in Mykonos, Greece.
Posting another cute shot of them puckering up, he wrote: "Me and my bae #mykonos"
After finishing in second place on Pop Idol, Gareth had a successful solo career before moving into musical theatre, as well as appearing on reality shows including Dancing on Ice and The Big Reunion, where he became a member of boyband 5th Story alongside fellow singers Dane Bowers, Adam Rickitt, Kenzie and Kavana.
But despite all of his success, Gareth confessed in June that he still struggles with his speech impediment.
Speaking about his role in Footloose on This Morning: "I learnt the lines, practised them over and over again, and if I am speaking in an accent, like I am in this, in an American accent, then I am often fine.”
This prompted host Phillip Schofield to ask: “Why don’t you just speak all the time in an American accent?”
But Gareth laughed and replied: “That would be embarrassing!”