This news segment captures the frenzied fandom of teenagers in the 2000s who turned up in the thousands at a small Perth mall to get a glimpse of reality TV girl group Bardot ahead of their debut album release.

The pandemonium spotlights the immense popularity of the group – known as Australia's answer to the Spice Girls – with the vast crowd coming as a surprise to the venue, local authorities, their manager and some locals (‘I'm just here to shop!’). The clips also show the far-reaching success of early reality TV shows like Channel 7's Popstars, which paved the way for similar music competitions such as Australian Idol and The X Factor.

Pop fandom truly transcends time – this is the year 2000 version of the screaming fans who waited for the Beatles in 1964 or who crashed the ticket presale website to get Taylor Swift Eras tickets in 2023. Teenage adoration for music idols remains a universal experience regardless of the era.