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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
| Five More Years of Simon on ‘American Idol’ |
November 29, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Associated Press via MSNBC
There will be at least five more “American Idol” winners — and insult-wielding Simon Cowell is booked to do his part in selecting each one.
Fox on Tuesday announced a deal for five more editions of the nation’s most popular television program, with plans to help ardent fans keep in touch with the talent contest over the Internet and on cell phones.
Key to the deal was the settlement of a lawsuit against Cowell by fellow British pop impresario Simon Fuller, creator of “American Idol.”
As the judge alongside Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, Cowell is the show’s breakout star, unafraid to take the villain’s role in offering blunt assessments of young people trying to become singing stars. His contract was due to expire at the end of the season that starts in January; Tuesday’s deal extends the show for four years after that.
“All I know is this: the show as it exists now gets a lot of energy and excitement from Simon,” said Robert F.X. Sillerman, chairman of CKX Inc., owner of Fuller’s production company.
Don't expect warm and fuzzy
Cowell said the show will stay strong and add new twists, although he wouldn’t specify them. “I didn’t sign up to be on something that I think is going to fail,” he told The Associated Press.
And greater financial security won’t exactly make him warm and fuzzy.
“I try each year to go out there and basically say what I sincerely believe most of the people at home are thinking,” he said. “If you fall out of kilter with that, your role becomes redundant.”
Five years is an unusually long commitment for television, but “American Idol” has shown little sign of fading in popularity since its debut in 2002. Fox has run only one edition per year, from January through May, and the new deal continues that pattern, Sillerman said.
The show currently airs on Tuesday and Wednesday each week, but Fox is considering moving one of those editions to Thursdays. That would give Fox a toehold on the night that is the most lucrative for advertising revenue, but also put “American Idol” up against stiffer competition.
Fox is expected to announce its scheduling plans soon, a network spokesman said.
A cornerstone for Fox
The deal is tremendously important to Fox, which finished No. 1 last season for the first time among the 18-to-49-year-old viewers that advertisers crave. While awaiting the “American Idol” return this season, it is narrowly edging NBC for third place behind ABC and CBS.
The deal allows Fox to set up an “American Idol” Web site that will stream additional video material from the show to broadband users, Sillerman said. For a fee, fans will also be able to buy even more extensive video, he said.
Fox and producers are also negotiating to sell “American Idol” content — downloads of videos or ring tones, for instance — to cell phone users, he said.
“Frankly, we think the revenue opportunities are limitless for this,” he said.
In his copyright infringement lawsuit, Fuller had claimed that Cowell had copied the format of “Pop Idol” — the British version that predated the U.S. version of “American Idol” — for Cowell’s new show “X-Factor.”
That talent show currently airs in Britain and although Fox has the option to make an American version, part of Tuesday’s deal is to shelve it so there’s no competition with “American Idol,” Cowell said.
A spokesman for Fuller confirmed the lawsuit had been settled out of court in Britain, but offered no details.
“Simon Fuller is delighted to have agreed to a new partnership with Simon Cowell,” said Julian Henry. “The two are friends and respect each other.”
In previous seasons, Cowell had the right to sign the “American Idol” winner to his record label on Sony BMG. Those rights had expired, but as part of the new deal Cowell retains that lucrative edge for five more seasons, Sillerman said.
| X and Make Up |
November 30, 2005
By Nicola Methven for The Mirror
TV mogul Simon Fuller has been made a partner on hit show The X Factor after settling his fight with rival Simon Cowell.
Fuller had claimed that Cowell, one of The X Factor star judges, pinched the formula from his successful Pop Idol programmes.
The pair were heading for a £100million High Court showdown until lawyers thrashed out a deal.
Now Cowell - worth over £60million - has agreed to Fuller - worth £320million - sharing in the success of The X Factor.
In return, Cowell will become an executive producer and be given a beefed-up role on American Idol, the US version of Pop Idol which is made by Fuller's 19 TV.
Cowell already earns around £15million a series for American Idol on which he is also a judge.
Last night he said: "I'm absolutely thrilled that we've worked out amicable terms. Simon Fuller and I have remained friends throughout this dispute and I think it was this friendship that allowed us to settle our differences in this way."
Fuller also welcomed the deal.
He said: "Simon Cowell is a key component of the incredible success of American Idol.
"We've demonstrated that a great TV idea from the UK could take the world by storm.
"When Simon and I are focused and working together we're capable of great things."
Cowell added: "We are already talking about a couple of new TV projects which we hope to launch to the world soon.
"We are both happy with how this has turned out because we both gain from it.
"It went right up to the wire and we nearly ended up in the High Court, but we are both delighted with the outcome."
Yesterday it also emerged that Fox TV, which screens American Idol, had paid £70million for another four series.
The channel also has options on a further two, at a cost of £17.5million each.
Crucially, the success of American Idol will not be threatened by the launch of The X Factor in America.
Fox TV has bought the rights to the show and insiders say they plan to bury it rather than screen it.
One source explained: "As this dispute rumbled on Fuller was concerned that Cowell would pull out of American Idol and launch The X Factor in the US, which would have been catastrophic for him.
"Fox's decision to acquire the rights also stops any rival station such as CBS getting its hands on The X Factor."
BATTLE OF POP HEAVYWEIGHTS
SIMON FULLER, 46
Married: No. Girlfriend Natalie. No kids.
Background: Music mogul turned TV producer.
Worth: £320million thanks to sale of his firm 19 Entertainment this year- which netted him £220million.
Pop acts: The Spice Girls, S Club 7, Will Young, Annie Lennox, Kelly Clarkson
Also controls: The Elvis Presley estate, The Beckhams, American Idol.
Hobbies: Has vineyards and olive groves abroad.
SIMON COWELL, 46
Married: No. Girlfriend Terri Seymour. No kids.
Background: Post-boy to music mogul to Mr Nasty.
Worth: £60-£80million, largely thanks to shredding the ambitions of bad singers in the UK and US on TV.
Pop Acts: Sinitta, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Robson and Jerome, Westlife, Five, Sonia and still manages Il Divo.
Also controls: Zig and Zag, Syco Music, Syco TV and Syco Film. Also has TV company called Simco.
Hobbies: Work.
| Legal Settlement Has 'Idol' on Fox till '09 |
November 30, 2005
By Mimi Turner and Cynthia Littleton for Reuters
British pop moguls Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have settled their differences, and now Fox has sealed a deal to keep "American Idol" humming on the network through at least 2009.
The two Simons were engaged in a legal battle over the Cowell-produced U.K. TV hit "X Factor" format, which Fuller claimed was a clone of his hugely popular "Pop Idol" format.
As part of the settlement, Fuller will become a part owner of "X Factor," and the two partners have struck a separate deal giving Fox the U.S. rights to "X Factor."
The settlement also cleared the way for Cowell to cut a new deal to remain with Fox's mega-hit "American Idol," which is produced by Fuller's 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia.
Fox has committed to ordering at least four more seasons of "Idol," starting with the fifth incarnation of the amateur sing-off competition series set to bow in January. The deal includes an automatic renewal option for two additional seasons so long as "Idol" hits preset ratings targets during its run in 2009.
According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Tuesday by 19 Entertainment's New York-based parent company, CKX Inc. -- owned by billionaire investor Robert F.X. Sillerman -- the "Idol" renewal calls for Fox to pay 19 and Fremantle an additional $18 million (on top of the show's regular seven-figure-per-episode license fee) for the roughly 40 episodes on deck for the 2006 edition of the show that airs twice a week. In 2007, the premium Fox will pay climbs to $21.5 million, rising to $35.5 million for the 2011 edition should the show run that long, according to the SEC filing.
The new pact also secures Cowell's services as a judge on "American Idol" for five more seasons, starting with the upcoming 2006 edition. And Sony BMG also has renewed its "Idol" ties as the recording home of the ultimate winners of the show. According to the SEC filing, the new arrangement calls for Sony BMG to pay 19 a higher percentage of sales from "Idol"-related recordings in the U.S. and U.K., plus a fee of $5 million per season for the next five "American Idol" editions.
The new "American Idol" deal between Fox and 19 Entertainment and Fremantle also calls for the network to order at least two additional non-"Idol" series co-produced by 19 and Fremantle. Fox also has committed to building and hosting a dedicated AmericanIdol.com Web site, with the network and "Idol" producers taking two-thirds of any Internet-generated "Idol" revenue beyond a $5 million base threshold in 2006, $7 million in 2007 and increasing thereafter, according to the SEC filing.
Moreover, the "Idol" partners have granted Fox the right to exploit the show in the emerging world of wireless media through ringtones, video clips and related services, with 19 and Fremantle taking 50% of telephony revenue above a base $3 million in 2006, $4.5 million in 2007 and increasing thereafter, according to the SEC filing.
Although it was a long, complex negotiation, Cowell stressed in an interview Tuesday that he and Fuller had managed to stay friendly through their business dispute. And now that the legal wrangling is behind them, the two are firmly focused on future projects.
"The deals that we've worked out here are as much (about) making new (non-'Idol') shows as it was about securing the future of 'American Idol,'" Cowell said. "Genuinely, everybody has come out of this with closer relationships than we had before. You don't enter into agreements of this length with people that you're going to be at loggerheads with."
Fuller launched legal action against Cowell and "X Factor" producer FremantleMedia in September 2004. The case had been due to be heard at London's High Court last week but was adjourned in preference for an out-of-court settlement.
"Simon Cowell has been a key component in the incredible success of 'American Idol,' and I am delighted to have reached an agreement that will see this relationship continue and grow over future years," Fuller said in a statement.
As for all the recent speculation that Fox aims to shift "American Idol" out of its regular Tuesday-Wednesday scheduling pattern to a time slot on Thursday, Cowell said he didn't know what the network's plans were but wasn't concerned about any possible time slot shift.
"Wherever we sit on the network, we'll be fine," Cowell said. "Regardless of where we play, our focus now must be on making the greatest shows we can, and the audience will find us."
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
| Louis Sent to a Tiny Room |
November, 29 2005
By Fiona Cummins for The Mirror
X Factor's Louis Walsh was moved to the smallest dressing room on his return to the show.
Louis, who quit last week then was wooed back, was kept away from fellow judges Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne.
An insider said: "Even Kate Thornton was put between them so Louis couldn't have been further away. During the break between shows, Louis invited a crowd of friends into his dressing room.
"When Simon knocked on the door to speak to him, Louis declined to come out."
Sources say the judges are polite on screen but row behind the scenes.
The insider said: "The atmosphere was really horrible. They all played along and pretended everything was fine but it was all a bit tense."
Meanwhile the Conway Sisters revealed that Simon may work with them even though he booted them off the show.
Maria said he told her: "I have something in mind to do with you girls."
| Simon and Simon Settle |
November 28, 2005
By Sarah Hall for E! Online
The battle of the Simons has been settled.
Dueling pop moguls Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller have reached an out-of-court settlement in their $170 million legal dispute, London's Daily Mirror reports.
Details of the settlement were not made public.
Fuller filed the copyright infringement suit against Cowell in September 2004, accusing the acid-tongued Idol judge of ripping off the idea for his hugely successful UK series, The X Factor, from American Idol, and its British predecessor, Pop Idol, both of which were created by Fuller's production company, 19 TV.
Cowell called Fuller's allegations "utterly ridiculous" and claimed that The X Factor followed a wholly different format than the Idol talent quests.
Now that the twosome have settled the matter to their satisfaction, they reportedly plan to team up to work together on new projects.
"We're delighted with the outcome," Cowell told the Mirror. "People think we hate each other but we don't, we're good friends."
As the kick-off date for the trial approached with no settlement in sight last week, some feared that Cowell would not be returning to his Idol gig as a result of the lawsuit, though Fox insisted that the caustic wit would be back for more judging.
