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Sunday, December 31, 2006
| Oprah Who? Mr. Nasty Is TV's Newest Cash Cowell |
December 31, 2006
By Susan Edelman for The New York Post
The size of Simon Cowell's bank account could rival his ego as the "American Idol" judge and creator joins the ranks of the highest paid -- and fastest rising -- TV entertainers in the United States.
Rumored to be gunning for Oprah Winfrey's mantle as the most powerful figure on American TV, the acid-tongued critic is set to earn more than $60 million judging singing contests on both sides of the Atlantic.
Under a new three-year contract, the man they call "Mr. Nasty" will rake in a reported $24 million to produce "Idol" -- the talent show that last year glued a record 35.5 million viewers to their screens for the Hollywood finale.
Cowell has also signed a $38 million-a-year deal to produce British shows, including a version of last summer's NBC hit "America's Got Talent."
"I don't like resting on my laurels or wallowing in self-congratulation," longtime pal and British show judge Piers Morgan quoted Simon as saying in the British paper Daily Mail . "I just want to get back out there and find the next big thing."
Cowell, who also created Britain's popular talent quest "The X-Factor," attributes the appeal of his shows in part to his cutting and often cruel comments.
"We illustrate how 95 percent of the public simply don't have any talent and are completely useless," he said. "Telling them they are hopeless is a good thing. But do I care either way? No."
Cowell's keen -- and mean -- instincts have contributed to sky-rocketing Nielsen ratings. Just under 10 million viewers tuned in for "Idol's" debut on June 11, 2000. Last year's premiere attracted a staggering 35 million fans, and viewers cast more than 580 million votes.
The show begins its sixth season in two weeks with a back-to-back, two-night premiere Jan. 16 and 17 on Fox.
The crew traveled to New York, L.A., San Antonio, Birmingham, Memphis, Minneapolis and Seattle, where 100,000 wannabes auditioned to compete in the top-rated series.
Host Ryan Seacrest and Cowell's fellow judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson -- with whom he has an odd chemistry -- will return. They will be joined by guest judges Olivia Newton-John, Carol Bayer Sager and Jewel.
With winning contestants selling 10 million singles and 23 million albums, the show has launched a series of star careers since its inception.
Last year's winner, Taylor Hicks, followed in the footsteps of Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia and Kelly Clarkson -- who drew Cowell's ire this year when she refused to let "Idol" use any of her hits on the show.
Cowell blasted Clarkson as ungrateful -- and arrogant.
"I don't like when they walk away from the show and kind of forget the people who put her where she is today," he said. "By ignoring the show, you're ignoring the audience who put you there."
Some of Cowell's snide remarks, however, have proven wrong. After Jennifer Hudson was booted from the show in 2003 -- finishing in seventh place -- Cowell sneered that she had blown her one chance at stardom.
"You get one shot, and the runner-ups -- you ain't never gonna be seen again," he told her.
Hudson, 25, is now receiving rave reviews for her performance in the hit movie "Dreamgirls," co-starring Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy.
Cowell has his own rags-to-riches past, he insists. Fifteen years ago, a record company salesman, he lost his money on the stock market and was forced to move in with his parents in London.
"In an odd way, it was very good thing for me," he told his friend. "There was a weird sense of freedom at having absolutely zilch but still having the energy and desire to change my life for the better."
Today he boasts homes in London, Spain and Beverly Hills, and bought himself an early Christmas gift: a custom-built Bentley Arnage T limousine with mirrored privacy glass, the Daily Mail reported.
He is now on vacation with his mother, brother, sister-in-law and girlfriend Terry Seymour in Barbados, where the two-pack-a-day puffer was recently spotted gripping a cigarette on a Jet-Ski.
But when not on vacation, Cowell is all work, said Seymour, who once remarked she had to book an appointment to see him between business meetings.
She said she knows marriage and kids are not in Cowell's cards.
"I don't do holding hands and cuddling up in front of the TV. I am quite cold like that," Cowell said.
"I find things like Valentine's Day ridiculous, being forced to be romantic on a certain day. If Terry needs a car, I buy her a car. I don't wait for birthdays or Christmas or anything like that. I don't see the point."
Seymour, 32, has remained by Cowell's side despite allegations he cheated on her with 21-year-old "X-Factor" stunner Jasmine Lennard, who was seen arriving at his London pad at midnight to show off her sexy black lingerie.
Such tales have at least helped dispel rumors Cowell is gay. In his 2003 autobiography, "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But . . .," Cowell explained, "Maybe it's true that I don't like the traditional macho things. I don't play rugby. I don't drink beer. I don't hang out in pubs. I take an interest in what I wear. And I'm 43 years old and single.
"But if I were gay, I would happily admit it," he added.
Cowell claims superstardom hasn't changed him -- and that his offstage personality is not as cruel as his comments to contestants.
"He treats everyone in the same polite, friendly way, from the makeup girls to the executive producers -- that's very rare in Hollywood," a coworker insisted.
Others say his constant memos and critiques of his shows drive co-producers batty.
"Simon's always changing his mind," an "Idol" producer told Morgan. "It's a nightmare."
Deluged by fans at restaurants and bars, Cowell happily poses for photos and signs autographs, saying he owes everything to the people who watch his shows, phone in their votes and buy the records.
"The day I forget that and start behaving like some diva, I will lose everything again," he said.
So how would Cowell criticize himself?
"I wouldn't," he told his pal. "I'm perfect."
| Bigger Than Britney |
December 30, 2006
By John Dingwall for The Daily Record
Exclusive: X Factor's Leona becomes fastest selling female artist. Congratulations, Simon!
X Factor winner Leona Lewis has become the fastest selling female artist of all time.
And John Reid, the Scot who wrote her hit single, says she is now on course to sell a million copies. Released last week, A Moment Like This sold a staggering 571,253 copies in its first week.
That means the 21-year-old singer has broken the record previously held by Britney Spears for her 1999 single Hit Me Baby One MoreTime, which sold 464,000.
It marks Leona's third entry into the record books after her single became the fastest selling download ever by shifting 50,000 online sales in the first half hour.
The song also became the fastest selling download in one week, beating Gnarls Barkley's Crazy from earlier this year and outselling last week's combined Top 40.
Leona is now on course to remain at No.1 when the first chart week for 2007 is announced tomorrow night on Radio 1.
And the current Christmas No.1 could sell as many as a million over the coming months, according to the Scots songwriter who penned it.
John, from Easterhouse in Glasgow, has already enjoyed more than a million sales of the song he wrote shortly after his mum died. American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson released the original version as her debut single in 2002, after it was chosen from a raft of songs submitted to Simon Cowell.
John believes it could mean the start of a long and fruitful career for Leona, a former Pizza Hut waitress from East London.
"I was always hopeful that Leona would win and I am really pleased for her that the single has done so well," he said.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
| Most Popular Celebrities Worldwide |
December 29, 2006
By Corinne/Dead for U2 France
She beat the likes of Charlotte Church and Robbie Williams to top a survey of the most popular personalities requested by people searching on the entertainment search engine Celebrities Worldwide. Richard Brecker of www.celebritiesworldwide.com said: "The results show quite emphatically that more people were interested in Madonna than any other celebrity or reality star this year." Her ability to stay ahead is phenomenal -- particularly in such a difficult year."
The singer attracted great controversy over the much publicised adoption of her son David from Malawi and has also reportedly faced marriage difficulties with her husband Guy Ritchie.
It has not been a good year for David Beckham who has slipped from No 4 ranking as the most requested name in 2005 to his current number 11 spot.
Beckham relinquished his captaincy of the England soccer team following their poor showing in the World Cup, has been dropped from the squad by new manager Steve McLaren and has struggled to hold a regular place in the first team at Real Madrid.
But some consolation -- Becks still finishes five places higher this year than his publicity hungry wife Victoria
Little Britain TV star Matt Lucas in 10th position proves a bigger hit than his co-star David Walliams who trails four places behind Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, star judges on the hit TV series "X Factor" battle it out at 31st and 32nd spot respectively. One time showbiz outcast Noel Edmonds has catapulted back into the reckoning through the success of his TV show "Deal or No Deal"
Celebrities Worldwide is accepted as a benchmark of celebrity status and popularity and its website attracts more than 4 million visitors per year.
TOP 100 NAMES of 2006
1. Madonna
2. Charlotte Church
3. Jamie Oliver MBE
4. Robbie Williams
5. Jonathan Ross OBE
6. Billie Piper
7. Ricky Gervais
8. Jeremy Clarkson
9. Stephen Fry
10. Matt Lucas
11. David Beckham OBE
12. Gordon Ramsay OBE
13. Trinny Woodall
14. David Walliams
15. Fearne Cotton
16. Victoria Beckham
17. Elton John
18. Kylie Minogue
19. David Tennant
20. Rachel Stevens
21. Peter Kay
22. Davina McCall
23. Graham Norton
24. Paul McCartney
25. Dawn French
26. Russell Brand
27. Paul O’Grady
28. Coleen McLoughlin
29. Noel Edmonds
30. Richard Hammond
31. Simon Cowell
32. Sharon Osbourne
33. Nigella Lawson
34. Ewan McGregor
35. David Attenborough
36. Vernon Kay
37. Chris Moyles
38. Terry Wogan
39. Catherine Tate
40. Michael Palin CBE
41. Keira Knightley
42. Chris Evans
43. Zoe Ball
44. Chantelle Houghton
45. Elizabeth Hurley
46. Bill Bailey
47. Brad Pitt
48. Bob Geldof KBE
49. David Hasselhoff
50. Vic Reeves
51. Jarvis Cocker
52. Kevin Spacey
53. Paul Merton
54. George Clooney
55. Kate Moss
56. Jo Brand
57. Lenny Henry
58. Bruce Forsyth CBE
59. Angelina Jolie
60. Victoria Wood
61. Johnny Vegas
62. Will Young
63. Jade Goody
64. Edith Bowman
65. Kelly Holmes
66. Johnny Depp
67. Joanna Lumley
68. Cliff Richard
69. Emma Bunton
70. Denise Van Outen
71. Jude Law
72. Ian McKellen
73. Patrick Stewart OBE
74. John Cleese
75. Ian Hislop
76. Janet Street-Porter
77. Martine McCutcheon
78. Meera Syal MBE
79. Paris Hilton
80. Jools Holland
81. Jordan
82. Steve Coogan
83. Cilla Black
84. Dermot O’Leary
85. Richard Branson
86. Tom Cruise
87. Myleene Klass
88. George Michael
89. Cat Deeley
90. Ainsley Harriott
91. Kate Winslet
92. Ray Winstone
93. Sting
94. Geri Halliwell
95. Sara Cox
96. Jeremy Paxman
97. Gary Lineker
98. Carol Vorderman MBE
99. Bono
100. Dannii Minogue
| Leona Thanks Cowell for Dubai Holiday |
December 30, 2006
By Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy
Leona Lewis has thanked Simon Cowell for paying for her to visit Dubai with her family.
The X Factor winner has been getting her first taste of stardom on the all-expenses-paid trip with parents Marie and Joe. Cowell decided to treat Leona following the success of her debut single and hired a private villa with fitness centre and Jacuzzi.
"I'm finally getting to relax with my family after such an intense but happy experience," Leona explained. "Thank you, Simon. But I can't wait to get into the studio to start writing and recording my album."
Okay, I thought she went to Barbados???
| Vernon Kay Hopes Cowell Supports Leona |
December 30, 2006
By Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy
Vernon Kay has called for Simon Cowell to continue his support for Leona Lewis by giving her some decent songs.
The TV host has claimed that the material released by previous X Factor winners Steve Brookstein and Shayne Ward was "garbage" and hopes that Leona's career will be different.
"I think Leona is great. But I just hope that Simon Cowell will give her some good songs," Vernon told The Sun. "Let's face it, it’s been utter garbage that all the other X Factor winners have come out with. She deserves a chance. She could be the UK’s answer to Beyonce."
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
| Simon 'Never' to Become a Dad |
December 28, 2006
By Staff Writers for Music News and Female First
X Factor judge and music mogul Simon Cowell has revealed that he doesn't want kids - because he already plays dad to his young group Angelis.
The 47-year-old star manages the team of six choir children, all aged between 11 and 14, whose debut album reached No 2 in the charts last month.
He told the Daily Star: "Madonna adopted a child but I just wheel these six kids into a room and do the father thing.
"I think at my age it's too late for me to have children. Work dominates everything for me. So I won't be having my own children.
"But I can't help but feel a bit parental about these lovely kids in Angelis. I do feel proud in a very different way than I'm used to with my acts.
"When I chose this group, I was deciding on the basis of their mums and dads as well as them."
Simon, 47, has also ruled out ever marrying his long-term girlfriend Terri Seymour, 32.
The music mogul says he is put off marriage by the amount of friends he has whose unions have failed.
He explained: "I know more people in failed marriages than successful ones."
| Cowell Buys Presents for 'X Factor' Finalists |
December 28, 2006
By Staff Writers for Hello Magazine and Female First
With a fortune worth tens of millions and his career looking better than ever, Simon Cowell could afford to be generous this Christmas. And so he was. The music mogul, who has been enjoying a break in sunny Barbados, splashed out thousands of pounds on his newest rising stars Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn.
Simon, 47, has apparently treated the X Factor winner, 21-year-old Leona, to a diamond necklace and matching earrings worth £15,000 to congratulate her on her stunning performance. He has also paid for her and her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa and her close family to spend New Year in Barbados, putting them up at the luxurious Sandy Lane hotel, paying for their flights, and pledginged to cover all their expenses.
And runner-up Ray, 18, was also given a special Christmas treat. Simon bought him a £9,000 Jacob & Co watch popular with wealthy football stars David Beckham and Ashley Cole. The youngster is being groomed to be a Rat-Pack style crooner while Leona is expected to become one of Britain's hottest musical talents.
"He thinks they both have a bright future in the music business and wanted to give them their first taste of the luxuries their new careers will bring them," a source told a British newspaper.
| Simon's Beach Cowell |
December 28, 2006
By Showbiz Liz & Beverley Lyons for The Daily Record
Simon Cowell managed to get rid of his high waisters when he was on holiday in Barbados.
