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Sunday, April 30, 2006
| How a Hit Almost Failed Its Own Audition -- Part 1 |
April 30, 2006
By Bill Carter for the The New York Times via The Gadsen Times
Network television programmers face a challenging job, though not a complicated one: they need to find hits. That's why they spend millions to find and hire talented writers, actors and producers. In many cases they would be wiser to invest in a catcher's mitt, because really big hits, ones that can transform the fates of networks and of network executives tend to fall from the sky. Here is the story of how "American Idol," the biggest hit on television, hovered over every network in 2001, waiting for one of them to grab it. This article is adapted from "Desperate Networks" by Bill Carter, a reporter for The New York Times. Doubleday will publish the book on Tuesday.
Simon Cowell sat at a meeting in Los Angeles with executives from someplace he had never heard of, something called the UPN network. Mr. Cowell, a British music executive, had never pitched a television show in America before and the way things were going, he felt as though he never would again.
The UPN executives who sat across the table from Mr. Cowell at that meeting in April 2001 clearly had no clue who this guy was, and, apparently, even less interest in finding out. Maybe they knew his business partner, Simon Fuller, from his leadership of the Spice Girls. Surely, they had heard of the Spice Girls. But, then again, as Mr. Cowell checked those blank, uninterested faces, maybe not.
No matter. Mr. Cowell had enormous faith in the idea that he and Mr. Fuller had for a music-based television show. Mr. Fuller was the most successful manager of music acts in Britain and he, Mr. Cowell, was the most successful artist and repertoire man that is, music label talent manager currently working there. They both knew how to launch new singing artists, and now they had an idea for a show that would allow them to utilize their talents on camera.
Despite the wall he sensed going up at the UPN meeting, Mr. Cowell, never cowed, simply plowed ahead with his pitch. "What this is really about is the American dream," Mr. Cowell told the American executives in his smooth British tones. He laid out the format for the show that he and Mr. Fuller were calling "Pop Idol" in Britain, describing how exciting this show would surely be. When Mr. Cowell wrapped up his comments, the room went quiet stone silent.
At the opposite end of the table, a young woman executive, whom Mr. Cowell had identified in his head as the "lippy second-in-command," seemed to be calculating whether or not this truly was the end of the presentation.
"And what exactly do you think we're supposed to be doing for you?" the woman said, dismissively.
"Well, actually, sweetheart," Mr. Cowell replied, applying just a dash of acid, "it's more a question of what I could be doing for you."
Again a terrible silence fell. Then the woman piped up: "Well, we'll get back to you."
Mr. Cowell said he had heard that line before too many times for it to bother him during his sojourn in the United States trying to spark some American interest in this hot idea. He and Mr. Fuller and a third partner, yet another Simon Simon Jones, an executive with Thames Television had paid calls to the broadcast networks, to MTV and to other cable networks. Every one of them had a free shot that April at landing the show that the three Simons were putting on offer. No one showed the least interest, and many of the network executives offered shoulders so cold that Mr. Cowell could have chilled his wine on them. Uniformly, they had been, Mr. Cowell was convinced, the worst, most appalling meetings of his life.
The contrast with how "Pop Idol" had been sold in Britain could not have been sharper. Mr. Cowell and Mr. Fuller met with representatives of the British network ITV, spent what Mr. Cowell estimated was no more than 30 seconds describing the idea, and they had a deal. But, of course, the two Simons had enormous reputations in the British entertainment world, and they were entering a market that had already embraced music-oriented reality shows.
In Britain, "Pop Stars," a show that was originally developed in Australia and traced the formation of a singing group, had engrossed the nation. Another music show, "Fame Academy," had also done extremely well.
Mr. Cowell had been invited to be a judge on the first edition of "Pop Stars," and, at first, had accepted. But he quickly had misgivings about being a person who ran a music label going on television to demonstrate how to put together a group. Mr. Cowell thought it was "like a magician showing how you saw somebody in half." He bowed out.
When Mr. Cowell got a first glimpse of "Pop Stars," however, he knew he had made a mistake. The show looked like a piping hot hit to him though he had an instant insight. To him, the attractive part of "Pop Stars" was the round of auditions to select the band members. He thought that, as constituted, "Pop Stars" had no ending. With Mr. Fuller he conceived a show built around seasonlong tryouts with the winner announced at the end.
What Mr. Cowell told ITV was this: "It will have all the fun of 'Pop Stars,' but we can do it better. We can do it a lot harsher than on 'Pop Stars,' and the public will vote and choose the winner. And we won't be relying on the music to make the show successful: it will be a soap opera."
Mr. Cowell also volunteered himself as a judge, knowing that he had the precise expertise called for in selecting a singing star. Mr. Fuller and his company, 19 Entertainment, owned the show along with Fremantle Media, a big European production company. Mr. Cowell took no ownership stake, but he did get royalty rights for his label, Syco Records, a part of the BMG Music Group, on every recording released by an "Idol" performer worldwide. That was the essence of the show's appeal for Mr. Cowell.
All he was concerned with was that the right person would win, so that he would get access to a good artist. If the show was a hit, so much the better; Mr. Cowell's new artist was more likely to sell a lot of records that way.
When Mr. Cowell started shooting "Pop Idol" in England in the summer of 2001, the production plan called for four judges to sit in an audition room while contestants trooped in, one by one. The judges would discuss each singer after he or she left the room. Nothing more specific was spelled out.
The first auditions took place in Manchester. But by the time five or six singers had walked through, sung and then had their performances rehashed by the judges after they had left the room, Mr. Cowell was almost crawling up the walls.
"I'm dying in here," he told the producers. "This is not like a real-life audition." He turned to one of the other judges, the veteran British pop producer Pete Waterman, and said: "We have to actually tell the performers to their faces what we thought. We've just got to tell these boys and girls the truth. They're rubbish."
Mr. Cowell had invited Mr. Waterman to work as a judge, expecting him to be what Mr. Cowell described as the "nasty" one. But Mr. Waterman got more emotional on the show than Mr. Cowell expected. (It was published in the British press that he actually teared up at one performance). Mr. Cowell, meanwhile, acted no differently on the air than he did at real auditions he was cold and distant. And his comments reflected that.
As the show took off after its premiere that October, the British press concentrated on Mr. Cowell and his barbed comments. He was the nasty one, the "mouthy" one. The show quickly began to revolve around Mr. Cowell and his withering appraisals of the wretched talent being brought before him.
"Pop Idol" was the hit of the year in Britain. The two finalists both released albums after the show concluded and sold millions of copies. Mr. Fuller had two new hit artists to manage; Mr. Cowell's label had two huge-selling albums. Their collaboration was a ringing success and they were just getting started.
Alix Hartley, a British-born talent agent with an expertise in music, who worked for the Creative Artists Agency, the heavyweight Hollywood talent agency, was a natural to represent Mr. Fuller in the challenge of going back to the networks in the fall of 2001 and finding "Pop Idol" a home on American television.
Given how both "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and "Survivor" both conceived by British producers had emerged as hits on American television in the summer months, C.A.A.'s strategy was to pitch "Pop Idol" around as a perfect new reality programming vehicle for the summer of 2002. It was light, entertaining and not very expensive to produce. As an added advantage, having started a 15-week British run in October, it would have fully executed weekly editions on tape to serve as the template for the American version.
Andrea Wong, who ran the reality-programming department for ABC, was an ideal target for the C.A.A. pitch. She was aggressively seeking reality programs and had been closely watching the British market in the wake of her network's failure to secure "Survivor" when it had twice been in ABC's clutches.
But C.A.A. and the producers of "Pop Idol" ran into a problem that "Survivor" never had to face. Music had already failed in the United States in reality formats on two networks, one being ABC.
That network tried a show in 2000 called "Making the Band," about assembling a boy- band singing group. Though it had a small following, mostly among pubescent girls, the show simply could not cross over into a wider audience. The music format was blamed. Music had become just too stratified, the argument went, to ever build a wide-enough appeal in the United States to succeed on the scale that an American network television show required.
The WB network, which was mainly the network of pubescent girls, tried a similar format the next season with a show that the network called "Pop Stars," a format derived from the Australian and British models of the same name only with an-all girl group. It, too, found only a niche audience.
Ms. Wong knew all of that when C.A.A. came in touting "Pop Idol." She passed. C.A.A. next met with NBC's reality executives. They passed. The agency never set up a formal meeting with CBS's reality division, feeling as though an initial phone call to CBS had fallen utterly flat.
That left Fox. The British producers had gotten nowhere in the spring when they tried to interest Fox's reality division, headed by Mike Darnell, in "Pop Idol." But C.A.A. made a new effort anyway. This time Ms. Hartley of C.A.A. and Mr. Fuller without Mr. Cowell this time went in to see Mr. Darnell himself.
Mr. Fuller pitched his idea with fervent passion, and that impressed Mr. Darnell. He really liked the notion that the format would essentially be all audition, complete with a lot of really woeful early performances. Mr. Darnell had never liked the band-making shows once they got past the auditions. Here was a format in which the auditions, replete with people making cringe-inducing fools of themselves, would rule.
Mr. Darnell, thinking of summer budgets at Fox, wanted to know if the show had sponsorship attached. Ms. Hartley told him that C.A.A. was working on that very angle. Mr. Darnell told Ms. Hartley and Mr. Fuller that they should bring up the idea with Sandy Grushow, the head of entertainment for Fox, and his chief lieutenant, Gail Berman.
When Mr. Grushow and Ms. Berman heard the pitch, both had the same reaction: tepid. A talent contest did not sound like inspiring television in the 21st century or like a breakout hit, for which Fox had an increasingly searing need at that point.
But both executives knew that the network could also use something that might pass for fresh summer programming. The problem was, Fox was out of money. The program budget for the year was exhausted, bone dry.
Mr. Grushow told the C.A.A. representatives that Fox was simply not going to pay a license fee for this program if it was going to get on the air, it would have to be as a fully sponsored broadcast. "We don't know much about this show," Mr. Grushow told them. "But if we can get it for nothing, it's sort of a no-brainer."
C.A.A. indicated that, of course, it could line up sponsors. Fox said: Come back to us when you do.
By this point, early in winter, "Pop Idol" had become the talk of Britain. Fox had made no effort to secure the show, so C.A.A. went back to Ms. Wong from ABC, armed with those mighty ratings from the British run. She asked to see a tape of the British show. That was encouraging. A tape was delivered. Ms. Wong watched it and passed again.
The impasse with Fox continued. C.A.A. heard nothing from Mr. Darnell. Ms. Berman and Mr. Grushow continued to press for a fully sponsored show; nothing was happening, despite the fabulous success in Britain.
But even as talks with Fox dragged on, C.A.A. was trying to exploit a connection that some at the agency believed might play out to their advantage. Back in October, several C.A.A. executives had met with Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of Rupert Murdoch, the founder and chief executive of the News Corporation, which owns Fox. The meeting took place at Mipcom, the international television programming festival in Cannes, France. A blossoming relationship took hold there...
To be continued...
Saturday, April 29, 2006
| Lifetime Mother's Day Poll |
April 28, 2006
By Staff Writers for Broadcast Newsroom
The "Lifetime Women's Pulse Poll" also found that women looking for a "Mr. Mom" to clean their house and take care of the kids selected Tim McGraw, beating out "Dr. McDreamy" (Patrick Dempsey from "Grey's Anatomy").
But when the vacuuming's done and they're looking for someone to tuck them in at night, Matthew Fox ("Lost") and Ricardo Antonio Chavira ("Desperate Housewives") were the chocolate on the pillow, edging out Usher and Simon Cowell of "American Idol."
| Simon Cowell & Barry Manilow Developing New Reality Show |
April 28, 2006
Posted by MusicMan for PopDirt
Following the ratings success Barry Manilow enjoyed for his guest appearance on 'American Idol', Neil Sean of Sky News reports that he and show judge Simon Cowell are working on plans for a show about how to write the perfect song.
"It's very early days but both love the idea, which will result in a phone vote and a winning song," an insider revealed. "Together they would be a ratings smash."
Thursday, April 27, 2006
| Paula Goes On Emotional 'Idol' Coaster |
April 26, 2006
By Staff Writers for Extra TV
"American Idol" was particularly emotional Tuesday night for everyone's favorite judge, Paula. "Extra's" Terri Seymour caught up with the sweet scorekeeper to find out what made her so misty-eyed.