"Simon is 100 percent onboard American Idol this season," a network rep said. "He has already participated in the audition process and will be part of the show for the entire season."
Cowell was reportedly in the process of renegotiating his contract to secure a pay hike and the right to sign the next winner of American Idol to his record label.
His Idol salary is currently estimated at $8 million per season.
The fifth season of the talent competition is due to kick off in January. Fox execs have reportedly been considering moving the show from its current Tuesday- Wednesday slots to a Wednesday-Thursday schedule in a ploy to rake in even more viewers.
Last season, the Tuesday edition of Idol was television's most-watched show, with an average audience of 27.3 million tuning in each week.
| X Factor Conways Lash out at Cowell |
November 28, 2005
By Staff Writers for In the News
X Factor rejects the Conway Sisters have lashed out at their apparent mentor, Simon Cowell, claiming he didn't give them proper support during their moribund stay on the talent show.
The clan of Irish siblings were booted off the show on Saturday, after their leader Cowell cast his vote to keep Chico in and them out.
After the Conways' lacklustre rendition of Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, the plain-speaking Cowell said: "Girls, based on this performance, you can’t win the competition."
However, 22-year-old Marie Conway said at a news conference that they felt they hadn't received the necessary help from Cowell during their time on X Factor.
Marie said: "He didn't really know what to do with us as a band.
"He was completely lost.
"It was a relief to him that we decided to choose our own songs."
However, she conceded that they didn't feel aggrieved about being voted off. She admitted: "Obviously, we're a bit upset, but we felt it was our week to go."
But Sinead Conway, 23, was keen to add that their departure from Cowell's company wasn't acrimonious, claiming he said: "Girls, we'll speak next week and I do have some plans for you."
Heard the last of the Conways? Not by the sound of it.
Monday, November 28, 2005
| Simon's Just So Vain |
November 25, 2005
By Caroline Hedley And Fiona Cummins for The Mirror
Louis Walsh has furiously attacked X Factor rival Simon Cowell's vanity as he prepares to return to the show.
Louis, 53, revealed his fellow judge had called him one of his "closest friends" in a series of text messages begging him not to quit.
But the Irish music mogul made it clear the feeling was not mutual as he tore into Simon, 46, for trying to stave off old age.
He said: "I think Simon's very vain. He wears platform shoes, has spray tans, wears make-up and dyes his hair, all in an attempt to look younger. Simon also likes to do press ups before he goes on set."
Yesterday we told how Simon had to plead with him following Tuesday's walkout.
Louis confirmed: "I'll probably go back at the weekend. I've had an apology from Simon.
"In fact Simon has so far sent me five grovelling text messages begging me to come back to the show.
"One text message read, 'I'm really sorry Louis, I consider you one of my closest friends. Simon'."
Tensions had been mounting on the judges' panel since Louis ditched Maria Lawson in favour of Irish band the Conway Sisters two weeks ago.
His mood grew even worse when Sharon Osbourne, 53, hurled three glasses of water over him last weekend.
The pop supremo, who manages Girls Aloud and Westlife, told ITV show Orange Playlist: "I quit The X Factor and I fully intended not to go back.
"To be honest I was p****d off with everything that's happened recently.
"It all started with the public's and the judges' reaction to my decision to axe Maria instead of the Conways.
"Then Sharon drenched me and called me an idiot."
Louis was even more incensed when two days later Simon branded him "stupid" on ITV1's This Morning.
"The straw that broke the camel's back was when I saw his comments in the press and on This Morning the following Monday," he added.
"Simon dissed my name and my managerial skills. I didn't want people to think I'm not a competent manager. Westlife are where they are because of me. Simon was very disrespectful of me, the work I've done and what I've achieved as a manager."
And Louis in a final blast at his detractors, fumed: "I'd like to say to all my critics to simply f**k off."
Despite returning, he is likely to quit at the end of this series even though he is contracted to appear in a third run of the Saturday night show.
Eighties singer Sinitta, one of Simon's experts on the show, earlier told how the loudmouth had regretted his attack.
She said: "Simon is shocked that Louis got so upset. He respects Louis more than any other manager in the country."
But Louis's outburst could lead to another explosive show tomorrow. An X Factor insider admitted: "There could well be fireworks."
Meanwhile, it has emerged that on Wednesday, bookies William Hill stopped taking bets on Louis's return after a flurry of wagers.
Spokesman Rupert Adams said: "In similar circumstances, such as the next manager of a football team, this type of punt is invariably correct."
| Lawyers 'to Settle X Factor Case' |
November 24, 2005
By Staff Writers for The BBC
Music mogul Simon Fuller's legal action against Simon Cowell has been postponed indefinitely, with lawyers reportedly seeking an out-of-court settlement.
No date for a resumption has been set following a series of adjournments.
Mr Fuller had claimed Mr Cowell's ITV1 show The X Factor copied his Pop Idol format, a claim dismissed by his former colleague as "utterly ridiculous".
Industry website Broadcast now says the deal is thought to involve Mr Fuller getting a 20% cut in X Factor profits.
It adds that in return, it is believed that Mr Cowell would receive a larger percentage of profits -- between 30% and 40% - from Pop Idol's US spin-off American Idol.
Mr Fuller's company 19 TV had accused FremantleMedia, Cowell and his firms Simco and Syco of breach of copyright.
It also sued for breach of contract, alleging some of The X Factor's production team worked on Pop Idol after signing contracts which prevented them from working on rival shows.
Neither Mr Fuller nor Mr Cowell were at London's High Court on Thursday.
19 Entertainment said it had no comment, while Simon Cowell's representative has not commented.
| It's Never Simple when Simons Fall Out |
November 27, 2005
By Paul Stokes for Scotland on Sunday
One is a ruthless, ambitious, super-rich, music industry mogul who is not afraid
to trample on other people's feelings to get to the top. The other is a ruthlessly ambitious, super-rich, music industry mogul who is not afraid to trample on other people's feelings to get to the top.
So it should come as little surprise that pop impresarios Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell should find themselves on opposing sides in a £100m legal battle. Yet while they are rivals, they are also old pals and colleagues who have known each other for more than 20 years and who, apparently, remain good friends despite that multi-million pound writ.
At the heart of the legal battle are two rival smash-hit television formats, Pop Idol (and its US cousin American Idol) and The X Factor, both of which are alleged, as the lawyers might say, to be talent shows.
Most right-minded people, on hearing the dispute involved an argument over who really created The X Factor would assume it was a libel case, with each man trying to blame the other for bringing the show to our Saturday night television screens. Of course, it is the other way around, with both Fuller and Cowell claiming it was all their own idea.
In artistic terms, the row could easily be dismissed as two bouffant-haired men arguing over a bunch of coxcombs. However, the tremendous income generated by the 'pop factor' format means it is a lot more serious than that. Both Fuller, who is said to be worth as much as £200m, and Cowell, whose wealth is set at a much more modest £50m, owe most of their fortunes to these television shows.
Fuller, while the wealthier of the pair, is the least well known. His first major foray into the public eye was in 1997 when he was sacked by the Spice Girls, his first major experiment in transforming the mildly talented into international money- making machines.
The precise nature of his role in the girls' rise is indicated by the fact they rejoiced in the nicknames Posh, Ginger, Sporty, Baby and Scary, while he was known in the industry as Svengali Spice.
He began his career running discos before becoming a talent scout for a record company. He made his first million managing the DJ Paul Hardcastle, whose Vietnam-inspired hit '19' is recognised in the names of Fuller's companies 19 Management and 19 TV, which makes Pop Idol and American Idol and is the company suing Cowell.
As well as first hitting the jackpot with the Spice Girls, the band also demonstrated Fuller's early grasp of the fact that music is the least important element of the modern music industry. "With the Spice Girls we created a global entertainment brand," he said, in one of his rare interviews.
Even his friends have described him as "cold and clinical". According to one: "His business is his life, and nothing gets in the way. There is a ruthless element."
He once told another of his creations, the bubblegum pop band S Club7, "I could put cardboard cutouts of you on the stage and it wouldn't make any difference." Those who saw them live might struggle to say whether he ever carried out his threat.
While the rest of the industry fretted about falling CD sales, Fuller went after alternative sources of income. "CD sales are declining, but you can make up for it in merchandising. It occurred to me that music as entertainment is as powerful as it has ever been, but the way people consume it is changing."
The figures certainly back up this analysis; in terms of sales, the pop industry in Britain has been in serious decline for well over a decade. Last year, Swedish DJ Eric Prydz scored a UK number one single with 'Call On Me', despite selling 21,749 copies in one of the weeks he was at the top.
He would barely have reached the top five with that sale in the 1990s or bothered the top 40 in the 1960s. In fact, the combined sale of all top 40 records is now typically about half the 500,000 weekly sales it was a decade ago.
The signs are that even the recently lucrative teenage market is in decline. Only a third of all 12 to 19-year-olds bought a single in 2001 - a proportion that is said to be falling further as a result of the increase in popularity of music downloads.
And yet, despite the decline in CD sales, the pop music industry itself is still incredibly lucrative, partly as a result of cashing in on downloads, TV tie-ins and other innovations. The industry is now worth an estimated £40bn a year worldwide, with British acts accounting for around £8bn of that. The 'pop factor' phenomenon, in fact, has injected a bit of renewed vigour into the UK sector, with Will Young, Gareth Gates and the various other contenders adding millions of sales in the last three years.
It is Fuller who has been credited with driving this part of the evolution of the pop industry, having hit on the idea of creating a brand - as opposed to a band - that would carry on, even as the pop stars it manufactured fell into obscurity, as virtually all the winners of either format eventually have.
At the time it first hit our screens back in 2001, Fuller and Cowell were seen as the co-creators of Pop Idol, and, to a degree, they shared out the spoils. Cowell picked up a big cheque for his high-profile role as the Mr Nasty on the panel of three who judged the would-be idols, endearing himself to the nation with such well-phrased put-downs as "that was distinctly... average".
Cowell also made money from his rights to put out CDs by the winners, who were virtually guaranteed one hit by their television exposure. However, Fuller's ownership of the show itself meant he took the lion's share. A couple of years after launch, Pop Idol alone was earning more for Fuller than his bands, and his television earnings easily outstripped those from traditional music sales.
The genius of the pop factor is its ability to generate millions in revenue from advertising and phone voting lines before even a single CD is sold. The shows are less a talent contest than a drama. Millions tune in for their weekly dose of soap opera as wannabes and never-will-bes have their hopes raised and dashed in the most brutal fashion by the expert panel. It is not to everyone's taste and is especially looked down on by the serious end of the music business. Chris Martin, the Coldplay frontman, once suggested Fuller should be "melted down and turned into glue for destroying people's dreams". But that was before he put out his last album, X and Y.
Last year The X Factor pulled in £50m in advertising revenue for ITV. Two weeks ago the show received a landmark one million phone votes, generating a profit of around £350,000 for the phone companies and the production company.
In the US, Fox is charging a record $700,000 for a 30-second advert in some episodes of American Idol, more even than ABC charges for slots during Desperate Housewives.
It was the sale of the Pop Idol format around the world, and in particular to Rupert Murdoch's Fox channel in the US, which catapulted Fuller into the ranks of the super-rich. Cowell was still doing all right, he transferred his Mr Nasty act to the US, where he is now the best-known Brit in America and earning £4.5m a year for his role, but he got no share from these sales.
So he did the obvious thing. Seeing the big money was in the television show, he set up his own production company, and invented his own format, The X Factor.