The outspoken X Factor judge made a splash on his jet ski, after being trained by a local expert, as he holidayed with girlfriend Terri Seymour.
The Caribbean island is his favourite festive resort, and he is often seen mingling with celebrity pals.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
| The 'American Idol' Countdown Has Begun |
December 27, 2006
By Jack Ryan for The Post Chronicle and Staff Writers for Extra TV
In less than three weeks, the new season of "American Idol" will be hitting the airwaves, with more than 100,000 young wide-eyed hopefuls auditioning for a chance at stardom in cities across the nation.
As the sixth season draws near, it is time for us all to prepare for the type clueless hopefuls that will grace our screens in the first couple weeks of the show. It is arguably the most enjoyable part of the season.
It is the initial tryouts, during which we receive the dubious honor of witnessing all those contestants who aren't destined to become the next American Idol.
But Simon Cowell was hedging his bets when “Extra's” Teri Seymour caught up with Mr. Mean on a night out on the town with Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest.
“A boy or a girl will win this year,” Simon joked.
About the only secret Simon was giving up was that Olivia Newton-John will be one of several famous guest judges on the show this season, and Cowell gave Olivia high marks for her judging prowess during auditions.
“Yeah, she was good,” he insisted.
Fellow Judge Randy Jackson seconded that emotion, telling us, “She honestly loved us too.”
But Simon dismissed rumors that Olivia may become a regular fixture on the show, insisting, “She’s too good.”
“At least he’s being honest, America,” Ryan added.
Simon may have some other stiff competition, though. Reports claim “American Idol” may go head to head with ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
But Mr. Mean isn’t worried. “That’s going to be interesting,” he said. “Because I think we haven’t had any competition. Now we've got some competition. I think it makes you work hard. I like it."
Season six of "American Idol" begins January 16th and 17th.
| Rising Star |
December 27, 2006
By Angie Fenton for The Courier-Journal
Simon Cowell has pegged the latest winner of his British singing competition, "X Factor," as being among the talented likes of Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey.
Keep an eye out for Leona Lewis, says Cowell.
"To say I'm proud is an understatement because I can't think of anyone who is naturally as good as this girl who we've ever found. And not just for a talent competition but ever," Cowell told "Extra."
Forget the talent shows, Cowell added. "I'm talking about the charts in the last 20 years. No one has come even close to this girl."
| Guide to Celebrity Bets for 2007 |
December 27, 2006
By Caroliine Iggulden for The Sun
Bet on... 1st baby news:
20/1 — Terri Seymour & Simon Cowell
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
| I've Always Been a Breasts Man... |
December 26, 2006
By Pete Samson for The Mirror
...X-tra large, too...
What better way to spend Christmas than hanging around the beach talking about sagging?
Simon Cowell and old flirt Michael Winner proved it's not just their egos that are massive as they swapped tales during a break in Barbados.
X Factor judge Cowell and film-maker Winner were spotted checking out each other's vital statistics at the exclusive Sandy Lane resort in Barbados.
Maybe the pair were chatting about ways of toning up their flabby torsos and flattening their growing chests, or discussing whether to splash some of their cash on decent bras.
But this is probably not what the locals had in mind when they were told two huge celebs were coming to stay.
Simon was in the Caribbean to celebrate his X Factor winner Leona Lewis storming to the Christmas No 1.
And it seems that acid-tongued Cowell's man boobs are fast rivalling his mouth as the biggest part of his body.
| Jet Set Leona Lewis |
December 26, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Sun
Simon Cowell has rewarded stunning X Factor winner Leona Lewis — by splashing out on a luxury holiday for her family.
The multi-millionaire has jetted off to Barbados’s swanky Sandy Lane resort for Christmas and New Year with girlfriend Terri Seymour.
But he wanted to make sure Leona — who bagged the Christmas No1 on Sunday — is not left out.
He is paying for a holiday “somewhere exotic” for the singer, her social worker mum Marie, youth offending officer dad Joe, brothers Kyle and Bradley and childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa.
Just after winning the ITV1 talent show, Leona, 21, said she wanted to take her family away to reward them for their loyalty, adding: “They have been in the audience every week and they’ve been under a lot of strain.”
Simon, 47, who was sitting beside her, grinned: “I know what I’m going to get her now.”
The former Pizza Hut waitress is set to become a huge star after beating 100,000 hopefuls to land a £1million record deal.
And she clinched the Christmas No1 spot with a cover of ballad A Moment Like This — which was a hit in the US for the first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson.
After her holiday, Leona will begin a year of gruelling work.
She is set to record an album and fly to the States, where she has been signed up to Jay Records by legendary producer Clive Davis, the man who discovered Whitney Houston.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
| Secrets of My Friend Simon, the Superego |
December 23, 2006
By Piers Morgan for This Is London
He loves chicken pie and mash, does 200 press-ups a day, and loathes Valentine's Day.
From a friend of 20 years, a surprising portrait of Simon Cowell, now Britain's (and America's) highest-paid TV star.
There are some things I hoped I would never have to say in public. "Jeremy Clarkson's new book is great' would be one. And "I'm so glad Spurs won the Premiership' would be another (albeit much more unlikely).
But this week, I had to confront perhaps the most unpalatable fact of all: Simon Cowell is now the biggest star in the world.
Consider the facts: His latest deal to judge American Idol in the States -- the spin-off of our own Pop Idol -- is worth £60million over the next four years -- the biggest deal in American TV history. Hardly surprising for a show that attracted a mind-boggling 45 million viewers to its finale, and 62 million phone votes -- more than the number who voted in the last Presidential election.
And his new deal with ITV to judge the X Factor, announced this week, is worth £20million over the next three years. A British record.
All of which is quite sickening if, like me, you remember Simon Cowell as a penniless pop music hustler trying to flog records that ought to have had "CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY' attached to the label. (Remember Zig & Zag anyone?)
And yet, as someone who currently works with Cowell in America, and has been a friend of his for two decades, I have to -- through gritted teeth -- admit that he deserves most of the success, fame and money flooding his way.
There are hundreds of celebrities I could name who are pale shadows of their famous personae when the TV cameras stop rolling, the concert crowds have gone home, or the movie set has been dismantled. Showbusiness is, after all, a rich breeding ground for insincerity, arrogance, paranoia, ruthlessness, greed, and insensitivity.
But Cowell is the same man on and off-screen. He's smart, charming, brutally honest, sometimes breathtakingly rude, and usually very funny.
"Don't take anything too seriously,' was his motto when he was a lowly record company executive in the early Nineties and I was a showbiz columnist on The Sun. And it remains so today. "The moment you take yourself seriously, you've had it,' he told me last week.
Working as a judge on America's Got Talent, a show Cowell produces for NBC, gave me a unique opportunity to discover what it's like to work with him at close quarters.
And I was impressed. He is creative, forceful, energetic, and always pushing to improve. He also never seems to sleep. He'd call at 3am to ask: "Do you really think Bobby Badfingers should be in the final?' or email at 5am to say: "Just seen the edit of the last show. You should have gone a bit harder on [co-judge] David Hasselhoff when he backed that terrible violinist."
That work ethic has paid off spectacularly. I was at the American Idol final at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and I can only compare it to what I imagine it was like watching the champion gladiator in Rome's Coliseum.
Cowell's two co-judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, were announced to the 4,000-strong audience and greeted with rapturous applause. Then came Cowell, to a cacophony of cheers, boos, jeers and abuse. Everyone either loved him or hated him or, in most cases, they just loved to hate him.
He was flanked by six bodyguards, and marched purposefully to the stage. Once there, he turned slowly to the crowd, flashed those dazzling white gnashers, and waved. They all went completely potty.
The message was clear: The King was here -- let the entertainment commence. Then Cowell caught my eye and burst out laughing. Even in that moment of spine-tingling excitement, he recognised the absurdity of it all.
At the risk of winning the Sycophant Employee of the Year award, I honestly don't think the superstardom has changed him at all. "He treats everyone in the same polite, friendly way, from the make-up girls to the executive producers,' one production assistant told me, "Trust me, that is very rare in Hollywood."
Cowell says he inherited that streak from his father, Eric, who also worked for a record company. "The best advice he ever gave me was to remember every single person who works for you or with you has an invisible sign on their forehead that says: "Make me feel important".
"So if you have a very successful day it is vital to remember who helped you and make them feel just as good as you do."
Being associated with Cowell in the States got me through tricky passport control desks, on the best tables in the hottest restaurants, free drinks in bars, tickets to sold- out shows.
Of course, Cowell is careful about his image. He pays a hefty monthly retainer to PR guru Max Clifford. This helps keep most of the "My depraved night with TV's Mr Nasty' headlines out of the papers, which is handy given the large number of potential kiss-and-tell merchants who have occupied the Cowell bed over the past three decades.
I don't think Cowell's too bothered about the girls myself, so long as they say he had the stamina of a mountain ox and the muscle tone of a bodybuilder.
He is equally ambivalent about his Mr Nasty tag, explaining to me: "Everyone wants to be famous these days, and they all want to do it the easy way. So it is important we have shows such as ours to highlight the ridiculousness of it all. We illustrate how 95 per cent of the public simply don't have any talent and are completely useless. Telling them they are hopeless is a good thing. But do I care, either way? No."
Cowell's straight talking is not just confined to singers. We recently dined together at No 11 Downing Street with the Browns, and Cowell was as fluent, concise and to the point with the future Prime Minister as he is with talentless wannabees on X Factor. We discussed Iraq, education, Africa and the NHS, and there was nothing Cowell didn't have a firm view about.
Mr Brown was impressed. "Simon's a smart guy, isn't he?' he said, as I left. "Very direct and honest."
I carried on drinking that night with Simon and his girlfriend Terri Seymour at the ultra-trendy 50 St James club. It was extraordinary to watch him exposed to the great British public.
Every five minutes someone would come up and ask for a photo, autograph or audition. The constant intrusion annoyed the hell out of me. But Simon dealt with them all in the same polite, generous way.
"Is it always like this?' I asked. "Yes,' he replied. "But you know something? It's a very small price to pay for everything this business has brought me. These are the people who watch my shows, phone in their votes, buy the records. I owe everything to them. The day I forget that and start behaving like some diva is the day I will lose everything again."
Simon is not a big drinker, so he normally has Coca-Cola or water with a meal. But he can be tempted. I went out for dinner with him the other night and we sank a couple of bottles of Italian Barolo without too much trouble. As for his food, he likes things simple. A plate of spaghetti bolognese at his favourite Cipriani restaurant in London, a Sunday roast, or chicken curry. He once memorably rejected the lavish New Year's Eve degustation meal at the Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados, asking the chef to make him chicken pie and mash instead.
"I want my food to be like my life -- unfussy,' he told me.
It's impossible to imagine now, but 15 years ago Simon was completely broke. He'd bought a lot of shares in the record company he worked for, the stock market went bust, as did his firm, and he lost everything -- his job, his Porsche, his house, and his pride. "It was...erm...grounding,' he told me over lunch. "I was down to the £4 I had in my pocket, which I spent on a cab fare home to my parents. It was a wake-up call. It came on the back of a very artificial time in Britain where everyone was buying things they couldn't afford and it was always going to blow up in our faces.
"I vowed then never to borrow money again. If I could afford something, I would pay cash for it; if I couldn't, I would wait. In an odd way it was a very good thing for me. There was a weird sense of freedom at having absolutely zilch but still having the energy and desire to change my life for the better."
It also meant that when success came his way again, he was able to properly appreciate it. "Nobody has given me anything. I have worked hard for every penny I have earned. I have had ideas, put my neck on the block, and made most of them work. That is very satisfying. I have a saying, "Create the hype, but don't ever believe it."'
Cowell has his faults, of course. He is vain to the point of paranoia. I tried to drag him into some medieval stocks last week for charity and he was having none of it. His immaculate appearance is carefully crafted, and involves a daily regime of 200 press-ups [push-ups], lots of creams, and a packet or two of cigarettes. The clothes are meticulously chosen (yes, even the high-waist trousers) to preserve 'the look'. I once published a photo of him at a fancy dress party wearing a ladies' bra, and he was livid about it.
"I don't want people thinking I wear bras!' he screamed down the phone to Max Clifford. "Well don't wear bloody bras, then!' Max screamed back.
Cowell is also, and I'm sure he'd admit this, prone to outbursts of control freakery. His co-producers often find his constant memos and critiques on the various shows he runs a demanding distraction. And he tends to view tightly drawn-up budgets as things to be doubled or trebled on a whim, always seeking to 'up the ante' and 'raise the bar'.
This often causes considerable delay and chaos in production schedules. "Simon's always changing his mind; it's a nightmare,' one American executive told me, albeit with a smile on his face. Everyone knows that this restlessness is what makes him so good at what he does.
He must also be a nightmare to live with. I remember calling his Beverly Hills mansion one morning trying to see him, and Terri answering.
"He's got back-to-back meetings all day long,' she said. "It's so bad, even I can't get to see him. In fact, I'm going to have to book a formal appointment for 4pm just to make sure I can."
Terri's a smart, beautiful woman who enjoys a great life with Cowell -- but she knows the score. He doesn't want to get married, or have kids, and never makes any secret of it.
I asked him recently if he thought he was good at relationships, and he replied: "Well, in terms of a standard wife-and-kids relationship, probably not. But I never make false promises.
"And in terms of being fun to be around, I think I am probably quite good. I am not conventional. I don't do holding hands and cuddling up in front of the TV. I am quite cold like that. I find things like Valentine's Day ridiculous, being forced to be romantic on a certain day. I despise the whole commerciality of it. If Terri needs a car, I buy her a car. I don't wait for birthdays or Christmas or anything like that. I don't see the point."
They have a fiery time together. Terri was seen berating Cowell loudly and angrily at Heathrow recently after flying back to newspaper headlines suggesting he had been having a fling with 21-year-old model Jasmine Lennard.
But he insists: "Terri has got used to me. We have rows, and there have been a few packing-the-suitcase-and-leaving moments. But she has a great sense of humour and I always find a way of making her laugh.
