Fan Fare

“X Factor” hits wrong note

Britain’s “The X Factor” has struck a bum chord, even before the main knock-out phase of the hugely popular TV show begins. Judge Cheryl Cole has incensed thousands of viewers with her selection of three finalists from a shortlist of eight contestants. Hopeful Gamu Nhengu, 18, was rejected by Cole, despite impressing with her audition and being among the early favourites to win the show.

One reason for the strength of the reaction — nearly 90,000 people have already leant their support to a Facebook page supporting Zimbabwe-born Nhengu — is that Cher Lloyd went through to the finals, despite being able to sing barely a note due to a sore throat. Katie Waissel also succeeded, despite failing to impress many who watched the show at the weekend. Only Cole’s choice of the accomplished Rebecca Ferguson was universally popular.

One fan summed up the mood with a blog post on the ITV show’s official website: “Oh well, no more X-factor for me then! My husband agrees. To put through Katie and Cher, and send Gamu home was confirmation that the show is rigged. What a complete farce. Did Cheryl take instructions from Simon Cowell on who she should pick so that none of the girls would win? Gamu was far and away the best of all the girls. I will never watch the x-factor again.”

Of course, the controversy and headlines it generates are likely to boost ratings when the competition proper gets underway, so suspicions of a set-up are rife. Bookmakers are already offering odds on Gamu being allowed back on to the show as a “surprise” wild card, and she is among the favourites to win. If that does come to pass, doubts about the show’s integrity are bound to grow.

UK’s X Factor gets off to rocky start

The X Factor, one of Britain’s most-watched television programmes, has got off to a rocky start this year with its integrity called into question after it came to light that some contestants’ performances had been enhanced using computer software. A spokesman for the show, a pillar of ITV1′s annual scheduling, admitted that post-production work was sometimes necessary due to the number of microphones used during filming. But he also told British media that judges make their decisions during the audition stages based on what they hear live, and that later shows are all genuinely live.

The revelations have prompted negative media comment and online complaints from some fans, although few people expect them to have too much of an impact on viewing figures. The first episode of this year’s series was watched by 11.1 million people, up from last year’s figure of 9.9 million.

Making matters worse, the show’s producers issued a statement on Wednesday explaining why Shirlena Johnson, who sang an oddball version of Duffy’s “Mercy”, was kicked off the talent show aired on ITV1.

“It has been decided by both Shirlena’s GP (doctor) and The X Factor’s own medical experts that it is in Shirlena’s best interests for her not to continue in the competition. The welfare of our contestants is of paramount importance to us — Shirlena was informed of the decision in person by the show executives in the presence of a psychologist.”

It appears the show, which is masterminded by music mogul Simon Cowell, wants to avoid the kind of negative publicity that surrounded the mental condition of Susan Boyle, a contestant in another Cowell project “Britain’s Got Talent” who was admitted to a clinic for emotional exhaustion after surprisingly losing the final last year. Mind you, Cowell presumably made a princely sum from the Scottish singer, whose debut album stormed charts around the world and was one of the top-selling records globally.

from UK News:

Raging against the X Factor machine

Simon Cowell says the Internet campaign to keep X factor winner Joe McElderry from the coveted Christmas No. I  spot is aimed at him rather than the type of music the show produces.

He calls the campaign stupid.

But critics of the show loathe what they call the "karaoke" of X Factor and thousands have backed the push to get an anti-establishment track by American rockers Rage Against the Machine up into the top slot next week.

The band's guitarist Tom Morello told the BBC: "I think people are just fed-up of being spoonfed some overblown sugary ballad that sits on top of the charts. It’s a little dose of anarchy for the holidays, it’s good for the soul.”

It's good for Sony too, analysts have noted, since both records are on its label.

Critics of the Internet campaign note that record numbers of viewers watched last weekend's X Factor final and millions voted for McElderry. If so many people like him, why should he not be No. I they ask.

What do you think?

