BB FANS

X Factor edges out BBC rival

MediaGuardian.co.uk

The X Factor: attracted 7.4 million viewers with a show that revealed the 12 finaists, including Futureproof

ITV1's The X Factor beat returning BBC1 rival Strictly Come Dancing by 600,000 viewers in the battle of the talent shows last night.

In the first of the Sunday night showdowns, The X Factor drew 7.4 million viewers and a 32% share between 6.45pm and 7.45pm in an instalment which revealed the 12 finalists, according to unofficial overnights.

On BBC1 between 6.45pm and 7.35pm, Strictly Come Dancing attracted 6.8 million and a 29% share.

Last night's Strictly Come Dancing featured the first of a new-look results show in which the winner from the previous night's contest is decided by the judging panel and a dance-off.

On Saturday, Strictly Come Dancing launched its series with 7.4 million viewers between 6.15pm and 7.30pm, while The X Factor drew 7.5 million between 6.45pm and 7.45pm on ITV1.

However, the BBC1 show's share was slightly higher at 36%, compared with The X Factor's 35%.

When the two programmes were head to head on Saturday night between 6.45pm and 7.30pm, Strictly Come Dancing had the edge with 7.8 million viewers and a 36% share, compared with The X Factor's 7.2 million and 33%.
guardian

X Factor's Ditty dozen
X Factor finalists are revealed..and look out Simon, one is a karate kid

There's a black belt in karate, a former weightlifter and a teenager who fancies Sharon Osbourne.

So it looks like Simon Cowell better watch his mouth when he starts giving his verdicts on some of the latest batch of X Factor finalists or rowing with rival judges.

The trio are among the 12 who will battle it out for the prize of a recording contract.

And the show has its youngest ever contestant - 15-year-old Emily Nakanda who is one of Sharon's proteges.

But if any of the judges reckon they can talk to her like a schoolgirl, they'd better beware. Emily describes herself as a mature and confident person who has "been put on this earth to sing".

Simon's group Hope includes 16-year-old Pheobe Brown who has just finished her GCSEs. But while his boy band Futureproof will be looking to him for inspiration, one member called Aaron Delahunty, 19, only has eyes for 55-year-old Sharon. He said: "I really fancy her, I don't think she knows that though." In Dannii's group is former weightlifter Rhydian Roberts. The 24-year-old student - whose grandad was Tom Jones' doctor - is not short on confidence. Welsh Opera singer Rhydian said if he had an album out, "all of Wales would buy it".

Dannii will also look after sales assistant Leon Jackson - and she may be confident the other judges won't be too harsh on him.

The 18-year-old is a karate expert. He is unlikely to land a chop on Simon if he slags him off. But viewers can always hope...

25 & OVER NIKI EVANS, 34, catering boss from Tamworth, West Mids. X FACT: Found application form in her dead dad's belongings.

14-24 BOYS LEON JACKSON, 18, Sales assistant from West Lothian, Scotland. X FACT: Black belt in karate.

Groups Aaron Delahunty, 19, admin assistant, from London, ADAM CHANDLER, 21, from Maidstone, MATTHEW PROTHEROE, 17, London student RICHARD WILKINSON, 23, from Leeds, SEAN RUMSEY, 20, student, from Warcs. X FACT: Aaron's been busking since he was 10.

14-24 BOYS ANDY WILLIAMS, 22, asbestos removal worker from Newport, South Wales. X FACT: Has a "music" tattoo on bum, like dad & brothers.

Groups Same Difference, Sean Smith, 21, entertainer and student sister Sarah, 18, from Portsmouth. X FACT: They perform together in old people's' homes.

Groups Hope: Girlband featuring Charlie Mole, 23, beauty therapist from Sunderland, Emily Biggs, 17, student from Torquay, Raquelle Gracie, 20, singer from London, Leah Lauder, 20, student from London, Pheobe Brown, 16, schoolgirl from Woking. X FACT: Emily was an extra in Casualty

25 & OVER DANIEL DE BOURG, 31, dance teacher from London. X FACT: Quit as ballet dancer because of knee injury.

14-24 BOYS RHYDIAN ROBERTS, 24, student from Powys, Wales. X FACT: As a teenager was a top weightlifter.

14-24 GIRLS KIMBERLY SOUTHWICK, 19, barmaid of Tamworth, West Mids. X FACT: Was on Michael Barrymore's My Kind of People. EMILY NAKANDA, 15, London pupil. X FACT: Claims she sees dead people. ALISHA BENNETT, 23, gym worker, of London. X FACT: Lives near studios.