"Normally by the time we get to the underwear, she's laughing. I don't think the padlocks have ever gone on. Terri has a much shorter temper than me, and she is more touchy-feely romantic than me, which irritates her." There is endless speculation about their relationship but they always seem very happy together whenever I am with them.
As for the money, I wouldn't say Cowell is greedy because he is incredibly generous with friends and family. I don't think I have ever been out with him when he hasn't insisted on paying the bill for everyone in the group. Or when he hasn't showered waiters with £50 tips.
He has garages full of supercars both in London and LA -- including Aston Martins, Bentleys and Ferraris. And he owns three homes in Hollywood, a villa in Spain and a lovely townhouse in London.
He readily concedes: "Money brings you security and choice. You can make decisions in a different way if you have a lot of money."
But despite all the cash and success, he remains a loyal friend to those who helped him along his way.
His British manager, the former Radio One DJ Peter Powell (who represents me, too), threw his annual staff Christmas party on Monday, and didn't expect Cowell to turn up because it was the X Factor wrap party the same night.
But at 11pm, the doors flew back and there he was, having traipsed all the way from Soho to Chiswick to say thanks to the guy who helped him land his new ITV deal.
I sat with him in a corner of the bar, with Ant and Dec. We are all due to perform together on Britain's Got Talent next summer. And, while jubilant at his incredible £20million contract, he was also restless.
"I'm happy, of course I am,' he said. "But all my life I have reacted to moments like this by saying: "Right, Simon, that's done, now, what's next?"
"I don't like resting on my laurels or wallowing in self-congratulation. I just want to get back out there and find the next big thing."
I laughed. "Yes, but come on, Simon, you've just become the highest-paid star in British television history and you're already the highest-paid star in American TV history. A small part of you must be bursting with pride."
He smiled, a long, slow, deliberate smile, and said: "Piers, you're right...it's bloody GREAT!'
As is his ego. I once asked him: "If you were going to criticise yourself, what would you say?'
Cowell looked puzzled, before replying: "I wouldn't. I'm perfect."
| Cowell to Axe Feuding Sharon |
December 24, 2006
By Stewart Whittingham for The People and Lara Gould for The Sunday Mirror
Ruthless Simon Cowell is planning to axe Sharon Osbourne from X Factor.
Mr Nasty thinks she's a FLOP at judging contestants because she isn't witty or sharp like him.
A source close to Cowell, 47, who is the show's all-powerful executive producer, told The People: "Simon has made up his mind about Sharon -- and he wants her out.
"He feels Sharon is a bit lacklustre and could be more entertaining with her comments."
Cowell has constantly feuded with Sharon and fellow judge Louis Walsh. And he grew especially disillusioned with Sharon after poring over tapes of the show.
But insiders say the final straw came after Sharon, 53 -- wife of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne -- had a foul-mouthed rant with audience guest Chris Tarrant last month.
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire star jokingly made fun of her husband Ozzy's slurred speech during a break in filming: "Sharon, you are beautiful, warm and caring -- and you have the most articulate husband in the world."
Sharon let rip with a string of expletives, which were apparently overheard by a shocked 11-year-old girl invited up to the podium.
She said to Tarrant: "Don't you dare diss my family, you f***er."
Horrified Cowell later made Sharon issue a grovelling apology in front of the TV audience.
A show insider said: "I have never seen Simon so angry as he was after Sharon's row with Chris.
"Despite his image, Simon hates rude behaviour.
"He has become increasingly disappointed with both Louis and Sharon. He wants X Factor judges to come out with comments that viewers will remember.
"He feels they could do better on the show and it could be time for a change."
Cowell also fears that Sharon damaged her showbiz reputation after her ITV1 chat show flopped earlier this year.
A TV insider added: "When Simon first signed Sharon on X Factor he was convinced she'd be a big star.
"Now he's wondering how much future she's got on TV."
And he wasn't impressed when she admitted drinking a bottle of wine during an interval on ITV2 spin-off show The Xtra Factor.
Insiders claim the X Factor boss could axe Sharon -- and possibly Walsh -- in March when preparations start for the next series.
Ambitious Cowell has amassed a £70million fortune thanks to X Factor -- whose latest winner Leona Lewis has signed to his record label -- and American Idol which has made him a huge star in the States. He has also just signed a £20million deal to keep the show on ITV until 2009.
| Property Stars Snap up Hotels |
December 24, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Times of London
The property fund backed by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, and Simon Cowell, the music impresario, has wrapped up its biggest deal just days before Christmas, lifting the value of its portfolio above £1 billion for the first time, writes Jenny Davey.
Alternative Asset Investment Management (AAIM) is understood to have struck a deal with Permira, the private-equity firm, to buy six four-star hotels in the Principal chain for £290m. The hotels have been acquired as part of a 25-year sale-and-leaseback deal with Permira, which snapped up the chain in September from Royal Bank of Scotland.
The portfolio comprises the Russell in London, the George in Edinburgh, the Royal York in York, the Met in Leeds, the Palace in Manchester, pictured, and Selsdon Park in Croydon.
Principal, which competes in the upper mid-market of the hotel sector, has a total of 1,310 bedrooms and a strong focus on conferences, with 80 meeting rooms that can accommodate more than 7,000 delegates.
The hotel purchase is being carried out using the Symmetry fund joint venture that AAIM set up with Bank of Scotland in October to spend £2 billion on European property. In October AAIM teamed up with Robert Tchenguiz, the property tycoon, to buy Menzies, the regional hotel chain, for £190m.
The hotel spending spree forms part of a plan by AAIM to act as a consolidator in Britain’s provincial four-star market. The transaction with Permira is just one of a flurry of pre-Christmas deals for AAIM. It has also refinanced its investment in the British headquarters of the electronics firm JVC at Staples Corner, north London, with HSH Nordbank, the German bank.
The refinancing has created a bonanza for its investors, earning them three times their original money in three years while retaining their original investment in the building.
Since AAIM was launched in January 2003, it claims to have generated an average return of more than 80%, amid soaring commercial-property values that have squeezed rental yields to record lows.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
| Simon Cowell's X-cess Factor |
December 22, 2006
By Paul Scott for The Daily Mail
Even by his own admission, Simon Cowell can be accused of many things -- though parsimony is most certainly not one of them.
This morning, he is preparing to fly himself and his family first class to Barbados for Christmas.
As usual with the high-living Cowell, no expense will be spared. The X Factor judge will pick up the tab for the fortnight that he, his mother Julie, his girlfriend Terri Seymour, brother Nicholas and Nicholas's wife will spend in the opulent surroundings of the island's Sandy Lane Hotel.
Television's own pantomime baddie has already splashed out on an early Christmas present to himself last week, taking delivery of a £225,000 black custom-built Bentley Arnage T limousine with that most showbiz of optional extras -- mirrored privacy glass.
It will join the X Factor judge's London fleet of Ferraris, Mercedes, Aston Martins and, of course, the Rolls-Royce he keeps at his second home in Beverly Hills.
But then Cowell (he of the vertiginous waistbands and polar ice-cap teeth) does, indeed, have much to celebrate.
This week, the 47-year-old signed a £20 million-a-year "golden handcuffs" deal with ITV to make him the highestpaid British TV star of all time.
At the same time Leona Lewis, the X Factor winner (who by happy coincidence has just signed to Cowell's record label) has won the race for the year's Christmas Number One.
But not content with his unassailable position in Britain, Cowell is now within touching distance of his ultimate dream -- of overtaking Oprah Winfrey as the most powerful figure in American television.
Not bad for a man who looks like a Chelmsford hair salon owner and who, a little over ten years ago, was bankrupt and moving back in with his parents.
He had lost everything after investing in his employer's firm, which went bust. He had to sell his house and claimed he had only £3 in his pocket.
But while Simon clearly loves the money his success has won him (he recently bought not one, but two Picassos on a whim while shopping on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills), it is power he most craves.
A friend said: "He'll be on the beach for two days and be bored. This time next week he'll be on his mobile the whole time doing business."
His unrivalled position at the pinnacle of entertainment has already led to him flexing his muscles. This week, he outraged the BBC by snapping up from under the Corporation's nose the rights to make a new reality show for ITV out of the search for the stars of a West End revival of Grease.
But, the Mail has learned, it is his X Factor co-star and sparring partner, Sharon Osbourne, who has most to fear from Cowell's growing power hunger.
Such is the level of animosity between the warring judges that Cowell (who also produces and owns the rights to the hugely successful talent show) has permitted close friends to reveal that he is seriously considering sacking Miss Osbourne before the show returns next year amid backstage claims that he finds her behaviour "morally repugnant".
All of which might seem a bit much coming from a man who revels in his sobriquet as TV's "Mr Nasty" and whose self-confessed liking for lap dancers is topped only by his taste for publicly humiliating the wannabes brave enough to appear on the show.
According to friends of Cowell, the final straw came when an agitated Osbourne launched an astonishing four-letter tirade at Chris Tarrant while filming the X Factor last month.
During an ad break, the show's warm-up man spotted the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host and his 20-year-old stepdaughter Fia in the studio audience and asked his opinion on the judges.
Put on the spot, Tarrant told Osbourne: "Sharon, you are beautiful, warm and caring -- and you have the most articulate husband in the world."
But his joke about her rock star husband Ozzy's slurring voice backfired spectacularly.
Red-faced with rage, the 53-year-old Sharon is said to have screamed at a bemused Tarrant: "How dare you mention my family," before launching into a string of the choicest four-letter invective about his very public marriage split.
Those present say a shocked Cowell instructed his co-star to apologise. At first she refused, but later, before the show went back live on air, she told the audience: "I'd like to say I'm sorry for what I said earlier."
Her apology, however, did little to placate a visibly angry Cowell. One close associate told the Mail: "I spoke to Simon after the show and he was furious. He said: 'How dare she do that.' I've never seen him so angry.
"He was disgusted at her hypocrisy in having a go at Chris for having an affair when she has admitted that she started an affair with Ozzy when he was married to his first wife.
"It didn't go down at all well with Simon. Despite his image, he hates that sort of rude behaviour."
Nor was he amused, say programme insiders, when a clearly tipsy Sharon, who admitted drinking a bottle of wine during the break, appeared with Cowell and fellow judge Louis Walsh on the show's satellite television spin-off, The Xtra Factor.
So relations between the two had already reached an all-time low by the time 11 million tuned into the final at the weekend.
Cowell's colleague said: "Simon felt Sharon did quite well on the first series and had a lot of potential, but that potential hasn't been fulfilled. She did her own chat show this year which was dreadful and really showed her limitations.
"Yes, Simon is the star of the show, but as a producer he wants the others to be as strong as possible and contribute much more.
"He told me that he has become more and more disappointed and disillusioned with both Louis and Sharon.
"Even so, The X Factor is still such a huge success. Certainly, if the ratings hadn't been going so well, he would have dropped both of them.
"Everything is up for discussion and Simon won't make a decision immediately because, inevitably, having spent two or three months working so closely together, they are all sick of the sight of each other.
"The final decision about Sharon and Louis will be made in March, but I can tell you that he hasn't been happy with their contribution. He was toying with getting new judges to sit alongside them or he might just bring in a completely new panel."
But then nobody who knows the wily Cowell well would be surprised if he embarked on a not-so-subtle attempt to put his fellow judges on the back foot before any upcoming pay negotiations with them prior to the next series.
However, those close to him insist he is genuinely considering a change of personnel: it would not be out of character for the man who, with a ruthless ambition, has already amassed £70 million and has been telling friends this week that he fully intends to add £100 million to his personal fortune in the next five years.
Certainly, Cowell's Midas touch shows no sign of waning.
Along with his new ITV deal, which will see him produce and star in a series of prime- time ventures, his company (which, with characteristic irreverence, he christened Syco) has just signed a further five-year deal which will tie him to appearing on Fox TV's Number One U.S. talent show, American Idol.
For his role as the show's most acerbic judge he receives, insiders told the Mail, a basic £15 million a series. However, he can expect to double that figure because he has negotiated a stake in the franchise and is now also the show's executive producer.
On top of that, Cowell also has it written into his contract that his record company, Sony BMG, has the right to release records by the winning U.S. contestants such as chart-topping singer Kelly Clarkson.
Meanwhile, his company Syco TV has sold a series of successful (if hardly intellectually challenging) shows such as American Inventor and America's Got Talent to the U.S. networks (a British version of the latter will air here in the summer).
That, however, is just the tip of his earnings potential. Companies House documents reveal that earlier this year Cowell sold his stake in another of his companies, Simco, which owned 50 per cent of the rights to The X Factor, for £45 million.
The deal allowed Syco to continue jointly to produce the show with Thames Television. At the same time, Cowell agreed an out-of-court settlement with his business partner and former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller. The brains behind the worldwide Pop Idol format, Fuller had accused him of stealing the concept of The X Factor.
The deal meant Cowell had to agree to give Fuller a percentage of the revenue from The X Factor. But Cowell won, in return, a 30 per cent stake to the rights of American Idol.
It makes Cowell not only the show's undoubted star, but also part owner of the money- making machine that it has become in the U.S.
The figures are huge. According to a Securities And Exchange Commission report filed in America by Fuller's CKX Group, Fox has already agreed to pay a minimum of $35.5 million (£17 million) for the rights as far ahead as the 2011 series of American Idol.
On top of that, Cowell has done a series of multi-milliondollar tie-ins with Nokia, Pizza Hut and Coke.
A source close to him told the Mail: "Simon was always going to win the battle with Fuller because he was holding all the aces. If Simon Cowell wasn't on these shows they would be nothing."
It has bought him an enviable lifestyle. Cowell, the Brighton-born son of an EMI music executive, who left boarding school at 16 to get a job in the post room at the record company, lives in a £7 million former ambassador's residence in London's Holland Park.
In America, he resides in a £10million, hexagonal 10,000 sq ft compound in Beverly Hills, complete with Olympic-size swimming pool and waterfall. Sharon Stone is a near neighbour.
He also owns a £1 million Arabian-style villa on Palm Island off the coast of Dubai, plus a retreat in Marbella.
Mornings chez Cowell begin with breakfast in bed followed by a leisurely bath, during which he watches his favourite cartoons The Flintstones and Thunderbirds while reading the tabloids.