There, of course, the similarities with Fuller's Pop Idol obviously ended. For while Pop Idol was a music talent show featuring open auditions, a three-strong judging panel, and public voting to decide the winner, The X Factor was a music talent show featuring open auditions, a three-strong judging panel and public voting to decide the winner. Only the most churlish would see the latter as a copy of the former, Cowell might argue, having branded Fuller's decision to sue him for the theft of his idea as "totally ridiculous".
Cowell might be overstating his defence but industry experts have offered him support. According to Paul Sheehan, head of commercial affairs for the Scottish television company SMG, which recently acquired the rights to one of the old stagers of the TV format world, This Is Your Life, the shows might look and sound the same but it is notoriously difficult, if not impossible, to prove they are the same in a court of law.
"Put simply, you cannot copyright an idea. Copyright only comes into being when the idea is expressed," he says. "You can trademark a show's name, and you can try and trademark some of the elements that go into it. But that is a lot easier for something like a quiz show, like The Weakest Link, which has particular rules, than it is for a simple talent show."
The fact that Pop Idol had three judges, one of whom played the role of baddie, hardly makes it unique. "You need an odd number of judges because you need a casting vote and three is easier to manage than five," says Sheehan. "The good cop, bad cop routine is also common. Anyone who remembers New Faces from the 1970s will recall that Nina Miskow and Tony Hatch played that role for many years."
It is ironic this battle should revolve around two talent shows, as the only other attempt to pursue a similar case through the British courts involved another example of the genre, Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks. Green sued the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation after it launched a talent show called, in something of a giveaway, Opportunity Knocks, which featured all the elements of the British show, from its clapometer measuring the studio audience's reaction, to Hughie Green's own catchphrase: "It's make your mind up time folks."
Even so, when courts in England and New Zealand made their minds up, they rejected Green's case. Given that, the most surprising thing is not that shows like Pop Idol get copied, but that anyone bothers to buy one at all. "Everybody in the industry realises that legally there is virtually no protection for these types of television shows, yet the industry is worth billions of dollars a year. It's very difficult to reconcile," says Sheehan. "Really, what is happening is the operation of a huge worldwide gentlemen's agreement without which it would be like the Wild West."
To the disappointment of all those who last week had expected to see Fuller and Cowell slogging it out in front of some judges for a change, those two gentlemen now seem close to their own agreement, out of court and out of sight. Interestingly, the main pressure for a solution appears to have come from America, where the outcome of this row is of vital interest to Murdoch's Fox. Industry insiders in the US point out that Fox is desperate to hang on to American Idol and to Cowell, the one element that makes the show stand out. If the battle had ended badly in court over here, Fox feared that Cowell might quit their show, and take The X Factor over there.
Settling on the steps suits both. First, it will prevent the emergence of any potentially embarrassing revelations about their shows. And second, there has been a distinct lack of the enmity normally expected in such high-profile, and high-stakes, cases. Both men may sport super-size egos, but it looks as if they have kept them out of this battle.
It has remained strictly business, never personal. According to Cowell, they have carried on talking all through the spat, just as he has carried on working for Fuller's American Idol. "I didn't take it personally when he hit us with the lawsuit," he said. "He was protecting the show, which he's entitled to do."
It is still a shame that the row never made it into court, or that the pair did not launch their own new show in which to air their spat, a kind of Law Idol. Millions of us would have tuned in to watch them slug it out for the title of creator of The X Factor, and then hit the phones to vote on who we felt really was to blame - at a cost of 35p a call, of course.
A role on Corrie or life as a civil servant beckon after 15 minutes of fame
They came, they sang, they got your votes... but what happened next to the stars of Pop Idol and X Factor?
MICHELLE MCMANUS
Glasgow's McManus shot to fame when she won Pop Idol 2, despite the judges' opinion that she was too overweight to be a pop star. Her subsequent single 'All This Time' spent three weeks at number one and was shortlisted for an award.
Earlier this year she drew huge television audiences for her appearance on a 60- minute TV special of You Are What You Eat with Gillian McKeith.
She is currently back in the studio recording and writing a new album. There are also rumours that Michelle has been approached by the producers of Coronation Street for a guest role as Adam Barlow's neurotic ex-maths teacher.
WILL YOUNG
The English public school boy shot to fame when he beat Gareth Gates to win the first Pop Idol in 2002. His first single was a double A-side featuring Westlife's song 'Evergreen' and 'Anything Is Possible'. It became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history, selling 300,000 copies on its day of release and went on to sell more than 1.4m copies. Young hit the headlines by revealing he was gay, but it didn't prevent him earning the best career of any of the talent show hopefuls. He went on to win a plethora of awards including the Brits Best Newcomer Award. He has recently made an acting appearance in a BBC film, Mrs Henderson Presents, starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins.
GARETH GATES
Despite coming runner up to Young, Gates was signed up to Simon Cowell's record label BMG. His first single, a cover of 'Unchained Melody', entered the UK Top 40 at number one, knocking Young off the top of the chart and was voted 2002's Record of the Year by ITV viewers. But his career has faltered, as his last album didn't sell anywhere near as well as it was expected to, given his high profile and exposure. There are rumours he might be dropped by BMG.
MARIA LAWSON
Originally eliminated from the X Factor she came back a year later with an explosive rendition of Sam Brown's 'Stop!' This wasn't good enough for the judges, though. It has been recently reported that she has signed a record deal with one of Simon Cowell's record labels.
CHICO SLIMANI
Chico Slimani wowed the girls when he reached the final of the first series of X- factor. The 34-year-old Moroccan has just returned from Jamaica, where he shot his music video for his new song 'In Your Eyes'.
WARREN WALD
Wild found his way into the nation's hearts with his enthusiastic rendition of the 1980s hit song, 'Eye of the Tiger', in Pop Idol in 2003. Warren faced a barrage of criticism from the judges but soon after it was broadcast the viewing public took a liking to Warren and he became a very popular figure.
He soon became a tabloid celebrity, appearing on television and radio. Today Warren leads an ordinary life working for the government and living in north London.
Monday, November 21, 2005
| Cowell Turns Judge Dread |
November 21, 2005
By Ssra Nathan for The Sun
Simon Cowell has fired off another dreadful volley of abuse —- targeting X Factor singers AND co-judge Louis Walsh.
In an amazing attack he called Walsh “an idiot”, said Shayne Ward is “bland” and predicted the Conway Sisters won’t win.
Cowell went on the offensive after Saturday’s show.
He blasted Louis for bragging that one of his acts would triumph, then having all but one voted off. Nicholas Dorsett was kicked out on Saturday leaving Louis with just Shayne.
Simon, 46, told The Sun after the ITV1 show: “Louis is an idiot, he has been tremendously stupid.
“He came into this competition bragging that he had the winner -— that he had the show all sewn up. But with the wrong song choices and the wrong management, Louis has managed to muck it all up.”
Heart-throb Shayne won through to the next round with Take That’s hit A Million Love Songs. But Simon sneered: “He was very bland.
“He didn’t do himself justice — it wasn’t his best performance. He will definitely have to do better next week, it’s not in the bag for him, by any means.”
And telly’s Mr Nasty also took a pot shot at The Conway Sisters -— one of the acts he guides -— saying: “They won’t make it to the end.”
Simon -— who confessed that he pushed fellow judge Sharon Osbourne’s elbow when she threw water over Louis during a row -— tipped HIS finalists Journey South to win.
In the ratings battle X Factor pipped Strictly Come Dancing, getting 10.2million viewers compared with 9.4million for the BBC’s ballroom challenge.
| The X-Posed Factor: Mr. Nasty Forgets to Do His Zipper Up |
November 20, 2005
By Alice Walker for The People
Here's Simon Cowell's latest put-down -- the zipper on his trousers.
Pop's Mr Nasty forgot to do up his flies while sharing a cab with talent show colleague Louis Walsh after a London charity do.
Louis, 53, was overheard telling him: "I don't want to see it. Do it up or all the women will get excited -- and some men for that matter."
But Simon, 46, couldn't stop grinning. Looks like he's got no worries about the size of his own talent then.
| For Fox's 'Idol,' Success Is Set on a Shaky Pedestal |
November 21, 2005
By Bill Carter for The NY Times
Even though "American Idol" is the financial lifeblood of Fox's prime-time business, the network has kept news about its hit talent-contest series almost completely under wraps in the last several months.
There are reasons for the low profile. For one, Fox executives have been delaying an announcement about the show's January starting date while they ponder what would amount to a major move: an aggressive relocation of the show from its traditional two-night schedule of Tuesday and Wednesday to Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The other reason for the restraint surrounding "Idol" has been the delicate and hugely expensive renegotiation Fox executives found themselves in this fall with the show's dominant star, Simon Cowell. Mr. Cowell, a long-time recording industry executive in England, amassed enormous leverage in the talks because he went into them armed with a viable financial alternative to his income from "American Idol" - a separate, and now hugely successful, talent show that he created for British television called "X-Factor."
As of last night, all of the pieces of the puzzle had not yet come together for Fox: there was still no deal to ensure that the network would have more editions of "American Idol" with Mr. Cowell, and no decision on what nights those shows would run. But Fox executives said late last week that they expected to come to the successful end of this dilemma soon, perhaps as early as this week.
Today has been a target day in the bargaining process - unless the two sides came to a settlement late last night, this was to be the first day of a court case that has threatened to upend the work that Fox has put into resolving its contract issues with Mr. Cowell. The case involves a lawsuit filed in Great Britain against Mr. Cowell by Simon Fuller, whose company, 19 Entertainment, originated both "American Idol" and its British predecessor, "Pop Idol."
Mr. Fuller sued Mr. Cowell for copyright infringement, saying that Mr. Cowell stole the format of "Idol" for his "X-Factor" series. In an earlier interview, Mr. Cowell labeled the charge "totally ridiculous." Both men have declined, through representatives, to comment on the case.
Mr. Cowell and Mr. Fuller are longtime rivals in the British music industry, though they have worked together, most notably on "Pop Idol." Neither man has unleashed much venom in detailing the conflicts behind the suit, perhaps because no one expected the case to come to trial. The stakes are simply too high.
No show has ever been more valuable to the Fox network than "American Idol," not only because it provides so many hours of high ratings each year, but also because of the revenue it generates. According to several published estimates, Fox is charging a record price for an entertainment series this fall, between $600,000 and $700,000, for some of the 30-second commercials in "American Idol." (By contrast, ABC's hit "Desperate Housewives" charges a top price of about $550,000.)
If Mr. Cowell and Mr. Fuller do not settle, the future of the "American Idol" profit machine - or at least the version viewers have come to love with Mr. Cowell applying acid-laden grace notes to the assessments of amateur contestants' performances - would be at risk.
Mr. Cowell signed a deal in 2003 that committed him to three more seasons of "American Idol." But only in the first two of these did he retain the rights to sign the winner and runner-up of each year's competition to his record label, which is under Sony BMG. For the coming edition of "Idol," Mr. Cowell does not have a deal giving his label such rights. "Simon is not interested in making a star for another label," said one of Mr. Cowell's close associates, who requested that he not be named because the issues are still being debated.
Without a deal for music rights, the associate said, Mr. Cowell would have a strong incentive to leave "Idol" and sell "X-Factor" - starring him - to one of Fox's competitors in the United States. At least two networks, ABC and NBC, have quietly expressed interest in negotiating to acquire "X-Factor," which this season has been the most popular show on British television.
Fox, however, has wanted to keep "X-Factor" off American television, to protect "Idol" from a competing reality talent series. Both shows begin with auditions for singers. "Idol" then stages a contest for individuals. "X-Factor" sets up a competition among three groups, singers under 25, singers over 25, and bands. The judges are also pitted against each other, because they each coach the performers in one of the sections. If that section wins, the judge is also seen as a winner. Mr. Cowell won the competition last year.
