News has been spreading like wildfire across the internet this morning that super knowledgeable tech experts (and fame whores) Simon Cowell and Will.i.am are soon to be launching the hunt for the next big name in the industry to rival the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Yep, we have no words either.
According to The Telegraph today, at a recent event in London Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas and stupid hat and glasses fame, revealed that he would be teaming up with Cowell to start a new tech-based endeavour:
“We’re working on a project called X Factor for tech — and it’s going to be out of this world.
“Singing and performance create a couple of jobs. But this will create lots.
“It’s about getting in touch with youth and giving them a platform to express themselves — whether that’s in science or mathematics.”
OK so it sounds fairly positive in theory if Will.i.am’s jumbled and vague explanation is anything to go by and it’ll be a great move if it gets “in touch with youth” about tech. Whatever that actually means.
We also imagine it’d be super entertaining, like some kind of X Factor, Dragon’s Den, Apprentice and hopefully even Battle Royale hybrid.
But on the other hand it all just seems far too contrived. But what else were you expecting from a member of The Black Eyed Peas and the big S-Co?
For the past few years one of the later live shows of the X Factor has aired at the same time as the Sports Personality of the Year. Both shows have suffered reduced ratings as a result. With 2012 being a landmark year for British sport, SPOTY host Gary Lineker has taken matters into his own hands by tweeting X Factor boss Simon Cowell directly to appeal to him to avoid a schedule clash.
Lineker tweeted: “Be a lovely gesture and mark of respect to our wonderful athletes if X Factor didn’t run against SPOTY. What do you think @SimonCowell?”
There was no response from Cowell but Lineker later retweeted a message from Mirror journalist Mark Jefferies which said: “Good news @GaryLineker and sport fans, I’ve been told by ITV spokesman there’s “no chance” X Factor will clash with SPOTY.”
How the clash will be avoided has still not been revealed and there has been no official statement from either the BBC or ITV so the stand off may yet happen. Watch this space….
With the Sun reporting that the Simon Cowell produced ITV show Red or Black has been axed, X Factor suffering deteriorating ratings and rumours of ill-health we ask ‘Is the end is sight for Simon Cowell’s TV empire?’
Despite giving away TV’s biggest ever prize (£1.5 million) and enjoying 5 million viewers, the Ant & Dec-fronted show Red or Black has been deemed a flop and has seemingly been dropped by ITV. The show is produced by Cowell.
Then, after heavy criticism last series, the current season of the X Factor has seen ratings drop every week and the most recent show was watched by 2.9 million fewer viewers than the equivalent show last year.
In addition, a new biography claims that Cowell has been using tablets and pills to keep up with the intense schedule of shooting the American version of the X Factor and that he was turning into a ‘weird vampire’. The book – Sweet Revenge, the intimate life of Simon Cowell – claims that Cowell confided in X Factor judge Louis Walsh: “I don’t want any more tablets and pills. I’m cutting out the lot, including cigarettes. I desperately need peace. I’m craving normality. I’ve got to work out my demons and come out of it. I have to get back to where I was years ago. I had to stop reading texts at three in the morning and making calls later and later. I wanted peace.”
If you take all of this together it certainly seems that the cracks are finally starting to show in the carefully constructed Cowell empire, who knows maybe ITV’s Saturday night schedule may soon need another overhaul.
After nearly a decade off mainstream telly, bizarre-voiced TV host and pasta sauce pusher Loyd ‘no, it’s spelled with one L’ Grossman is to return to our screens on Simon Cowell’s ‘X-Factor-for-grub’ show Food Glorious Food.
The show is being produced by Cowell’s Syco imprint and starts production in September. Grossman, who used to front Masterchef for 16 years before launching his own range of sauces, will judge alongside posh food writer Tom ‘yes, he is related’ Parker-Bowles and the winner of the show will get a wodge of cash and their product on the shelves in M&S.
Of Grossman’s appointment an insider is quoted as saying: “It is a great coup signing up Loyd to the show, as he was always a favourite on the original version of MasterChef. Tom is also one to watch – and will bring a touch of class to proceedings.”