When in London, his chauffeur will drive him to his Chelsea office by noon followed by dinner at his own table in celebrity hang-outs such as Cipriani and Mr Chow. Frequently, Cowell will round off the day by popping into Stringfellow's lap-dancing club.
Unsurprisingly, he says he does not have the time for marriage and children.
For the past four years he has dated former model Terri Seymour, who is 15 years his junior.
The long-suffering Miss Seymour, who has recently taken to describing herself as a television presenter (Cowell gave her a job on ITV2's Xtra Factor), has had to become used to her boyfriend being linked with a series of other women.
This summer, Jasmine Lennard, a 21-year-old model, was photographed leaving his London home after spending the night while Miss Seymour was away.
And three years ago, on another holiday to Barbados, Cowell told his girlfriend that they would be joined by his former lover, Jackie St Clair, who is known for the dubious honour of being a former Miss Nude UK.
It is all a far cry from going bankrupt in his 30s when Cowell's Porsche and house were repossessed after a series of failed music deals. He started again by signing an unlikely, but highly successful roster of recording stars including Robson and Jerome and The Teletubbies, who each brought him Number One hits.
Typically, Cowell is unrepentant about his one-time fall from grace. "Being broke was exciting because getting there is more fun than being there," he is wont to repeat.
It is not, however, an experience Cowell is likely to be repeating any time soon.
Comments on the story so far from the Daily Mail's website:
Cowell bigger than Oprah in US? It'll never happen. Americans think he is obnoxious.
- Linda, Warrington, PA, USA
Isn`t he that guy on American Idol?
- Tommy, Sohold, US
Cowell symbolises everything that is wrong with Western culture.
- Drew Gret, Charleston, USA
Good for Simon Cowell. He is a self made man. He will likely remain successful since he has already experienced what it is like to go broke, however he may never discover what life is really about.
- Robert, rapid city, South Dakota, USA
He earned all of it!
- Jim Hawthorne, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Brilliant. Congrats Simon -- you deserve it.
- George, Montreal, Canada
Don't know why Sharon had to apologise to Tarrant. We need more people who aren't afraid to speak up about guys who play around. Sorry Terri don't feel you are the one, Simon obviously hasn't met her yet because he is still looking; when he finds her, he won't need the other babes. As for the X factor, a new line up is a good idea, Simon needs to inject some new ideas and challenges to the contestants, it's all looking a tad stale.
- Chrissie, Warwickshire
Friday, December 22, 2006
| Celebrity Wishes for the New Year |
December 22, 2006
By Staff Writers for The BBC
SIMON COWELL, MUSIC PRODUCER, 47
I am going to Barbados for Christmas
I never make New Year resolutions.
I know myself well enough to know that I will break them.
| Leona Xmas Single Flies off Shelves; Cowell Kills Christmas #1 Market |
December 22, 2006
By Staff Writers for UK Yahoo and The Scotsman
X Factor winner Leona Lewis is celebrating after shifting a whopping 150,000 copies of her debut single in its first day.
Fans flocked to the shops to pick up a copy of A Moment Like This as soon as it hit the shelves on Wednesday, reports the Daily Star.
"I am so excited to hear that my single has gone gold. It's unbelievable and I'm so grateful for everyone's support," the 21-year-old told the paper.
Her X Factor mentor Simon Cowell, who is now her manager, said it was "amazing news".
Woolworths reported it was selling 100 copies of the track - a cover of American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's 2002 hit - every minute.
"We have been swamped by X Factor fans rushing out to buy Leona's single," a spokesman told the paper.
"We've drafted in extra staff and opened extra tills. We've known it for months but the X Factor winner will be the Christmas No 1."
The song has already been downloaded by more than 200,000 people, meaning it has sold a staggering 350,000 copies already.
If she keeps this up, pretty Leona could beat last year's winner Shayne Ward, who shifted more than 700,000 copies of That's My Goal in the run-up to the festive season.
"The market in singles is ebbing away, said HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo. But after the X-Factor, mums and parents go out to buy the winner. At 3.99 (pounds) it's a no-brainer as a stocking filler," he added.
On Sunday night bookmakers William Hill suspended betting on the Christmas number one as Leona looked such a certainty.
"In previous years, the Christmas number one has been a six- figure market for us," spokesman Rupert Adams told Reuters.
"Simon Cowell has signed an X-Factor contract until 2009. He has possibly killed the Christmas number one market for good."
Thursday, December 21, 2006
| Cowell Casting for New 'Grease' Stars in U.K |
December 20, 2006
By Mimi Turner for Reuters/Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo and Staff Writers for The Times of London
Pop impresario Simon Cowell is turning his attention to the West End stage and promising "the biggest casting call the U.K. has ever seen" as part of a new TV series that will find two unknowns to play Sandy and Danny in a new theater production of "Grease."
In the United States, NBC will premiere a similar show, "Grease: You're the One that I Want," on January 7.
ITV's "Grease" will form the backbone of the British broadcaster's summer schedule, and is part of an emerging British trend that sees would-be stars audition for major stage roles through reality TV shows.
"We've been thinking about making this program for years," said Cowell, adding that he thought "Grease" was "the best musical of all time." His Syco TV production shingle will co-produce the show for ITV.
BBC had a surprise hit with "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?," in which Andrew Lloyd Webber searched for a star to play the lead in a new version of "The Sound of Music." The show, which was won by Connie Fisher, is currently wowing audiences and critics at London's Palladium.
ITV already has poached Webber's "Maria" co-star, theater producer David Ian, to be a judge on the panel as well as the producer of the West End version of "Grease."
The BBC, meanwhile, has said it is following up on the success of "Maria" with a new search, this time to find cast members for Lloyd Webber's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
BBC bosses had hoped to land the show - BBC Worldwide is already co-producing the US version for NBC, hosted by Denise Van Outen and titled Grease: You're The One That I Want!
But Cowell snatched the British series from under their noses by striking a deal with the creators of the Grease musical.
And the X Factor judge couldn't resist a joke at the BBC's expense.
"As with anything you want to buy, you have got to pay a lot of money. These things don't come cheap and rightly so.
"I think it's good the BBC haven't got it so it isn't coming out of licence fee payers' pockets. I think we have done a great service," he quipped.
Cowell, said to have signed a £20 million deal with ITV last week, insisted he had beaten the BBC fair and square.
The show will be a co-production between Cowell's company Syco TV and Talkback Thames, makers of X Factor.
For once, Cowell will remain behind the scenes.
The lead judge on the TV show will be theatre producer David Ian, who appeared on How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? with Lord Lloyd-Webber.
Auditions begin shortly and ITV claim it will be the biggest casting call the UK has ever seen.
Hopefuls will be tested on their singing, dancing and acting skills.
As the competition progresses they will be paired off to perform duets.
Unveiling plans for the show at a London hotel, Cowell said: "Very simply, Grease is the word.
"In my opinion, Grease is the best musical on the planet. These two parts will be the most sought-after roles in the West End.
"It will work beautifully for us as a reality show. There will be a lot of twists.
"Where this show differs from other shows is that it's actually about couples. We want to find two stars for the future."
The winners will also get a recording contract to release the Grease soundtrack.
| Cowell Denies Stealing Grease Reality Show Concept |
December 21, 2006
By ANI for Yahoo India
'American Idol' judge, Simon Cowell, has refuted reports that he stole the concept of a famous television series for his new talent show.
Cowell has signed a big monetary deal with the ITV network, and announced plans for a TV programme to find male and female leads for a new West End production.
Based on the hit musical 'Grease', the show's concept seems to be somewhat similar to that of the hit BBC series 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?' which searched for a leading lady to star in 'The Sound Of Music'.
However, Cowell finds reports depicting him as a copycat funny, for he feels that the idea did not originally belong to the BBC.
"We didn't steal it off them because it wasn't theirs in the first place," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.
Cowell is hopeful that his new project will be as hit as 'Grease'.
"I'm confident that this will be a hit because Grease is the best musical on the planet," he said.
| Simon: I'll Save Viewers Money |
December 21, 2006
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Simon Cowell reckons he has saved licence-payers a fortune — by nicking the Grease talent show from the BBC.
As TV Biz revealed yesterday, he pinched the format for ITV, despite BBC Worldwide co-producing a US version with Denise Van Outen.
He will now produce a show to find a Danny and Sandy for the West End — despite claiming he HATES all musicals apart from Grease.
Yesterday the mogul claimed he had the idea for the show three years ago.
He said: “Anyway these things cost a fortune and it would have come out of licence-payers’ pockets, so we’ve done them a favour.”
The BBC will show its search for a star of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
| Edna's Got the X Factor! |
December 21, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Middleton Guardian
An 86-year-old great gran has achieved what many thought was impossible - a public apology from television's “Mr Nasty“ Simon Cowell.
Edna Moore appeared live on the X-Factor final on Saturday night, and in front millions of viewers, received a hug from the infamous music mogul.
Speaking at her home in Mills Hill, Edna said: “It was an unforgettable night. Simon is a nice lad. But I didn't know whether to blow him a kiss or a raspberry.”
She was invited to take part in the show after shooting to fame over the summer when the nation watched her tear into Simon during the X-Factor auditions.
The showdown happened after Edna accompanied daughter-in-law, Lorraine, to the Manchester auditions to watch her perform for Simon and fellow judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.
But she got angry after Simon began to snigger at Lorraine's efforts, branding her “lifeless” and mocking her “lack of personality”.
She stormed back into the audition rooms later and told him “You laughed!”, adding: “Listen Simon. You want to alter your ways. You think you're better than anybody. I think you were very ignorant.”
A very embarrassed looking Simon then muttered “sorry“ before leaving the room.
But they came face to face again on Saturday as Edna took centre stage among the X-Factor finalists to introduce the failed auditionees, including Lorraine, who performed their unique version of Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song'.
Live on air, and watched by millions, Edna said: “First I'd like to apologise to Simon's mum for what I said to Simon. But I don't want to apologise to him. I am here to introduce all the people that Simon shouldn't have laughed at - all the real stars of the show: the X- Factor audionees.”
But then Edna asked Simon to join her on stage for a hug and a kiss and he apologised again in front of a cheering crowd.
Back at home after her whirlwind weekend, Edna, who lived in Middleton for many years running a catering business on Taylor Street, said: “What he said to Lorraine was very rude. I don't like people being insulted so I thought 'I'm going to tell him', so I did. You have to stand up for your family.
“He did apologise though. I think I'm the only one who has ever got an apology from Simon!
“Never in a million years did I think anything like this would happen. We had a lovely time. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.”
And the great-gran - who has since appeared on the Sharon Osbourne Show three times as well as GMTV - also holds no grudges for the “Jaws“ theme tune that was played during the reshowing of her famous argument with Simon.
She added: “I'm happy with Simon's apology. He's not a bad lad and he told me his mum loves me!”
| Searching for Christmas Quality |
December 21, 2006
By Gerry Krochak for The Leader-Post via Canada.com
Every year about this time we assemble our traditional crack team of good elves to discuss what's hot, what's not, what's in, what's out, what's flying off the shelves and what will rot until huge returns are shipped back to major record companies in January.
It might be a sign of the times that our team has shrunk to Conrad Ehman (HMV Cornwall) and the surly one, Chad Surkan (HMV Southland)...
Big sellers don't always mean great music, but both Ehman and Surkan bite their tongues (a rarity for the latter) when discussing the hands-down biggest-selling CDs of the season.
"Il Divo, Il Divo, Il Divo," chuckles Ehman of the Spanish pop-opera crossover sensations. "The new album (Siempre), The Christmas Collection (released in 2005) ... the other albums..."
Surkan couldn't agree more.
"All kinds of people are buying," says Surkan of sales at HMV Southland. "Il Divo everything is booming. The marketing they've done with those guys is near perfect.
"It's a Simon Cowell project and it's designed to be as huge as it is. It's not exactly my thing, but for what it's worth the dudes are talented. They can sing..."
Concert DVDs have been selling well at both HMV locations with no clear-cut seasonal winner, but both Ehman and Surkan report that titles from the Foo Fighters, Gwen Stefani, Black Eyed Peas, Dixie Chicks, Bachman- Cummings, Paul McCartney, Hedley and (sigh) Il Divo are selling well.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
| Love Him or Loathe Him, Simon’s Got the X-Factor |
December 20, 2006
By Staff Writers for News and Star
You can laugh at his high-waisted trousers or take a pot shot at his huge ego but the fact is that Simon Cowell is a natural born winner.
The music mogul is smug, sneering and self-satisfied but we can’t stop ourselves from hanging on to his every word. He has the razzle dazzle factor.
Cowell commands our attention; a trait that ultimately defines what the X- Factor is all about.
So it wasn’t a big surprise to discover yesterday that he has won a contract worth £20m which makes him the highest paid entertainer on British television screens.
Eat your heart out Louis and Sharon. Certainly Cowell has contributed more to earn his whack than Jonathan Ross who was his predecessor as the highest television earner.
No doubt, Simon Cowell’s huge salary will now make him a prime target for attack.
Luckily, he has the thick skin to cope with it.
One of his more endearing qualities is that he can take it as well as give it.
But there is another reason why we should all celebrate Cowell’s success.
He is an example of his own rags-to-riches fairytale formula. He is not a product of great privilege or a fantastic education.
Simon Cowell’s first job was as a post-room boy at EMI music; he carved out his rise to fame and great wealth by being a bright spark who was prepared to work damn hard.
During the 1980s, he lost everything, went bankrupt and was forced to move back in with his parents.
He says now that he viewed it as an opportunity to start again.
Cowell has the caustic wit that comes with working his way to the top without the aid of any favours from anyone; he has used self reliance, self discipline and hard-minded determination.
The result is that he calls a spade a spade.
The embarrassingly ungifted are sent packing.
But he provides our children with as great as education as any of their best teachers.
Each week of the X Factor, which with his new contract is now assured to run for another three years, he shows them that in the real world there are winners and losers.
In the entertainment business, there is no time for the muddle-headed thinking that prevails in many of our schools where competitiveness is frowned upon.
Cowell makes it clear that mere ability isn’t good enough.
You need hard work and gutsy courage to make it to the top.