Fox's offers to Mr. Cowell have included a multimillion-dollar fee to squelch a sale of "X-Factor" in the United States. The proposed agreement would grant Fox first access to the show in the future, but the network almost surely would never broadcast it while "Idol" remained on the air. Mr. Cowell would also recapture the right to sign the winning performers to his record label, and of course make an enormous salary for his work on "Idol." His current pay, about $8 million a year, is one of the highest in television.
What representatives for both sides have said they feared was the start of testimony in the lawsuit, because of what information might come out. One possibility: dueling versions of which man was truly responsible for coming up with the original concept for "Pop Idol." Fox executives said they had reason to fear they could lose Mr. Cowell's future services if the trial even starts.
The uncertainty about Mr. Cowell has not influenced Fox's decision-making regarding the scheduling of the "American Idol" series this January. That idea is almost entirely tied to Fox's calculation that now may be the best time to get a piece of television's most lucrative night: Thursday. Many advertisers pay a premium for spots on Thursday night shows. NBC has made billions of dollars in profits thanks to its long domination of Thursday night.
That dominance ended last year when CBS conquered the night. Fox executives have surveyed the Thursday landscape this season and detected further weakness from NBC and even some erosion from CBS, with both its big hits, "Survivor" and "C.S.I.," having softened slightly in the ratings.
That was one factor in the consideration of moving "Idol" to Wednesday and Thursday nights. Another factor has been the strong hints from NBC that it may try to rebuild Thursday around its new hit comedy, "My Name Is Earl," which now plays on Tuesdays. NBC had been expected to announce a shift of "Earl" to 8 or 9 p.m. on Thursday as early as this week, though the decision may now be pushed back for a while.
NBC and Fox have been circling each other for weeks about the scheduling moves, each apparently waiting for the other to act first. For Fox, the Thursday night edition of "Idol" would be what it calls the "result show," where the winners are announced. That show now runs for a half hour. Fox executives said they would consider expanding it to a full hour if it moved to Thursday.
One Fox executive said late last week that it was somewhat unlikely that Fox would make the schedule shift with "Idol." (Few hits that big are ever moved from their original night.) But Fox also relishes its reputation for in-your-face competitive moves. Fox, after all, took its strongest show and moved it to Thursday night once before - in 1990.
The target that time was NBC's "The Cosby Show" and Fox's weapon was "The Simpsons." Two years later, "Cosby" went off the air.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
| Ruined by the Xcess Factor |
November 19, 2005
By Caroline Virr for The Express
His face is contorted with anger as he throws up his hands in despair. He has already called his silver-haired nemesis every name under the sun and, suddenly exhausted, he marches out, slamming the door. Simon Cowell, the multimillionaire pop mogul who made his name as TV's Mr Nasty, has had enough.
As he strides to his dressing room - as requested, at the opposite end of the studio to his fellow judge and bitter rival, Louis Walsh -- producers sigh wearily. The black moods, the vicious bust-ups and the ear-splitting histrionics -- it has been like this all week.
"It has been a total nightmare in the studio between Simon and Louis, " reveals a show insider. "But they are both under strict orders from bosses to tone it down for tonight's live show. They have been instructed to claw back some credibility in what is meant to be a talent search, after last Saturday's pantomime.
Producers have laid down the law by insisting votes should be made solely on performance. It's as if the judges have forgotten they are meant to be searching for Britain's next big star."
Eliminating the less talented acts in the quest to find the artist with the X Factor certainly wasn't at the forefront of Walsh's mind last Saturday.
The outcome, which sparked a massive outcry, saw the talented 30-year-old Maria Lawson lose out to The Conway Sisters, a girl band from Ireland who have been dubbed likeable but dull pub karaoke singers.
The decision on who should stay lay, in the end, with Walsh and, as it has since become clear, he voted with everything BUT talent in mind.
The unseemly spat has laid bare the intense rivalries between the judges and personal bias that is tainting the show. It has become less about the X Factor and more about the Xcess Factor - that is the excess number of egos fighting to keep their professional reputations intact no matter what, or who, they harm along the way. The question now is: are 11 million viewers being conned into believing they're watching something they're not?
It all began when Maria found herself in the bottom two last Saturday after the public voted on the eight remaining acts. At this point, the two acts who have polled the least votes have to "sing for survival" in front of the three judges:
Simon Cowell who presides over the groups, Louis Walsh who mentors the 18-25 year olds and Sharon Osbourne who is in charge of the over 25s.
It is this aspect of the show which has provoked the most criticism because it is the easiest for the judges to abuse. With two acts battling to stay in the show, it is the third judge -- with no act up for eviction -- who has the casting vote. Increasingly, they vote off the act whose judge they most want to settle a score with. Or, in the case of Maria, voted off by Louis despite being one of the favourites, they vote on the basis of old friendships and misguided loyalty.
Maria says she knew she was out before she even took to the stage for the last time. Confident she would be backed by her mentor Sharon Osbourne, she was resigned to the fact that Simon Cowell must vote for his band, The Conway Sisters. And Louis, whose decision she knew it would come down to, had already made his intentions crystal clear, mouthing at her: "I'm really sorry."
For Louis was much closer to The Conway Sisters than he was letting on. While he admitted he was "voting with his heart" for his fellow countrywomen -- a move that Sharon branded a "travesty", saying he belonged to the "Irish mafia" -- he also failed to reveal the extent to which he'd worked with the sisters in the past.
Not only have the Conways supported Westlife (the Irish boyband Walsh manages) but they also sang at band member Shane Filan's wedding at which they were pictured smiling broadly with, you guessed it, Walsh.
The scandal left a sour taste in the mouth of contestants, judges and, more importantly, the audience who felt cheated because Walsh's bizarre decision had nothing to do with talent -- a fact he has since admitted -- and everything to do with loyalties.
Maria, who has lost out on the chance of winning a £1million record contract, is understandably furious with Walsh. She says: "The problem is, the voting process is not at all fair.
It should be based on who has the most potential."
But Walsh's mistaken favouritism has caused more upset than even he anticipated. ITV bosses called in the judges for an emergency meeting this week to insist their decision making is more transparent, free of any bias and not an excuse to exact petty revenges.
"This competition is all about talent, " says one insider, "and that's what these three are brilliant at spotting. They just need to make sure that no other factor clouds that judgment.
After all, we've got to make sure that viewers don't switch off in their droves in protest at the acts being used in personal vendettas."
Another on-set source reveals: "It is getting ridiculous. All three of them are ignoring each other. Simon had to vote for his own act but is furious with Louis for not voting for Maria because she deserved to stay. No one is talking to Louis because he saved the Conways; Sharon is livid that her beloved act Maria is out of the contest."
But this is not the first time the show has been hit by controversy.
Last month, 4Tune, a group of four male singers from Southampton, who were the second act to be voted out of the contest, also blamed their defeat on rivalry between the judges.
Walsh, they said, voted against them because he was "out to get" Cowell. "It feels like a personal vendetta, " said Phil Kemmish, 18, who says the band are completely disillusioned with reality TV. Mike Hannides, 21, agrees: "It's not based on talent at all; it's all down to the judges' power games."
The two biggest culprits are Cowell, 46, and Walsh, 52, whose backstage rows have apparently become so vicious that Sharon almost threatened to quit. This is despite the fact that, in the first series, it was the lovehate relationship between Cowell and Sharon that was in the spotlight.
Cowell appeared to cope on screen but he turned to PR guru Max Clifford to help cope with the vicious verbal assault Sharon subjected him to week after week.
Clifford believes that Sharon, who attacked winner Steve Brookstein in last year's final, did herself no favours with her outbursts. "It put a lot of fans off her. Her image on the show had been big-hearted and motherly but she revealed a very nasty side."
As for the current bust-up between Louis and Simon, insiders say it stems from a general difference in opinion over artists. As movers and shakers in the music industry, neither can ever accept that they're in the wrong. The result is a clash of egos.
One insider reveals: "Signing up big names like Simon and Louis for the X Factor is perfect for pulling in viewers but, logistically, it's not a great idea. As with most hugely powerful men, their egos are fragile and bruised easily. They are used to getting their own way.
"For Louis and Simon, if their act isn't up to scratch, they end up looking a fool. Their squabbling may seem staged but, in reality, the competition between them is fierce."
When the live show kicked off in October, their rivalry intensified when Cowell was landed with the groups. Having been tipped off that Walsh would mentor the bands again, he filled the section with acts he regarded as duds. But his information turned out to be wrong and he was fuming when Walsh was given the prized under-25s section instead.
Cowell's ex-girlfriend, Sinitta, who works with him on the show, says: "When we were filming the auditions we'd been tipped off that we all had the same categories as last year. So Simon thought Louis would finish up with the groups. He was letting all kinds of people go through thinking, 'ha ha, Louis'. But it's all backfired because we've ended up with them."
Since then, relations between the pair have gone steadily downhill, not helped by entor'Simon Cowell's antipathy to The Conway Sisters, despite the fact he's supposed to be mentoring them. Two weeks ago, one band member, Laura Conway, threatened to walk out of the live show after a furious row with Cowell, who had criticised their performance. One show insider, who claimed Cowell's money is on the duo Journey South to win, reveals: "From the outset, Simon wasn't happy mentoring the groups and he just doesn't have faith in the Conways. He has been at war with the girls for weeks. They keep questioning his song choices and going over his head by calling up Louis for advice instead. As you can imagine, this doesn't go down well with a man used to exerting his power and influence such as Simon. He is unbelievably frustrated by their behaviour."
Thanks to the judges' bickering, the contest is turning into a joke. Yet despite the dirty tricks, the contestants have no choice but to carry on putting themselves in the hands of judges who seem to care less and less for them. The contenders are complaining of a strict "no fun" regime.
"The seven remaining acts are expected to work intensive, 12-hour days and socialising with family and friends in their free time is banned, as is alcohol, " the source reveals. "They all feel this show is not what they hoped for and the fact the voting procedure is now coming under scrutiny just makes it worse."
Entertainment expert Rick Sky warns that, if the judges' bitching and rivalry continues, X Factor's appeal could be ruined.
"The judges have a responsibility to choose artists on merit alone but sadly, the facade of it being a talent show has been stripped bare, " he says. "It is less to do with the contestants' dreams of being pop stars and more about the judges transforming themselves into big showbusiness names. It is their egos that come first."
If this is the case, tonight's show could be yet another bloodbath.
"If Louis has an act in the bottom two this week, he should watch out because Sharon and Simon will be on the war path to get revenge, " says a source.
Now where's the art of talent spotting in that?
| The Real X Factor Stars Salute our Children's Champions at 2005 Awards |
November 20, 2005
By Robbie Collin & Gemma Calvert for News of the World
X Factor rivals Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh finally lined up on the same side this week...for the News of the World's Children's Champions Awards.
They were among a galaxy of stars celebrating the nation's real heroes...people who work above and beyond the call of duty for children.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was there, so were Michael Owen, Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer, all the X Factor finalists on their first night out together, McFly, Daniel Bedingfield, Olympic heroine Dame Kelly Holmes, stars from Emmerdale, Coronation Street, Hell's Kitchen, Where The Heart Is, Harry Potter, Big Brother and loads more.
Our own Ulrika Jonsson joined Simon to present the awards. And as they handed out trophies and thousands in prize money, Simon said: "You each have that X Factor... people who have worked so hard or performed acts of incredible heroism."
But the real show stealer was 11-year-old Joel Jamieson, of Wallasey on Merseyside. He is Britain's outright Children's Champion 2005, and won through for the lifetime of care he quietly devotes to his seriously ill brothers and his entire family.
Brilliant
Joel realised a great ambition when he stepped on stage, looked at the X Factor finalists in the audience and yelled: "What time is it?" The crowd of celebs roared back: "Chico time!"