Not sure which channel will show the programme, by the way, but it has ITV written all over it.
For those of you too young to remember Grossman in his pomp, here’s (honestly) a clip of him in action:
Bosses at the X Factor have confirmed that the final of the upcoming series will move from its traditional London base to the Manchester Central Centre.
Show sponsors TalkTalk will be giving away 10,000 tickets to the final, which will feature this year’s judging panel Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Tulisa and Louis Walsh. Walsh said: “Our live final is going to be another major event – so The X Factor 2012 has everything! I believe it’s going to be our best series yet.”
The last series of the show has been criticised by both show boss Simon Cowell and Gary Barlow, who called the contestants ‘lazy’. As expected, though, all of the judges are being extremely enthusiastic about this year’s run, which starts this Saturday at 8PM on ITV1.
The Daily Star are today claiming that ITV may be looking to replace their Saturday night megahit the X Factor.
The last series was deemed by many to have been a relative disappointment and, with Simon Cowell again missing from this year’s judging panel, it looks like there are plenty of people around ready to sound the death knell for the show.
The paper are quoting a ‘senior ITV source’ as saying: “Every television network is always looking for the next big thing. They’d be crazy not to. X Factor has had a brilliant run, but no show lasts for ever. Over the past few years Simon Cowell has been the main source for many of our top hits but some feel that we’ve got too many eggs in one basket and we’ve become too reliant on one man.”
Scrap a show that is still raking far more money than it costs to produce AND risk the ire of Cowell, one of TV’s most successful moguls? Seems a bit unlikely. We think it’s far to early to write the show off.
Always thought something a little bit different was going to win BGT this year and am not at all surprised it was the dog. I think people are a bit bored of karaoke acts and genuinely want to see original and interesting talent.
And while I would have loved the synchronised swimmers Aquabatique to have scooped first prize (original and truly difficult to perform) I’m not at all surprised it was Pudsey who proved to be the competition’s top dog. With a whopping half a million quid prize money that’s an awful lot of Pedigree Chum!
Obviously there is no getting away from the fact that dogs are cute and this one especially, but there was something about his owner Ashleigh and her genuine warmth and love for Pudsey that shone through. Tonight’s Mission Impossible, or should that be im-pawsible, routine, was inspired though Jonathan and Charlotte – the opera singers – proved to be worthy runners’ up. What a transformation from those two both in terms of looks and performance since the audition when she seemed to be little more than a prop for his talent.
As for the rest, I really liked The Lovable Rogues who also performed their own stuff, sounding a bit like Rizzle Kicks meets Plan B with a bit of Madness thrown in (though not quite as much as the judges kept going on about). Ryan O’Shaughnessy showed he had original talent with his own songs too – though his James Taylor inspired style wasn’t really to my liking.
All in all I thought this year’s BGT was pretty good viewing. David Walliams, in particular, gave the show a camp humour which made it seem less up its own arse than previous overblown Americanised Simon Cowell productions. Walliams’ performance with The Show Bears was typical and the way he pretended to fawn over ‘My Simon’ was reminiscent of the Little Britain Prime Minister sketches with Anthony Head.
Even Cowell seemed to get into the show this year (especially Ashleigh and Pudsey), though his comments at the end seemed to suggest that BGT had run its course. Surely not? Or maybe it has on ITV and he is planning to move it to the Beeb as reported.
My only criticism is that the early stages seemed pretty rushed with you only getting very quick bursts of the acts. Still there are only so many acts like the man doing Dalek impressions with a saucepan on his head you can put up with at any one time. And it was much better than last year which was won by the instantly forgettable Jai McDowall. Who?
Singer Jessie J: one of the judges on the BBC's The Voice
So the gloves are off this weekend as a new series ofBritain’s Got Talent goes head to head with the Beeb’s latest reality TV show, The Voice – in which the deal is you get to hear the singers without actually seeing what they look like.