Even his weekly jousting with Louis Walsh has only one winner. And sorry Louis but it really isn’t you.
| Simon Plans Hollywood Assault? |
December 20, 2006
By Staff Writers for Metro
It seems Simon Cowell is not content with his £60million bank balance - he now wants to crack the Hollywood movie market.
The 47-year-old music mogul has just signed X Factor winner Leona Lewis but will not be taking a well-earned break over the festive period -- he plans to fly to LA to have meetings about a new film.
He said: "We just have to get the script right. Then in a year or so we'll go into production."
Apparently the movie is based on a fictional reality show about two singers trying to make it to the top -- and Simon may even take a starring role.
A mole told the Daily Star: "These plans are not for small projects and Simon is planning on going big budget and taking on the Hollywood bigwigs.
"Thanks to American Idol, he is a massive star in the States as well as here so if he is behind a good movie there's a great chance it could be a hit.
"He's already cracked the music market, so why not movies too?"
| Leona Sparks US Record Label War |
December 19, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Mail
Last night’s X Factor wrap party had hardly begun — and contestants were still coming down from weeks of intense competition — but winner Leona Lewis was already at the centre of a multi- million dollar bidding war.
America’s biggest record companies, Sony and J Records, have been bombarding the London singer’s mentor Simon Cowell with phonecalls, begging him to let them represent Leona Stateside — which is unprecedented for a UK singer.
Leona, 21, hasn’t officially signed anything in America yet, but we’re told Simon has more or less guaranteed J Records mogul Clive Davis the deal.
Simon has revealed: “Clive called me up and told me he was having a massive fight with Sony in America over who was going to get to sign Leona.
"They were at each other’s throats which I’ve never seen before over an artist from the UK and especially someone from a reality show.
“Eventually I decided to go with Clive because he said to me, ‘Win or lose, I’m in’ and that sealed it for me. He is so confident he can make Leona a big star in America and I believe and trust him 100 per cent.”
Simon kept news of the bidding war from Leona while she battled it out with Ray Quinn on the final night. He didn’t want to heap the pressure on his act, who already suffers from nerves and lack of confidence.
However, he broke the exciting news to a bewildered Leona immediately after the show, and she burst into tears for the millionth time that night.
Clive Davis has been credited with getting Whitney Houston into rehab and helping her release her comeback album next year.
Leona’s label in the UK Sony/BMG is so confident her Christmas single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s A Moment Like This, will get to number one they’re not even releasing it in the shops until Wednesday — a full two days after every other single is released this week.
The song has already smashed the world record for the fastest selling download single, shifting 50,000 copies just half an hour after it’s release at midnight on Saturday.
Sales are expected to hit a million, which will ensure her the coveted Christmas number one spot.
| Sharon and Simon to Swap Bodies? |
December 20, 2006
By Oliver Duff for The Independent
A busy week for Sir Elton John and his well-polished partner David Furnish.
The pair took to the red carpet on Monday evening for the premiere of their new movie, It's a Boy Girl Thing.
Two days earlier they attended Matt Lucas's pantomime-themed "CP" (civil partnership -- catch up).
"Getting the outfits on wasn't a problem for me," said Sir Elton (Captain Hook). "It's getting them off these days that's difficult." The couple fly to Venice today to celebrate a year of marriage.
The film, which also stars Sharon Osbourne, is about a boy and a girl who end up inhabiting each other's bodies. One showbiz hack asked Osbourne whether or not she would consider swapping bodies with her swollen X- Factor colleague Simon Cowell.
"There, there, dear," she politely replied. "Have you been taking acid?"
| X Factor Produces Record Ratings in UK |
December 19, 2006
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
The season finale of Simon Cowell's latest TV talent contest, The X Factor, attracted a record-breaking 44 percent of the British TV audience on Saturday, according to ITV, the commercial TV network that carried it.
The contest, won by Leona Lewis of London, an office worker, reportedly delivered 12.6 million viewers, topping the 9.3 million for last season's finale.
ITV said that 8 million viewers cast votes by phone. (Lewis's performance was quickly posted on YouTube.com.)
The program was reportedly scheduled in such a way as to allow Cowell to resume, after a brief break, his role as a judge on Fox's American Idol next month.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
| Vacation!!!!!!! -- Again |
Just wanted to let you know I'm on vacation again starting yesterday through January 1 so that I can use up the rest of my vacation time before the end of the year. The Simon Times will be publishing a little later each day than usual (like today, lol!). So, if you don't see anything early in the morning, please check back later and there should be something here.
Hope you all have wonderful holidays!
~ JackieLynn
| Why Leona Will Be Huge in the U.S. (by Simon Cowell) |
December 19, 2006
By Simon Cowell for The Sun
He's the acid-tongued judge on the hottest TV show of the year.
Simon Cowell spotted X Factor winner Leona Lewis early on – and believes she has the talent to conquer the globe.
Here, he writes exclusively for The Sun about the first non-white winner of a UK pop talent show and reveals his hopes for her future:
Leona can be an enormous star in America and I’m going to make sure of it.
She has got everything it takes to become a big success there and I know I can help her to crack it.
In Britain we don’t get as excited about successful female singers as they do over there.
But in the US they have a rich history of hugely successful women artists from the likes of Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston to Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera.
And America loves a rags-to-riches story — which is what Leona will have.
Her tale is similar to American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Kelly was working as a cocktail waitress and entered the competition as a last-ditch attempt to crack the record industry.
Leona’s story isn’t too different from that.
She’s a quiet, unassuming girl from Hackney who has tried almost everything to break into the industry and who viewed
X Factor as her last chance before giving up.
And she has broken so many barriers in Britain by winning this contest.
She’s quiet, female and of mixed race which is unusual compared to previous reality talent competition winners. Above all, what Americans seem to love is genuine talent and that’s what Leona has in bundles.
She will also have an advantage over other winners of these kinds of shows in that I can help open doors for her in the US — like I did for Il Divo — and I’m confident Americans will fall in love with her.
With Il Divo I was able to tell the people who mattered that I’d discovered some of the best voices in the world — and the album went on to be a No1 hit.
There is already a huge buzz about Leona over there and Clive Davis, who discovered Whitney Houston, is already teaming up with me to help.
Clive is the shrewdest man in the business and drives a hard bargain but the moment he watched tapes of Leona singing he rang me and said he wanted to work with her.
He told me she’s like a cross between Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
And he wasn’t bothered whether she won the show or not — he wanted to sign her anyway.
He thinks that with the two of us behind her she can’t fail.
More than one million Americans have watched footage of Leona on YouTube and I’m taking her to Los Angeles to perform showcases in front of the business’s biggest writers and execs.
I want her to make an album that is a real statement with some brilliant songs on it.
There’s no need for us to rush anything, and Leona has firm ideas about the kinds of songs she wants to write and perform.
She’s a very talented musician, she doesn’t conform to a stereotype and she knows her own mind.
And I think it can only make her more endearing to the American public that she doesn’t realise quite how talented she really is.
| Forget X Factor, Cowell Has the £100m Factor |
December 19, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Mail
Simon Cowell has won a new TV deal worth £20 million, making him the highest paid entertainer on British screens.
But this amount is only the tip of the iceberg with Cowell’s total earnings likely to reach £100 million over the next five years, according to insiders.
While the weekend winner of The X Factor, Leona Lewis, made the headlines with a £1 million recording contract, her earnings will be dwarfed by Cowell’s over the next few years.
As well as his £20 million deal over three years on ITV, which was announced yesterday, Cowell, 47, will also pocket about £13 million per series for his appearances on hit U.S. show American Idol.
He will also cash in on the music rights to the winners of both American Idol and The X Factor.
Cowell’s earnings are boosted by his role as producer on records released by The X Factor winners, including Miss Lewis’s new single A Moment Like This, which is considered to be a dead certainty for the Christmas number one.
He also produces records released by winners of American Idol, such as Kelly Clarkson’s version of the same song Miss Lewis has just released, which topped the charts in 2002.
Cowell will also continue to receive royalties from singles that he produces as a result of the show.
His new ITV deal, which ties him to The X Factor until 2009, eclipses that of Jonathan Ross, who is picking up £18 million over his three-year BBC deal.
A source close to Cowell said yesterday: "He has become the man with the Midas touch. He is the most successful TV man in the world.
"If you think about it no other Briton has had success in America and not only is American Idol his and Simon Fuller’s, he’s also a performer getting $25 million a series."
Cowell’s bank balance has already benefited by the sale of his production company Syco to Sony this year for £100 million.
Creator and judge on The X Factor, best known for his caustic put-downs to young hopefuls, Cowell has signed a deal which will include another three series of X-Factor, along with his upcoming show – Britain’s Got Talent.
ITV’s new executive chairman, Michael Grade, is hoping the deal will bring new life to the channel as it struggles to compete with an ever-increasing number of rival stations.
In a time of falling ratings, The X Factor has managed to pull in an average audience of over eight million, proving a rare bright spot for ITV.
As South London-born Miss Lewis, 21, and Liverpool’s favourite Ray Quinn, 18, battled it out in the nail-biting final on Saturday night, just under 13 million viewers tuned in.
Just six years ago, Cowell started to take immense pleasure in destroying the dreams of Britain’s wannabe stars following the huge success the original Mr Nasty, Nigel Lythgoe, who appeared as judge on the first Popstars – which showcased the group Hear’Say in 2000.
Since then both Lythgoe and Cowell have found fame on the back of American Idol, where Lythgoe is now the British executive producer.
Speaking about Cowell’s well-rehearsed ruthless streak, Lythgoe said: "Simon’s really got his act together now.
"When he started out, he wasn’t very quick-witted and he didn’t have a sense of humour – he was just nasty.
"But he’s grown tremendously and he hasn’t simply moved into the part, he is the part now."
Earlier this year, Cowell was reportedly worth an estimated £50 million and it is believed this figure will double in the next couple of years.
Signings for Cowell include opera quartet Il Divo and boy band Westlife, which have added to his vast fortune, but it seems he has no plans to start a family and share his wealth.
The pop mogul, who has been dating girlfriend Terri Seymour for the past four years, has previously said that he is too old to have children.
Though he may revel in his new found fame and wealth, it wasn’t too long ago that Cowell lost everything and went bankrupt.
During the Eighties he lost his treasured Porsche along with his home and was forced to move in with his parents.
But he claims that financial ruin was exciting because it meant that he could start again.
He declared: "The getting there is more fun than being there."
| Simon Loses his Grip in X Factor Excitement |
December 19, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Mail
The excitement at the prospects of X Factor winner Leona Lewis — along with becoming the highest paid star on TV in a £20 million deal with ITV — must be getting to Simon Cowell.
The X Factor judge had a bit of a slip outside the show’s wrap party last night when he dropped a brown bottle onto the pavement as he waited for his car.
But what was in the bottle? Could it have been the medication that has kept him normal while having to sit next to fellow judge Louis Walsh?
In fact, the bottle contained a special “X Factor cocktail” — combining peach schnapps, vodka and cranberry into a delicious and mildly numbing drink — which was made especially on the night and handed to guests as they left.
Simon was at the party with his girlfriend Terri Seymour. He was joined by all of the contestants, judges Sharon Osborne and Louis, the Irishman’s pal Stephen Gately, presenter Kate Thornton and Sharon’s daughter Kelly at the bash at Sound in Leicester Square.
Winner Leona stayed until 1.20am, despite having to be up at the crack of dawn to appear on GMTV this morning.
All credit to her though — she looked astonishingly fresh-faced on the GMTV couch.
| Simon Apologizes to Jamelia |
December 19, 2006
By Staff Writers for UTV Live
Pop star Jamelia said X Factor judge Simon Cowell had apologised for calling her a "one hit wonder" because of comments she made about the show`s winner Leona Lewis.
The pop star caused an upset recently when she allegedly called 21- year-old Leona`s voice "Mariah Carey circa 1990".
Cowell then hit back saying: "Have a second hit, then have an opinion."
But Jamelia said today: "I did not say anything against Leona.
"Simon Cowell was very silly believing what he read about what I had apparently said.
"But he called me and apologised for what he said.
"To be honest I didn`t think it was a competition for her because I thought she was so good she was going to win it from the beginning and I will be going to buy her record although it`s already going to be No 1."
| Cowell's Secret Plan to Launch X Factor Winner |
December 19, 2006
By WENN for UK Yahoo
Music mogul Simon Cowell is reportedly paving the way for The X Factor winner Leona Lewis to break America, having sealed a string of high-profile TV appearances for the newly-crowned star.
Cowell is determined to help Lewis, who won the TV talent contest on Saturday, rocket to the top of the US charts -- and he has met with American entertainment bosses to put together a GBP500,000 promotional campaign for the 21-year-old singer.
Lewis will reportedly appear on US TV talent show American Idol, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and chat show Ellen in a bid to wow American audiences.
A source tells the Sunday Mail, "He sees her as being on a par with past winners of American Idol which, coming from him, is praise indeed.
"Plans to launch Leona were under way long before the weekend's final -- it is being run like a military operation."
Monday, December 18, 2006
| £20m Si Scoops Highest TV Deal |
December 18, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Mail and Sara Nathan for The Sun
X Factor winner Leona Lewis may have landed herself a £1million record contract but Simon Cowell was revealed to be the real winner of the show.
Cowell, the show's creator and its best- known judge, has signed a multi-million deal with ITV after the series proved a ratings winner for the network.
The three-year deal with Cowell, which is reportedly worth more than £20 million - just beating the £18 million package Jonathan Ross gets from the BBC - makes him the best-paid star on television.
And he will do LESS than Wossy, who must work until 2010 — a year longer — for his loot.
ITV bosses were desperate to keep Simon, 46, and to make sure more X Factors are made.
The multi-millionaire — whose company Syco co-produces the X Factor — had considered axing the smash hit show. Simon admitted to The Sun: “After two and half years of the X Factor, I’d pondered whether we were going to carry on. But this series has just been so fantastic. Leona winning means, for once, the best singer in the competition won. I think there is even more we can do with the X Factor.”
The golden handcuffs deal comes weeks before Michael Grade joins ITV as executive chairman.