Paula revealed that this season she's become quite attached to each contestant. "These six kids move me to tears," she confessed. "They're amazing. We've never had any season like this."
There was something about Elliott Yamin's performance of "If You Really Love Me" that sent tears streaming down Paula's face. "You moved me from the beginning," she told him.
Although Paula was clearly touched, Simon was cracking up over her tearful breakdown -- but Randy was in limbo, neither crying nor laughing. He only stated, "It was such a weird night."
Paula also spoke out about the reported family feud between her and Host Ryan Seacrest, who just won a daytime Emmy. "It's time to set the record straight," she said. "I've got nothing but love for Ryan. In fact, I do believe there's a picture where I'm kissing him on the lips or something like that."
Even Randy weighed in on the squabble at Tuesday night's star-studded launch party for the AmberWatch Foundation. "Paula and Ryan? Who are they?" he joked. "The feud is actually between me and Simon. He's weird. He likes to bite. He bit me on the arm the other day."
Speaking of bites, it might be Kellie's turn to bite the bullet after another musical catastrophe Tuesday night. But Simon told us he still has a soft spot for the Carolina crooner. "I really like her," he said. "I mean she's ditzy. She's blonde. She's funny. Her weakness is that when she's bad, she's bad."
Kellie wasn't the only songstress who had a stressful evening Tuesday. Crowd favorite Katharine McPhee almost had a wardrobe malfunction on stage that had even the sour-faced Simon smitten. "Obviously the lighting director has fallen in love with her," he said. "Every week this girl is getting great lighting."
| The Deck Falls Short for 'Idol's' Ace |
April 20, 2006
By Staff Writers for Extra TV
He was a heartbreaker from the very beginning with his dark brown hair and blue eyes. But on Wednesday, America watched as Ace folded.
"Extra's" Terri Seymour sat down with King of Mean Simon Cowell to see what he thought of how the cards fell.
"He had a good ride," Simon said. "He's lucky to have gotten this far. End of the road." And while Simon said Ace gave a charming performance, he noted, "Charming doesn't necessarily mean winning."
Ace's departure may not have been a shock, but it was a surprise for everyone to see Chris in the bottom three for the first time! Perhaps, Terri pointed out, the world prefers rocker Chris to his Wednesday performance of an all-American classic?
"Maybe he's not doing as well as you all thought," Simon said. "Maybe he's always been hovering around this part. I don't know."
One thing Simon does know? Kellie Pickler made a very smart move after Tuesday's singing catastrophe. "Where she was very smart, Kelly was, she admitted she got it wrong," Simon revealed. "She didn't do what so many contestant normally do, which is disagree with me. She was very, very smart."
Now that the competition is down to six, the "Idol" stage is burning up! We had to ask Simon if he still believes that Paris, Chris and Kellie will be the top three.
Simon was quick to reply, "Katherine, as I've said, has gotten better." However, "There are places to lose at this point."
And before we let Simon off the hook, Terri got to the bottom of all those other shockers about America's favorite judge. Is it true he spent $200,000 for food? "I don't think so," Simon said. "I think they've mixed up my food bill with Randy's."
And did Simon recently purchase J LO's palatial Los Angeles pad? "That's complete rubbish," he retorted.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
| Yay to Simon, a Truth-Teller |
April 26, 2006
By Anita Creamer for The Sacramento Bee via The Ledger
It happens with alarming frequency on these nice spring evenings.
On TV, an assortment of offkey and overwrought wailing -- screeching that's occasionally so sour that my husband, working at his computer in another room, is moved to shout: "He has no talent!" Or, "She's terrible!"
You cringe when you hear singing this bad. It's painful.
Yet again and again, "American Idol" judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul fawn over the performances, with Abdul in particular falling all over herself so inarticulately that entertainment magazines and fan Web sites routinely speculate about her sobriety.
Jackson and Abdul are, it seems, big admirers of the lame posturing around on stage that passes for talent on "American Idol."
"I'm your biggest fan," Abdul likes to announce to contestants after they produce the kind of shrieking usually heard only in horror movies.
Great.
In its fifth season, the show is the country's biggest hit, drawing an average of 31 million viewers each week and inspiring a politically pointed movie parody, "American Dreamz," which opened in theaters last weekend.
It's doubtful that the show's success is the result of Americans' deep appreciation for undiscovered talent.
Rather, it's because we love a contest, and we love to root for the underdog.
Most of all, though, we enjoy seeing the inept and inane put in their place, once and for all, despite the pleas of their tearful families and the boos of the strikingly deluded studio audience.
In other words: The show's popular because of Simon Cowell, the third judge, who's blunt in his criticism.
"That was horrible," he'll announce. "That was a nightmare."
He's not kind, thank God. But he's usually right.
In this country, we seem to lack truth tellers.
We don't even like to use the word "lie" anymore. It sounds so rude, so unadorned. So foreign, even. Just like Cowell, who's British.
Instead, we prefer spin and manipulation and, as Carmela put it in a recent episode of "The Sopranos," accentuating the positive.
Truth doesn't have to be cruel. But we buy the spin because we want to, in what amounts to a willful denial of reality.
The news business, for example, has become so distorted by pundits, paid to massage reality into something more politically acceptable, that newspaper readers and TV audiences alike chronically reject facts that don't conform to their opinions -- and then they refuse to acknowledge doing so.
That's how confused they've become about what's real and what's not. Maybe they've lost the ability to tell the difference.
Even so, belief isn't reality.
Public relations and a good marketing campaign don't amount to the dissemination of facts.
So maybe it takes the likes of "American Idol" to come along and show us -- from an accessible, pop-culture point of view -what's wrong with America: We long to hear the truth, spoken plainly. It's way past time to cut through the fog.
For too long, too many kids have grown up being applauded for their genius when they're utterly mediocre instead.
Being lied to in the name of raising their self-esteem has only turned them into showboating little narcissists.
They don't need to be slapped down in public by a panel of judges, perhaps, but they do need to learn the difference between making an effort and actually succeeding.
In real life, everyone doesn't win, because everyone's not a winner.
People, Ace is cute, but he couldn't sing. OK? He just couldn't. Neither could Bucky. Kellie's not much better. And that Taylor creature is just too weird to watch.
If the show they're on has become a nationwide obsession, a water cooler conversation staple, it's not because of the talent.
| US Patent Searches Increase After 'American Inventor' Hits TV |
April 26, 2006
By Staff Writers for PR Web
Patent and trademark searches are up these days at the US Patent office...thanks to Simon Cowell.
The American Idol creator has started another fury in America, not with terrible lounge singers again... this time it's the geeky World of Inventors on ABC's "American Inventor."
New patent and trademark searches have suddenly flooded the usually quiet patent office with all kinds of new gadgets. A lot of credit must go to the new ABC TV Show American Inventor -- www.abc.go.com/primetime/ americaninventor/. One patent office employee said, "ever since American Inventor hit we've been packed with all kinds of requests for patent searches or any new patent and trademark information available... seems everyone wants to be an inventor now...
Simon Cowell said,"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."
With one million dollars at stake, "American Inventor" is celebrating 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" has opened the door 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 narrow down the initial entries to a group of finalists, who are 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 viewers to call in and vote on which invention is worthy of the one million dollar prize.
These new patent hungry inventors all want to do the same thing, invent the next iPod, and make a ton of money. Sounds great except there is a downside. The business of hiding your invention from other parties seems to be the biggest problem most inventors face. Having a patent or trademark is the only way to protect yourself, and your idea.
Getting a patent is not that hard to do, but there are a few things you must do without fail. Doing it without an attorney is next to impossible, but it can be done. Patent expert Greg Tremblay; author of a do-it-yourself Patent eBook www.patent-trademark-information.com says "the first thing you need to do when you have a great idea is, don't tell anyone about it, not even your uncle or best friend. Do an extensive world-wide patent search, apply for a free kit from the US Patent office, and then have an patent attorney look at your application before you submit it."
The US Patent Office www.uspto.gov has free patent information kits available -- going fast.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
| 'Idol' Judges Now Sit in the Hot Seat |
April 24, 2006
By Staff Writers for USA Today
We're turning the turntables on American Idol (8 ET/PT Tuesday, Fox). Contestants get a pass, while coaches Rona Elliot, Rich Martini, Gene Sculatti and Don Waller assess and advise judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul."The contestants are expected to improve every week, so why not the judges?" asks Elliot. who's on the panel with filmmaker Rich Martini and critic/ authors Don Waller and Gene Sculatti.
Sculatti's chief gripe pertains to all three judges.
"They should have a deep and fairly wide appreciation of different kinds of music and they don't," he ways. None of them seemed interested in the '50s stuff, and they seem to lack appreciation for straightforward, emotionally direct music. And all of them need to go to a metaphor farm and find new similes."
He doesn't limit his critique to the judicial branch. Host Ryan Seacrest's mockery of Southern accents "is embarrassing, lame and offensive," Sculatti says.
Judge-by-judge critiques:
NOT GETTING OFF THAT EASY
Simon Cowell: He Is What He Is
Elliot: Viewers have a tough time with Simon because he seems to delight in being extremely critical. He doesn't care if you like him. A case could be made for him to be more user-friendly, but his approach is a counterpoint to Randy's familiarity and Paula's fawning. I don't think it's an act. In the real music biz, people say much worse things behind your back than Simon says to your face.
Sculatti: He and the producers know what his assigned role is: to be the huffy Brit. While much of what he says is shtick, he hits the nail on the head more frequently than Randy or Paula. Since he's the most opinionated, he ought to find a way to be more knowledgeable and appreciative of different kinds of music.
Waller: Obviously, the producers want to limit the amount of negativity, but letting him toss off one-word critiques like "ridiculous" or "weird" is neither informative nor particularly entertaining. It's just lazy.
Martini: Simon is American's favorite villain, and he plays the role to a tee in a T-shirt. America loves an arch-villain, and Simon is our very own Snidely Whiplash. He tosses grenades ("pathetic") and wacky questions ("Are you drunk?") that in a bar would get him clocked. Simon is the cold-hearted Ted Mack of our era, and without his sardonic wit, and eyeball-rolling smirk, the show wouldn't be half as successful.
Paula Abdul: She Could Be More Relevant
Waller: Everyone understands that she's the spoonful of artificial sweetener that makes Simon's medicine go down. Woefully inarticulate, she inevitably winds up stringing clichés together like they were a pearl necklace. She just got a new three-year deal for this? We should all have her agent.
Martini: Paula wears her cheerleader persona like her old Lakers uniform. She lifts up those who have been smacked down. She gives hope to the hopeless. She's a tonic to Simon's gin, and a yin to Randy's yang. Her mid-sentence George Bush moments, when she's struggling for syntax and lost in a sea of simile and totally attention-deficit-disordered, usually happen because she's too dang excited. Maybe you need a pufferfish in the shark tank.
Elliot: I hope Paula's shtick is an act, constructed to make her appear to be a ditz who's unable to construct coherent sentences from a sequential set of thoughts. But I think we're seeing the essential Paula. She's the train-wreck judge, and that's part of Idol's schadenfreude lure. You can't take your eyes off of her. Can she be that incomprehensible? There is a place for a supportive cheerleading judge, but Paula needs to come up with something relevant and authentic to say.
Sculatti: Her assigned role is the sweetie. She can on occasion be less than enthusiastic, and as this season has progressed, she's been a little more critical, though it's usually when she's seconding Randy. If you're going to sit in judgment, you should have some idea where the performers and repertoire are coming from.
Randy Jackson: Dogged by Slanguage
Waller: Dawg, your slanguage is getting to be as tired as Arsenio Hall's fade. Yo, constantly referring to male and female alike as "dog" or "dude" used to be aiiight as a unisexual kinda thing, but now, I dunno, I'm just not feelin' it. Bust out some mad chedda for a fresh hiptionary, cuz. With 30 million people watching, you should be inventing fresh catch phrases, not recycling urban verbs left over from the Reagan Administration. You also might dispense more specific advice, considering you're the only actual musician on the panel.