Yesterday saw the official launch of a new series of Britain’s Got Talent which marks the return of music supremo Simon Cowell to the UK as well as a new judging panel, including comedian and swimmer David Walliams and singer Alesha Dixon – poached of course from the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Word on the street is that Britain’s Got Talent is a little slicker than before and the acts – at least from the first episode – are a little less ‘out there’ (which sounds a bit of a shame as I liked the more bizarre ones).
Speaking at yesterday’s BGT launch, Cowell claimed that he is ready for a battle with the BBC and denied accusations that he wanted Tom Jones – one of The Voice’s judging panel – to work for him.
“I think [The Voice] have got themselves in a mess,” said Cowell. “They need to get their sense of humour back.
“I read one thing today and I want to clear the record up. It was intimated that Tom Jones had been offered a role on one of my shows.
“I met the guy once in Vegas and I think the show he must have been talking about was Opportunity Knocks. It wasn’t one of my shows. He might have got the names confused.”
He added: “They are winding this up to be a big battle, but it’s not. The shows go out at the same time and the better one wins.
The Voice airs on BBC1, 7pm and Britain’s Got Talent starts ITV1, 8pm
Ant and Dec were fuming when Britain’s Got Talent auditions were held up because Simon Cowell was having a bath. The presenting duo, along with judges David Walliams and Alesha Dixon, arrived at the Cardiff leg of the auditions on time at 2pm but at 4pm were still waiting for the 52-year-old media mogul.
Dec wrote on twitter: “If you’re outside in the Q in Cardiff, tweet @SimonCowell and tell him to hurry up.”
A source told the Sun: “Simon’s a law unto himself. He never gets up before noon and is happy working late at night.
“The problem is the thousands of people who turned up for the show – as well as Ant and Dec and his fellow judges David and Alesha – were on time. They had to sit twiddling their thumbs for a couple of hours while he pampered himself in his suite.”
The ‘X Factor’ boss is believed to have further angered the Geordie duo when he hopped in the bath tub in the middle of the auditions.
The source added: “It’s not uncommon for Simon to get up and go for a bath during the show. He comes back smelling really lemony.”
Meanwhile, Simon has hired Sharon Mills – the producer of E4 reality show ‘Made in Chelsea’ – to film backstage scenes in order to catch the bickering and flirting between the contestants.
A source told the Daily Star: “Out of all of Simon’s shows, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ has the most variety from animals to circus acts and fire-eaters.
“He wants to give viewers a bigger insight into what happens backstage with them all. With Sharon’s track record in reality TV, she’s perfect for the job. With such a wide range of people there’s always lots going on – fireworks and tantrums and maybe even romance.”
David Walliams: asked to tone down comments for BGT
David Walliams has been warned to tone down his outrageous comments. The 40-year-old comic has reportedly been reprimanded by Britain’s Got Talent bosses who fear his lewd humour is too much for the show’s early evening time slot.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “A lot of Walliams’ comments need editing out. It certainly can’t go on for the rest of filming. If we don’t get clean comments, that act won’t get a big showing.
“It’s a learning curve. He was very funny but we need him to be more family-friendly. But we’re still confident we made the right choice. Simon Cowell loves the banter and thinks the new panel has great chemistry.”
David made a string of flirty sexual comments towards fellow judge Simon, including asking: “Did that raise you up?” when a gay ballroom dance duo performed to Westlife hit ‘You Raise Me Up.’
He then went on to describe a scenario of himself and the music mogul re-enacting the performance and added: “You would be the lifter. You understand what I mean.”
At the second day of auditions in Manchester on Saturday (21.01.12), Simon told the audience: “David behaved very badly yesterday.”
Despite his comments, show bosses are delighted with David’ s introduction to the judging panel alongside Simon, Amanda Holden and fellow newcomer Alesha Dixon.
An insider told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “We’re thrilled with the natural chemistry between the judges – and hope it will continue throughout the series.
“The banter between David Walliams and Simon Cowell has been hysterical – they both give as good as they get which is going to make really entertaining television.”
Britain’s Got Talent will be holding auditions in Blackpool.