Tension is high to make sure ITV keeps its top stars, including Cowell and Ant and Dec. Now Simon will star in several new shows, including a UK version of his latest US hit America’s Got Talent. Ant and Dec are set to sign up to host the programme, in which all types of acts get the chance to audition.
ITV will also work on new Syco projects.
Delighted Simon described his relationship with ITV as “fantastic”.
He said: “I couldn’t be happier. ITV gave me my first big break in TV five years ago for which I will be eternally grateful.”
ITV boss Simon Shaps said: “Simon’s the face of the two biggest entertainment formats in the world. I’m delighted to be working with him in a variety of new formats.”
ITV's new chairman Michael Grade has clearly signalled that he hopes that the Cowell deal - which will include three more series of X Factor as well as his upcoming show Britain's Got Talent - will bring new life to the floundering channel.
In times of falling ratings, X Factor has pulled in average audiences of more than eight million, providing a rare bright spot for ITV as it struggles to compete with a multiplicity of other channels.
Nearly 13 million people tuned in on Saturday night to watch Leona, a 21-year-old former Pizza Hut waitress from Hackney beat rival Ray Quinn, 18, and become the first woman to win the show.
A spokeswoman said ITV will get the first choice on programmes developed by Cowell through his company Syco, which produces X Factor.
An insider was quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying: "It's a massive deal - around £20 million. "It's more than Jonathan's, but you have to remember ITV are getting X Factor as part of that package as well as Simon as a TV personality."
It is six years since Cowell snarled his way into popular culture as the acerbic judge on Pop Idol.
Since then, as well as taking a star turn on the X Factor, which he also produces, Cowell has inflated his massive bank balance by working on the hit American Idol.
He was earlier this year estimated to be worth £50 million - and is believed to be well on his way to doubling that in the next couple of years.
But he has spent most of his life as a record producer, working his way up from postroom boy at EMI. Signings include the boy band Westlife and opera quartet Il Divo.
He hit a low patch in the Eighties when he went bankrupt, lost his Porsche and his house and went home to live with his parents.
But he claims financial ruin was exciting because it meant he could start again: "The getting there is more fun than the being there,î he said last year.
He and girlfriend, Terri Seymour have been together for four years - but he says that at 47 he is too old to have children.
Over the course of the third series, X Factor has confirmed its enduring popularity as a solid Saturday night ratings winner despite the overall trend for falling audiences on the main terrestrial channels.
ITV executives have hailed the programme as a panacaea for the seemingly unstoppable trend towards audience fragmentation.
Similar feelings have been expressed over at the BBC, which enjoyed parallel success with Strictly Come Dancing. BBC1 controller Peter Fincham vowed last week to concentrate more on "three generation" shows which can appeal to a broad spectrum of viewers.
| Leona to Take on the World |
December 17, 2006
By Jen Blackburn for The Sun
X Factor winner Leona Lewis has been promised worldwide superstardom by the music mogul behind Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys' careers.
After Saturday’s live final, Take That’s Gary Barlow called on Simon Cowell to “break the X Factor mould,” insisting Leona’s talent deserved more than “an album of ballad covers”.
Speaking at a press conference immediately after the show, Simon hit back, insisting industry bigwig Clive Davis has been enlisted to develop Leona’s career.
He said: “A lot’s been happening over the last few weeks. I’ve had a phone call from Clive Davis, who looks after Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston, and is one of our affiliates in America. He called me on Thursday and said, ‘Simon we’ve been watching Leona Lewis and win or lose, we’re in.’
“I take Gary’s words very seriously. I think we have a major, major worldwide star. We’re not going to make an album quickly, we’re going to make the best possible album. Obviously with Leona’s input to make the album she’s comfortable with.”
And Simon vowed to start work on Leona’s career immediately.
He added: “The work starts tomorrow morning on this young lady. We’ve got to do the job now.
“We’re going to try and make everyone who voted for her proud that we’ve found found a British girl who’s up there with the Mariah’s and the Whitney’s. We take this very, very seriously.”
| Ray Makes a Date at Sinatra's |
December 18, 2006
By Victoria Newton for The Sun and Pete Samson for The Mirror
Ray Quinn is celebrating his own X Factor victory — after landing a deal to record in Frank Sinatra’s old studios in Los Angeles.
The Scouse crooner, 18, will head off to the States next month for a date at the Capitol Studios thanks to judge Simon Cowell.
Show creator Cowell said yesterday: "I told Ray I was going to sign him. I wasn't going to tell him yet but I had to after he behaved in such a dignified manner.
"His reaction was amazing. After what he did for Leona I didn't want him to go home miserable."
Simon said: “I called on him after the final and said, ‘What are you doing on January 16?’ Ray said nothing so I said, ‘You’ll be recording in Sinatra’s old studio’.”
Simon signed Ray up to release a swing album after hearing him sing My Way and Fly Me To The Moon on Saturday’s show.
And he had big praise for both the finalists, saying: “These latest two are the best we’ve ever had.”
The record is due to be released in March.
| Godly Fame for Cowell |
December 18, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Record
Simon Cowell is now nearly as famous as God, according to a kiddies' poll.
The X Factor judge took eighth place in a list of the "world's most famous people" in a survey of British kids aged under 10.
God took first place, followed by US president George Bush. Madonna was third, Jesus fourth, and Santa fifth.
The survey, for National Kids' Day, also revealed children thought "being a celebrity" was the "very best thing in the world".
Who's the most famous person in the world?
1. God
2. President Bush
3. Madonna
4. Jesus
5. Father Christmas
6. The Queen
7. Tony Blair
8. Simon Cowell
9. Sharon Osbourne
10. Britney Spears
Sunday, December 17, 2006
| X-Factor Winner Leona Is Multi Mil-Leona-Ire |
December 17, 2006
By Melanie Swan for The People
X FACTOR.. THE FINAL VERDICT Pop beauty will earn £10million as a star here and in the US and Ray's set for a massive payday too
X Factor star Leona Lewis is set to earn £10million after thrilling millions of fans in last night's dramatic TV showdown with Ray Quinn.
Just by reaching the final of the ITV1 show Leona had set herself up for a bumper pay-out by becoming the first-ever X Factor contestant to succeed in Britain AND the States.
Fellow finalist Ray can expect a £2million pay-day with pop stardom in the UK now assured.
Almost 11 million people tuned in to the closest-ever X Factor final with an expected 10 million votes cast.
And though Simon Cowell's two finalists battled it out as rivals they are both guaranteed huge riches.
Leona, 21, will be marketed Stateside and by the end of 2007 will be touring with big name stars such as Mariah Carey. Ray, 18, has already penned the title of his first album, Sing When You're Quinning -- which music insiders tip for massive chart success.
Last night he belted out two Frank Sinatra classics, Fly Me To The Moon and My Way.
Ray and Leona fought off competition from 100,000 wannabes in their bid for the prize of a £1million recording contract.
Cowell said: "I don't want either of them to lose but whoever loses, they'll still do well.
"Of course you'd rather say you were the winner than the runner-up, but I've got no doubt these two will both be signed up straight away."
An industry insider revealed: "Simon knows that Leona's got the whole package -- looks and talent to match.
"There is no doubt her album sales will shoot through the roof and she will be a sure-fire success for ticket sales on tour.
"Simon's got big plans for Leona. With all his connections, he'll ensure that she's put right out there in the States.
"He's going to get her on tour with big names like Mariah Carey to get her the most exposure he can.
"Once she's done the X Factor tour, he'll be whisking her off to really capitalise on her success in the show."
The source added: "She's got more than the X Factor. She's clean cut and wholesome which makes her a real money-spinner in the States.
"Her style of music fits right into the market in America and she's the first star in the show who has got that international appeal.
"She will be the star who will make Cowell the most money in the long-run.
He thinks she is the most talented UK artist he's seen for years and wants to market her as a new diva like Mariah or Beyonce."
The insider added: "Ray will do well but he won't have the international or universal appeal that Leona does. Simon will ensure his first album will rocket to chart success. But in terms of longevity, his career and earning potential won't quite match that of Leona.
"She'll fit in perfectly on tour with big name stars like Beyonce or the Pussycat Dolls, but Ray's market is more limited. "But with tours and album sales, he will be raking in the cash in no time."
Both Londoner Leona and Scouser Ray are expected to eclipse the success of last year's winner Shayne Ward, who had a number one single and album.
Leona has been likened to Cowell's US protege Kelly Clarkson -- the winner of American Idol. The show propelled her to fame when she won in 2002 and she has become famous for her hits including Since U Been Gone.
Leona has won the hearts of both the judges and the nation, with even Louis Walsh admitting: "You've got it all. You've got the whole package."
The glamorous babe could also rake in a fortune in lucrative modelling deals and television appearances.
Ex-child star Ray -- who was Anthony in Channel 4 soap Brookside -- has already been flooded with offers for film, TV and stage work.
Former stage school student Leona also won parts on TV, as Phil Mitchell's stepdaughter in EastEnders and in the comedy 2 Point 4 Children.
But before X Factor she was on the point of ditching showbiz to become a social worker.
| And the Winner Is... X Factor |
December 17, 2006
By Siddika Khalique for The Independent
Simon, Louis and Sharon will get rich pickings from show long after victor's hits have dried up
It is one of TV's best-loved money-spinners - and as The X Factor reached a crescendo last night, its stars were contemplating riches too. Not the finalists, Ray Quinn and Leona Lewis, who were competing for a virtually guaranteed number one single like the winners before them, but the judges.
The show's creator, Simon Cowell, and fellow judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne, will still be spending the hundreds of thousands they earned from the show long after the victor's hits have dried up.
While the 2005 winner, Shayne Ward, was lamenting his failure to make the top 10 with his third single, "Stand By Me", Cowell was still watching the money roll in from that year's series. As well as his £400,000 fee for appearing in the show, he raked in a fortune because his company, Syco, produces the show. Osbourne took around £250,000 and Walsh more than half that last year, while in 2006 each of the trio has seen a big pay rise.
Cowell is now estimated to be worth £60m on the back of his TV projects - including his American Idol franchise - while Osbourne is reckoned to be valued at £100m together with her rock star husband, Ozzy. Her worth has been boosted by advertising deals, such as her Asda campaign, and a chat show, both of which came via the exposure on The X Factor.
In addition, the series is thought to generate a cut of the acts' profits for their mentors (each judge is assigned a singer or group to nurture). Girls Aloud recently revealed they are still paying a cut of their income to Walsh from their association with him on the 2002 talent show Popstars: The Rivals, even though they no longer have any management agreement with him.
The production companies working on The X Factor, Talkback Thames and Cowell's Syco TV, are tight-lipped about how much last night's final would generate in phone votes. But a spokeswoman for the show said they expected to exceed the three and a half million votes cast for the 2005 final.
The votes cost 35p a call and 35p a text (plus standard mobile charge), and none of the money goes to charity.
That is in stark contrast to Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC prime-time reality television Saturday night entertainment show, which has gone head-to-head with The X Factor over the past few weeks.
BBC1's dance competition reaches its finale next week. Last year, the programme raised £1.5m for Children in Need.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
| Simon Cowell's Love of Cosmetic Dentistry |
December 16, 2006
By Staff Writers for Monsters and Critics
Simon Cowell likes American dentistry and straight smiles!!
The music mogul has offered to pay for Louis Walsh to have his teeth capped before the new series of the 'X Factor'.
Cowell -- whose own cosmetic dentistry was exposed by Louis during the current series -- has offered to buy his fellow judge a sparkling new set of gnashers.
Simon said: "Louis was supposed to have new teeth himself for the latest series. He does need them. I would actually pay for him to have new teeth.
"It's a big job. In fact, I'll start with just one tooth this year. Then we can keep going for the next 20 years."
Simon has also revealed he once got a make-up artist to spray tan Louis' face before an episode of the 'X Factor' went live on air, as a joke.
He said: "It was last series. I got the make-up artist to put this spray tan on him, knowing it would get darker as the show went on.
"He kept saying, 'It's not too dark is it?' And we were shaking our heads and saying, 'No, no, it looks fine.'"
Friday, December 15, 2006
| Leona Won"t Bed Cowell |
December 15, 2006
By Helen Bolton for Megastar and Victoria Newton for The Sun
Is this X Factor final the dirtiest one so far?
With certain newspapers campaigning for particular contestants to win, bookies favourite Leona has been forced to hit back at stories she"s willing to sleep with Simon Cowell if that"s what it takes.
Some bookies are even offering odds on shy Leona getting engaged to the show’s acid-tongued judge next year.
"I was shocked when I read that," the 21-year old Londoner told the Sun. "I supposedly want to bed Simon. There is no way I would sleep with him. I never said anything like that."
In a comment that's sure to make Simon feel really good, Leona continued that the high-trousered millionaire is "more like a father than someone I would go out with. He's about the same age as my dad too.
"So the thought of me going out with him is all wrong – sick."
You've got our vote.
Leona was also worried that the reports had caused distress to her boyfriend, Lou.
"It's so awful for Lou seeing all these rubbish rumours. Lou and me have been going out for four and-a-half years. He is the one I want to be with for the rest of my life."
Leona squares up against Ray, another of Simon's acts in the final tomorrow night.
| Emma Bunton for X Factor? |
December 15, 2006
By Staff Writers for More Magazine
Is Simon Cowell recruiting a new judge?
Cowell is reportedly looking for a foxy young female judge for next year’s X Factor.
The high trousered one is rumoured to be holding secret casting sessions to recruit a younger member of his panel, and the top of his wish list is Emma Bunton.
Other names being bandied about for the fourth season -- which he has hinted will be ‘completely different’ –- are Charlotte Church, Sarah Harding, Jordan, and a chip of judge Sharon Osbourne’s block, daughter Kelly Osbourne.
A source said: ‘Simon knows he needs some fresh faces and ideas to keep viewers glued.’
Thursday, December 14, 2006
| Geordie Pair Have Got TalANT |
December 14, 2006
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Jaunty Geordies Ant and Dec are teaming up again with Simon Cowell for a major new Saturday night talent show.
The I’m A Celeb pair, who arrived back in Britain from Australia yesterday, are set to host Britain’s Got Talent — a UK version of Cowell’s hit US show America’s Got Talent.