Elliot: The mannerisms and incomprehensible evaluations seem to be a bid for street cred. Randy has advice to give and a successful career to support his opinions. I'm guessing he wants to distinguish himself from the other judges, but it doesn't work for me.
Sculatti: I find his assigned role as the designated brother annoying. Nobody's ever going to mistake him for Snoop Dogg or one of the Beastie Boys. He's a good fit between Paula and Simon. He's fairly candid without being unkind. He's got a limited field of vision aesthetically and a fondness for excess and vocal acrobatics, which is seen as signifying greatness when it's just showboating. Simon is more likely to call out something as indulgent.
Martini: Randy's loopy "woof woof" asides have an effervescence to counterbalance Paula's pom poms and Simon's sardonic jabs. As the sole musician, Randy's got some credibility, and he can be a salve for the wounds Simon inflicts. For all its predictable idolisms, this odd Mod Squad deserves credit for its role in a perverse dance that keeps the audience coming back.
Monday, April 24, 2006
| Exclusive Showbiz Rich List |
April 22, 2006
By Cameron Robertson for The Mirror
Disbelief greeted the revelation that Jonathan Ross gets £720,000 a year - for just three hours work a week. But Wossy's whopping wage seems like chickenfeed compared with the earnings of others in our Showbiz Rich List.
We can reveal that the top earner on TV is 46-year-old Simon Cowell. He might be TV's Mr Nasty, but he is on to a nice little earner with X Factor, American Idol and as the guiding force behind bands like Il Divo.
Last year alone the wearer of high-waisted pants trousered £15million, taking his overall worth to £80million. No wonder he can afford to splash out £6million buying J-Lo's Beverly Hills mansion - and then fork out half as much again tarting it up.
He is joint ninth overall and the highest-placed non-musician in the Daily Mirror's Rich List of stars whose finances are based in Britain and Ireland.
Based on detailed research of the stars' earnings from the last 12 months, our findings make remarkable reading...
Who would have thought that those down-to-earth Geordie boys Ant and Dec are multimillionaires? Last year they pocketed £4million each from their hit TV shows, their own productions including All Star Golf and debut movie Alien Autopsy.
Unsurprisingly, pop queen Madonna tops our chart as the highest earning entertainer. Last year she made £35million, thanks to her best-selling album Confessions On A Dancefloor and sponsorship deals from Motorola.
Well, you need to keep the pennies rolling in when you spend £20,000 a time on diamond-encrusted false eyelashes.
By comparison, Sir Elton John lags behind with earnings of a paltry £30million. Elton- - who is worth a total of £185million -- kept his coffers overflowing with a sell-out world tour, writing the hit musical Billy Elliot, and earnings from his back catalogue.
And he certainly knows how to spend it. He owns a mansion in Berkshire, a villa on the French Riviera, a townhouse in London's Holland Park, a penthouse in Atlanta and a medieval home in Venice overlooking the entrance to the Grand Canal.
He spent £1.5million on a lavish reception following his wedding to David Furnish, and has also given £20million to charity.
Yet again, England captain David Beckham tops the list of rich soccer stars. He banked a striking £13.2million in 2005 with his contract at Real Madrid and sponsorship deals with Pepsi, Adidas, Police and Gillette. His wealth means that Goldenballs can afford to indulge his pricey pants habit - he spends £1,000 a month on Calvin Klein undies and never wears the same pair twice.
Becks is followed by Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and 20-year-old Wayne Rooney, whose fiancee Coleen spends his fortune almost as fast as it comes in.
The new generation of British actresses are also in the money. Cashing in on winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for The Constant Gardener, Rachel Weisz can now command £3million a movie.
But that is small beans compared with Keira Knightley. She earned £10million from movies like Pride And Prejudice, is the face of Asprey, owns a £1.2million apartment in Mayfair. And she's still only 21.
Here's our full list of who earns what...
TV/radio presenters Inc other earnings
Simon Cowell (American Idol, X Factor, music) £15m
Ant and Dec (TV show, film) £4m each
Jonathan Ross (Radio 2, film and chat shows) £3.5m
Jamie Oliver (TV, restaurants, ads) £3.5m
Noel Edmonds (Deal Or No Deal) £3m
Gordon Ramsay (The F-Word, restaurants) £2.5m
Chris Tarrant (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) £1.6m
Paul O'Grady (Chat show) £1.5m
Richard and Judy (C4 show, newspapers) £1.5m each
Graham Norton (Strictly Dance Fever) £1.2m
Soap stars Annual earnings
Johnny Briggs (Coronation Street) £390,000
Shane Richie (EastEnders) £390,000
Ross Kemp (EastEnders) £350,000
William Roache (Corrie) £350,000
June Brown (EastEnders) £340,000
Barbara Windsor (EastEnders) £320,000
Steve McFadden (EastEnders) £300,000
Jessie Wallace (EastEnders) £270,000
Anne Kirkbride (Coronation Street) £260,000
Patsy Kensit (Emmerdale) £240,000
Rock/pop stars Annual income from records, tours etc
Madonna £35m
Elton John £30m
Sir Paul McCartney £25m
Rod Stewart £22m
Sting £20m
Sir Tom Jones £11m
Robbie Williams £9m
Kylie Minogue £7m
James Blunt £5m
Joss Stone £3m
Rock/pop Bands Annual income from records, tours etc
Coldplay £37m
U2 £35m
The Rolling Stones £28m
Queen £18m
Pink Floyd £15m
Oasis £9m
Depeche Mode £7m
Jamiroquai £4.5m
Westlife £4m
Bee Gees £2.5m
Footballers Annual earnings from wages, ads and sponsorship
David Beckham (Real Madrid) £13.2m
Michael Owen (Newcastle) £8m
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) £7m
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) £6m
Frank Lampard (Chelsea) £5.4m
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) £5m
John Terry (Chelsea) £4.6m
Sol Campbell (Arsenal) £4.1m
Roy Keane (Celtic) £4m
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) £3.9m
TV actors Earnings from TV, movies merchandising and ads
Matt Lucas & David Walliams (Little Britain) £3.7m each
Hugh Laurie (House) £3.5m
Ricky Gervais (US Office, Extras) £3m
Ian McShane (Deadwood) £2.5m
Sir David Jason (Frost, Ghostboat) £1.6m
James Nesbitt (Murphy's Law, TV ads) £1.4m
David Tennant (Doctor Who, Casanova £1.2m
John Nettles (Midsomer Murders) £650,000
Martin Shaw (Judge John Deed) £600,000
TV actresses Earnings from TV, movies, ads etc
Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) £3m
Parminder Nagra (ER) £1.5m
Billie Piper (Doctor Who) £1.5m
Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect) £1.2m
Tamzin Outhwaite (Hotel Babylon) £850,000
Amanda Burton (The Commander) £400,000
Michelle Collins (The Family Man) £250,000
Amanda Donohoe (Murder City) £200,000
Denise Welch (Waterloo Road) £150,000
Film actresses Annual earnings
Keira Knightley £10m
Catherine Zeta-Jones £6m
Kate Winslet £4m
Kate Beckinsale £4m
Rachel Weisz £3m
Dame Judi Dench £2m
Naomi Watts £2m
Helen Bonham Carter £2m
Tracey Ullman £1m
Sienna Miller £1m
Film actors Annual earnings
Ewan McGregor £10m
Liam Neeson £9m
Colin Farrell £8m
Orlando Bloom £8m
Sir Ian McKellen £8m
Hugh Grant £8m
Ralph Fiennes £7m
Daniel Radcliffe £6m
Clive Owen £6m
Anthony Hopkins £5m
| X Factor Steve Speaks His Mind... Again |
April 23, 2006
By Staff Writers for ITV
Former X-Factor star Steve Brookstein has once again let rip on TV talent shows, Simon Cowell and recent winner, Shayne Ward.
The soul singer panned the programme he won in 2004, saying: "It's a shame people vote so much and waste their money. It's all kind of a, bit of a scam."
He also revealed that he hasn't spoken to Simon Cowell "since I told him the album is not as good as I hoped."
He added: "Unless you do as your told, you're not his mate."
Brookstein didn't lay much hopes on Shayne Ward's success, and believed he still had far to go.
He said: "He seems like a nice guy and he works hard. I'm not a fan of the music...but then again, Shane's only young so he doesn't know what he wants, so he's just going along with the ride.
"Sooner or later he might develop into a serious artist, but right now he's just pop."
Brookstein was recently rubbing shoulders will fellow reality rejects at a screening of the film American Dreamz.
The singer was dropped after the release of his only single Against All Odds in 2005.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
| Simon Climbin' New Heights |
April 23, 2006
By Deborah Starr Seibel for The New York Post
"Idol" Bigshot Lets Loose on Paula, Whiny Contestants, and All Hollwyood
"No one can really hurt my feelings," says Simon Cowell.
The black-hearted villain and most bank able asset of "American Idol" is dining al fresco at The Ivy, lunch spot of choice for many Hollywood power brokers.
"He and Randy and Paula are in here all the time," confides the maitre d', referring to Cowell and his "Idol" co-stars Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. "But not together."
As Cowell pulls off a chunk of brown bread, a small crowd gathers on the street. They have no trouble recognizing the back of his famous head.
Sipping his soup, Cowell is relaxed, smiling, dressed in his signature jeans and form-fitting black cashmere Armani sweater. The man won't go near a stylist.
"When I find something I like," he says, "I'll buy two dozen. I absolutely loathe shopping."
As always, Cowell is open to discussing the fallout from an unstoppable show that has sent his celebrity status into the stratosphere. Candid and fearless, even at a leisurely lunch, this is not a man who will be muzzled.
"Ryan [Seacrest] is the most competitive person on the planet," says Cowell of the show's host, "and I just wind him up."
"If he reads about something I've done professionally, he'll get straight on the phone to his agent: 'You've got to get me something, now.' "
But Seacrest is not unique in this town.
"Most of the Hollywood system works on fear," he says, "and from all angles. Fear of people losing their jobs. Fear of celebrities losing whatever status they've got. And why? I mean, sooner or later it's going to end."
And for Cowell, "Idol" almost ended after the last season.
For the last two seasons, behind the scenes "there was a horrible tenseness going on for a while. I genuinely felt that I'd had enough," he says.
"I was worried about it. I thought maybe this is all a bit too much, this stress. I wasn't sleeping well," Cowell says. "And here we are, having a nice lunch at The Ivy, having a bowl of soup, the odd cigarette. It's a nice life, isn't it? It's only stressful if everything else fails."
As for Abdul and Jackson, Cowell has finally accepted the dysfunction of the "Idol" family.
"I genuinely couldn't do this show with anyone else because I'm so comfortable with them now," he says. "And I think a sign of being comfortable is making fun of each other, arguing. So the fact that Paula and myself are literally like Tom and Jerry at times, I think, is a sign of affection."
But, he adds, "I'm not afraid to antagonize her, because I quite like it."
About the current crop of "Idol" hopefuls, Cowell is far less wowed.
During the week they sang hits of the 21st century, "I thought they were all terrible," he says.
"Indulgent. Painful. And it just tells you: Left to your own devices [without the coaching services of Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Barry Manilow or Queen], you're all useless."
He also has no time for whining.
"On our show, you have 12 people the public has probably never heard of, catapult them to stardom, and then you start hearing they're tired. Right.
"What is tiring about getting into a limousine, doing a photo shoot, and performing in front of 40 million people? I'll show you what tired is! Come with me for a week and I'll get you some terrible audiences, you're not gonna get paid, the transportation's gonna be hideous, the hotel room's going to be appalling, the audience will hate you and the food is crap. Then you tell me about being tired."
Equally disappointing is the lackluster careers of most "Idol" winners. "It's like every artist in the world today, particularly when you don't write your own material. You are always at the mercy of what your next song is. I can't sing you one of Ruben or Fantasia's songs. But I can remember in my mind all the big Kelly songs. The simple answer is Fantasia's songs aren't as good as Kelly's are."
Most raw, however, is the bitter aftertaste of a recently settled lawsuit filed by Idol's creator, British music mogul Simon Fuller. Cowell had to defend charges he'd ripped off key elements of "Idol" to create his own hit British talent contest, "The X Factor."