The ITV1 show is set to return to TV screens later this year and bosses are keen to get more cabaret-style acts in the competition so think returning to the North West seaside town for the first time since 2008 will provide them with that.
They have also switched the Scottish auditions from Glasgow – where Susan Boyle wowed everyone in 2009 – to Edinburgh.
One insider told The Sun newspaper: “Blackpool is well-known for its entertainment heritage and producers really hope this will throw up some quality acts.
“Producers also hope that by moving the Scottish auditions from Glasgow to Edinburgh they will tap a rich new seam of acts there as well.”
The new judging line-up of Simon Cowell, singer Alesha Dixon, comedian David Walliams and returning judge Amanda Holden, will visit the famous Opera House at the Winter Gardens on January 24.
Hosts Ant and Dec will lead a parade on the Promenade on January 18.
When the show previously went to Blackpool, Simon – who didn’t take part in last year’s auditions – said the audience was the best he’d come across.
Simon Cowell is definitely returning to Britain’s Got Talent. The music mogul – who gave up being a full-time judge on the show this year, returning only for the final week of live shows – is coming back to the panel following the departures of David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre after just one series, ITV chief executive Adam Crozier has confirmed.
However, the executive quashed speculation Simon would also return to The X Factor after its ratings slumped behind rival show Strictly Come Dancing this year.
Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild lunch yesterday (07.12.11), Adam said: “X Factor is still the most-watched television show when you combine the Saturday and Sunday viewing figures.”
Original judge Amanda Holden is staying with Britain’s Got Talent, while Dannii Minogue and David Walliams are tipped to take on the other seats on the panel.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “When Simon said he wanted to leave along with Piers Morgan, there were fears that Britain’s Got Talent wouldn’t be the same.
“As much as they love Amanda, viewers didn’t take to the newcomers so Simon is coming back with two famous faces.
“Dannii has been a judge on Australia’s Got Talent and X Factor and David will be a giggle.”
Tulisa mentored boyband Nu Vibe. Voted out in last night's X Factor show
Simon Cowell is reportedly “furious” after The X Factor lost more than two million viewers. The music mogul – who is still in charge of the ITV1 talent show despite quitting the judging panel to concentrate on the US version – has told producers to “sort it out” because he doesn’t think enough attention is being given to the acts.
He is also expected to speak to the judges – Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh – to tell them to up their game.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “Simon is furious. This would never have happened on his watch and he wants the team to know this and sort it out.
“He knows there is great talent on the show, but he thinks the attention to detail has been shocking. The acts are not being showcased at their best.
“Say what you like about Simon, but he spends ages dithering over the tiny details to make sure everything is perfect. There’s no way he would have sanctioned some of those song outfits or choices.”
Just 11.4million viewers watched Saturday’s (15.10.11) live show, down 700,000 on the previous week and 2.3million fewer than the 13.7million who saw the same stage last year.
The show’s BBC One rival Strictly Come Dancing also beat The X Factor by a million viewers during the half an hour they went head-to-head, pulling in a series high of 10.1 million.
The source added: “The figures are hugely disappointing for ‘The X Factor’ because the whole point of the live shows is that they are supposed to build momentum.
“Last year there were nearly 14million watching the second live show. Where have all those viewers gone? It’s no wonder Cowell has gone ballistic. Losing viewers is the last thing he wanted to happen.”
Last night (16.10.11), ITV defended its ratings performance, with a spokesman saying: “‘The X Factor continued to be the UK’s most watched entertainment show and ITV1 was the most popular channel across peak time.”
But personally I’m not surprised that X Factor ratings have fallen. Most of the acts lack any personality at all and the judges are extremely bland especially Gary Barlow who, may be a great songwriter, but has absolutely nothing of any interest to say.
Dannii Minogue quit X Factor because of audition times
Dannii Minogue has hinted she could become a judge on Britain’s Got Talent. The former X-Factor mentor is in line to replace comedian Michael McIntyre – who quit his role as a panellist after only one season of the ITV1 show in order to concentrate on a 100-date stand-up tour – and Dannii admitted she loves the talent competition.