If the deal goes ahead as expected, the Pop Idol team of three years ago will be reunited, with Ant and Dec as presenters and Cowell as a judge.
The new show will scour Britain for members of the public with particular talents.
They could be singers, dancers or comedians — or performers with more bizarre acts such as fire-eating. ITV bosses plan to screen it from April or May.
Cowell will give his verdict along with two of the judges from the US series, journalist Piers Morgan and former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff. A fourth judge who would be female is also being considered.
An insider working on the show, co-produced by Cowell’s company Syco, said: “Ant and Dec loved working with Simon on Pop Idol and are really excited by Britain’s Got Talent.
“We expect them to sign up next month so we can start the ball rolling.”
The US version — hosted by America’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? quizmaster Regis Philbin — featured a yodeler, a group of acrobats and a comedy juggling act. The prize for the winning act was a million dollars, which was scooped by 11-year-old singing sensation Bianca Ryan.
Britain’s Got Talent will be just one of a pile of projects lined up for Ant and Dec.
They are set to host another series of £1million quiz show Poker Face. And new series of Saturday Night Takeaway, All Star Cup and I’m A Celebrity are planned.
They will soon be re-negotiating their contracts with ITV, which could see their salaries rocket to £5million each.
| Vex-Factor! Simon Cowell and X-Factor Voted Worst Influences on British Music |
December 14, 2006
By PR Newswire for Sys-Con
Simon Cowell and the X-Factor were today revealed as having the worst influence on the UK music industry, in a survey carried out by eMusic, the world's second largest digital music service.
Over half of people questioned by eMusic about the state of UK music scene cited the X-Factor and Simon Cowell as having the most negative effect on the music industry in the last 20 years. Cowell, who has managed the likes of Sonia and 5ive, and the X-Factor, which has made amateurs like Michelle McManus, Steve Brookstein and Shane Ward famous for five minutes, were blamed for the malaise in modern popular music. Together they beat Stock, Aitken & Waterman (16%), Steps (6%) and The Spice Girls (6%) to take the title.
In contrast, the eMusic survey acknowledged John Peel, the legendary radio DJ famed for championing independent music for 40 years and bringing to air artists such as Pink Floyd and The White Stripes, as the person who has had the most positive influence on the industry with 61% of the votes. Peel came in ahead of Alan McGee, founder of Creation records which launched Oasis (3%), musical impresario Jools Holland (7%), and founder of Glastonbury, Micahel Eavis (6%).
Almost half of the music fans questioned by eMusic also thought that the UK's taste in music is becoming too similar. The rise of reality TV and manufactured music artists (72%), similarity of radio playlists (72%), and an industry driven by money not creativity (82%) were all seen as major reasons for conformity of choice.
David Pakman, CEO of eMusic comments "The X-Factor may be entertaining television, but it does not produce important or lasting musicians. The moguls throwing cash behind reality-TV artists only create short-term phenomena and make it harder for truly talented acts to break through. The results indicate that we could be seeing a backlash against these over-hyped and over-manufactured artists. In the long run, authenticity and integrity will win the race."
About eMusic
http://www.emusic.com
eMusic (http://www.emusic.com) is the world's leading digital retailer of independent music, second only to iTunes in number of downloads sold. The eMusic Web site offers a global catalogue of more than 1.9 million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world's leading independent labels. Created by music experts for music fans, it features award-winning editorial content, a vibrant online community and unrivaled music discovery tools. A subscription- based service that offers 25 free downloads at sign-up, eMusic gives consumers an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music they wouldn't find otherwise, and unlike other download services, its universally compatible MP3 files play on any device including the iPod(R). Based in New York with an office in London, eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.
Research carried out by eMusic in November 2006, questioning 500 UK adults.
| Cowell's Got Jones for VP |
December 14, 2006
By Adam Dawtrey for Variety
Simon Jones, who brokered the original deals to create "Pop Idol" in the U.K. and "American Idol" in the U.S., has joined Simon Cowell's production company Syco as senior VP, operations and international.
In this newly created role, Jones will have operational responsibility for the business side of the company, including international sales of TV formats and developing ancillary businesses for all of Syco's artists and formats.
Jones was formerly managing director of Fremantle Music TV and senior VP of talent for worldwide entertainment. He acquired "The Apprentice" for the international market, struck the deal with Syco for production of "The X Factor" and played a major part in securing Sharon Osborne as a judge for "X Factor."
Previously, he was instrumental in working with 19 Entertainment, Fremantle and BMG to launch the "Pop Idol"/"American Idol" format and supervised its rollout to more than 30 countries.
He also set up Jamie Oliver's production company Fresh and served as commercial director of ITV.
"I have known Simon for over 10 years. He is one of the smartest operators in the TV business," Cowell said.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
| X Factor Judges Round on 'One-Hit Wonder' Jamelia |
December 12, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Sun
X Factor rottweiler Simon Cowell today lashed out at pop star Jamelia after she criticised show finalist Leona Lewis.
Jamelia caused an upset when she described 21-year-old Leona's voice as "Mariah Carey circa 1990."
But today Cowell and fellow X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne rounded on the singer.
Leona, who is battling to win Saturday's final against fellow contestant Ray Quinn, 18 also hit back at the so-called "nice star of pop."
Leona, from Hackney, London, the first female to get to the final of the singing contest, said: "I didn't actually read about her comment but I heard about it. She's another female artist and someone asked me a question about her before all of that. I said she's a female British artist and I support her. I support any up-and- coming artists."
Cowell, the only judge with acts left in the final, said sarcastically: "Jamelia's been fantastic. She's a one-hit wonder and she's got all the advice.
"My advice to her would be to have a second hit then have an opinion."
Cowell, who is known for his acerbic put- downs, added: "What annoys me about that is that when you get the chance to be successful and then someone else has the chance to be successful you should show them a bit of support, not that it bothers me."
Osbourne said at a press conference to mark the ITV show's final week: "Can I just ask something? Who is Jamelia? This is all going over my head."
Walsh replied: "She's had one hit." And he added: "There are much bigger stars than Jamelia."
The Thank You star unwittingly sparked a war of words with the X Factor judges by saying just days ago: "Leona's great. She has an amazing voice, but it's a bit Mariah Carey circa 1990. I don't know how she would fit into the music industry."
Walsh and Osbourne also said that Cowell had made their lives a misery since the pair's remaining acts were booted off the show and failed to make it into the final.
Asked how smug Cowell was, Osbourne said: "You can't imagine it. Incredibly so."
Walsh added: "He's always like this so we've got used to it, but he's very smug."
Cowell admitted: "I'm loving every second," adding that he was making it worse for the other two judges "by being slightly patronising by saying it was about the two singers and not about them."
Cowell said both stars had a future ahead of them but would not confirm whether he would sign up the runner-up.
He said: "This is a tough market. If you look at two artists, for example Emma Bunton and Matt Willis who won the I'm a Celebrity, whatever it's called, they haven't even got into the top 60 with their new records.
"Shayne Ward has sold 2.5 million records but without winning the X Factor he wouldn't have even sold one record.
"It's the best showcase for new talent I can think of at the moment. There's no guarantee but they have a far better chance if they win the show. I would say the future for both these two right now is rosy," he added.
"I don't like the idea of having to describe one of them as the runner-up. I think they do have a future but I'm not going to discuss whether I'm going to sign them or not.
"But for them it's always best to be called the winner rather than the runner-up."
The Mr Nasty of television said: "It is a punters' final. It's the two the public wanted and it's as close as any competition has been in my life. I can't call it. But I will support whoever wins."
Leona, who until recently has been the bookies' favourite, said: "Throughout the show I have held back a little bit but in the final I'm just going to give it my all. I'm going to let go and show everyone my personality and do the best I can do."
She said: "I'm really proud because I think I'm the first female to get to the final of the X Factor and that must mean that girls and guys are voting for me."
But she added: "I don't really think about race and gender and stuff like that. I think that people should just look at me as a singer and hear my voice, see my performance and don't go on anything else apart from that."
Her rival, Ray, said: "It's unbelievable for me. I'm trying to live each moment to the full."
He added that he would consider appearing in panto if he was asked to after the show if it didn't work out saying: "I'll consider everything. I just like singing and dancing and when you are on stage you can put all three together."
He added: "A Christmas number one would be absolutely unbelievable."
| Simon: The Winner Takes All |
December 13, 2006
By Jen Blackburn for The Sun
Simon Cowell has hinted he WON’T be signing both X Factor finalists, insisting "it’s always best to be the winner".
The acerbic judge is mentoring both Ray and Leona, and is widely expected to snap up both contestants.
However, despite wangling a contract for last year’s double act Journey South – who came in third – the BMG music mogul is refusing to confirm whether the runner-up has a future with him.
He said: "This is a tough market. If you look at two artists, for example Emma Bunton and Matt Willis who won I’m a Celebrity they haven’t even got into the top 60 with their new records.
"Shayne Ward has sold 2.5 million records but without winning the X Factor he wouldn’t have even sold one record. Journey South have sold 1 million. There’s no guarantee, but they have a far better chance if they win the show."
He added: "I don’t like the idea of having to describe one of them as the runner-up. I think they do have a future but I am not going to discuss whether I am going to sign them or not.
"But for them it’s always best to be called the winner rather than the runner-up."
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
| Klass Fave to Kiss by Mistletoe |
December 11, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Sun
Jungle babe Myleene Klass and love-rat Jude Lawhave topped polls revealing what celebs most Brits want to kiss underneath the mistletoe.
The Klass-y I’m A Celeb runner-up swept the board with 31 per cent of the vote, with Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding coming a close second in the female list.
Liberty X's Michelle Heaton won third place, followed by a slightly surprising win by Leona Lewis -- pipping Jordan out of fourth place and into fifth.
The survey -- commissioned by vodka cappuccino Café Kiss – placed Victoria Beckham, Jade Goody, Kate Thornton, Heather McCartney and Jan Leeming as the respective five turkeys.
Meanwhile Jude's win led X Factor's Simon Cowell snivelling into second place.
Motor-mouth Rusell Brand came third with a respectable 17 per cent, beating blonde Bond Daniel Craig and fifth position Mark Owen.
But thankfully Kate Moss has nothing to worry about as on-off boyfriend Pete Doherty won the losers list with 40 per cent, beating oldies David Gest, Bruce Forsyth, TTony Blair, and Gordon Ramsay.
| Hunk in Trunks |
December 12, 2006
By John Dingwall for The Daily Record
James Bond hunk Daniel Craig has been voted the sexiest man in the world.
The latest 007 has attracted an army of female admirers since emerging from the sea in a skimpy pair of trunks for film Casino Royale.
The image of the 38-year-old is the most popular mobile download of 2006.
And it helped him to the No1 spot in a top 10 compiled after a poll of 4000 women.
British blokes dominated the survey.
Only two American stars made it into the top spots.
Runner-up was fellow British actor Clive Owen. The tall, dark star of blockbuster hits such as Sin City and Closer rose to fame in the early 1990s in the TV drama Chancer.
He has since gone on to win a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.
It seems doing the dirty on actress Sienna Miller has not deterred women from swooning over Jude Law, who was third.
In fourth place was T4 presenter Steve Jones.
The Welshman is known for dating a string of beauties, including Pamela Anderson and Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud.
Ocean's Eleven star George Clooney could only manage fifth place, with Johnny Depp in sixth.
The survey was conducted for condom makers Durex.
Spokeswoman Rosie Lodge said: "Daniel Craig is an obvious choice for the sexiest man on the planet and he has all the attributes that make up a real icon.
"The scene in Casino Royale where he is frolicking in the sea has caught the attention of women across the world.
"It is refreshing to see so many Brits in the top 10.
"So much focus is always on Hollywood hunks but it's great to see so many sexy British blokes flying the flag."
THE TOP BLOKES
1 Daniel Craig
2 Clive Owen
3 Jude Law
4 Steve Jones
5 George Clooney
6 Johnny Depp
7 David Beckham
8 Robbie Williams
9 Orlando Bloom
10 Pierce Brosnan
11 Nigel Harman
12 Brad Pitt
13 Colin Farrell
14 Freddie Ljungberg
15 Ben Shephard
16 Matthew Fox
17 Simon Cowell
18 Bill Ward
19 Heath Ledger
20 Prince William
21 Jenson Button
22 Justin Timberlake
23 Antonio Banderas
24 Rob Lowe
25 Julian McMahon
26 Bruce Willis
27 Shane Lynch
28 Denzel Washington
29 Jonny Wilkinson
30 Kevin Pietersen
Sunday, December 10, 2006
| Ben's Out! Now Leona and Ray Go Head to Head! |
December 10, 2006
By Staff Writers for News of the World
Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn will fight it out for the X Factor crown after Ben Mills was sensationally booted off last night's show.
Both were amazed — Ben was a favourite to make next week's final.
Holding back tears of joy, 21-year-old Leona told presenter Kate Thornton: "It's unbelievable."
Gobsmacked Ray, 18, said: "I can't believe it, I'm stunned. Thank you so much to everyone who voted."
The result means Simon Cowell has both acts in the final. Fellow judges Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh have now lost all of theirs.
Minutes after the result was announced, Louis said: "That's not what we expected. Who knows who'll win the show now? Leona's the favourite but Ray could do it too. It'll be a hell of a battle."
The two wannabe stars now have a week to build public support ahead of Saturday's series climax.
But Louis warned that the winner may only clinch their success during the actual show. He said: "It's all down to what songs Leona and Ray sing on the night. A lot of people won't make up their minds until then so it's very important that they pick the right material.
"Another major factor to consider is who Ben's supporters will move to.
"Will they back Leona or Ray? Ben was popular with women so they'd probably prefer to vote for Ray, but Leona may win them over."
Neglected
Louis said he would love to see Ray crowned winner, because of his feud with Simon.
He bitched: "I think they are both great, but Simon has put all his faith in Leona and neglected Ray.
"Simon would prefer it if Leona won and for that reason I'd love to see Ray win and wipe the smile off his face. He's so smug. It may just bring him down to earth."
Whichever way the result goes, Louis is sure that Leona will be so huge she may even crack America. He said: "She's got a great look and she can sing anything. There is a gap in the market for a girl like her and I can see her really working. She's a young Whitney Houston and I'm sure America will love her too."
