A calendar will be the only new Gareth Gates item in his fans' Christmas stockings this year as his next album will not be released until 2006.

It had been widely reported that the Bradford-born singer's third album would be out this year to end a two-year gap between releases.

But today Gareth's management company, 19 Entertainment, played that down as "speculation" and confirmed that it would be 2006 before the new album would be released.

A spokesman said: "There was no date for the new album.

"There was a lot of speculation and there was always the possibility that it would be released in 2005 but it will be next year now.

"I would like to say when but I can't. It depends on when it all comes together.

"I cannot release any information on the album yet but it's coming together really nicely. It's all going to be a surprise."

The former Bradford Cathedral choirboy, who grew up in East Bowling, shot to fame in 2002 with the release of his debut single, a cover of Unchained Melody.

The song went straight in to the charts at number one and eventually sold 1.2 million copies after he was voted runner-up to Will Young in TV's Pop Idol contest.

His first album What My Heart Wants To Say was released in October 2002.

That went straight to number one earning Gareth a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the youngest British male to achieve that success.

But his second album, called Go Your Own Way, released in September 2003, only peaked at number 11 in the charts.

Since then speculation has been rife about the future of the former Dixon's CTC pupil's recording career with rumours - denied by his management - that Gareth was planning to join a band.

Away from the recording studio Gareth overcame his speech impediment with help from the McGuire Programme and he has gone on to become an instructor.

His spokesman said: "He teaches now and again but that's not his main project.

"He will go up to the McGuire project and help out now and again. He is qualified to teach but has not started teaching classes.

"The McGuire Project helped him enormously and he still visits and helps them out.

"His profession is very much doing his music and he wants to have a whole body of work before the album is released.

"He wants to have the album together before he puts out a single.

"We do have some good news though - Gareth has just finished putting together his calendar for 2006 which will be in stores around the country from the week commencing September 19."