She told Heart FM: “I do love the show, it’s so funny.
“I don’t have any TV booked in for the next year. I haven’t made any decisions. Let’s see what happens.”
The 39-year-old beauty explained she was flattered by the reaction of her fans to rumours she would be joining the BGT panel and promised to make a decision “soon”.
Speaking on ITV1′s This Morning, she said: “There’s lots of things being discussed. But you know what’s nice is that there’s been an incredible reaction since the rumours were out.
“I’m always reading what my fans are saying on twitter and they are saying, ‘We’d love you to be there, we wanna see you back on TV, we are missing your clothes’.
“So reading that is so beautiful and I have to make a decision soon, but I guess it’s been a time for me to be back at home and really have family time which I haven’t had for a few years.”
If Dannii does take up a role on the show, she will join pregnant Amanda Holden and an as yet unconfirmed panellist after former ‘Baywatch’ star David Hasselhoff was axed from the programme last month.
Katy Perry is to perform on The X-Factor. The 26-year-old singer was a guest judge on last year’s series and also showcased her single Firework with a live performance on the ITV1 talent show and she is keen to return, especially because husband Russell Brand is such a big fan.
A source said: “Katy knows Russell is a big fan of the programme so she really wants to get back on it. She’s determined to go all out with another show-stopping performance just like last year – and Russell doesn’t want to miss out either. He’s determined to be there on the night to support Katy in person.”
During her stint on The X Factor last year – in which she stood in for then-judge Dannii Minogue who was on maternity leave – Katy impressed with her witty comments and there was speculation she would join Simon Cowell on the US version.
She said: “I saw something about that and I think Simon is flirting with me through the press. He is a big flirt. I know a lot of it is rumours but sometimes rumours turn into reality.”
However, he opted for Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid, while Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Kelly Rowland and Louis Walsh make up the new look UK panel.
Simon Cowell’s Red or Black has axed two contestants after tightening security checks.
The ITV1 game show has come under fire since it was revealed 31-year-old Nathan Hageman – who scooped the £1 million jackpot on Saturday (03.09.11) – spent two-and-a-half years behind bars for attacking former lover Amy Edwards and now show bosses have vowed to be more careful when choosing contestants.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “One of the contestants hadn’t been totally honest with us when they sat down with producers.
“This was revealed during the subsequent Criminal Records Bureau checks. The crime wouldn’t have necessarily precluded them from going on the show – but the fact that they weren’t honest from the beginning most certainly would. The second person’s crime was serious enough to warrant them being sacked from the show.
“Although their convictions came up in the checks, after we re-looked at the circumstances surrounding the crime, the decision was made to terminate their time on the show.”
An ITV spokesman for the show – which is hosted by Ant and Dec and co-produced by Simon’s production company Syco – added: “ITV has reviewed the background checks on remaining contestants from Red or Black. As a result of this we have asked producers to remove two contestants from this week’s shows. Red or Black will continue on these occasions with seven rather than eight contestants.”
Viewers of last night’s show saw Andy Morton, a 26 year old accounts executive from Grinstead lose out on a million after picking the wrong colour during the final round.
X Factor Final, 2010: The most watched Saturday night TV programme of last 5 years
Saturday night TV has become live TV night with ITV – and Simon Cowell’s shows in particular – dominating a Top 30 list of the last five years top programmes produced by trade magazine Broadcast.
ITV claim the top two spots with Britain’s Got Talent (whose best ranked show was the 2009 with 18.3 million visitors). And the X-Factor final, December 2010 – in which Matt Cardle triumphed over Rebecca Ferguson, One Direction and Cher Lloyd with 15.1 million viewers – in second spot.
In third place was BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, which brought in its highest ever viewing figure of 14.3million last December while in the fourth slot was ITV’s Dancing On Ice from 2006 which attracted 11.7 million for its live final.
A Broadcast spokesman said: “The days of Morecambe and Wise, Two Ronnies, Blind Date, Noel’s House Party and The Generation Game are long gone.”
“But Britain’s Got Talent, Ant and Dec, The X-Factor and Strictly Come Dancing remind us that Saturday nights remain big nights in.”