From his table, Chico couldn't hide his delight. "I can't explain how brilliant tonight has been," he said. And referring to two other winners — six-year-old Rebekah Johnson and her brother Christopher, nine, he added: "I was so touched when little Rebekah said she couldn't believe she was having dinner next to me. The truth is I was privileged to sit next to her because of what she and Christopher have been through."
Chico's fellow contestant Shayne Ward added: "I've been taking Christopher around the room getting autographs and seeing his face light up. It's made my night." Sitting close by, X Factor's Nicholas Dorsett turned back to Joel and said: "We've got wall-to-wall stars. But this lad's the biggest."
All winners of our awards, run with Barnardo's, high street giants Bhs and boss Philip Green — are detailed in the News of the World.
Their big day on Wednesday started with lunch at the luxurious Marriott County Hall hotel. Louis Walsh took time out from X Factor to join them.
Excited
"What an incredible group of people," he said. After lunch they all headed off to No 10. There, Barnardo's president Mrs Blair set the tone for the rest of the day when she said: "Each of you is an inspiration.
From Downing Street, grown-ups were taken for a champagne reception on the sensational London Eye. And the kids went to toy store Hamleys for the pick of their favourites. Finally came that celebration dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel on London's Park Lane.
With a storming set from McFly still ringing in his ears, England and Chelsea hero Frank Lampard said: "I've been lucky enough to sit next to Joel Jamieson tonight. What a great lad." Frank's club boss Jose Mourinho said: "Meeting the winners has been great. I'm thrilled to support such a worthwhile event." England hero Michael Owen added: "When you've got kids you realise how valuable children are."
After playing four of their greatest hits, with Big Brother's Orlaith and Blue Peter's Zoe Salmon dancing in front of the stage, McFly's Dougie Poynter said: "We had a great time and hope everyone else did. We'd love to be involved next year."
Magic
And when we caught up with Newcastle soccer legend Alan Shearer he was still open-mouthed with amazement at close-up tricks from Marvin Berglas, creator of Marvin's Magic, who was working his way through the crowds.
Daniel Bedingfield belted out his very best tracks in an amazing acoustic performance including his worldwide smash Wrap My Words Around You. "What a night," he gasped. Andy Pemberton, half of X Factor duo Journey South, had to pinch himself. "This is the first time we've been invited to anything like this," he said.
Dame Kelly Holmes added: "I judged the awards on a conference call from South Africa to the rest of the judges in the UK, so it's lovely to be here."
Stunning Lucie Silvas, who played her top ten hit Breathe In and new single Forget Me Not, which is released in December, said after her set: "What a brilliant audience. I flew in from Ireland and wouldn't have missed this for the world."
Among the hardest working stars of the day was Corrie's Nikki Sanderson who, with Danny Young, had hosted the children in our party at Hamleys toy store that afternoon. In the evening she helped Simon and Ulrika hand out trophies and Bhs cheques to the winners. Each received £5,000 with overall Champ Joel Jamieson getting £10,000.
But as the night ended, the last word belonged to Simon Cowell: "People will remember this night," he said. And rightly so, because it's been the best Children's Champions ever."
CHAMPIONS
CHILDRENS CHAMPION 2005: Joel Jamieson.
SCHOOLS AWARD: Peter Walker, the first head to introduce random drugs tests in his school.
MEDICAL AWARD: Juliet Houghton of Leicester for her work with HIV-positive children.
999 AWARD: Special Constable Christine Smith of New Tredegar, South Wales, for her tireless work in deprived communities.
INDIVIDUAL AWARD: Laurie Matthew, from Dundee for helping thousands of child sex victims.
ITV NEWS CARER AWARD: Joan Griffiths, of Abergavenny, for her life of adoption and fostering.
Our three SPECIAL AWARDS went to mum Karin Sward, who ran back into the tsunami to rescue her children; Joey Sobol, for diving for food in flooded New Orleans to feed his family; and little Christopher and Rebekah Johnson of Sutton, Notts, for caring for mum Cathey after their dad died in the 7/7 bombings.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
| The Xposed Factor |
November 19, 2005
By Caroline Iggulden for The Sun
As X Factor fever grips the nation, the final seven acts will tonight battle it out for a multi-million pound recording contract. But whatever the outcome, the hit talent show has only one true winner - acid-tongued judge Simon Cowell.
A Sun probe today reveals how the Saturday night favourite -- which should be renamed Cheques Factor -could potentially be a Pounds 100MILLION money spinner for TV's Mr Nasty. There has also been a suggestion that the BMG record chief uses the show as a vehicle to promote his other acts.
Cowell, whose company SycoTV produces the contest, rakes in hundreds of thousands of pounds from phone votes every week and has earned a fortune selling the talent show format abroad.
And he is set to cash in even further millions when the winners' album and single, tipped to be Christmas No1s, are released. Last Saturday, X Factor received a landmark one million votes -- the most ever cast in the show's history.
And the bumper phone poll sent a whopping Pounds 350,000 pouring straight into the coffers of Cowell and telephone companies.
Reality shows such as X Factor and I'm A Celebrity rarely reveal details of the votes cast.
But when X Factor host Kate Thornton blurted out to the nation that they had received one million votes, it showed just how much the production company was raking in each week.
Calls to voting lines cost 35p, plus operator charges -suggesting that Saturday's programme generated at least Pounds 350,000.
But contestants are only paid a reported Pounds 150 per week in expenses by ITV for the duration of the finals.
Cowell shares the phone line revenue with Talkback Thames and ITV after the network bosses, service providers and tax man take their
cut.
X Factor fans have also complained of a voting rip-off when they call from mobiles.
While viewers are told on-screen that calls from mobiles cost 35p, some networks are charging a lot more. Virgin Mobile charge 85p a
call while T-Mobile bill fans for 75p a call.
But the phone vote cash is just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks to a multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Nokia, Cowell is surely laughing all the way to the bank.
Last year the X Factor pot took a cool Pounds 50million in advertising revenues with ITV attracting the likes of McDonald's and Ikea.
And aside from the revenues pouring into the show each week, insiders have alleged that the programme is being used by Cowell to influence the charts.
It is claimed that he has used the live finals this year as a vehicle to promote Westlife's latest album, Face To Face.
While fellow judge Louis Walsh manages the Irish lads, they are signed to record label BMG, where Cowell is a boss.
In Week Two of the show, Simon's act the Conway Sisters belted out You Raise Me Up, days before it was released by Westlife and reached
No1.
And in the same show, another of his acts, Journey South, sang Desperado another track covered on Westlife's new album.
The move created uproar backstage with some staff claiming Simon and Louis were using the show to line their own pockets.
And the week before, Louis's act Philip McGee, 21, performed a cover of Lonestar hit Amazed.
Guess who has just covered it on their new album...Westlife. And it is not just the songs that sound familiar on the show.
While X Factor claims it is all about discovering new talent, many of the finalists this year have recorded before or are TV talent show veterans.
X Factor favourite Shayne Ward got through to the last 30 of Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.
Louis has already offered him a deal to manage his career even if the public do not crown him X Factor king.
Binman Andy Abraham, also hotly tipped to make the final rounds, was runner-up on another ITV1 talent contest, This Is My Moment.
And Philip McGee tasted fame in the late Nineties as part of four-piece Irish pop act Topaz.
But it was fellow Irish group the Conway Sisters who caused the most controversy after their close links to Louis were recently exposed.
The four-piece from Sligo supported Westlife on tour and sang at the wedding of band member Shane Filan in 2003.
The girls -- Sharon, Sinead, Marie and Laura -have also made records and are known on the music scene.
On last Saturday's programme they went up against soul singer, and fans' favourite Maria Lawson in a live showdown.
But it was Louis Walsh who saved the foursome from the chop when he axed Maria instead -a controversial decision that was met with a chorus of boos from a stunned audience.
A devastated Maria this week told The Sun: "I didn't realise that they really knew each other. I thought they met once or twice.
"Then I saw the picture of Louis beaming with the girls at Shane's wedding and I felt a bit sick. I'm trying to be dignified but it does smell a bit."
Whoever wins this year's X Factor, it will be Cowell who comes out smiling the most.
And he stands to make even more dosh from the show's spin-off X Factor Live Tour, which starts in February. Last year the ten-date tour featuring X Factor finalists earned around Pounds 2million.
And this year it will be even bigger with venues around the country, such as the Manchester's MEN Arena, already selling out.
But the real stars -the contestants -see very little of the millions generated despite playing to sell-out crowds.
Tabby Callaghan, an X Factor finalist last year, said: "Anyone going on X Factor to make big money will be in for a shock.
"I got paid around Pounds 400 a gig which was bizarre seeing as I was playing to sell-out crowds."
Simco Ltd, another Cowell company, will cream off cash from merchandise produced for the tour. More money will come from other X Factor spin-offs, such as the exhibit at London's Madame Tussauds.
Three talking models of the judges are on display and visitors are invited to sing in front of them. Tussauds had to pay Simco Ltd for the right to use the X Factor branding. A spokeswoman for Tussauds said: "It's a popular attraction but we had to pay for the right to use the name."
Cowell had yet another bumper payday when the X Factor format fetched a reported Pounds 45million when it was sold around the globe.
So it is no wonder that fellow pop mogul Simon Fuller, who brought us The Spice Girls and Pop Idol, is contesting the rights to the X Factor.
He claims the show is a rip-off of the Pop Idol format which made a star of Will Young.
The two Simons will go head to head in the High Court later this month in what promises to be one of the biggest legal showbiz battles ever.
And with X Factor riding high as the most lucrative show on TV -there is nothing short of a fortune at stake.
| Louis Lets Rip |
November 19, 2005
By Staff Writers for ITN
What exactly is up with Louis Walsh? He used to be the nice, kind and caring judge but now he is lashing out at anybody and everybody.
He has launched a savage attack on King of Pop Robbie Williams apparently calling him a 'karaoke singer."
Louis allegedly said he couldn't hide his glee when his band Westlife knocked the Robster of the number one spot and that he has no idea why Robbie is so successful.
This comment was shortly followed by a moan about his own former band Boyzone by saying they had two good singers and three Ringo Starrs.
He went on to say that Simon Cowell is self-centred and thinks the X Factor show is all about him and no-one else.
He has also reportedly said that Simon doesn't even like music and that he doesn't buy any CDs!
Oh dear, sort it out Louis, the bitter old attitude doesn't suit you!
| It's Softy Simon |
November 19, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Mirror
Here's a secret that Simon "Mr Nasty" Cowell will not want you to know.
I've done a poll of drivers who've taken him to The X Factor studios over the past few weeks, and they all told me he's one of the nicest passengers they've ever had.
He even asks "Do you mind if I use the phone" when he uses his mobile. Aaahhh, You big softy, Simon!
Friday, November 18, 2005
| Cowell Juggles Many Duties |
November 17, 2005
By Gary Levin for USA Today
Idol, which completed auditions in late October and returns to Fox in January, this year visited less media-savvy cities, including Greensboro, N.C., Austin and Denver. With fewer "professional auditioners," the process "feels fresher certainly than last year or the year before," he says. "It feels quite raw, funny, sad, weird."
In contrast to last year, he says girls were stronger than boys, in particular an Irish singer who tried out in Las Vegas and reminded him of first-year Idol Kelly Clarkson. (Alas, she was disqualified because she lacked a visa.)
Younger performers regained their edge over singers in their late 20s, who were eligible for the first time last season. "The raw talent is with the 16- and 17-year-olds this year," he says.