"It could have been very messy, very nasty," says Cowell. "We could have literally gone for each other and it would've been like a bomb going off. Strange thing was, I don't think either one of us wanted that."
The two record producers created "Pop Idol" in Britain, then jumped the pond with "Idol." Cowell was always on board as a judge, but did not share in the "created by" credit. When Cowell was asked about this four years ago, he said, "Go ask Simon Fuller."
At stake were franchising fees to more than 30 foreign countries. British business journals have estimated Fuller's 2005 income to be more than $42 million. By contrast, Cowell's "Idol" salary before his recent renegotiation was reported at $8 million a year.
Just before the beginning of the fifth " Idol" season in January, the lawsuit was settled out of court and Cowell re-upped with FOX. Fuller got a piece of "The X Factor Cowell retained his right to sign "Idol" winners to his record label. The "created by" issue was not on the table.
Now, it is little wonder that Cowell is using his soaring celebrity to rebalance the scales.
"American Idol" may be Cowell's bread and butter -- his new contract for an undisclosed salary keeps him on the show through 2010) -- but he has created and is executive-producing three more shows that are variations on the "Idol" theme.
ABC's "American Inventor," NBC's "America's Got Talent" debuting this summer; and another singing contest pairing professional singers and celebrities, "Duets," is on the drawing board at FOX.
Cowell's "Idol" contract doesn't allow him to be a judge on any other show, but he gets a record deal with the "Idol" winners, a piece of the profits from the winning ABC "invention" and a stake in the performers' careers who may dazzle America in the NBC variety show.
A great scam?
He laughs.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?"
This is a new, reinvigorated Cowell, smiling again after the turmoil of the past couple of years.
By season three -- Fantasia Barrino's year -- Cowell's stardom had upset the balance of power between him and the show's producers. They brought in guest judges, which infuriated him. They even tried -- briefly -- to change the judges' speaking order so that Cowell spoke first instead of having the last word.
"I wasn't getting on particularly well with some of the people on the show," he says, "so it resulted in a bad place for everybody."
On screen, he looked alternately angry and bored.
Had he mentally checked out?
"Yeah," he says. "I did."
A year later, when Carrie Underwood took the crown, he was ready to go.
Cowell orders two coffees and a big bowl of strawberries with whipped cream for the middle of the table.
He dips with relish.
"You have to get up every morning with a smile on your face," he says. "Or why do it?"
Why, indeed?
"I think you'll find that he's firing on all cylinders again this season," says "Idol" executive Nigel Lythgoe.
While putting his career in high gear, his personal life is in neutral. Cowell, at 47, has never married and has been dating "Extra" correspondent Terri Seymour for three years.
"Luckily," he says, "I've got my nieces and nephews. Someone else is doing the hard work and I'm in and out. I like a life where, tomorrow, I can decide what I want to do based on the first thing that comes into my head rather than having that responsibility."
So now it's back to business as usual -- bludgeoning mediocre performances, sparring with Seacrest and plowing ahead on television and eventually film.
Simon says now that his first independent foray into American reality television -- the 2003 CBS dating show, "Cupid" -- was a mistake.
"I didn't have the right people making the show," he says, "and I didn't have enough creative control."
So did that hurt?
"Yes," he says, "absolutely."
So he's not bulletproof?
"If people say, 'I don't like your records, I don't like your shows?' Yes. That would hurt."
Thursday, April 20, 2006
| A Valentine for My "American Idol" |
April 20, 2006
By Constance Daley for American Reporter
...There's no accounting for attraction. It's baffled me since I was a very little girl. There was a book on our shelf with a cover of fading lipstick red. The title and author's name were printed in similarly fading silver, saying onlyly "IT, by Elinor Glynn." Now, what was "it"? In those days, anything suggesting "it" was spoken of in hushed tones and certainly not to me.
After many years I learned of an actress named Clara Bow who was called the "It" girl, and when I noticed her sultry, blackened mascara-rimmed eyes, her bright red and pursed Cupid's bow lips, I blushingly thought, ah ha! "It" means, you know, sex appeal. And, to Carol Burnett, John Foster Dulles had sex appeal; and, today, to the 50- plus ladies attracted to Secretary Rumsfeld, "Rummy" has sex appeal. (I'll just bet he's bursting his buttons over that notion!)...
It's time for me to say why I'm on this track at all; why is my imagination is so triggered by the force of attraction, incomprehensible though it might sometimes be, that I must reveal my love for Simon Cowell?
There, I've written it down. Simon Cowell is the driving force behind the ABC hit show "The American Idol" -- brought here by the Fox Network from Cowell's native Great Britain and the "British Idol" show he spearheaded there. Fox had one condition: that Simon come along as one of the judges of the talented and not-so people across American yearning to be stars. What foresight! The show is a blockbuster here as it was in the Britain.
I absolutely love that man. And it's not sex appeal; I don't think he's particularly sexy, but he has something that is so rare that it is refreshing: I love his brutal honesty. I love his instant take on everything said and done by contestants, as well as his ability to let the corresponding insults fly right by him. He's his own man. He puts himself out there, he is what he is, and I love him. I see him, hear his thoughts, am not put off by his non-wardrobe of black t-shirt and jeans and I know I'm in the presence of "the real thing."
Honesty is a rare commodity these days. That is not to say dishonesty is running wild. However, we are now equipped with a dictionary of psychobabble words that allow us to be politically correct, sensitive to other's feelings, and accepting of white lies in order to boost someone's self esteem.
Simon Cowell will tell you what you should know -- if not exactly what you want to hear. Life is too short to continue down a path leading nowhere. Although the contestants are sensations in their own living rooms many will get a thumbs down from Simon -- and not with disrespect. His honest assessment is with a hint of caring -- albeit gruffly spoken.
All of this came to me as I was sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic yesterday, listening to a radio station playing easy listening music; no commercials, just soft-spoken announcers. I was inching along musing that vocalist after vocalist would never get past Simon Cowell.
Much as I enjoy Rod Stewart's new four-volume collection, "Thanks for the Memory," I doubt if Rod could have gotten a thumbs-up from Simon. He hit the right notes and he has style, but he doesn't have a voice, any more than Ray Charles singing "Georgia" shows any vocal talent. Piano? Yes. Style? Yes. But as Simon would quickly say, "'American Idol' is a talent show for vocalists." Vocalists, as we once knew them, went out with The Beatles and "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah."
The other two judges, perky Paula Abdul and big-hearted Randy Jackson, are so sympathetic to the would-be performers that they vent their anger toward Simon, who speaks truth to outlandish nincompoops who are there for no other reason than to claim Andy Warhol's "15 minutes of fame." Paula and Randy twist their faces into sincere concern and say sadly, "No, you're not going to Hollywood." When the contestant schlumps off the stage, Paula and Randy tell Simon "You can't do that Simon -- it isn't polite."
Their slings roll off Simon. He's doing his job as he perceives it - well, except for the night it got to be a bit much and he just stood up, turned his back on them and quietly walked off. I was proud of him. In a backhanded way, his move showed class. And, mo, he didn't come back after the commercial. The camera caught him getting into his limousine.
No, I won't be like Carol Burnett and make a fool of myself over Simon Cowell as she did pver John Foster Dulles. Am I fawning publicly? If so, it's honest fawning. I'm no sycophant looking for a thumbs-up from Simon. It's just that he is indisputably genuine. How refreshing! hear me shout.
Of course, don't ask me to sing about it; I'm no Carol Burnett.
| Gareth Blames Pop Flop on Simon |
April 18, 2006
By MusicMan for PopDirt
Ann Montini of Sky News reports 'Pop Idol' season one runner-up Gareth Gates wants to tell his side of the story after losing his record deal.
He told a source, "I think my story should be a warning to all. Simon [Cowell's] famous yet he was supposed to be my manager. How can you do that miles away in the US?"
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
| Inside 'American Idol' with Simon Cowell: Part 2 |
February, 2006
By Ed Martin for Hollywood.com
Thanks again to HFS for the great article!
Much has been written during the last few weeks concerning the many unkind remarks Simon Cowell made about several aspiring singers during the audition process for the fifth season of American Idol -- especially his cracks about people who might be described as "large." Most of Cowell's critical commentary was heard after the hopefuls left the stage, because this season, unlike seasons past, the cameras kept rolling after each performance, capturing the off-the-cuff exchanges between judges Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Asked if he ever regrets any of his mean remarks, Cowell tells MediaVillage, "Yeah. Ninety-nine percent of them."
Certainly, Cowell earlier this season came off nastier than usual. This was especially true when he said after the audition of 29-year-old Mandisa Hundley of Antioch, Tennessee, now a semifinalist, "Do we have a bigger stage this year?" (On a later show, Mandisa calmly confronted Cowell. "You hurt me and I cried," she said. "But I want you to know that I've forgiven you." A floored Cowell replied, "Mandisa, I am humbled." The two then embraced.)
Of course, Cowell's regret may have something to do with being made to look so unapologetically rude because of that extra footage. "I think the decision we made to leave the cameras rolling made [the show] feel a little bit more documentaryish rather than what you've seen on previous years," Cowell explains. That has been good for the ratings, he says, but not necessarily for his image. Watching his bad behavior, Cowell notes, "was sort of like watching myself when I was five at school. You know when you'd say something in front of the teacher and get into trouble afterwards for being lippy? It was that sort of emotion. It's not clever, not funny. 'Stop showing off, Simon!' You can't have it both ways, I guess."
As for his remark about Mandisa, he says it is probably his biggest regret. "Let's put it this way," he offers. "If I was editing the show it wouldn't have ended up in the edit."
The Mandisa experience, he continued, "was slightly awkward. I'm not defending myself, but I [liken it to] when you're sitting down for dinner with five friends and one person goes off to the coat room and you all dive in as to what that person's wearing. Just imagine that was filmed and you're watching it back! That's what watching it was like. [It's] so embarrassing, because at the time you're not thinking they're going to put it in the edit. But Mandisa handled it very well. She brought it out in the open. We cleared the air."
Asked if he was surprised that Mandisa called him out on it, Cowell laughs. "Not in the slightest! I took one look at her face and I thought, 'It's my turn. Here we go. I'll take it on the chin, Mandisa.'"
Perhaps Cowell's increasingly withering wit is a self-defense mechanism against the rigors of the audition process, which he says is "like going to the dentist to have three teeth out and they announce it's going to take eleven hours and there's no anesthetic. That is a day on the road auditioning. It is a horrible experience." Cowell notes that a typical audition day lasts ten or eleven hours. "It's fun to watch back but doing it is mind-numbingly boring," he declares.
The auditions, Cowell says, bring out many young people who resemble or imitate past "Idol" standouts. This season was no different. "We got a lot of Carries [Underwood] and a lot of Bos [Bice] this year," he recalls. "Too many Carries… and a lot of Clays [Aiken]. We get those every year."
Two of the semifinalists in this year's competition have had some experience in the world of professional music, prompting questions about the relative fairness of pitting people with experience against total newcomers on the show. Twenty-eight-year-old Jose "Sway" Penala of San Francisco was reportedly a member of the group 6th Day, which released an album in September 2005 (during the Idol audition period). Gray-haired 29-year-old Taylor Hicks of Birmingham, Alabama, has performed around the country and has released a CD titled Under the Radar.
"To be honest with you, I think the public will determine whether [Penala and Hicks] are at an advantage or a disadvantage," Cowell says. "I don't think at the end of the day it's going to make too much difference. The public will vote for the person they like. I think this year more than any other year the likeability factor will play a hugely important role as to who wins the show because there are a lot of good singers in the group. It's going to take more than just a good voice.
"We'd never heard of Taylor what's-his-name before he entered the show," Cowell continues. "[Season one winner] Kelly [Clarkson] was working with a record producer before she went on American Idol. [Season two's runner up] Bo [Bice] was in a band. I don't think it matters."
For the record, Cowell says the rules for the show are as follows: "You can't be in an existing management or recording agreement. And, I think, [if you have been] in the finals in previous years you can't enter again. Those are the only rules."
When asked if there were any competitors from previous seasons of the show other than the winners whom he thought would have careers by now, Cowell somewhat wistfully replies, "Only one. Tamyra Gray. To this day I regret she didn't make the [season one] finals with Kelly. I think we would have had a really, really great ding-dong final with two fantastic vocalists. Unfortunately, personality won over talent that year and we had…"
Cowell pauses for emphasis.