With knowledge that they are dominating British TV viewing in this way, it is no surprise that ITV now want to cash in and run new longer three hour X-Factor , with much more lucrative advertising breaks included.
The X-Factor will return to our TV screens on the 20th of August, so ITV can expect to rule the airwaves all autumn once more.
Top 10 shows on Saturday night since 2006:
1. Britain’s Got Talent Final Results 18.3 million
Steve Jones thinks Simon Cowell is like a “Disney baddie”. The US X-Factor host explained while the 51-year-old music mogul is “cruelly handsome”, he is like a “bloody hermit” and prefers to stay in his hotel room and “hatch plans” rather than joining fellow judges Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and L.A. Reid on nights out on the town.
He said: “He’s cruelly handsome – like a Disney baddie.”
“Simon is difficult to get out. He’s like a bloody hermit. He stays in his penthouse in whichever city we are filming just hatching plans.
“The other weird thing I’ve noticed is he’s like a squirrel – he just eats nuts all the time. During the filming of the show, every time I look at the monitor he’s got a mouthful of nuts and is munching.”
However, the Welsh hunk has had no trouble bonding with Paula and Nicole, and even spends evenings at local karaoke bars with the Don’t Hold Your Breath hitmaker. Steve added to The Sun newspaper: “Paula is just wild. She takes forever to get ready and is always late – but that’s Paula.
“Me and Scherzinger have hit it off big time. We became very close very quickly. We hit the karaoke like my life depended on it in Miami and did a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old TV presenter admitted while he was “disappointed” Cheryl Cole got the boot from the US X Factor, her sensational firing had “nothing to do” with her strong Geordie accent.
Steve said: “I spoke to her and said I was disappointed I wasn’t going to spend a lot more time with her because she’s a cool girl. The powers that be know exactly what happened. I’m my own little island backstage.
“But the only thing I will say is it was nothing to do with the accent. I watched her judge about 140 contestants and only twice did someone say, ‘Excuse me?’”
Simon Cowell made a surprise appearance at the X Factor auditions yesterday (08.07.11). The 51-year-old music mogul (pictured right) who departed the UK programme to launch the show in the US – arrived at London’s The O2 and asked the 10,000-strong crowd if he should rejoin the panel.
Referring to Louis Walsh, the only remaining original judge, he said: “Shall I take Louis’ seat?” The crowd cheered but Simon – who is still executive producer on the show – soon disappeared backstage.
A source said: “Simon is still very hands-on despite not being on the judging panel any more.”
While it is still unclear whether Simon will return for the live finals of the show – as he did with his other programme, Britain’s Got Talent – new ‘Xtra Factor’ co-host Olly Murs believes he could be on hand to assist new head judge Gary Barlow at the Judges Homes’ semi-final stage of the contest.
He told Alex James on his In Demand radio show: “I’m really intrigued to know who are going to be the mentors this year.
“You can kind of guess, but I kind of have a theory on who it will be. I think Gary is going to have Simon, possibly. I just feel that Simon will want to come back at some point, just to show his face.”
Meanwhile, Gary won applause from the crowd after paying £100 for a taxi home for a 70-year-old auditionee.
Ann Tunstall – who previously reached the boot camp stage of the competition – had used public transport to travel to the venue from her home in Brighton. But after her performance, Gary told her: “My assistant is down there and I’m going to get you a cab to take you back to Brighton.” What a nice guy!
News has been spreading like wildfire across the internet this morning that super knowledgeable tech experts (and fame whores) Simon Cowell and Will.i.am are soon to be launching the hunt for the next big name in the industry to rival the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Yep, we have no words either.
Simon Cowell made a surprise appearance at the X Factor auditions yesterday (08.07.11). The 51-year-old music mogul (pictured right) who departed the UK programme to launch the show in the US – arrived at London’s The O2 and asked the 10,000-strong crowd if he should rejoin the panel.
From:Set The Video: NASA: Triumph and Tragedy, BBC Two, Wednesday, 24 June, 9pm