Cameras rolled on judges Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson far more than in previous auditions, he says, capturing their reactions to finalists, and each other. And contestants were encouraged to give as good as they got if they were sent home early. "We told them, 'If it does go wrong and you're told you're terrible ... stand up for yourself a bit," Cowell says. "Maybe we overdid it, because there was a lot of fighting back."
Judges and producers "pray you've got the naiveté you've seen on earlier seasons," where aspiring singers feel they have the chance of a lifetime. "You have to have a combination of the very, very good and the terrible," Cowell says.
But "I don't think it's funny to see somebody try to sing badly on purpose, or to do a wacky audition. The fun is the disillusioned people who genuinely believe that they are the next Justin Timberlake and are absolutely useless. I genuinely find them fascinating."
Among previous winners, Kelly Clarkson's fame has lasted longest — her second album, now in the top 10, exceeded sales of the first — while the biggest disappointment, Cowell says, was Ruben Studdard, "in terms of what his potential was." But the Season 2 final between Clay Aiken and Studdard, "the little nerd who transformed himself and the polished soul singer," remains his favorite.
Cowell will rely on Idol's "magic ingredient" — the audition segments that open each season and draw big ratings — to spark interest in his American Inventor. But the three judges won't include Cowell, who will stay behind the scenes.
The winning inventor on the nine-week reality series will get a $1 million prize. The winning product will be manufactured in a partnership with Cowell and ABC, and sold by a major retailer.
Cowell, 46, who also produced CBS' low-rated 2003 dating series Cupid, says that like armchair music critics who watch Idol, everyone has an opinion about the latest tech toy or other invention: " 'That's a fantastic idea, I'd buy that!' Or, 'Are you nuts?' And it's got what Idol has, which is the American-dream element."
The show has no age requirement (kids are welcome), and initial pitches can range from an idea scribbled on a cocktail napkin to an already-patented invention. The only catch is that the product must be the kind that might be found in a retail store, such as a kitchen gadget or toy. "Some kind of combustion engine that operates on methane gas, a product like that would be really boring."
The first four episodes will consist of auditions, filmed at open calls this week in Los Angeles and San Francisco and continuing in Denver (Dec. 1), Chicago (Dec. 4), New York (Dec. 7), Washington (Dec. 11), Atlanta (Dec. 14) and Austin (Dec. 17). (Details at americaninventor.tv).
Cowell is looking for strong personalities and clever concepts, but says a "crazy idea" might get a hearing if the inventor is charismatic. "This is not going to be a serious show," he says.
The field will be narrowed to 100, then 9, who will get $50,000 to build a prototype and pitch their idea to a panel of judges in groups of three. Three finalists — one from each group — will then get $150,000 to film an infomercial. Viewers will pick the winner.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
| Loony Tunes: Being on X Factor Can Drive You Mad Says Ozzy |
November 16, 2005
By Cameron Robertson for The Mirror and Staff Writers for Contact Music
Rocker Ozzy Osbourne has slammed British TV talent show The X Factor for "murdering music" -- despite his fact his wife Sharon is a judge on the programme.
The rock matriarch and music moguls Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh judge and mentor talented young hopefuls, but Ozzy insists they are wasting their time and killing the UK music scene in the process.
The X Factor contestants face mental trauma going back to their day jobs after being on TV, warns Osbourne.
Rock star Ozzy, married to show judge Sharon Osbourne, also said facing the chop must give the wannabes "blood pressure like a hot water geyser".
Then they find it hard to return to ordinary life. Ozzy, referring to 2004 winner Steve Brookstein, said: "They never go anywhere.
"Look at that Steve from last year, I think he's back doing the pub circuit. "It's all fine and dandy, I'm all for it if they enjoy it.
"But it's gotta have some effect on them if they end up not pursuing a musical career, and going back to the same milkman job or window cleaning job... I mean, to be on TV singing?"
Ozzy told Nicky Horne on radio station Planet Rock that he's not a big fan of the ITV1 show. "X Factor is one big theatre, it's turning music into the WWF.
"It's about killing music to make light entertainment. It should be about music and talent but it's not."
He added: "I don't like them shows. I think it's unfair to the artists. I'm a veteran, but for some guy to be a dustman or a hairdresser and get picked for that show? They must have more guts than anybody because they've got 10 million people watching them. And then one of them must leave. Their blood pressure must be like a hot water geyser."
But X Factor judge Simon Cowell defended Steve who had a No 1 single and album but was dropped by his record label after only eight months.
He said earlier: "Steve got instant stardom. Life really isn't so bad for him. And he has the freedom now to take his career in any direction he wants. It's hardly a matter of life and death."
Ozzy also backed his wife's attack on fellow judge Louis Walsh who voted off talented Maria Lawson in favour of Irish group The Conway Sisters.
Louis was booed by shoppers yesterday as he skulked backstage when Westlife turned on the Christmas lights in Oxford Street, London.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
| Gossip Brings Unholy Profits |
November 14, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Independent
"A good celebrity is someone who knows that they have a ridiculous job. They understand that being a celebrity is actually stupid and have fun with it. Simon Cowell, for example, I think has a lot of fun being Simon Cowell. And his judgement is pretty bang on, apart from Zig and Zag and the Power Rangers." ~ Mr. Holy Moly
| X Factor: Robbie's Obsessed with It |
November 15, 2005
By Staff Writers for Manchester Online
Robbie Williams is such a huge fan of the X Factor producers send him tapes of the show.
X Factor presenter Kate Thornton told Heat magazine: "Rob is as obsessed with the show as the rest of the country. He was watching it illegally on the internet in LA, so now we send him tapes.
"I think Robbie thinks that Shayne has a good chance of winning."
Cowell
She also revealed that even though she doesn't fancy Simon Cowell she understands why other women do.
She added: "He's powerful, and he's funny, witty and confident. But I don't fancy him."
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
| "Everyone Hates Everyone at the Moment" |
November 15, 2005
By Fiona Cummins for The Mirror
Conway Sisters furious that Simon told Mirror they would not win; Furious Sharon turns on Louis after he dumps talented Maria Louis is furious that Conway Sisters haven't thanked him
The X Factor was in turmoil yesterday as the storm over Louis Walsh's shock decision to vote off talented Maria Lawson rumbled on.
Maria was one of judge Sharon Osbourne's acts and she has told Louis: "I'll never forgive you."
Louis and Simon Cowell teamed up to vote for the Conway Sisters to stay on the ITV1 talent show.
Later Simon, who backed the Irish girls because they were his act, said he had made "the wrong decision". He told the Daily Mirror: "They don't have a chance of winning."
The Conways are furious with him. But Louis is annoyed with the girls because they have not thanked him for his support.
A TV insider said: "Everyone hates everyone at the moment.
"It's been a very heated few days and tempers are frayed."
Louis shocked ITV viewers on Saturday night by backing the Conway Sisters whom he knows.
Sharon rounded on her fellow judge and said Maria was a victim of the "Irish Mafia". An insider said: "Sharon was apoplectic with fury. She didn't scream or shout but she looked ready to burst. She told Louis she would never forgive him and that their friendship was over.
"She accused him of making it personal and said she could no longer trust him. Surprisingly, Simon really stood up for Louis and told Sharon that he did what he had to do. He pointed out it was the public who put Maria in the bottom two, not Louis."
But yesterday even Louis confessed on GMTV that he might have made the wrong choice. He said: "It was the most difficult decision, I think, probably of my life. Maybe I made the wrong decision, I don't know. I now have to say maybe I did."
But he added: "I think the Conways can get better. They've a lot of work to do and I don't think Simon's been very fair to them. Yeah I know them, I know their father, I know everybody, and that probably had something to do with it.
"It absolutely broke my heart afterwards with Maria if I'm really honest with you. I didn't sleep much."
A source close to him said: "He knows his decision has made him unpopular so the Conways are not his favourite people at the moment. They don't seem to be grateful."
The girls' dad Kieran stepped in to defend them and blasted Simon.
He said: "I'm surprised and shocked that he said that but Simon is Simon. It's his opinion and it's not him that's voting for them to stay.
"But it doesn't sound good for the girls' chances next week."
He went on: "They are there because they deserve to be there. I thought it was their best performance to date.
"I was incensed when Sharon used the phrase Irish Mafia because that smacks of corruption.
"It was a slur on the show and a slur on the Irish and it was nasty. I would like to have an apology from her."
Maria is understood to have taken her ousting in good spirit. Sharon has offered to pay for her honeymoon after she sacrificed a £3,500 trip to Mauritius to be on the show.
Monday, November 14, 2005
| Variety Award for TV Judge Cowell |
November 14, 2005
By Staff Writers for The BBC and James Welsh for Digital Spy
X Factor judge Simon Cowell has been named showbusiness personality of the year by the Variety Club.
The music mogul took the prize at the showbusiness charity's annual awards show in central London.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay won terrestrial TV personality of the year for his shows including Hell's Kitchen and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
Actor and comic Stephen Fry was given an award for his outstanding contribution to showbusiness.
Presenter Gail Porter - who recently lost her hair to alopecia - won multichannel TV personality of the year for her work on Living TV's Dead Famous.
Katie Melua won recording artist of the year at the event, hosted by singer Myleene Klass.
Catherine Tate won the comedy award, while actors Imelda Staunton and Richard Griffiths were honoured for their work on film and stage respectively.
James Lomas, the 15-year-old Sheffield schoolboy whose performance in the London stage performance of Billy Elliot has won rave reviews, took the outstanding new talent award.
Another West End stage show, Mary Poppins, won the musical theatre award.
The Variety Club of Great Britain was founded by two Americans in 1949. It sets out to raise money for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.
| Cowell Admits Conway Sisters Mistake |
November 14, 2005
By Nicola Methven And Polly Hudson for The Mirror
Itall started calmly enough - but fast-forward two hours and we're on our feet, screaming abuse at Louis Walsh with the rest of The X Factor audience.
We had front row seats at the most shocking TV moment of the year as talented beauty Maria Lawson was sensationally booted off the show in favour of Louis's fellow countrywomen The Conway Sisters.
As the rest of the audience stamp their feet and chant "Fix! Fix! Fix!", we find ourselves booing, hissing and shouting.
And to make matters worse, five minutes later in his dressing room Simon Cowell confesses to us: "I made the wrong decision. If I'd have had five minutes more to think about it, I would have sent The Conway Sisters home.
"I acted out of loyalty, but this show is about talent. Maria should have stayed. The Conways don't have a chance of winning this competition." Blimey.
Outside, we pass Maria in the corridor but don't have the heart to tell her what Cowell's just revealed. Our evening at the pantomime that is The X Factor started with the warm-up man teaching the audience how to sway. Yes, really.
While Sharon's certainly popular, there's no doubt who the star of The X Factor is. Simon gets a frenzied reception, wild applause and everyone wants to shake his hand or kiss him. It's quite astonishing.
In the seconds before the show goes on air, while Simon broke all TV studio rules by smoking a nerve-calming cigarette, we were puzzled to see a woman crouching behind the judges with a mysterious red velvet bundle. It turns out to be Sharon's Pomeranian pooch, Minnie. Obviously.
When the first advert break comes, we're glad of the rest - there's an awful lot of standing up as an X Factor audience member.
A SWAT team of make-up artists swoop down, three focus on Sharon while the boys each get a quick dusting.
The best reaction of the night is reserved for Andy - the cheering and clapping he receives is noticeably louder than the others.
After a quick wine, we're back for the results. We're down to three acts, two of whom must sing again for survival. Then that annoying extra ad break is announced. We've never known tension like it.
Standing on stage, looking terrified, were The Conways, Journey South and Maria. When Louis chooses The Conway Sisters, the studio erupts in anger. An Irish girl next to us rants: "The Conways sang at Shane Filan from Westlife's wedding. Louis goes way back with them."
