X Factor: Danyl Threatens To Quit!
One-time show favourite Danyl Johnson has threatened to quit X Factor after having a spat with controversial mentor Simon Cowell.
According to reports he bolted from a practice session and refused to return for five hours after being forced to sing George Michael’s ‘Praying For Time’.
“He literally burst out the door and ran off down Battersea High Street. A few production staff chased after him to try to calm him down and make him come back but he was having none of it,” said one show insider.
Absolutely chuffing mental
Apparently bosses even sent a car to find him after his Forrest Gump style bid for freedom, but he refused to come back. “He seems very angry and upset and is demanding a different song. It’ll be interesting to see if Simon backs down or makes him stick with it.”
Another added: “He’s not doing himself any favours with stunts like this which just make him look like a spoilt brat. Even if the song choice is wrong there’s no need to storm out, he should talk about it first.”
X Factor: Wham! For The Weekend
Jedward seem set to stay in X Factor for yet another week after it was revealed that the theme for this weekend’s show would be Wham!
According to reports, Simon Cowell rejected an Elton John night in favour of tunes from the 1980s duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley.
We imagine that John & Edward might have struggled to perform Elton’s hits but should be more comfortable with the Wham Rap!
Call us cynical, but we think this is all part of his devious scheme to keep the tuneless two-some in the competition – although for what reason still seems unclear.
Ratings aside, he’s got to manage the winners…
Sources have also indicated that singers will be able to take on some of George Michael’s sole hits such as Club Tropicana and Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
Jedward parents “very worried” says Walsh…
X Factor: Jedward Parents ‘Very Worried’ Says Walsh
Louis Walsh has stood up for the twins once more, this time saying that the excessive media attention is causing their parents to stress.
While we’re not counting on a SuBo Explodo moment anytime soon, he may have a point – just look at Britney for a prime example of early fame rushing to a teenager’s head (and then subsequently melting it).
During an appearance on The Paul O’Grady Show, Walsh spoke out about his sole remaining group in the competition.
“They’re very young. The thing is, people used to boo them in the audience. I took offence to that.”
“I think there’s a lot of pressure on their parents because their parents are very worried about them,” he continued.
Rounding off with a last-ditch snipe at Cowell, Walsh made it clear that Cowell’s opinion towards the gremlins/twins has definitely changed of late.
“[Simon] wasn’t right about the boys. He hated them. He called them vile little creatures. He didn’t know them that well.”
As if that wasn’t shocking enough, did you read about the fact that all of Jedward’s vocals are purposely being drowned out by backing singers?
X Factor: Did Simon Want Jamie Afro Gone?
Conspiracy theory-magnet, Simon Cowell was this afternoon at the centre of more accusations of X Factor fixing, this time from Jamie Afro’s mates.
According to The Mirror, the singer’s pals believe that his flat-haired mentor stitched him up this week in part of a Machiavellian grand strategy.
“The whole show is being made a mockery of. Simon was the only judge with all three acts left – he knew he had to lose someone this week and so he offered up Jamie,” said one of his friends.
“It doesn’t take a genius to see how he did it. He stuck him first on the bill which is the worst place to be. He made sure he dressed him in dark clothing so it all looked very drab with no colour.”
“And he gave him a very average Queen song in ‘Radio Ga Ga’ and left him there on the stage on his own. There was no production, no backing singers, no choirs, no pyrotechnics like the other contestants had.”
Far be it from us to defend Mr Cowell, but this sounds a bit crazy.
Or does it…….
Strictly Come Dancing: “My Mouth Got Me The Boot” – Joe
Joes Calzaghe has claimed that he was only voted off Strictly because he bad-mouthed dance rival Craig Kelly.
Nearly everyone else thinks that he was chucked out because he was a bad dancer – but let’s face it, who’s going to say that to his face?
The unbeaten boxer said that he and his dance partner Kristina Rihanoff were effectively frozen out by producers after he slagged off the ex-Corrie star.
Yet he seems to be having a little more success on a personal level, he was seen smooching his dance partner at the Variety club showbiz awards on Sunday night.
“It was something I said about Craig to producers. I won’t say what it was, but it was worse than a swear word,” said Joe.
“It was odd that we were in the bottom two for four weeks running, but that the public kept voting for us. We had the highest number of votes, the producers told us – but then all of a sudden we lost out with the judges.”
“Something was up. You can say Strictly Come Dancing is a fix.” – well what isn’t these days?
A Strictly spokesman said: “Any suggestion the show is fixed is ridiculous.”
Read our exclusive interview with Walford’s answer to Darcey Bussell – Ricky Groves…
X Factor: Session Singers Provide Jedward Vocals!
The news story that has been rumbling for weeks exploded all over Simon Cowell’s face last night after it emerged that soundmen have been drowning out Jedward’s singing with backing vocals.