"Justin Guarini."
Where is Guarini today?
Cowell smiles. "Exactly!"
And speaking of former high profile Idol contestants who've gone missing, whatever happened to Mario Vazquez, the semifinalist during the fourth season of Idol who famously bolted from the show without explanation and later signed a deal with heavyweight record producer Clive Davis?
Cowell shrugs and smiles again. "It's a mystery."
Asked if he ever hears from previous Idol contestants or winners, Cowell's response is surprising. "No!" he laughs. "Never! They never want to talk to me again!"
At the time of this interview, Paula Abdul had just been seen on a prime time CBS special starring Dr. Phil McGraw in which she sometimes tearfully sought advice about dating and pursuing relationships from television's leading dispenser of guidance in such matters.
Abdul "doesn't need to go to Dr. Phil," Cowell laughs. "I've offered her advice. I've said to her, 'When you go on a date, don't talk! Just don't talk and everything will be fine.
"She doesn't need Dr. Phil, she needs Dr. Simon," he continues. "I'm free of charge!"
Asked if he has fixed Abdul up on any dates, Cowell quickly cries, "No! I haven't set her up! Regardless of what you have heard it wasn't me!"
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
| Inside 'American Idol' with Simon Cowell: Part 1 |
February, 2006
By Ed Martin for Hollywood.com
Thanks to HFS for the great article!
The competition heats up this week between the top 24 semi-finalists on Fox' American Idol, and from where he sits, tough-talking judge Simon Cowell hasn't a clue who's going to come out on top.
"This time last year I would have sat here and said there's a blond girl called Carrie Underwood who's gonna walk it," Cowell tells MediaVillage. "That's not the case this year. I can argue for seven or eight people who could win the competition."
It's a sign of the overall caliber of talent in the series' fifth season that Cowell readily admits he can't spot a seemingly obvious winner. He does admit to an early favorite, though. She's 19-year-old Kellie Pickler from Albemarle, North Carolina, who with her humble demeanor, big voice and longish blond hair invites immediate comparisons to Underwood.
The comparison brings a fast response from Cowell. "She's more than that," he insists. "She's the person as a human being you want to do well. This is somebody you feel deserves a shot. [Pickler has spoken openly about her family problems.]
"I like this girl," Cowell says. "I really do."
With the collective talent of the semi-finalists so much stronger than during the show's previous four seasons, it would seem that Cowell and fellow judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson must have raised their standards during the audition process. But Cowell says that the exciting end results of the initial talent search had more to do with looking for interesting "characters" and attempting to cast the show with diverse "personalities" than simply seeking talent.
"It's a mixed bunch," he says of the 24 young singers who begin competing in earnest this week. "It would be very easy to just put ten Carrie Underwood clones into the final. This year I [tried] to put in [people] whom I feel the public will be more interested in. I've got to tell you we were quite conscious this year of trying not to put the obvious twenty-four [semi-finalists] together. We tried to put people in who under normal circumstances would honestly never get a record deal, like the kid with the glasses who we call Mr. Potato Head [16-year-old Kevin Covais from Levittown, New York]. If he walked into a record label under normal circumstances [he would be told] 'exit.' But within a show like this he has what I call the Aaaah factor. There's a place for somebody like that."
Ever modest, Cowell says his emphasis on character places the performers he picks for Idol above those who appear on other prime time talent shows. "If you take Mark Burnett's show, whatever it was called [Rock Star: INXS], they [the Rock Star competitors] are forgettable people. They're not interesting. They're just good singers. They're what, background session singers? I could see a thousand of them every day if I wanted to. I want characters, personalities, the underdog in there as well as the obvious talent.
"I'm only interested in the person who wins, to be frank with you," Cowell continues. "I mean, statistically when you look back on this show we've probably had close to 500,000 people enter American Idol over the years, and to date two people look as if they are going to have careers, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. Those are horrendous statistics and they show you how difficult it is to do well in this business. That's why I say, 'Even if you're good, it's difficult. If you're hopeless, forget it.' The odds aren't great here. You just look for somebody a little bit different, really."
One person who made the cut this season because he is "a little bit different" is 17-year-old David Radford of Crystal Lake, Illinois, whom Cowell describes as "a crooner," though he thinks "crooners" are at a disadvantage in the Idol competition. "The problem with somebody like [Radford] is [we] do 'disco week' and he's singing Boogie Oogie Oogie as Frank Sinatra." Cowell smiles at the thought. "It may be a bit of a problem. I like him. I like the fact that he seemed to be authentic. He genuinely loved that style of music so I was pushing for him to make the finals. I think he's better than [season three "crooner"] John Stevens."
Idol blasted out of the gate this season with ratings that were well above those of last year when it defied even in-house expectations at Fox. Recently, it has grievously compromised NBC's telecast of the XX Winter Olympic Games and CBS' telecast of the Grammy Awards in direct competition. Cowell says he's not surprised.
"It's a better show this year," he states matter-of-factly. "I phoned through to Fox, to [entertainment president] Peter Liguori and [executive vice president, specials and alternative programming] Mike Darnell in the middle of the auditions last year and said to them, 'Look, I have good news. I think this is going to be the best audition sequence you've ever had in terms of its rawness, its controversy, its wackiness, its talent.' It just felt fresher than we had seen in previous years. Part of the reason for that was going to places like Greensboro [North Carolina] and Denver. It didn't have that jaded feeling you sometimes get when you go to L.A., because [L.A. is] full of people who are used to going from one audition to another. You've got to have that naïvety which gives you the craziness, the excitement, the disappointment. So that's my explanation as to why it's done so well. And it's only on once a year. People look forward to it."
Monday, April 17, 2006
| Is Simon Cowell Trying To Keep Taylor Hicks From Winning American Idol? |
April 17, 2006
By Staff Writers for Reality TV Magazine
Since the winner of American Idol is signed to Simon Cowell’s record label, it would seem only natural that Simon would be very interested in the outcome of the competition. Recently, it has come into question if Simon might be a little too interested and a little too aggressive in trying to manipulate the outcome of the competition through his comments and interviews.
Since Simon Cowell stands to benefit financially from the winner of the competition, he would likely want the singer that he perceives as the most commercially viable to win the competition. Commercially viable might not always mean the same thing as the best singer. Taylor Hicks is one of the best singers in the competition, but recent comments from Simon Cowell seem to indicate that he doesn’t want Taylor Hicks to win.
Simon Cowell has displayed a lot of negativity toward Taylor Hicks for much of the competition. After Taylor’s performance of “Not Fade Away,” Simon compared it to a “hideous party performance.” After Taylor’s performance of “Take Me Home Country Roads,” Simon Cowell called the performance “safe, boring, and lazy.” After a recent performance of “A Crazy Little Think Called Love,” Simon Cowell asked Taylor Hicks “Are you drunk? Because I thought it was ridiculous.”
Even when Simon Cowell gave Taylor Hicks a positive vocal review for his performance of “Trouble,” Simon complained about his styling, calling it “very Clay Aiken.” Or when Simon acknowledged that Taylor could sing after “Living for the City,” Simon still insisted on bringing up the visualization of a drunk dad at a wedding.
In a recent interview with Extra, Simon Cowell took even more shots at Taylor Hicks. Simon had the following to say when describing Taylor’s performances to Extra, “It's ungainly, all over the place. It's funny. I'm not disputing the guy can sing, but it's all a bit stupid."
In a recent interview with media, Bucky Covington even pointed out how Simon only likes a certain type of singer and gave himself and Taylor as examples of singers that Simon doesn’t like. Bucky told reporters, “Simon, a lot of times he signs boy bands and stuff like that, so for him to like somebody like me or Taylor, it’s out of the question. It doesn’t matter what we do, he’s not going to like us, because we’re just not his thing.”
Even though Simon Cowell has admitted that Taylor can sing, it seems like Simon is incapable of giving him a 100% positive review. There is a re-occuring theme where Simon always has to take a shot at either Taylor’s look or his performance style. There’s no denying that Taylor Hicks has a style unlike any other singer who has been on American Idol before. Perhaps his unique style is what makes Simon nervous because he’s unable to compare it to successful artists that he’s worked with in the past. Could Simon Cowell be afraid of taking a chance on a singer who doesn’t fit into the mold of the type of singer he usually signs to his record label?
| Sinitta: "I'm Still Close to Cowell" |
April 17, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Eighties pop diva Sinitta maintains her relationship with music mogul Simon Cowell remains "fairly intense", despite being happily married for four
The So Macho singer, whose ex flames include Brad Pitt as well as The X Factor judge, is expecting a baby through a surrogate mother later this year (06).
But the former pop star insists family life will not mean a step back from Cowell - who she first met aged 15 -- and is glad her husband AndyWilmer is so understanding.
She says of Cowell, "We're still close and fairly intense. "And Andy and Simon get on really well. We've even asked Simon to be godfather."
| Casting Call for "America's Got Talent" |
April 16, 2006
By Staff Writers for Reality TV Website
From Producers Of American Idol -- NBC Announces Open Casting Call For New Talent Competition
Simon Cowell & FremantleMedia, the producers from American Idol, team up with NBC in the search for the hottest variety & novelty acts from across the country! Are you talented? Audition at one of our open calls for the chance at being Simon′s next big discovery and a huge cash prize!
Talents of all kinds are invited to try out. Individuals and groups welcome, singers, dancers, animal acts, bizarre novelty acts, magicians, comedians, belly dancers...all ages...the sky′s the limit!! The series is scheduled to premiere this summer on NBC. Don′t miss your opportunity to perform before a panel of celebrity judges on television and to prove to America YOU have what it takes to be the next big star!
Open Call Dates/Locations
Doors scheduled to open 10:00 AM
No early lineups. Anyone found camping overnight will be removed.
Registration will take place from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM You must show up during these times to register and audition. There will be no exceptions.
Monday, April 17
The Westin- Times Square
243 W 42nd St (at 8th Avenue)
Enter through Theatre Entrance
(E-Walk) on 42nd St.
NEW YORK CITY, NY 10036
Wednesday, April 19
Sheraton - LaGuardia East Hotel
135-20 39th Ave.
FLUSHING, NY 11354
Saturday April 22 & Sunday, April 23
America′s Mart
Building 2 - Atlanta Gift Mart
230 Spring Street
ATLANTA, GA 30303
Application and Form Instructions
ALL applicants (including all members of a multi-person act) MUST fill out an Application and Personal Release. Only those acts involving stunts or elements that may be considered dangerous should fill out a Doctor′s Release. All acts with animals MUST fill out the Animal Questionnaire and come with all immunization papers and a certificate of health issued by a licensed veterinarian.
Personal Release
Application
Doctor′s Release
Animal Questionnaire
Production reserves the right to refuse an audition to any individual or act, in its sole discretion.
*If your act contains fire or the throwing of knife/sharp objects, please send in a VHS tape or a DVD. Due to the risk of danger present with such acts, you will not be permitted to perform at the open call. This does not disqualify your act.*
A photo ID is required in order to audition.
Applicants under the age of 18 need to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and must have parental permission.
Please come to the audition dressed in as much of your costume as possible.
For faster and simpler registration, please print out the application and release forms and have them filled out prior to lining-up.
Candidates must be either a US citizen, legal permanent resident of the US, or possess a current legal visa allowing you to seek employment freely in the US.
Please click here for the full list of eligibility requirements.
If you are unable to attend one of the open auditions, please send your tapes to:
AMERICA′S GOT TALENT
Talent Department
6399 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Please download and fill out all required paperwork. Paperwork includes Personal Release and Talent Application. Animal Questionnaire/Physician′s Release should be filled out only if it pertains to your act. Submissions without proper paperwork will not be accepted or viewed.
For any other inquiries please email Americantalent@aol.com or call 323-315-5160.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
| Everybody Hates Simon |
April 16, 2006
By Breanne L. Heldman for The NY Daily News
He tells it like it is, & 'Idol' audiences just can't seem to get enough
'American Idol" judge Simon Cowell is the man everyone loves to hate.
In "American Dreamz," which spoofs "American Idol's" singing contest, it's no coincidence that the judge and host of the fictional show is Martin Tweed, a snarky and not-so-nice Brit, played by Hugh Grant.