The crowd boo as though their lives depend on it and Louis is visibly shaken.
Sharon storms out in tears and even Simon sits shocked. And as soon as his ITV2 interview is over, Louis scarpers.
After Simon shockingly confesses to us he wishes he'd dumped his own act, Sharon comes into his dressing room. "This isn't the last we'll see of Maria," she vows. As we leave, a show insider utters a few brave words in Louis's defence.
"You've got to realise what it's like in Ireland. He wouldn't have been able to walk down the street, he'd have been ripped apart if he hadn't saved those girls." Hmmm.
The X Factor is everything we hoped it would be - and more. It's a panto, a soap opera, an emotional roller-coaster and, most importantly, a great night out.
Exhausted, we head for home.
| Operatic Act Beat Bush to the Top |
November 14, 2005
By Staff Writers for The BBC
Operatic group Il Divo's second album has beaten Kate Bush's long-awaited comeback to the top of the chart.
Anocora entered the album chart at number one, while Bush's Aerial, her first release in 12 years, made its debut at number three.
Madonna took top place in the singles chart with Hung Up, while ex-Busted star James Bourne's new group, Son of Dork, had a new entry at number three.
Westlife fell to number two in both the album and singles charts.
The Irish boy band had scooped number ones in both charts last week, with album Face To Face and single You Raise Me Up.
Il Divo's album chart feat repeated the success they enjoyed with their self-titled debut 12 months ago. The group, backed by X Factor judge Simon Cowell, had been unknowns until shortly before their first album's release.
Son of Dork's Ticket Outta Loserville finished a place above former Blue star Simon Webbe's debut solo single, No Worries.
Leeds band Kaiser Chiefs' track Modern Way just missed out on a top 10 placing, entering at number 11, one place higher than US hip-hop star Lil' Kim's Lighters Up.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
| Si Snubs Own Act |
November 13, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Mirror
Simon Cowell has disowned his own X Factor act The Conway Sisters after a string of bust-ups.
He became disillusioned with the Irish quartet after they threatened to quit the show.
A TV insider revealed: "Simon and his team think The Conways are a nightmare. Their performances have been a disappointment - but the girls blame everyone else but themselves.
"Publicly he'll continue to give them his support. But privately, he has had enough."
| Nasty v. Svengali in £100m Court Battle over X Factor |
November 13, 2005
By Ben Todd for The Mirror
X Factor boss Simon Cowell is taking on pop rival Simon Fuller in a record-breaking £100million court case.
The two music moguls will square up in the High Court later this month in a battle over Cowell's ratings-winning ITV talent show.
They are contesting the rights to the X Factor - worth £100million, making the case one of the biggest showbusiness legal battles ever.
Svengali Fuller -- the man who discovered the Spice Girls and created earlier TV talent show hit Pop Idol -- launched the legal action against Cowell last year.
He claimed that the X Factor was a "rip-off" of the Pop Idol series, which made stars out of Will Young and Gareth Gates.
A source revealed: "This is cranking up to be one of pop's most important legal cases.
"Everyone thought the two Simons would have settled out of court by now. But they are both sticking to their guns."
Cowell -- who first found fame as a nasty judge on Pop Idol -- is likely to use the legal defence that both shows are talent contests following in the tradition of Opportunity Knocks, New Faces and Search For A Star.
Both X Factor and Pop Idol feature thousands of wannabes auditioning across the UK for a stab at stardom.
But Pop Idol contestants have to be aged 16-26.
In the X Factor there are three categories -- younger singers, older singers and groups. They are then whittled down to one overall winner. Last year Cowell mentored older singer Steve Brookstein to victory.
Before record company boss Cowell appeared on Fuller's show Pop Idol, he was better known as a chart mastermind behind the likes of Westlife and 5ive. One of his newer acts, Il Divo, are due to hit the top of the album charts with their new CD today.
Cowell has also become a huge star in the US where the Pop Idol format -- dubbed American Idol -- is a ratings hit.
Whatever the outcome of the legal battle, Cowell is almost certain to continue to appear as a judge on Pop Idol as he is a huge draw for the show's 20million fans Stateside as well as in the UK.
Fuller and Cowell have known each other more than 20 years and worked on a number of projects together. Fuller first found fame as the Spice Girls manager.
He guided them to massive chart success with hit singles like Wannabe, but was sacked by the band in December 1997. He now manages both Victoria and David Beckham plus Posh's fellow former Spice bandmate Emma Bunton.
Talking of the similarities between X Factor and Pop Idol, Cowell has insisted: "It's like one record company having Boyzone and me having Westlife.
"They're both boy groups. There's a similarity -- but they're different. That was the view I took."
"I didn't take it personally when he (Fuller) hit us with the lawsuit. He was protecting the show, which he's entitled to do."
SIMON COWELL
Age: 46
Breakthrough: As record company executive, discovered Robson and Jerome.
Most famous moment: Developing the "Mr Nasty" tag after Fuller asked him to be a judge on Pop Idol. Stars: His company has Il Divo and Westlife on its books.
TV and Film: The No1 TV talent contest judge with a huge fan base in the US and UK. His company Syco produces X Factor with Fremantle Media.
SIMON FULLER
Age: 45
Breakthrough: Paul Hardcastle's 1985 chart-topper 19. He named his management company after the song.
Most famous moment: Sacked by Spice Girls in 1997 - after making them the biggest girl band in the world. Got over it by forming S Club 7.
Stars: Posh and Becks, Emma Bunton, Will Young, Gareth Gates and Rachel Stevens.
TV and Film: Movie Spiceworld, S Club shows, Pop Idol.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
| Pete Waterman Slams Pop Idol & X Factor |
November 12, 2005
By Davina Earl for GigWise and Simon Rothstein for The Sun
Pete Waterman has come forward to make an unprecedented attack on Pop Idol and its bastard off-spring, X Factor, blasting the former as ‘fake’ and saying it should have been ‘taken off the air’ for convincing Michelle McManus she could be famous.
In an interview with New magazine, Pete raged: "For me, after Pop Idol 2 finished, that was it.
"It's just television -- it's not about music.
"I caught a glimpse of The X Factor and I just thought 's**t, I'm glad I'm not doing that', because everything I hated about that whole thing came back to me.
"I hated the fakeness of it all. The producers telling you you've got to put certain people through."
Pete, who says he turned down the chance to be a judge on X Factor, added: "I think what we did to Michelle was appalling. We should have been taken off the air.
"She didn't have a great voice and she was grossly overweight. But we made her believe that she was talented enough to win, when she never was.
"That makes us guilty of lying to the public."
To be fair though, Pete, it was pretty apparent to all that watched the programme that Michelle was a little on the robust side of chubby -- with a voice that could strike small children and the elederly dumb with horror.
Friday, November 11, 2005
| Si Wants Pets, Not Babies |
November 11, 2005
By Beci Wood for The Sun
Mr. Nasty Simon Cowell has upset his girlfriend Terri Seymour by telling her to get a terrapin instead of having a baby.
The X Factor judge -- who claims he is too busy to be a dad -- thought the scaly creature would be a good replacement for a child.
He told Heat magazine: "I told her to buy a terrapin because they can be affectionate and we'll have a little pet, but it didn't go down too well.
"I said to her: 'The problem is, I'm 46 and you know what my work schedule is like. There is no place in my life now for a kid.'"
| Strictly Come Dancing's Miss Strict: Arlene Phillips |
November 11, 2005
By Antonia Hoyle for The Mirror
Another X Factor insider Arlene Phillips knows well is Simon Cowell. "He always had a good body," she says. "He used to hang out of his window in his vest, eyeing up the girls walking by. I always knew he was going to go places."
| Cowell Song Truce |
Nvember 11, 2005
By Cameron Robertson for The Mirror
Simon Cowell has ended his feud with his X Factor act the Conway Sisters by letting them pick their song.
They now plan to perform Wilson Phillips' 90s hit Hold On tomorrow.
The Irish foursome were devastated last week after Cowell, pictured right, criticised their version of One Voice -- a song they weren't keen to do.
Laura, 18, the youngest sister, even threatened to walk out before the results show after a backstage row with Cowell left the others in tears.
An insider said: "The girls haven't been completely happy with Simon's cover versions. They had a healthy discussion and he let them choose."
Thursday, November 10, 2005
| Cowell Song Row |
November 10, 2005
By Cameron Robertson for The Mirror
The angry family of the Conway Sisters have blasted X Factor judge Simon Cowell.
Sister Joanne and dad Kieran complained the girls' mentor has been picking the wrong songs for them.
And they accused him of favouring another of his acts, Journey South.
Cowell's criticism of the girls' rendition of Barry Manilow's One Voice sparked their walk-out threat on Saturday. Kieran, 55, said: "With the right songs, they could win. I don't think the songs they've got suit them."
Sister Joanne, 26, added: "Simon says they're off-tune, but I don't agree. I have an ear. They don't go off-tune.
"There's no doubt he certainly talks up Journey South more."
| Simon Cowell's New 'Invention' |
November 8, 2005
By Staff Writers for Access Hollywood
"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell is looking for bright ideas. And if you have one, it could be worth $1 million. Cowell is prepping to launch his new show "American Inventor" for ABC and is looking for inventors, tinkerers and entrepreneurs to showcase their new novel ideas.
The search for the nation's best new invention is open to all ages and casting calls begin November 14 across the U.S. "America has always been the mother of invention, from the airplane, rockets, plastic and the internet to flip-flops and soda. This is the ultimate American dream. We want this show to make someone a multi-millionaire," Simon said. With one million dollars at stake, "American Inventor" will celebrate the best in homespun American ingenuity. From mothers with a notion for a better baby stroller to experienced engineers with several patented inventions, "American Inventor" is open to anyone with a great idea. No invention is too big or small. Prospective contestants can enter with a sketch, a prototype or even just a concept. The competition is open both to individuals and teams. The invention must be something that can be mass-produced and sold to consumers in a retail outlet. Expert judges will narrow down the initial entries to a group of finalists, who will each be given $50,000 dollars to develop their product, refine it, and take it to the next level. But in the end, it will be up to America to call in and vote on which invention is worthy of the one million dollar prize. Here is the current schedule for casting calls in the eight selected cities:
Los Angeles, November 14
San Francisco, November 17
Denver, December 1
Chicago, December 4
New York, December 7
Washington, DC, December 11
Atlanta, December 14
Austin, December 17
For more information such as applications, eligibility requirements and addresses for the eight casting calls, please go to www.AmericanInventor.tv.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
| Mr. Nasty's £20K Bite: Cowell Spends Fortune on Teeth All the Bettter for Eating You With |
November 8, 2005
By Peter Dyke for The Daily Star
Super-vain X Factor judge Simon Cowell has splashed out £20,000 on a new set of teeth after being told to smile more on the show.
TV's Mr Nasty -- notorious for his biting wit and sarcastic put-downs -- was advised by producers to stop scowling during the programme.
They said the normally acid-tongued record boss needed to appear more friendly towards the acts on the stage - and the viewers.
And that meant having to flash the gnashers.
So he went to one of the top dentists to the stars, Dr Johann Styger from the Portmore Practice in Weybridge, Surrey.
Cowell, 46, has had super-white veneers put over his old teeth so that now when opens his infamous big mouth, he looks like a Hollywood star.
He had hoped to keep his expensive dental work hush-hush.
But fellow judge Louis Walsh, 53, cracked a joke on the live show on Saturday night teasing: "The reason why he's so irritable tonight is because he's breaking in a new set of teeth."
His comments had everyone in stitches - but Cowell refused to admit he had had any dental work done.
The rumour gathered pace yesterday when X Factor host Kate Thornton, 32, revealed more gossip about the teeth.