25 & OVER BEVERLEY TROTMAN, 37, Primary school teacher from Luton, Beds X FACT: Her nephew plays for West Bromwich Albion.

Nicola.Methven@Mirror.Co.

Tales from the X Factor boot camp thisishampshire

X Factor Rhydian is a pain

X Factor finalist Rhydian Roberts has already upset rivals with his arrogance.

The singer, who even Simon Cowell said was "up his own a***", arrived three hours late at the house where he will live with the other contestants.

When told he had ruined a filming schedule he replied: "What's your problem?"

On Sunday when the other hopefuls viewed their performances at Boot Camp, Rhydian, 24, watched only his own singing session then left the room.


A source on the ITV show said of the 16-1 outsider: "He keeps going to the shed and has become a bit of a loner. All the others have bonded well."

Rhydian, branded "revolting" by Sharon Osbourne, was backed by Dannii Minogue, his mentor in the boys aged 14-24 group.
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Mirror

Eau De Cowell

So X Factor is to launch its own perfume based on the show?

You've had your vote, you've bought the single - now spray on the scent!

NOTW

COWELL SLAMS BBC ‘STUPIDITY’

FURIOUS X Factor staff have threatened to wreck Strictly Come Dancing in a dirty tricks war they say was started by the BBC.

TV judge Simon Cowell was fuming when the BBC posted the names of the 12 final acts on the web last Saturday – 24 hours before viewers saw the big “reveal” on screen.

Now X Factor is to hit back. Some maverick show insiders are ready to leak who gets booted off rival series Strictly Come Dancing before the show is screened every Sunday night. Last night X Factor boss Cowell admitted he was fuming with the BBC for prematurely posting the 12 names. And he accused them of ruining the ITV show with their tactics.

Cowell stormed: “We pay their wages through the BBC licence fee.
“We do not pay them to ruin people’s enjoyment of TV shows. It’s incredibly stupid.”

The war began when a BBC website said the likes of Hope, Futureproof, Daniel DeBourg and Andy Williams were through to the final – spoiling the moment they were officially revealed. Cowell, 48, went mad and his show’s producers contacted the Beeb the moment they were alerted to the leak and demanded they take the names off the website.

BBC bosses complied and a spokesman said: “They were posted in error.” But X Factor chiefs are not convinced. And behind the scenes some crew members have said if any more underhand stunts are pulled, they will fight back.

They plan to leak the name of who gets booted off Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night on to the internet – 24 hours before the Beeb reveals it.

This year the dance contest, featuring star babes including Kelly Brook and Penny Lancaster, is split into two TV shows.
On Saturday night the celebs perform their dances. But they don’t announce who’s been kicked off until Sunday on a new Strictly Results show in the evening. However, the Sunday programme is not live. It’s recorded an hour after the Saturday night show ends.

That means there is plenty of potential for the name of the evictee to get out before the results programme is broadcast. An insider said: “Because of the nature of the shows, a lot of the crew who work on Strictly and X Factor know one another.
“So it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out that the name of the Strictly evictee can be easily leaked and put on the net before the show goes out on Sunday.

“X Factor were genuinely furious that the names of the 12 finalists got out. People would have seen the names and therefore not bothered to tune in to watch the show.

“It was a big night for ITV. A lot of hype was built up for when the judges picked their favourite acts for the final. To have someone ruin it is damaging. So they’ve said if anything like this happens again they’ll hit them where it hurts.”

Cowell also lashed out at the Beeb for being “obsessed” with trying to dent X Factor’s ratings by pitching Strictly Come Dancing against it in the schedules. He said: “I did hope that this year the BBC – knowing we would be on air on a Saturday again – would have considered putting their show on at a different time.

“People love both shows and it is stupidity to keep putting them on at the same time. But sadly it’s an obsession with the BBC to go against us. It’s becoming stupid.

“The BBC is not a commercial company like ITV. Why not give the viewers what they want? They want to enjoy both shows – it’s not fair on the viewers.”

DailyStar

GET 'EM TO SOB OFF, SI

Cue the wailing violins, start the hysterical sobbing, bring out your dead relatives... it's another seriously sentimental dollop of ITV's absurdly po-faced X Factor.

Memo to Simon Cowell: it's supposed to be fun. Stop depressing everyone with all these mawkish tales of tragedy from non-entities we neither know nor care about.

Meanwhile, let's face it, Kate Thornton's reedy-voiced replacement Dermot O'Leary isn't working out. Mr Dullsville is a dead hand whose mere presence seems to the suck the drama out of any tense situation.

Which, for an X Factor host, is not a good trait.

At least the misery-filled final knock-out round delivered one decent laugh.