Similarly, the acid-tongued "American Inventor" producer has been immortalized onstage in a new hit musical in London's West End, "Instant Celebrity: Just Add Water." In fact, one of the songs, "I Hate You Simon Cowell," by Nonnie Thompson, is gaining airplay on British radio.
The chorus may seem sweet -- "I love you Simon/Or am I just being simple/Every time you smile/ I can see your dimples" -- but, true to the character, the conclusion declares, "I hate you Simon/I was just being simple/When I look close/I can see your pimples."
Just in case "Idol" and "Inventor" aren't enough, the latest reality endeavor from the surly star, "America's Got Talent" -- a performance competition including trapeze artists, dancers, magicians and more with a $1 million prize purse -- premieres on NBC this summer. (For the curious and courageous, the NYC open casting call is tomorrow at the Westin Hotel in Times Square).
Even Cowell's brother is cashing in on the harsh critic. Tony Cowell's book, "I Hate to Be Rude But...The Simon Cowell Book of Nasty Comments," a collection of the black-T-shirted man's catty gibes, hits bookstore shelves in early May [Ed.--It actually came out in late February].
According to the book, the comeback king has been preparing for his current role since childhood. "Miss, this noise is dreadful. Why are you making us do it?" a 5- year-old Cowell asked his music teacher.
So here's to the highly paid man who describes his job, hosting the auditions for "Idol," as "like undergoing dental treatment without anesthetic." What's not to love?
Sayings of Simon
'There was one great part of your ghastly performance, and that was the end.'
'You have the charisma of a wax dummy.'
Age 7 - To his younger brother Nicholas: 'Father Christmas isn't real, and the quicker you come to terms with it, the better.'
'I admire Paula [Abdul] for admiring me.'
'We encourage mediocrity on this show. It's how Ryan Seacrest got the job.'
(Quotes taken from "I Hate to be Rude But..." by Tony Cowell.)
| Colin and Justin Reveal Designs on Pop Stardom |
April 15, 2006
By Anna Millar for Scotland on Sunday
Scottish interior designers Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan have announced plans to work with music guru Simon Cowell in a bid to become pop stars.
Famed for his trademark sneers on reality music shows such as Pop Idol and X-Factor, Cowell has launched top-selling acts such as Westlife and Il Divo. Ryan and McAllister - who currently host Five's How Not To Decorate - hope to pursue a music career at the end of 2006, when they complete this year's design projects.
Ryan told Scotland on Sunday: "We met with Simon Cowell during the filming of [ITV reality show] Pop Idol and X-Factor and had talks with him about working with him to be a cooler version of Robson and Jerome. His response was very positive; long term we would love to work with Sony.
"Music is something we want to move into next. We don't want to rush into it. It's something we want to do seriously when we have our design show commitments completed at the end of the year."
Ryan added: "We are currently in talks with a big-name singer/ songwriter in the pop industry. We hope to be able to report more early next year."
Ryan and McAllister first found fame presenting The Million Pound Property Experiment, in which the pair were given £100,000 of the BBC's money and told to make £1m through seven property deals (they succeeded). Five paid a reputed £2m in 2004 to secure Ryan and McAllister's services for How Not To Decorate and the couple have since presented a range of programmes for the channel, including reality show The Farm. The pair were offered a £400,000 advance for their book of How Not To Decorate last year.
While Ryan and McAllister have long-term music aspirations, they said that they were "delighted" at the year ahead in terms of design projects.
McAllister said: "We have the most incredible year ahead. Canadian television have asked us to go over and do six shows of How Not To Decorate, having already bought the series. We also have a show called Wedding Bells coming up, in which we design every aspect of three very different weddings."
The pair are currently designing a cow for Edinburgh's annual cow parade in May, a charity walk using models of the animals. They are also continuing work on the Arden council estate in the Southside of Glasgow, for a show to be screened in late autumn. Over 12 months, the pair hope to give the area a total facelift.
Ryan said: "Our slogan is we're not Changing Rooms, we're changing lives. We are making a demand for social betterment; his pertained to food, ours to housing. It's hard going because with our other shows we click our fingers and someone magics up a kitchen for us. On this show we don't have any favours.
"We're working with housing associations and we're lobbying with lottery funders and the government trying to get funding. We are going to take a campaign bus to London and try to bring in as much support as we can. It's an open-ended experiment.
"The estate is painted cream and looks all glossy from the motorway. Then when you actually go into the heart of the estate you see that it is absolutely scandalous. It's no wonder that there's a drinking, graffiti and bad- living problems. If we can change that in any small way then we have really achieved something."
Simon Cowell was unavailable for comment.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
| Why Simon Cowell Says Ryan Seacrest Owes Him |
April 14, 2006
By Staff Writers for Extra TV
The ongoing feud between Simon Cowell and "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest is reaching a boiling point, and Simon won't be the one to back down! Simon told "Extra" that the DJ would only be spinning records if he hadn't made Ryan the host of "Idol."
"He'd still be, 'Hi, it's Ryan Seacrest. It's 4:07 a.m. The sun is coming up, and here comes the Bee Gees,'" Simon said.
Judge Dread also thinks Ryan should share the wealth that bought him Kevin Costner's Hollywood home and a luxury Ashton Martin: "I think Ryan would be the first to admit that without me, he wouldn't be affording those things."
Ryan isn't the only one on Simon's I.O.U list. He also claims that Paula is in debt to him. "Paula through me, or mainly through me, has become interesting," he claimed. "You come to me as empty vessels, and I try to give you a personality, and luckily with Paula it worked."
Mr. Mean didn't stop there. He also gave his predictions for the remaining "Idol" hopefuls, none of which were optimistic. He particularly had a bone to pick with Taylor Hicks for his infamous stage theatrics.
"It's ungainly, all over the place. It's funny," Simon confessed. "I'm not disputing the guy can sing, but it's all a bit stupid."
Simon also made a grim prediction about resident heartthrob Ace Young: "I think his days are numbered."
Likewise, the future is dim for the beautiful and popular Katharine McPhee. "She's reaching a point where she's looking so perfect and sounding so perfect. Ironically, it can work against you," he revealed. "She won't win."
But Simon isn't completely pessimistic. His favorite to win is 17-year-old vocal powerhouse, Paris Bennett. "You gotta give the girl some credit. She's a tough little thing, isn't she?" he said.
Stay tuned to "American Idol" to see which six contestants will survive Simon's scathing criticisms, next week on FOX!
| Hugh Grant Is Terrified of Simon Cowell |
April 15 2006
By Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy and Louis B. Hobson for The Calgary Sun
Hugh Grant has confessed that he is terrified of Simon Cowell.
Despite spotting the American Idol and X Factor judge at showbiz parties on several occasions, Grant has always avoided him.
"I’m too scared to talk to him," Hugh admitted during an appearance on the Today show.
Grant plays an acid-tongued reality TV judge in his latest film, American Dreamz.
He recently met Cowell at a celebrity function.
"Simon was aware we were having a bit of fun at his expense. He was quite calm about it. When you're as rich as Simon, you can afford to be calm about everything."
Friday, April 14, 2006
| Plot Idol |
April 14, 2006
By Caroline Hedley, Eva Simpson, and Kiki King for The Mirror
We're used to seeing him demolish aspiring singers on TV but now Simon Cowell has turned to houses.
The Pop Idol judge splashed out more than £6million buying a Beverly Hills mansion owned by J.Lo but realised the decor wasn't quite right.
So, rather than redecorate, the multi-millionaire is knocking down the salubrious pad and spending £3million building another one.
Simon, 46, and his long-term girlfriend Terri Seymour, 31, fell in love with the sprawling LA mansion last year.
But the self-styled Mr Nasty has since decided the property doesn't have that certain, er, X Factor and he wants to put his own stamp on it.
"Simon knows what he wants and as soon as he saw J-Lo's house, he had to have it," our real-estate spy tells us. "But it would appear that even Jennifer Lopez's plush pad simply wasn't good enough.
"When it comes to houses, money is no object for Simon so he hasn't batted an eyelid at spending an extra £3million knocking the place down and rebuilding from scratch.
"He has certain ideas on what he wants it to look like...and J-Lo's minimalist approach wasn't it." Ouch!
La Lopez, 35, who sold the property because it was too much of a "movie-star house", is famous for her love of all things white and clean-cut.
"Everything in J-Lo's house is pristine, shiny and new. It looks like it hasn't been lived in at all -- which is one of the things that turned Simon off.
"He is looking to create a more homely, lived-in feel and has lots of ideas for the different rooms."
We bet!
Favourites for the job of realising Si's dream are extravagant property- designers-to-the-stars the Candy Brothers, who have worked for celebs such as Kylie Minogue and several Russian tycoons.
They'd no doubt relish the task, considering Simon's deep pockets.
His property portfolio already includes a £7million mansion on LA's Palm Drive, a £6million Victorian town house in West London, a £1million Arabian-style villa on The Palm islands off Dubai and a multi-million pound Spanish villa in Marbella.
Talk about house proud!
| 'Idol' Contestant Bucky Says Cowell's Comments No Longer Helpful |
April 13, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Charlotte Observer
The latest contestant to lose on "America Idol," North Carolina's Bucky Covington, says the comments of caustic judge Simon Cowell are no longer helpful.
Lately it seemed to Covington that Cowell was more interested in injecting tension into the broadcasts.
"It seems like he used to give advice, but now he doesn't give advice as he does try to put you down and make the show 'I can't believe you said that' and make talk about it the next day," said Covington, 28, a country singer from Rockingham.
This week, the "Idol" contestants performed songs from the rock group Queen, including Covington's version of "Fat Bottom Girls." Cowell called Covington's performance Tuesday "mediocre." He was booted off the show Wednesday.
"He told Paris: 'Weird.' What is that supposed to mean? You did not help her any with that comment. You should have just kept your mouth shut."
Covington was referring to Cowell's comments after contestant Paris Bennett performed Queen's "The Show Must Go On."
Cowell will never like singers like himself or contestant Taylor Hicks, Covington said.
"For him to like someone like me or Taylor is out of the question. No matter what we do, he's not going to like us. We're just not his thing," he said...
| American Idol Finalist Taylor Hicks Unhappy With 'Drunk' Comment |
April 13, 2006
By Lynda Johnson for The National Ledger
It seemed like such a classic Simon Cowell comment. At the end of American Idol finalist Taylor Hicks performance on Wednesday, the snappy Brit playfully asked -- 'are you drunk?"
It appears that Hicks was unhappy with the comment.
TMZ reports that they have learned that Hicks was offended by Simon Cowell's remark as back in his hometown, Taylor has dealt with others affected by alcohol.
TMZ has the scoop:
We're told Taylor will occasionally have a drink, but he is definitely not a drinker. While on 'Idol,' Taylor is strictly business, often drinking milk with dinner. Indeed, when two of his close friends visited recently, the friends downed beer after beer while Taylor limited his intake to Coca Cola.
Sources say that Taylor was so upset with Simon's "drunk" comment that he almost said something on the air, but resisted. After leaving the stage, Taylor made it clear that he was upset.
Brian Less of the Taylor Hicks Band back in Alabama told TMZ recently: "Right now, he (Taylor) knows that he's got to stay focused out there and do his best. So, Corona's not going to help him!"
Wait -- doesn't a Corona always help?
Taylor is virtually locked into the top three at this point. Unless he really goes flat one week, Simon's comments won't matter.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
| Cowell Cringes at His Own Insults |
April 13, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Outspoken pop mogul Simon Cowell often regrets his sharp words to contestants on hit TV talent show American idol -- especially when he sees the pre-audition tapes.
Cowell often cringes when he watches would-be recording artists filled with hope before they audition -- and then sees himself insulting their performances just moments later.
He says, "When you see the pre-audition package when they're filmed outside the room, you see them saying, 'My dog died, I'm singing this one for Lassie...', but we don't know that, so we're not nice to them.
"Watching it back, you do go, 'I shouldn't have said that.'"
| Can eBay Predict 'Idol' Winner? |
April 12, 2006
By Corey Moss for MTV
Auction site called last week's bottom three based on popularity of contestant-related items.