Simon Cowell FiXing it for X Factor’s Joe?

Yes, that word “fix” has come back to haunt the X Factor in Britain, where Lloyd Daniels, the teenager who appeared to struggle with the basic skill of singing in tune, got booted off at the weekend.

Attention has now switched to who will win this year’s competition, with four contestants still in with a shout — Olly Murs, Danyl Johnson, Stacey Solomon and Joe McElderry. The smart money is on Joe, with Simon Cowell, the dominant figure on the judging panel and powerhouse in televised singing shows, naming him as the act to beat.

That is despite the fact that two of the singers mentored by Cowell — Olly and Danyl – are in the competition. So much for loyalty. It’s good news for Cheryl Cole, mind you, who is looking after Joe.

The Sun newspaper focuses its report on how Cowell has been “leaning” on the other judges to back Joe, and headlines the story: “FiX it for Joe”.

At the end of the day, many viewers are assuming it boils down to which of the acts Cowell and his record label think they will make most money out of. The bookmakers are also heavily backing Joe, with Stacey next in their list of odds.

But does this constitute skulduggery on the part of Cowell and his fellow judges? Or does it simply reflect the fact that Joe is the best singer?

With Jedward gone, has X Factor lost its X factor?

So, the “terrible twins” from Ireland, John and Edward Grimes, have been booted off the X Factor, ending their skin-of-the-teeth, tip-of-the-fingernail existence on the show.

Once again in the bottom two of a public vote, Jedward were up against Olly Murs, the singer from Essex who was many tipsters’ favourite to win the show … at least until last night.

Rather than a high-octane, madcap dash around the stage surrounded by dancers and pyrotechnics, and a performance closer to shouting than singing, the spiky-haired duo surprisingly chose to sing a ballad, Boyzone’s “No Matter What”.

The plan backfired, with a rendition that exposed Jedward’s limited singing ability. The fact that the British media has dubbed Jedward the “tuneless twins” says it all really.

It’s X Factor “Deadlock” … again

Another week, another contestant down, another ratings triumph for ITV … oh, and another Deadlock.

The weekend’s X Factor shenanigans did not come close to the previous vote’s controversy, but there were still plenty of harsh words for the four-member judging panel for once again taking the final decision on who gets the boot to a Deadlock. When the judges are split 2-2, the result is decided by which of the two nominated acts got the fewest public votes.

This time it was Dannii Minogue with the deciding vote, and she backed eventual loser Jamie Archer, recognisable by his frizzy hairstyle. He lost out to 16-year-old, blond-locked Lloyd Daniels, who lives to fight another day despite being widely seen as one of the weakest contestants.

As well as reinforcing many people’s belief that the judges are deliberately manipulating the vote to go to Deadlock, the latest result also means that “Jedward”, the twins who are regularly ridiculed for their performances, are still on course to win the contest in what would be a major upset.

A word of advice if I may? How about having a panel with an uneven number of judges?

Sting calls X Factor “appalling”

British singer Sting has waded into the X Factor debate. In a week where the show’s most famous judge Simon Cowell came in for some fierce criticism for what British viewers saw as a cynical ploy to fix the results, Sting has called the popular television show “preposterous” and “appalling”.

In an interview with London’s Evening Standard, ostensibly to promote his new CD “If On a Winter’s Night”, the Police frontman-turned-solo star launched into the music talent contest which regularly attracts peak audiences of more than 15 million in the UK.

“I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly,” he said of the contestants. “They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical.

“They … are not encouraged to create any real unique signature or fingerprint. That cannot come from TV. The X Factor is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognisable talent apart from self-promotion, advising them what to wear and how to look. It is appalling.”

Whether the 58-year-old’s comments will bother Cowell, the show’s other judges or the ITV channel which airs the hugely successful series is far from clear. They may be watching the upcoming viewing figures closely, however, after many fans vowed not to watch the programme again after Cowell’s recent antics.

The X Factor or “The Fix Factor”?