Conspiracy theorists allege that show bosses have been using pre-recorded tracks by session singers to keep the tuneless duo in the competition.
It doesn’t say much for the session singers – the pair still sound terrible even with their help.
Last night, X Factor chiefs admitted that every act received “technical support”, but it has been insinuated that producers have been intentionally masking the rubbishness of the twins (which sounds like one hell of a job) to make sure they stay in.
“Every week session singers record backing tracks to some songs,” a show insider told The Sun.
“But soundmen are told to turn down the levels of the twins’ mics so their vocals are mostly covered by the backing singers. Often mics are so low the twins’ singing would be barely audible.”
The source added that Jedward were lowered to a “ridiculous level” for their performance of Queen’s Under Pressure on Saturday. He said: “The only time levels were raised was when they were rapping.”
A show spokeswoman offered a ridiculously weak denial when she said: “Contestants sing live and all are given equal technical support.”
So the twins are even worse than we imagined (shudder).
On the plus side, at least they have their brave knight Louis to defend them. He’s just come out in support of their parents, who are apparently going through a bit of the wringer with all the public attention….
X Factor Charity Single Video! (Frown)
The X Factor charity single is upon us and it’s all for a very worthy cause so we promise not point out the rubbishness of it all….
OK we tried, but we’re only human.
It seems difficult to imagine a wetter version of Michael Jackson’s hit, You Are Not Alone, but somehow X Factor bosses have created one. Some of the highlights in this video include:
A. Rikkii Loney’s ludicrous bow-tie.
B. The fact that Jedward were restricted to half a line.
C. An absence of any actual singing.
We knew that half of them couldn’t hold a note and now it turns out that they can’t mime either – they’ll never be pop stars.
“X Factor Is Very Stupid” Says Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris has admitted that he was “stupid” to invade the stage during Jedwards performance of ‘Under Pressure/Ice Ice Baby’ over the weekend – before branding the show itself “very stupid”.
As apologies go, it was far from heart-felt.
The ‘Dance Wiv Me’ singer told reporters that he rushed the twins with a pineapple on his head to make a point about the reality show.
Just what that point was, we’re not sure.
“It’s not for my own publicity. I’m not a celebrity – I make music. Dancing on stage with a pineapple on your head is a very stupid thing to do, but I also want to suggest that it’s a very stupid television programme.
“I was very surprised how easy it was to get up there. If anything good is going to come out of it, they should stick another man in front of the stage.”
Fears that Harris may have wasted a unique opportunity to take out the Grimes brothers during a performance were confirmed last night as an ITV source said: “It was completely unacceptable for Calvin to run on stage like that. It could have been an idiot with a knife. From now on security will be seriously stepped up.”
“There will be more guards in the studio. Anyone who looks like they are going to do something similar will be pounced on immediately.”
In a weekend that saw Mariah Carey sign-up, we saw Jamie Afro sign out….
X Factor: Cowell Orders Mariah To Ditch Strictly
If there was any fight left in Strictly Come Dancing’s ratings challenge, it ebbed away over the weekend when Mariah Carey pulled out of the BBC show – but promised to appear on X Factor.
Although the diva will only be appearing on the ITV show in a performance she pre-recorded last night, it is still a massive blow for the beeb.
A BBC spokesman said: “We had hoped to have Mariah Carey on the show but her schedule changed and made it impossible.”
However according to The Daily Mail, Carey opted out of the show because X Factor boss Simon Cowell said that she could not appear on both programmes, and she opted for X Factor.
After all she has got a single to promote and even if both of Strictly’s viewers had bought it after watching her live, she would still have missed out on an orgy of publicity by turning down X Factor.
A source told the newspaper that BBC executives felt that Carey had been “completely unprofessional” in pulling her performance.
X Factor: Jamie-Afro Sent Home By Public
Eoghan Quigg wannabe Lloyd Daniels, 16, survived another sing-off last night as afro-haired Jamie Archer, 34, was sent tumbling out of X Factor by the public.
This all came after he responded to Louis Walsh’s criticism with the quip: “Only the public’s opinion counts” – unfortunately for him, he was correct.
Another talking point was the fact that for a fourth week running the judges failed to reach a decision on who should go home, although this time Simon Cowell shirked the responsibility of the final vote.
The show boss voted to save Jamie but looked dumbfounded when the public voted him out. Earlier Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole had decided to save Lloyd, but Danni had leveled the scores by voting to keep the 34 year-old.
Before making his exit the rocker said: “I just want to thank everyone who supported me. It’s not the end, it’s just the beginning.”
Beginning of the end more like.
Olly is now favourite to win the show with bookies cutting his odds to 2/1. The twins have been cut from 12/1 to 8/1.
Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg said of the twins’ popularity: “The greatest upset in reality TV history remains on course. We’re sweating over the potential payout.”