She told ITV's This Morning: "I'm not sure what he's had done but Louis Walsh told me he's had a 'Burt Reynolds' -- that's when old men get young teeth put in their face.
"I haven't had it verified from the man himself, so say no more!
"I got the giggles so badly over it on Saturday night that I was really struggling to keep the moment and the tension.
"I thought 'I'm going to go any minute'."
This Morning host Phillip Schofield, 43, added: "I saw Simon at the National TV Awards the other week and he came up to me, shook my hand and said 'Your hair's getting whiter'.
"If only I'd known what he was going to do because quite obviously his teeth are as well!"
Westlife boss Walsh told the Daily Star yesterday: "I'm sworn to secrecy but put it this way - when I saw Simon on Saturday, they looked like a new set to me."
Cowell was staying remarkably tight lipped about the rumour that he's bought himself a brand new set of teeth.
But a spokeswoman for him finally came clean late last night.
She said: "Simon wanted natural looking teeth which would be an improvement on the ones he had.
"He went to Dr Styger who has done dental work on many stars and had veneers put in.
"He is very happy with the work."
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
| Goneway Sisters: Girls Wanted to Walk out after Row with Mentor Cowell |
November 8, 2005
By Fiona Cummins for The Mirror
A star of one of Simon Cowell's own acts threatened to walk out on Saturday night's live X Factor after a furious row with him.
The Conway Sisters were devastated because the notoriously forthright Cowell criticised their performance of Barry Manilow classic One Voice.
When the ITV1 show went off air before the results programme, angry Laura Conway turned on Cowell, 46, as her three heartbroken sisters wept.
She attacked him for failing to stand up for them and accused him of favouring rival band Journey South.
Blonde Laura, 18, the youngest of the Irish girls, then threatened to walk out and told him she was not coming back for the results - when the sisters got enough votes to go through to next week.
A TV insider revealed: "The Conway Sisters could not believe that Simon had criticised them for the second week running.
"They were convinced they were going home and Laura was so angry. She waited until the show had finished and gave Simon a right ear bashing for not defending them, ranting that he obviously prefers Journey South.
"Eventually she calmed down and was persuaded back into the studio."
Cowell had told the girls that some of their performance was off-key.
He said: "Parts worked, parts didn't."
Marie Conway then snapped: "We're working with the songs we're given."
In the previous show, Cowell had told them their rendition of Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart "fell apart in the middle", adding: "I just pray the audience give you another chance." Cowell yesterday defended his comments and insisted he didn't like upsetting the girls.
He told the Mirror: "I'm there as a mentor to help them, not to lie to them.
"The artists might believe it is my job to defend them but at the same time, I have to judge them as if they were one of the other judges' acts.
"I don't believe I made a mistake with the choice of song. I said it as I heard it, that parts were very, very good but there were a few tuning problems. Overall, I thought it worked. It's hardly decimating them.."
He went on: "I didn't like it that the girls were upset. They were furious with me and it took me a while to calm them down. Laura nearly apologised afterwards. Artists always believe other acts are getting favouritism but I like the girls and I'm doing my best for them."
Meanwhile he revealed that Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy had sent him a text insisting the band hadn't slagged off X Factor. Cowell urged their manager and rival judge Louis Walsh to get them on next week's show for a live sing-off after reading they had criticised the quality of the contestants.
Asked if Girls Aloud would be appearing next week, Cowell replied: "I don't know yet. We'll have to see."
Chenai Zinyuku was sent home on Saturday night after her mentor Walsh was forced to choose between her and Nicholas Dorsett. The Bradford-born 17-year-old clashed with Brenda Edwards just days earlier after claiming the older woman had more experience.
The insider added: "Everyone thinks Chenai was ready to go home - she spent most of last week crying on the phone to her mum.
"The other contestants weren't unhappy to see her go."
All of Sharon Osbourne's four acts still remain in the contest.
| Simon Says "I've Found the Next Idol" |
November 8, 2005
By Don Kaplan for The New York Post
Simon Cowell says it'll be raw talent, and perhaps a bit of Irish luck, that propels the next winner of "American Idol."
"The only person I can genuinely remember from the auditions that I've done for this season is an Irish girl that we saw in Las Vegas who now lives in America," Cowell told The Post yesterday.
"I think she sang a Chaka Khan song and afterwards I said, 'I think we may have found someone as good as [first season winner-turned-superstar] Kelly Clarkson.' "
Cowell said he forgot the contestant's name.
| X Factor Up for Comedy Award |
November 7, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Sun
Simon Cowell might not find it funny but talent show The X Factor is up for Best Comedy Entertainment Programme, against Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
| Simon Cowell, ABC Sued |
November 6, 2005
By Staff Writers for U TV
A lawsuit filed Wednesday against ABC and "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell alleges they conspired to steal the brand and concept of "Million Dollar Idea," a series airing in syndication.
The suit, filed in federal court by Jean Golden and Todd Walker, the creators and hosts of "Million Dollar Idea," follows ABC's announcement in July of a new show of the same name that the network said was created by Cowell.
"From stem to stern, each and every detail of Simon Cowell and ABC's mock `Million Dollar Idea' is a patent rip-off of Todd and Jean's four-year labor of love," attorney Pierce O'Donnell alleged in a statement Wednesday.
The lawsuit sees to stop ABC from using the name and idea and calls for unspecified damages. O'Donnell predicted they would reach into "the tens of millions of dollars."
A call seeking comment from Cowell was not immediately returned Wednesday.
"We have not even been served with the complaint in this matter, and so have no comment," said ABC spokeswoman Annie Fort.
The suit also names FremantleMedia North America, producer of Fox's "American Idol" and proposed producer of ABC's "The Million Dollar Idea." (Note the slightly different title.) FremantleMedia does not comment on pending litigation, spokesman Brian Reinert said.
"Million Dollar Idea" first aired on KSTC-TV in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market in 2003. The series was recently syndicated to more than 125 stations nationwide and its creators registered for both copyright and trademark for the show's name and premise, according to their statement.
The show is taped before an audience and judges at the Mall of America. New product inventors and marketers from across the country compete for a prize package to help launch their product and place it for sale with a Mall of America retailer.
The syndicated series has received newspaper, magazine and TV coverage, including on NBC's "Today" show, the suit says.
"It is incredibly ironic that our show, the premise of which is to promote, protect and reward small-town American ingenuity, was itself the victim of corporate theft and greed," Golden said.
Her partner, Walker, pitched a deal for the show to ABC in early 2004 and provided copies of their presentation to CAA, according to the suit. That's the same agency identified in a recent ABC press release as having "packaged" "The Million Dollar Idea" with Cowell.
Besides the alleged theft of the title, every major concept connected to the show also was copied, the suit claims.
In the July 13 news release announcing "The Million Dollar Idea," ABC described the series as "a nationwide search for America's greatest entrepreneur with the best business idea or new product," with the prize to be $1 million "worth of business support," including cash and other resources.
The idea was conceived by Cowell and British entrepreneur Peter Jones, according to the ABC release.
| Walsh Boasts about 'X Factor' Success |
November 6, 2005
By Staff Writers for Digital Spy
The X Factor's Louis Walsh has boasted that he is the only King of Pop on the ITV1 talent show.
The judge, who is mentoring the 16 to 24 solo singers, has attacked his co-stars Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne.
"I think my records speak for themselves - I am the only real King of Pop on the show," Louis told the Sunday Mirror. "Simon and Sharon were the mouths of the first series - talking about how brilliant they were at spotting talent. I kept my counsel. I wanted to watch and see how things went. But now it's time to speak out."
Walsh has pointed out that his act from series one, G4, have been the most successful, while the show's winner Steve Brookstein and Sharon's choice Tabby Callaghan have faded into obscurity.
"Steve Brookstein was supposed to be the next big thing, but he was a flop," Louis added. "Now Simon's dumped him from his record company - and I'm not even supposed to mention his name on the show. Sharon, meanwhile, was convinced her Tabby was the future of indie music.
"Sharon's all glamour and big boobs and an embarrassing flirt. She flirted mercilessly with Tabby - just like she's been doing with Chico. But there's barely any substance behind it in the long run."
Friday, November 04, 2005
| X-Rated |
November 4, 2005
By Celia Walden for The Telegraph
He is notorious for crushing the dreams of young hopefuls with a single swipe of his tongue. And X Factor judge Simon Cowell has an equally uncompromising attitude where opportunistic porn stars are concerned.
I hear that Cowell is taking legal advice over the possible infringement of the X Factor trademark by the male porn star, Ben Dover.
"Dover has released a DVD called The XXX Factor, which uses the same red, black and white logo as the television show," says my latex-clad mole.
"The X Factor's success relies on its family-friendly format, so Cowell is furious that a porn star is associating himself with the show."
Thursday, November 03, 2005
| A Movie Version of 'The X-Factor' |
October 31, 2005
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
X Factor favourite Shayne Ward is being lined up to star in a movie based on the hit show.
Simon Cowell's production firm Syco is making the film about wannabes auctioning for a band.
The group will be loosely based on Boyzone -- with one of the singers "doing a Ronan Keating" and going solo.
Louis Walsh, 52, used to manage Boyzone and has suggested 21-year-old Shayne for the lead role. Cowell, 46, is said to be "hugely keen" on the idea. The judges chatted about the project backstage on Saturday night after the live X Factor show.
An insider said: "Louis absolutely loves Shayne. Whether he wins or not, he could release a whole album on the back of this movie. He'd be a fool not to say 'yes'. This will make him massive."
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
| Paula Abdul: She'll Take the High Road |
November 3, 2003
By Mark Goulston for The Emmys
Q: Is your kindness also a way to balance Simon’s less-than-gracious remarks? And, speaking of Simon, what’s with you two? Do you like or dislike each other?
A: I’m sure my positivity is in part a way of countering Simon’s negativity. Some observers have characterized Simon as the abusive dad, me as the nurturing mom and Randy [Jackson] as the supportive brother. Simon and I do have a thing for each other, but it’s not what everyone thinks. We needle, we tease, we flirt and play with the sexual tension in the air.
At one time, Simon and I did rub each other the wrong way, but a lot has changed. What used to get to me was not how negative his comments were – it was that he seemed to take delight in hurting people who were in no position to fight back. Having been in some of those kinds of relationships, it hit a nerve with me. I felt angry toward him and frustrated with myself for not being able to be more protective of the kids. Over time, I have come to understand it differently.
Q: You mean, Simon wasn’t being mean?
A: I have realized that Simon is harmless. He knows how to push people’s buttons and it works for him and for the show. He doesn’t physically hurt people, so if you adopt the old sticks-and-stones philosophy in dealing with him, you’re pretty safe. I think he’s sometimes like an adolescent who finds it funny when people embarrass or humiliate themselves.
[But] I think something else has happened with Simon. He is very smart and talented, but I believe that perhaps he didn’t know at the start of the show how
well he would go over in America – none of us imagined what the show would turn into. As the show has grown in popularity, and along with it, Simon, he understands his role better and has less need to go over the top with his comments. And now that I think about it, there is something I have to be thankful to Simon for.
Q: And what’s that?
A: Like many adolescents who tease others, Simon baits everyone a lot. And something I have always needed to get better at is to not take the bait and to develop a thicker skin. Every day Simon gives me plenty of chances to practice, but I still take the bait more often than I wish.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
| Si Gets a Bum Deal |
October 31, 2005
By Staff Writers for The Daily Star
Straight-talking X Factor judge Simon Cowell has got a cheek -- and one naughty fan couldn't help but give it a pat.
Make Me A Model TV wannabe Jasmine Lennard, 19, couldn't keep her hands off the 46-year-old's bum after a night out at Chinese restaurant Mr Chow in London's Knightsbridge.
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