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…
I’m A Celebrity: Jordan Arrives With Double Task
Jordan arrived in the jungle and walked straight into a swamp of fish guts and cockroaches last night.
After retrieving seven of the twelve stars from the morass, she then headed back to camp to tell her new mates that she had sacrificed their luxury items for basic provisions – which made her a popular girl.
Chef Gino D’Acampo was left lamenting a lack of salt and gay designer Justin Ryan joked that he would die without his shampoo.
Viewers then took the chance to make the glamour model do another bushtucker trial at the first opportunity – she will be taking part in the ‘Deathly Burrows’ task on tonight’s show.
Having only just climbed out of the swamp (and indulged in her trademark booby-flaunting bath) she was shocked at the prospect of doing it all again:”I didn’t think I was up for it. Let me relax. I’m still jet-lagged. How is that possible? I can’t go underground.”
Yet Jordan seemed to be well received by the other contestants and they wasted no time in quizzing her about Alex Reid’s cross-dressing. When asked if she’d had sex with him while he was dressed as a woman, Jordan replied: “Of course.”
Meanwhile back in London, ITV bosses were opening the champagne after viewing figures for the opening show were the highest for five years.
The show drew an average of 9.8million – the highest since the last time Jordan was on the show in 2004.
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….
Jack Tweed Charged With Rape
Jack Tweed, the widower of reality TV star Jade Goody, has been ordered to stand trial accused of raping a teenager.
Sad and shocking news for all concerned we think.
Tweed allegedly met the 19 year-old at a West End nightspot before taking her to his home in Woodford Green, East London on Friday September 4.
The 22 year-old who was only released from prison for attacking a cabbie in the spring, was not present when his case was briefly mentioned at London’s Snaresbrook Crown Court.
He has allegedly indicated through counsel that he will deny the charges at a pleas and directions hearing on December 22nd.
The judge, who ‘provisionally’ fixed their two-week trial for April 12, told the estate agent he could remain on bail.
Tweed married Big Brother star Jade, 27, shortly before she lost her battle against cervical cancer in March.
Strictly Come Dancing: Phil “Relieved To Be Out”
Phil Tufnell has declared his relief at being booted off the dance show and revealed that he never wanted to take it too seriously in the first place.
The former England cricketer, 43, said he “didn’t know whether to laugh or cry” after losing out in the dance-off to Ricky Groves and Erin Boag.
We’re just glad that after Craig Kelly’s exit, an interview with OTB didn’t jinx EastEnder Ricky.
“It’s a bit of a shame not to be involved but it’s lovely to get back into the swing of normal life,” said Tufnell.
“You get completely absorbed by it. It is a bit of a relief, tinged with some sadness.”
“I worked hard and learned to dance but I had 20 years of playing for my country and that was my career,” he said before admitting that if he had trained as hard during his sports career he would have been a “much better cricketer”.
Turning up to training might have been a start Phil…
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.
Wife Swap Ditched In Channel 4 Revolution
So when Channel 4 told us that the end of Big Brother would signify an entertainment revolution, they weren’t kidding – last weekend the broadcaster confirmed that it would be axing both Wife Swap and How Clean Is Your House?
Head of Channel 4 Julian Bellamy said: “The decommission of Big Brother earlier this year has been the catalyst for a process of creative renewal right across Channel 4.”
When Wife Swap launched, it was a truly groundbreaking programme which heralded a wave of factual television programme formatting.
“It was challenging, impactful and connected with a large mainstream audience. I am now looking to find new ways to challenge the mainstream through entertaining and provocative programmes,” he added.
Bellamy added that both Wife Swap and How Clean Is Your House? had been “huge hits” and were still profitable, but the cancellation was a “creative decision on our part to make space for new ideas”.
“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….
