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We open the Dannii bikini photo file
NOTW

Dannii comes out of Kylie's shadow to shine on X Factor



Forget the hopes of finding the new Steve Brookstein. The biggest revelation of this year's X Factor has been Dannii Minogue's reinvention as the nation's favourite reality pop judge. Gossips say Simon Cowell booked Dannii in the hope of getting her sister on to the show, but it seems more likely that he simply knew what he had on his hands - a straight-talking woman with unusual warmth and charisma and an ability to turn the words "it's going to be a no from me" into a national catchphrase. It's so easy to form opinions of musicians based on their videos and photos that we sometimes forget that they can talk and interact with real people in a human way.

The media have been quick to play up rivalry between Minogue and her fellow judge Sharon Osbourne - X Factor's production team seem to have chosen to portray Osbourne as a dotty mum who walks into doors in the throes of hysterics - but the biggest showdown will undoubtedly centre on Dannii and her sister. Dannii has a new single due in shops in December just as X Factor audiences reach their peak, but Kylie is also looking to dominate the charts with material from her own new album, X.

Are they really in competition with each other? These days, they operate in different pop spheres. While Kylie has efficiently buried any hint of her own personality behind a succession of neon logos, arty photographs and myth-building exercises, Dannii's X Factor-fuelled return looks likely to succeed because her personality does shine through. The difference in each Minogue's comeback single speaks volumes. Both are brilliant pop songs but while Kylie's 2 Hearts is stylish and sophisticated (ie difficult to dance to), Dannii's takes a rather different approach.

With nothing to lose, she is having fun with her career again - her single is based around a sample from Sylvester's (You Make Me Feel) Mighty Real and is about as restrained as Louis Walsh at a boyband audition. It's not as if there's as big a difference between the Minogues as, say, Joni Mitchell and Rachel Stevens, but it's hard to see much competition. That said, you would still choose Team Dannii for a night on the town.
guardian

‘I WANT BRAD – I’M GOING TO BREAK UP BRANGELINA!’


Dannii Minogue may be single at the moment, but she tells us she’s looking for love – and reckons Brad Pitt is just the man for the job.

The 36-year-old says, ‘I want to break up Angelina and Brad – he’s still the pin-up boy for me. He looks so good.’

Dannii was divorced from Australian actor Julian McMahon in 1994, and has since dated men including Bros bassist Craig Logan and Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve. But recently she’s kept rather a low love profile.

‘I’m dating at the moment, which is good,’ she says. ‘There’s no one in particular at this stage. I’d like there to be, but I’m just having fun right now. English men are definitely more reserved than Aussie blokes. But I love being in Europe, with all the accents and personalities. I’m a sucker for a French accent, it’s very romantic.’


And Brad Pitt aside, Dannii certainly knows what she wants. ‘My ideal man is a real gentleman and someone who’s not in showbiz. After dating F1 racer Jacques, I love going to all the races, I’m a bit of a petrol head. I like someone with a bit of adventure.’

With her stint on X Factor, plus her new single out, Touch Me Like That, Dannii is certainly living life in the fast lane at the moment.

‘In the first few weeks of X Factor I was very unsure of myself, and the regular judges were like, “Who’s the new girl?” It took a little while to settle in and we don’t always agree on everything, but that’s the point. Sharon’s her own woman and so am I, so we’re going to butt heads at times.’

As for Louis Walsh, Dannii says she’s a big fan. ‘I think he’s a lot of fun. I don’t agree with everything he says, but he’s very sweet.’

Aside from judging duties, Dannii is busy gearing up for sister Kylie’s tour.

But while some have said Kylie’s pushing herself too soon after recovering from breast cancer last year, Dannii insists that’s really not the case.

‘Kylie gets so much joy out of her work, it’s a part of who she is. When you take the touring away, you see someone who’s missing that sparkle in her eye. She has got so many great plans for the tour, but she’s going to make sure she has breaks. I think it’s a great idea and I can’t wait. My mum will be coming along too, so it will be quite a family event.’

Dannii found fame on Aussie soap Home & Away when she was just 17, and reveals she may be giving acting another go next year. There’s an Australian film in the pipeline, plus rumours of a return to the soap. ‘I read that I was returning to Home & Away – I was the last person to hear about it. But eventually I got a letter from them asking if I’d be interested. It would be fun to do a walk-on role, it’s where I started off. When I first came to England, people used to see me in the street and call me Emma Jackson because they didn’t know my name.’ Well, she definitely doesn’t have to worry about that any more...



‘I LOVE SIMON, BUT HE’S NOT MY TYPE...’
Dannii and Simon Cowell sparked rumours of a romance after they were snapped holding hands in the back of a taxi recently. But Dannii says there was nothing in it. ‘We were in a car and it looked like we were holding hands, but we weren’t. He’s not my type, although I should say he is, because he likes the attention! He’s great, he’s been an amazing support and I owe him a huge amount.’

She added she and Sharon were often left battling for Simon’s attention. ‘He loves it when we’re fighting over him.’

Dannii’s single, Touch Me Like That, is out now
Mirror