You can sell a house or buy a Paris Hilton Garbage Pail Kids card on eBay — and now you can find out who's going to win "American Idol."
OK, so it's not foolproof, but the auction site seems to have found a semi-accurate formula.
Like DialIdol.com, eBay not only predicted Mandisa's departure last week, but the entire bottom three.
Using their eBay Marketplace Research program, the company discovered fewer than 10 Mandisa-related items had sold over the past month, compared to hundreds of items related to other singers...
After calculating the "Idol" contestant numbers, eBay also tested the popularity of host Ryan Seacrest and the judges. Simon Cowell was at the top with 75 items, followed by Paula Abdul (42), Seacrest (18) and Randy Jackson (6)...
| Gareth Is a Reality Flop |
April 13, 2006
By Staff Writers for ITV
Gareth Gates has been dropped from his record company after being told he cannot keep up with new X Factor talent.
Song BMG have ditched the spiky-haired Pop Idol runner-up after a string of flops, leaving him on the reality scrapheap along with the likes of Michelle McManus and Steve Brookstein.
The Bradford born singer was a huge hit when he entered Pop Idol in 2002, and music mogul Simon Cowell took a huge shining to the lad with the stammer, but four years later and it looks as though his pop fame days are well behind him.
It's not a huge surprise that the lad has disappeared off the music scene, we haven't heard from him in a long while whilst Will Young, who beat him in the Pop Idol final, is still going strong and even has a movie to add to his impressive CV.
Industry insiders reckon Gareth just wasn't strong enough to compete with the likes of Shayne Ward.
It is also believed Gareth's downfall was due to his slushy love ballads, which just don't fit in with the current rock trend.
Not all is bad for Gareth, he achieved three No1 single and a number 2 album, not bad for a 21-year-old!
Gareth can also take away the fact that he was involved in a showbiz scandal -- he had a passionate relationship with glamour girl Jordan when she was pregnant!
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
| Cowell Blames "Mad" Abdul for Clashes |
April 12, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Simon Cowell has blamed fellow American Idol panellist Paula Abdul for the string of rows on the TV talent show -- because she's "mad".
Outspoken Cowell insists the diverse combination of judges - producer Randy Jackson, artist Abdul and himself, a record company mogul -- ensures a volatile show, but he singles Abdul out at the most temperamental of the three.
He says, "Producers are, by nature, optimistic people. Record company people are cynical. And artists are just...mad.
"So maybe that's why you have different opinions on the show."
| Cowell: "I Miss Sharon" |
April 11, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
American Idol judge Simon Cowell misses his former TV sparring partner Sharon Osbourne from their days on The X Factor -- and wishes he could work with her instead of Paula Abdul.
Cowell insists the wife of Ozzy Osbourne is "easier" to work with, and admits the ideal show would be with fellow American Idol panellist Randy Jackson and Osbourne in the place of the "Straight Up" singer.
He says, "Sharon's easier. "Sharon and Randy would be the easiest. Or we could be on one show. That would be good."
| The Things They Say |
April 12, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
"If you're going out with a porn star, in a weird way, it's safer. At least you know where you stand... I always use a rubber (condom), but I don't need medical evidence. They're constantly tested. It's their job." +
-- American Idol judge Simon Cowell on the advantages of dating porn stars.
| Weekly Reader Research Poll Finds American Idol Brings Families Together |
April 11, 2006
By Staff Writers for Yahoo
Memo: If you want family togetherness, then American Idol is the ticket. Whether you are cheering for the same person or debating their talents, there is no doubt that the smash hit show is bringing families together. According to a new Weekly Reader Research poll, 81% of pre-teen viewers and 55% of teen viewers watch the show with their family. Weekly Reader Research polled a nationally representative sample of 3125 kids, pre-teens, and teens. The margin of error for this survey is 1.7%.
A total of 60% of America's 65.6 million young people, ages 4 to 19, have watched at least one of the last four episodes of American Idol. Not only do they have strong feelings about the performers but they have equally strong opinions about the three judges -- Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
When asked who their favorite American Idol judge is, 39% of girls chose Paula Abdul, as compared to 22% of pre-teen and teen boys. But Simon Cowell is almost twice as popular as Paula Abdul among boys, with 45% of the boys surveyed choosing Simon as their favorite.
The drama will continue to unfold in the American Idol showdown on Tuesday, April 11 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/ PT), when the 8 remaining semi-finalists perform live for a television audience of more than 30 million people. So who is the fan favorite with pre-teens and teens? A total of 27.8% are cheering on Chris Daughtry to win fame and fortune, with Taylor Hicks placing a distant second and garnering 16.3% of the votes.
But how many pre-teens and teens have actually let their voices be heard and cast a vote? Only 28% of teens and 21% of pre-teens say they have placed a telephone vote on American Idol. Voting continues to be far more popular with girls of all ages than boys...
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
| Richie Loves Rude Cowell |
April 10, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Lionel Richie's daughter Nicole Richie adores Simon Cowell for his frank honesty, even though the pair previously had an "issue".
Nicole used to snub American Idol judge Cowell after he insulted the shape of her mouth to her famous father. But the reality TV star is prepared to bury the hatchet because outspoken Cowell makes her laugh.
She says, "My favourite judge is Simon Cowell because he's honest and funny.
"Although Simon and I had a little bit of an issue, I don't remember why...maybe he said something to my dad, like he didn't like my mouth.
"But we finally met at an industry event and made up."
Monday, April 10, 2006
| Sinitta and Simon |
April 9, 2006
By Audrey Watson for The Belfast Telegraph
Sinitta, who found fame in the late 80s with pop hit, So Macho, first met TV's Mr Nasty when she was only 15 -- she was the first artist he ever signed and the two have been connected in some way ever since.
They fall out constantly, but Cowell, she says, is not as horrible as he seems.
"He does have an incredibly sharp tongue, but he's just one of those people that says exactly what's on his mind. Because he's never been a performer himself, he doesn't realise how difficult it is and how traumatising it is to be told that you are awful.
"I'm super, super sensitive and when I first met Simon, I was always rebelling or running off, refusing to do things.
"We were also boyfriend and girlfriend on and off for 17 years, and there's all that extra emotion to throw into the mix as well.
"I'm a performer myself, so on the X-Factor, my heart is always with the entertainer and not the judge.
"Half the time with Simon I'm kicking him or slapping him and telling him to say something in a different way."
She laughs out loud when asked about Cowell's famous spat with Louis Walsh during the last series.
"No, it wasn't funny at the time… really, it wasn't. It was very difficult because Simon is, well… Simon, and if he's having a fight with someone, he doesn't want his team going off and having coffee with them.
"But I was worried about Louis, so I'd be in Louis' dressing room trying to explain where Simon was coming from and then going back to Simon and saying: 'You know, Louis is really hurt…' trying to be the peacemaker.
"During the first series, the teams didn't really mix and it was very competitive, but now, for most of the time, we're all really good friends and spend a lot of time together.
"As soon as a show is over, we go out to dinner and tease each other all night about who's going to win the next week… and then the bickering starts all over again."
Sinitta will soon be stepping out of Simon's shadow and into the talent spotting big time herself when new American show Making a Band airs on MTV.
"I have to put together an all-girl group and I'm getting a name in the States as a bit of a mini-Simon," she laughs. "It's the first time I've done something like this without him and I'm really excited about it."
| Mandisa Ready to Move Forward Former ‘Idol’ Contestant Talks about Her Love for Simon |
April 10, 2006
By Staff Writers for EurWeb
After her elimination from “American Idol” Wednesday night, judge Simon Cowell stepped to fan favorite Mandisa Hundley with some words of encouragement.
Following her performance Tuesday of Shania Twain’s “Any Man of Mine,” Paula and Randy weren’t feeling the song choice, and Cowell warned that it may lead to her early exit from the competition. America voted, and Mandisa soon found herself doing interview after interview about how it feels to be booted off prematurely, and more importantly, what Simon had to say to her after the show.
“He told me he really liked me, I had a great voice and that it's all about the song,” the 29-year-old recounted.
Her special relationship with the British judge goes back to his infamous comment following her audition in Chicago, when he made a disparaging remark about her weight. After Mandisa left the room, Simon asked if “Idol” was “going to have a bigger stage this year.” Later, when Paula said that Mandisa reminded her of former contestant Frenchie, Cowell cracked that a better comparison would be to France itself.
During final auditions in Hollywood months after the audition taping - after Mandisa and everyone else in America heard Simon’s dis -- the singer addressed him directly, stating that his comments were hurtful, but that she forgave him, adding, “you don’t need somebody to apologize to you to forgive somebody.” Cowell told Mandisa he was “humbled” and apologized. She recalls the moment as the biggest highlight of her “American Idol” journey.
“That would have been worth it if it were just me and him and nobody else saw it but the fact that they showed it that meant a lot to me,” she said.
Mandisa says viewers responded favorably to her gesture of forgiveness, which instantly gave her a sizable fan base before the voting even began.
“It’s not what I set out to do originally but I think it worked in my favor,” she said. “I just wanted to be able to tell [Simon] how I felt and was so glad that America responded that way."
Sunday, April 09, 2006
| Mandy Moore on American Idol |
April 4, 2006
By Staff Writers for ET on Yahoo
A bronzed and blonde Mandy Moore gets a shot at the top in 'American Dreamz,' a big-screen parody of "American Idol," and the 21-year-old star admits that she doesn't think she'd make it to the final rounds!
"I think I would have gotten cut in like the first round," Mandy says. "I'm a really sensitive girl, so I think Simon would have said something rude to me and I would have cried or ran off stage or something."
Saturday, April 08, 2006
| 'Idol' Insider: Simon Breaks the Code of Silence |
April 7, 2006
By Staff Writers for Extra TV
She may have bid farewell to "American Idol," but Mandisa says you haven't heard the last of her yet.
The bold voiced "Idol" hopeful even got some good news from our Terri Seymour Friday morning. "Simon goes around the house singing that song," Seymour revealed.
Ultimately, it wasn't enough for America, and now Simon Cowell says it's time for a wakeup call on "American Idol." "I believe every single week you've got to treat it as if it's the finals," he said. "You've got to go out there and bring three minutes of magic and if you don't, you're out."
Simon and "Idol" Executive Producer Ken Warwick cut straight to the chase when Terri sat down with them in between auditions for their new NBC show, "America's Got Talent." The twosome even revealed two more secret "Idol" guest performers.
"Rod Stewart," Ken said. "Andrea Bocelli, we're trying to get. That should be interesting."
But Stewart and Bocelli will have to wait. Simon says he's just looking forward to next week when the "Idols" tackle the songs of Queen. "If you choose the right song, and you're clever with that song, it's all about having that moment," Cowell said. "There's a moment where you go, 'Oh my God.'"
And here's a little tidbit even Simon didn't know: one of the "Idols" will attempt to sing Queen's complex signature hit, "Bohemian Rhapsody."
"Well, I am dying to know who's going to sing that one," Simon said. "Because it will make you or break you."
And if it doesn't break them, don't expect Simon to sit back and let Ryan offer up excuses.
"Ryan said to you the other night it's not about the song, it's about what you sing," Terri said.
"That's like saying Ryan would be a success without 'American Idol,'" Simon shot back.
| Mandisa Gets the Boot, & Simon v. Ryan |
April 6, 2006
By Staff Writers for Extra TV
It's the vote that rocked the house on "American Idol" Wednesday night -- the exit of soul sister Mandisa.
Paula was on hand Wednesday night for Mandisa's shocker. Her early exit stunned all of America, but not Simon, who came straight to "Extra."
"For me, she had two bad weeks," Cowell said.
Then there's that other "Idol" competition: Simon vs. Ryan. Judge Dread turned up the heat Tuesday, jabbing Ryan about his lip lock with Teri Hatcher. "I'm not the one trying to look like someone out of ‘Desperate Housewives,'" he said.
"I felt so bad Ryan," Simon told us. "I didn't mean anything about Teri in regards to ‘Desperate Housewives.' I couldn't sleep. So, I'm really sorry."
Meanwhile, the always sincere Simon got a look at the contestants for his new show "America's Got Talent," which features dancers, acrobats and all sorts of strange acts.
"We've had transvestites, people who swallow balloons; we've had everything," Simon revealed.