X Factor judge Simon Cowell faced accusations of rigging the result of last night’s X Factor vote as the tabloid newspapers, so often the champions of the hugely popular show, began to turn on the man they like to call “Mr. Nasty”.

Twin act John and Edward Grimes (aka Jedward) survived a popular vote while singer Lucie Jones was shown the door. The two acts ended up at the bottom of the heap in a phone vote, and it was up to the judges to decide which one to throw out. But if the judges are split 2-2, the results of the public vote come back into play. Cowell had the deciding vote with the panel split 2-1 in Lucie’s favour, and he decided for the twins.

The Daily Mirror’s headline (because the X Factor has long been headline news in Britain) was “Farce Factor” while rival The Sun wrote: “‘Ward a Load of Cobblers“. Quoting fans, the latter newspaper added: “Cowell’s gone too far … show is ruined.”

Readers may reasonably ask if any of this matters. Well, it may matter to Cowell, who has become one of pop music’s most successful managers through his appearances on X Factor and similar singing competitions here and in the United States. It may also mean something to ITV, the channel which airs the show in the UK. With peak audiences approaching 15 million, its advertising revenue from the biggest show on British TV must be healthy to say the least.

 For those who follow the show, and care about it, many feel that Cowell’s decision to refer the decision back to the popular vote, rather than voting off Jedward, smacked of a stitch-up. He had been Jedward’s most vocal critic for weeks, and popular opinion would appear to support the argument that loser Lucie had far more talent than the twins, whose performances have been variously described as “bizarre” and “ridiculous”.

Theories abound as to why Cowell might decide to save the twins. The most popular is money — like them or loathe them, the twins seem to get the crowds going and Cowell might be looking ahead to the X Factor tour when the show is over. The removal of strong vocalist Lucie may also remove a potential threat to the singing acts on the show which he endorses.

Will his decision backfire? Will less people tune in to the show because they feel the whole thing is rigged? Or has Cowell pulled it off again by ramping up the stakes and getting the nation talking about the show again? It wouldn’t be the first time.

X Factor dictates UK charts … again

There appears to be one factor and one factor only in dictating chart success in Britain at the moment, and that factor is X.

Alexandra Burke, last year’s winner of the talent TV contest, performed her new song “Bad Boys” recently on the popular show and stormed to the top of the UK charts with the fastest-selling single so far this year. The 185,000 copies sold was more than twice the total shifted by Robbie Williams, who is making his long-awaited comeback.

Williams also showcased his new song “Bodies” on the X Factor, but the magic failed to rub off after a disjointed performance during which the former Take That singer appeared nervous. Still, one of British pop’s biggest names clearly felt the need to appear on the programme in order to reach an audience that can peak at nearly 15 million viewers.

And now there is Cheryl Cole, a judge on the contest and member of girl band “Girls Aloud” who is launching her solo career. Needless to say, she was invited to perform her new single “Fight For This Love” on the show, and, despite a performance many viewers would describe as mediocre at best and possibly something much worse, looks set to top the charts when they are announced on Sunday.

The Official Charts Company, which compiles the weekly music ratings, says the singer is on course for a tally close or even higher than Burke’s.

UK’s Alexandra Burke a million-single seller

British “X Factor” winner Alexandra Burke has just become a singles millionaire. Her version of “Hallelujah”, originally by Leonard Cohen, became the 10th single to reach the landmark this decade, according to the Official Charts Company, which compiles UK record sales.The feat, putting Burke in the company of the likes of Kylie Minogue (“Can’t Get You Out of My Head”) and Bob the Builder (“Can You Fix It”), underlines the strength of the UK singles market which has been boosted by digital downloads. Singles sales last year rose by a third, a rare piece of good news for the struggling music industry which has been hit hard by Internet piracy and the rapid rise of video gaming.It’s a safe bet that her debut album, whenever that may be, will enjoy similar chart domination, aided by the considerable marketing muscle of X Factor judge and producer Simon Cowell.