Classic comedy as singer-with-a-past Si Si Jghalef was kicked out of girl group Hope(less) for failing to complete a community service order.

When her loyal bandmates were asked if they'd consider carrying on without her, they deliberated for all of three seconds before declaring: "F*** her!" Or words to that effect.

The X Factor has yet to produce a star.

And with losers like dire double act Same Difference and Welsh warbler Rhydian, series four stands no chance of stopping the rot.

SundayMirror

Connie signs six-figure record deal

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Connie Talbot, the six-year-old star of ITV1's Britain's Got Talent, is already being hailed as the "next Charlotte Church".

She has just signed a six-figure record deal with Sony BMG after losing out in the TV final of the show.

Connie has never had a formal singing lessons before

The youngster's late grandmother said she was once told by a fortune teller she was going to have a famous grandchild and now it looks like her dreams are coming true.

Mobile phone salesman Paul Potts was crowned the winner of the talent show for his version of Nessun Dorma.

The final show saw two million viewers cast their vote in the summer.

© Independent Television News

The XV Factor Sun

X Factor's Leon Jackson fancies fellow contestant

15 October 2007 - X Factor finalist Leon Jackson has admitted that he has been getting distracted from his singing goal by dreams of romance with another contestant.

The 18-year-old told the Daily Star that he fancies Emily Biggs, who is a member of Hope.
He remarked: "Emily is a lovely, lovely girl and the more time we are spending together the closer we are getting.

"She is kind of seeing someone at the moment but she is no longer replying to his texts so things are looking up."

Leon added that he didn't want to "get distracted from the ultimate goal of winning the show", but confessed that it was "easier said than done" while in the presence of his 17-year-old crush.

The West Lothian native also had positive things to say about mentor Dannii Minogue, who was recently reduced to tears with the difficulty of making a decision on who would be cut.

Leon, whose mother Wendy raised him single-handedly, has been a fan favourite.

In other X Factor news, finalist Daniel De Bourg was recently accused of using his three-year-old son as a way to gain support and win the programme.
myparkmag

X Factor - It runs in Leon Jackson's family

16 October 2007 - X Factor finalist Leon Jackson's grandfather was a 1940s opera singer in Scotland.

The 18-year-old Scot's grandad William Johnston was also a performer who sang in Glasgow theatres in an amateur operatic group.

Leon revealed that his dad Philip died of flu aged just 39 in 2005 after suffering organ failure.

Leon is now the bookies' third favourite at 6-1 to win the reality karaoke show, despite only starting to sing a few months ago.

He reportedly said: "Singing comes really natural to me but I only really started in January when people started telling me I was really good at karaoke.

"When the X-Factor auditions came along, I thought it would be a great time to see how good I was. I would love to make a career from my voice."

The teenager was due to study architecture and technology at Napier University when he won a place in the series' final, but he wants to win this contest for his mum, who brought him up alone when his dad left when he was two.
.myparkmag

X Factor bands in blazing row Sun

Motown for X Factor finalists
EXCLUSIVE



Lucky X Factor finalists will be coached by top US group Boyz II Men for a Motown-style show.

Judge Simon Cowell has asked them to spend a week with the contestants preparing them to perform a Motown hit on the November 3 show before singing a medley of songs from their new album Motown: Hitsville USA.

A source said: "The boys are delighted and big fans of the show."
Mirror

‘IF SHARON WANTS TO GO, IT’S FINE BY ME’

Simon Cowell has confirmed there IS a rift between judges Sharon Osbourne and Dannii Minogue on The X Factor.

In his frankest-ever interview, he revealed Sharon felt “uncomfortable” about having a new kid on the block.

And TV’s favourite Mr Nasty even said Sharon was free to walk out on the show.

DailyStar

Cowell admits ogling Dannii’s bum

X Factor judge Simon Cowell has confessed that he fancies co-judge Dannii Minogue and was also ogling her bum on one occasion.

In a recent interview, Cowell said that the Aussie singer had become a ‘sex symbol’ ever since she joined the talent hunt show.

“Dannii reckons there’s a picture on The X Factor website where I’m staring at her bottom. I probably was . . . but I think most people would if they were sitting next to her. She was probably sticking it out on purpose,” The Sun quoted Cowell, as saying.

“Every guy in the world fancies Dannii. She’s become a sex symbol since joining the show, and the contestants love her. She’s got that Sophia Loren, movie-star sex appeal, I love sitting next to her,” he added.

Though Cowell admitted that he flirts with Dannii, the British artist insisted that he never crosses his limits, for he has a long-term partner Terri Seymour.

Times of India