That competition debuts on NBC this summer. But first, it's the music of Queen on "Idol," next Tuesday on FOX.
| Simon on Mandisa, and Making a Little Boy Happy |
April 6, 2006
By Laura Saltman for Access Hollywood
Mandisa had a bad night but didn't deserve to go home. I'm guessing Simon Cowell felt the same way since he spent a fair amount of time talking to her, on stage, after the show went off the air. I'll be with Simon today at auditions for his new NBC show, "America's Got Talent" and I'm planning to find out what advice he gave her. So, check back for that tomorrow as well as my interview with Mandisa.
Simon also made a little boy in the audience very happy last night. Nine-year-old, Isaac, brought along a sign that said "My teacher will give me an A + for Simon's autograph." Mr. Cowell obliged and not only signed his name but wrote a little note that said, 'Hi Isaac, you are brilliant and your teacher has to give you an A +, Simon Cowell." Let's hope his teacher, Glenda, holds up her end of the bargain!
Friday, April 07, 2006
| Simon Cowell Hoping To Be Grand National Winner, But Will It Be Sir Simon? |
April 7, 2006
By Rupert Adams for William Hill
Simon Cowell has leased two of the horses running in the Grand national called Le Duc and Le Roi Miguel, who are priced at 33/1 and 100/1 with Bookies William Hill and judging by their names Simon Cowell obviously has ideas of Grandeur. As a result Hills feel that Simon could well be hoping to be Sir Simon in the near future and offer just 2/1 for Mr Cowell to be knighted in either of the next two honours lists.
"We wish Simon luck tomorrow but both of his horses are outsiders, whereas Sir Simon looks like a certainty as with his cash he can afford it." said Hills spokesman Rupert Adams.
| Seacrest: "Cowell Is Pompous" |
April 6, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
TV star Ryan Seacrest has blasted Simon Cowell as the "most pompous and egotistical" person he's ever worked with.
The American Idol host insists the outspoken judge's elitist behaviour onscreen is genuine, but acknowledges that's part of his appeal.
He says, "Simon definitely believes his own hype. He asked us to address him as 'your highness' at a dinner party.
"I guess his ego is part of his charm, but he's one of the most pompous and egotistical people I've ever worked with."
Thursday, April 06, 2006
| Cowell Aims for Aintree Windfall (More on Simon's Race) |
April 5, 2006
By Staff Writers for The BBC
Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell will help raise £1 million for charity should one of two Grand National runners he has leased triumph in Saturday's big race.
Cowell and two leading businessmen will be owners of Le Duc and Le Roi Miguel for the day after winning an auction.
The temporary owners have placed a wager which will guarantee £1m for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children if one wins.
Owner Andy Stewart had originally offered Le Duc for the day.
But after Cowell, along with British Home Stores owner Philip Green and Marks and Spencer boss Stuart Rose, offered £400,000, he threw in his second National contender as well.
The money was donated to the children's charity after an auction at a party in St Petersburg, Russia, hosted by clothing millionaire Richard Caring.
And the stakes were raised even higher when bookmaker Fred Done accepted the offer from the trio for a £65,000 wager which will guarantee £1m if either of the two horses finishes first at Aintree.
Second place will reap £250,000, with £100,000 for a third place and £50,000 for fourth -- with all winnings going to the NSPCC.
The best possible result for the charity is that the two Paul Nicholls-trained horses finish first and second, in which case the NSPCC would gain £1.25m in addition to the £400,000 already raised.
"Nobody can lose as far as this is concerned," said Stewart, who has also helped to raise a substantial amount for a second kids' charity, the Save The Children Fund.
Both horses will run in the green and white colours of Cowell, Green and Rose.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
| Could Wacky Inventions Be the Next Pop Idol? |
April 5, 2006
By Ben Dowell in Cannes and Owen Gibson for The Guardian
Simon Cowell's US hit is at centre of multibillion bidding war between British broadcasters
A show that is the brainchild of the entertainment mogul Simon Cowell was last night at the centre of a multimillion pound bidding war between British broadcasters desperate for the next "water cooler" hit that will help them stem declining ratings.
But the hopeful contestants before the judges are not pop wannabes or disco dancers. They are amateur inventors convinced their products will take the world by storm.
The show, American Inventor, already a big hit in the US, was identified as the pick of several big international formats being fought over by the broadcasting executives pounding the global programme sales market MIPTV in Cannes.
A hybrid of BBC2 show Dragon's Den and ITV's Pop Idol, the show sees inventors parade their ideas before a panel of judges before being whittled down to a group of nine finalists and given $50,000 (about £28,500) to refine their product.
The overall winner, chosen by viewers, will receive $1m and see their product go into mass production.
The US version of the show, made by Cowell's production company, Syco, already has 14 million viewers is ABC's biggest Thursday night hit for 15 years.
Mr Cowell, who is exclusively tied to rival Fox, does not feature onscreen but helped to design the concept.
"It's about giving normal people an opportunity and watching all the insanity that follows," said Mr Cowell. "I sat through a number of the auditions quietly in the back of a room and I would say that 90% have devoted their entire life to this one idea they think will make them rich."
Peter Jones, the British entrepreneur who was also a judge in Dragon's Den, has displayed his own business acumen by co-creating the concept with Mr Cowell and appearing as a judge.
Like the first incarnation of Pop Idol, the show bombed with critics but has been a massive hit with viewers, particularly those in the hard to reach younger demographics coveted by advertisers. This week it has been on the lips of the thousands of television executives from almost 100 countries thronging the bars, restaurants and convention halls of Cannes at the international programming market...
"The test is whether the taxi driver recognises the show when he picks you up from the airport and asks you what you do," said Alan Boyd, president of worldwide entertainment at Fremantle Media, the company with the global distribution rights to Pop Idol, The Apprentice, and now American Inventor.
He said that while it was possible to make an educated guess at which formats would travel, there was a large slice of luck and good timing involved.
"When Cowell and [Simon] Fuller came to me with Pop Idol it was a bit of serendipity. And had Gareth Gates not come on and stuttered, would that show have been such a big hit? There is no MBA McKinsey strategist who can work out what is going to be a hit and what isn't," he said...
| Boys Want a Long Journey |
March, 2006
By Beci Wood for The Sun
Now, things couldn’t be more different. Andy and Carl have joined forces with music genius Simon Cowell to release their self-entitled debut album...
They reveal the gossip on their recent X Factor tour, what Simon Cowell is really like and their hilarious childhood pranks...
Can you tell us a secret about what it is like working with Simon Cowell?
Jane Baker, Newark, Notts
A – Hmmm. I'm not sure. He’s so great and really trusts us. He told us not to have any choreography and vocal training anymore.
He just told us to get on with it. He's not Mr Nasty at all. As soon as he comes off TV he’s a really nice guy and not big-headed at all. You wouldn’t believe he has millions of pounds in the bank.
C – He came up to Middlesbrough recently and had a drink in our local pub. It was so funny. He didn't pay because he said he didn't have any money!
Carl, if OK! magazine offered you a deal for your wedding would you accept it? Will Simon Cowell get an invite?
Sarah Peacock, Roseworth, Stockton
C – I don’t know. I want it to be a nice intimate affair but I think I would be up for it.
A – I’m his best man. I’ve got loads of good stories to tell!
C – I’m a bit worried. As for Simon Cowell, he will definitely get an invite.
| Shayne Gets Personal |
April 5, 2006
By Beci Wood for The Sun
X Factor champ Shayne Ward is undoubtedly one of the hottest young talent in the UK today.
So when The Sun Online were invited to have a chat with the singing sensation, we couldn't wait to find out what he had to say:
Can you give us some gossip on what Simon Cowell is really like?
Berta, Manchester
Simon Cowell is not Mr Nasty. He speaks the truth and doesn’t lie. He doesn’t throw compliments at me to keep me happy. When he says well done I know he really means it. He really loves good music.
If Louis had not been your mentor, would you have preferred Sharon or Simon?
Darren
Louis was definitely my first choice as a mentor. When the curtains went back at boot-camp and I got Louis I was over the moon.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
| :-( |
Sorry, guys. There's been absolutely nothing worthwhile to post the last few days. Hard to believe that no one is writing anything about the great Simon Cowell. What's wrong with them? Nothing is more important! ...;-)
Saturday, April 01, 2006
| Cowell Wants Sculpture Like Spears |
April 1, 2006
By WENN for UK Yahoo
American Idol judge Simon Cowell is such a huge fan of a sculpture depicting a pregnant Britney Spears, he is commissioning the same artist to create a statue of him.
Cowell saw the story about the sculpture on an entertainment news show hosted by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and called him to find out how to reach the artist.
Seacrest explains, "Simon called and said, 'Do you have the contact for the person who did the sculpture? I want one of me in my courtyard.'
"This is how vain the man is. He wants to put a sculpture of himself in his courtyard at his house. For what? To worship?"
If you want to see pictures of Britney's sculpture, click here for a side view, and here for a front view.
| X-Factor Judge Wagers £1 Million for Charity |
April 1, 2006
By Daniel Magill for Online Casino News
Online bookmaker, Fred Done has accepted a £1 million wager on the Grand National from Simon Cowell –- of American Idol and X-Factor fame –- and friends on 40/1 shot, De Luc and 66/1 shot, Le Roi Miguel.
It has been reported that any winnings will go to the NSPCC children's charity -– as nominated by X-Factor judge Simon Cowell, billionaire businessman Phillip Green, and Marks & Spencer boss, Stuart Rose.
The Grand National will take place on Saturday April 8 at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool and is the UK’s biggest gambling event, as well as being one of the most prestigious horse races in the world.
Fred Done have insisted they would be 'delighted' to pay out the biggest-ever winning bet on the Aintree classic. They said, 'We’re no strangers to large bets, so we’ve agreed to pay £1million for winning, £250,000 for second, £100,000 third and £50,000 fourth.'
If the two horses come first and second, the pay-out will be boosted to £1,250,000.
| Knowles Challenges Cowell |
April 1, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Beyonce Knowles' father Matthew has challenged American Idol judge Simon Cowell to a duel which will see the pair battle to create the hottest new female singer/group. Knowles is still smarting about comments Brit Cowell made about his chart-topping daughter last year (05). Acid- tongued Cowell described Beyonce as "not sexy" and "not a great singer".
The American, who is his daughter's manager and put together Destiny's Child, made the challenge backstage during the live taping of Tuesday's (28Feb06) American Idol show after hearing another of Cowell's criticisms. Finalist Paris Bennett received rave reviews from judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul for her rendition of Beyonce's song Work It Out, but Cowell was less than impressed. He said, "I am sorry to put a damper on everything... You know what it reminded me of? It's like a little girl pretending to be Beyonce. Whoopee."
Knowles fired back telling the New York Daily News, "I challenge him to put together a female group or female solo artist, and I will do the same, and then let the audience decide which is better. "It is even more clear to me that Simon wouldn't know a hit song, image or talent if it hit him in the face."
| I've Survived Simon Cowell |
March 31, 2006
By Barry McDonald for The Evening Times
If you buy pop records, the chances are you'll have John McLaughlin in your home even if you don't realise it. As one of the UK's leading songwriters and pop svengalis, the Glaswegian's name is associated with huge chart success with acts such as 911, Westlife, Liberty X and Blue.
One of his songs, When The Lights Go Out, was a massive hit in America for Simon Cowell's proteges, 5ive.
It was in the Top 10 Stateside for six months, and John won an award for a million airplays...
"The first person to get in touch was Simon Cowell, who I'll be forever indebted to," says John. "He was a constant help. His brutal honesty, as everyone has seen on the telly, is something that makes you a better songwriter.
"He'll listen to the first 10 seconds of a song and say, 'That's not a hit, next!'. As a songwriter, that's so much better than having someone tell you you're wonderful. I'd rather deal with people who are straight with me."
After writing for several European pop acts for Cowell's BMG label, John was asked to write for the company's latest proteges, 5ive.
"Simon wanted 5ive to do well in America, so I wrote a song called When The Lights Go Out.
"It was Top 10 in America for six months and I won an award for a million airplays. Apart from George Michael, I was the only Brit in the American Top 10 at the time. It was amazing, I could hardly believe it..."
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