Whoever wins next week's show will walk away with a £1million record deal with SonyBMG. Both have already recorded versions of A Moment Like This which will be released on December 20 and seems certain to be the Christmas No1. The winner will then release an album before headlining the X Factor tour.
Leona has said: "Winning the X Factor would be like a dream come true. To win it would be amazing and it would mean the world to me and to my family."
Parents Joe, 45, and Marie, 42, spent £80,000 in fees sending her to the Sylvia Young, Italia Conti and Brits performing arts schools.
Yet a few months ago Leona was working as a secretary and thought her dream of being a chart-topping singer would never be realised.
Her life changed dramatically when she went along to the X Factor auditions to give moral support to boyfriend Lou Al-Chama. He failed to impress the judges, but she was spotted and swept through the early stages of the competition.
Ray would also see his fortunes change. The Scouser has dreamed of being a star since he was a child.
He has already had a brush with fame after playing Anthony in Brookside, winning a Soap Award in 2002 for Best Dramatic Performance.
Distinctive
Despite this early success, he was still living with his parents trying to find work after studying at the Merseyside Dance And Drama College when he auditioned. Ray said: "It would be a dream come true to become a recording artist."
Louis reckons rejected Ben, 26, a former cocaine addict from Whitstable, Kent, will have no problems picking up a record deal.
He said: "He'll be fine. His voice is so distinctive and he really wants it. I'll be amazed if he isn't a huge star."
| Leona and Ray into X Factor Finals |
December 9, 2006
By Staff Writers for Metro
Leona and Ray will go head to head in the final of X Factor after unlucky Ben was voted off in the semi-final of the ITV reality talent show.
Ben Mills, from Kent, went for two rock anthems in the live programme - Everything I Do by Bryan Adams and U2's Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.
But his performance was not quite enough to put the 26-year-old marquee company director into next Saturday's final. "I've done well. I'm proud of myself," he said after the result was announced.
The competition for places in the final was incredibly tight, with the long- haired singer polling just 3% fewer of the 3.5 million votes than the other two contestants.
He said he did not know what the future held, but pledged to carry on singing.
Leona Lewis, 21, wowed the public with a rendition of Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing and then Eva Cassidy's Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which she first sang at her audition.
Judge Simon Cowell described the London receptionist's version of the classic tune as "the single best performance I have ever witnessed" on the show.
Student Ray Quinn, 18, sang Nat King Cole's Smile before his emotional rendition of Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone left him and judge Sharon Osbourne in tears.
The teenager earlier revealed he had been afraid the emotion of the song would get the better of him during the live show, as it had been sung when people in his family died.
The two youngsters, both from Cowell's 16 to 24 age group, will now battle it out to win the competition.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
| Cowell Planning 'Champions League' of Talent |
December 9, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Record and Contact Music
Simon Cowell plans to launch an X Factor "Champions League" with the biggest prize in TV history.
The music guru wants winners from 15 countries to take each other on in a European final. Talks with TV companies are ongoing to establish whether or not there is sufficient interest across Europe for such a contest. Cowell hopes to make it a reality within two years.
If the continent does feel inspired to sing its socks off for Cowell, Eurovision could find itself threatened, after 50 years of dominance, with competition as the world's premier international talent contest.
An insider said yesterday: "It will be a 15-country competition.
"To use a football analogy, we are currently the Premiership and it would be the European Champions League.
"All countries would compete in their national competitions at the same time, then the winners would fight it out to be champions of Europe.
"It would be like the Eurovision Song Contest -- but with good singers.
"This would be the biggest prize in TV history and 100million people would tune in for the final."
The show could take the X Factor judge's fortune past the £100million mark.
On top of the revenue from phone votes and advertising, the winning act would sell millions of records across Europe for Cowell's record company.
As well as being behind the X Factor, Cowell -- worth about £60million -- has already made it big in the US, regularly appearing as a host on American Idol alongside Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul.
His grumpy demeanour and scathingly honest appraisals of wannabe popstars' performances have made him a love-hate figure with the British and American publics, but it remains to be seen whether the French, Spanish, Germans and the rest of Europe will be so welcoming.
| Cowell Was Born to Be a Mr. Nasty |
December 9, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Record
Simon Cowell was born mean if a new ad is anything to go by.
A hilarious trailer for the new season of American Idol depicts the judge as a seven-year-old boy, slating a singer's performance.
As the redhead girl belts out Stop In The Name Of Love, a young Cowell, wearing a trademark tight black top, swiftly puts up his hand.
"Stop, please, you're horrible," he shouts. "It was pathetic, seriously pathetic. It was musical food poisoning. You want some advice? Get better."
The ad -- which has just hit US screens -- also features child versions of Cowell's fellow judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
In typical kind-hearted style, the young Paula says: "You're a big meanie, Simon. She was amazing."
But little Cowell quickly shouts back: "Amazingly dreadful."
| Ryan Seacrest Drops 'American Idol' Season 6 Hints |
December 8, 2006
By Staff Writers for Access Hollywood
‘American Idol' returns to TV screens in January but despite five seasons of picking through the country's most talented and untalented pool, host Ryan Seacrest notes the sixth series will still be packed with drama.
"When we set out to audition the contestants this year I think some of us thought, what's gonna be left? We've done this for so many seasons and we were fulfilled," he said. "We saw plenty of naïve talent [and] we saw plenty of good talent, so it's gonna make for a very, very dynamic audition series."
Seacrest said this year he's gotten fairly good at spotting contestants who, knowing they are bad, audition anyway for the exposure. He also found, especially on the West Coast, a large number of candidates who were unaware they had singing deficiencies. "I know in Seattle specifically we got tired of a few of these contestants that were just from another planet," he told a gathering of reporters Thursday. "We have been surprised this year that even those who we thought were putting us on we're really naïve and believed they were talented enough to make it to a second round of the show."
‘Idol' also came across a rather determined group of auditionees during try-outs. "You will see some of the most aggressive contestants," Seacrest noted. "More so than ever, the contestants who came out to audition came out to win and will let nothing stand in their way."
But enough about the talent pool. Yes, Ryan weighed in on what we can expect from Judge Simon Cowell too. "He's become grumpier," Seacrest noted matter-of-factly. "It's strange because he's getting richer, but he's getting grumpier. It doesn't seem like it adds up."
| Louis' Verdict on the Final Three |
December 9, 2006
By Eva Simpson and Caroline Hedley for The Mirror
Tonight is the showdown that will have X Factor fans on the edge of their seats.
The last three contestants -- Leona, Ben and Ray -- will go head-to-head to in the hope of winning a place in the final.
And the one person who doesn't mind who wins is judge Louis Walsh, whose last act, the Macdonald Brothers, was voted off last week. "I'm neutral now -- I can just sit back and relax," he says.
Which means he's in the perfect position to give his impartial view on the final three.
Here's his professional opinion...
LOUIS ON BEN
I love Ben's voice. He's different from anything we see on these shows -- the long hair, the image. He's a rocker like a young Rod Stewart or Joe Cocker.
Ben has progressed and taken a few chances. Last week he tried a Queen song a cappella. It was good but would have been better with some music.
He's consistent but a hard card to read.
He's shy but he will get the female vote. He has been in bands so he has the advantage over Leona. I knew he'd be in the final. He will go far in the music business.
LOUIS ON RAY
I would never have thought Ray would be in the final three. Never ever. I thought Ben and Leona had so much more to offer.
But of the three acts left he's the hardest working and the most professional. I've never seen anyone so determined.
He's a great dancer and a good singer. He's got a great personality and a great work ethic.
I think he'll end up a star in the West End.
You never know, he might even make the final two.
LOUIS ON LEONA
Leona is a great singer and there's an opening for a girl like her in the UK -- a big female solo act.
Her voice is amazing. When you think about it, we've had Lulu and Dusty Springfield but not many big female singing stars since.
She's understated and not very confident and that's why people like her. She takes everything on board, she treats it all very seriously.
I think Leona will do well. Her future in this business is very bright.
The only problem with Leona is that if she wins, Simon will be so smug.
Friday, December 08, 2006
| Copycat Cowell |
December 8, 2006
By Pete Samson And Graham Brough for The MIrror
Fury over 'stolen winning formula'
Simon Cowell looks set to infuriate rival judge Louis Walsh by copying his X Factor winning formula.
His contestant, Leona Lewis, will sing the Wizard of Oz song Over the Rainbow in tomorrow's semi- final on ITV1.
Last year's winner, Shayne Ward, who was mentored by Louis Walsh, sang the Judy Garland classic in the final.
An insider said: "Over the Rainbow is a fantastic song for a talent show contestant. But I'm sure Louis will have something to say about Simon nicking his winning formula from last year. Now Louis is out of the competition, he has to have something to niggle at Simon about."
Receptionist Leona, 21, from London, is favourite to win this year's show. She will also sing Whitney Houston's I Have Nothing. Simon's other contestant, Ray Quinn, 18, will perform the classic ballad Smile and the Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone.
Sharon Osbourne's contestant, Ben Mills, 27, will make his bid for the final with U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Bryan Adams's Everything I Do. Meanwhile, Leona has fallen victim to celebrity cybersquatting.
The internet domain leonalewis.net is on auction site eBay. So far it has received a top bid of just £31 but that is likely to rise sharply.
Jonathan Robinson, of Net Names, said Cowell should have acted earlier to protect Leona's online profile.
"Failing to secure all the obvious domain names has left this budding star open to attack online," he added.
Other celebrities who have been cybersquatted include Celine Dion and Bruce Springsteen.
| Ben Mills Vows to Cut off His Hair |
December 7, 2006
By Staff Writers for Life Style Extra
'X Factor' hopeful Ben Mills has vowed to cut off his long hair to please Simon Cowell.
The 26-year-old is desperate to impress the judge - who mentors Leona Lewis and Raymond Quinn in the reality show - and insists he will chop off his locks if it makes him more successful.
Ben said: "I've had my hair long since I was 11, but if Simon told me I had to chop it off, I would!"
The recovered drug addict realised he might need to make some brave choices after he was nearly kicked off the show two weeks ago for not scoring enough viewers' votes.
The rocker claims the experience has made him realise the importance of his image.
He said: "I learnt I'm not as good I thought I was. There's so much more to succeeding in this business than just being able to sing."
Ben - a firm favourite to win the show when it first kicked off - has now been overtaken by ballad queen Leona at the bookies, slashing his odds of winning to 5- 1.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
| Plot to Nobble X Factor Babe |
December 7, 2006
By Staff Writers for The Daily Star
Simon Cowell leapt to the defence of X Factor favourite Leona Lewis last night and insisted: “Someone’s out to get her.” Photos of her with two vocal coaches were leaked to sabotage her chances, he claimed.
He said: “It’s just not fair.”
Yesterday’s Daily Star featured a photo of sexy Leona with vocal coaches CeCe Sammy, 28, and John Modi, 30, a pair Simon is known to have worked with for years.
But in an exclusive interview with the Daily Star, Simon insisted the pictures are innocent and his show is not a fix.
He said: “Someone out there doesn’t want Leona to win. Simple as that.
“It’s jealousy. There has been innuendo and rumour and speculation around her since day one.
“I don’t know who’s behind it, but these pictures keep appearing. It’s not fair.”
As for yesterday’s pictures, Simon, 47, said: “These are innocent photos of a girl who wants to be successful.
“Over half of the contestants will have practised with vocal coaches before coming on the show, of course.”
Simon did admit the vocal coaches have worked with some of his artists.
“They were vocal coaches on previous shows I’ve worked on, but they are not the vocal coaches on this series.
“CeCe and John have worked with famous people in the industry and unsigned hopefuls alike.”
But Simon insists he knew nothing of their link-up with Leona, adding: “The first I knew about her dealings with these vocal coaches was reading the story yesterday.
I absolutely did not recommend them to her.
“I never met Leona or heard of Leona before she came to the first audition.”
Leona’s dad Joe told us that he set up the meeting with CeCe in a bid to help his daughter break into the business.
The 45-year-old said: “We’ve always tried to give Leona the very best.
“If you had a child who was good at football, you would try to get them into the David Beckham Academy.”
Leona, 21, who is now down to the final three of the competition, added: “I was about to give up my music when my boyfriend Lou persuaded me to enter.
“I had resigned myself to being a receptionist for the rest of my life. But I’m just really loving giving my all every Saturday night and grateful for the opportunity I never thought I’d get.”
Simon then appealed for viewers to believe him that this was no Fix Factor.
He said: “I am a businessman and I will not work with anything crooked.
“There is only one person on the set who has access to the full results and they are not shared with anyone else. I hope the public will believe me on that.”
When questioned on why boyband Avenue were disqualified for not having revealed their previous music business links, Simon said: “The rules are simply you cannot have current management.
“Avenue had lied to the show. They were manufactured for the show by someone who used to work on it. Leona has categorically not broken any rules.
“We discussed her previous attempts to find fame – her work in America, in the studio; that she has made records. All the finalists have done the same. Ben was in a band; Ray was in Brookside.
“There has been no dishonesty – you get exactly what you see with Leona…
a very talented, very shy girl who wants to win this show.
“She is the shyest contestant we have ever worked with – and the nicest.
“Now I think Leona deserves to win and she doesn’t deserve what some people out there are throwing at her.”
Simon also denied that either he, judge Sharon Osbourne, 54, or host Kate Thornton, 33, would be leaving the show at the end of this series.
He said: “I’m not quitting, Sharon’s not quitting, Kate’s not leaving.
“There will be one big change for the series next year – but it’s not a change of the judges or the presenters. It’s a major change! But I can’t say what.”
| Best & Worst: Simon Cowell's Black T-shirt Signature of His Success |
December 6, 2006
By Melly Alazraki for Blogging Stocks
This post is written as part of AOL Money & Finance's Best & Worst 2006. Vote for Simon Cowell's T-shirt or check out the other signature styles.
Simon Cowell, the snarky judge of the successful reality shows American Idol and POP Idol, is probably best known for exactly that -- his style of judging. His direct, no-nonsense, politically incorrect and brutally honest commentary has earned him nicknames such as Judge Dread and Mr. Nasty (probably naasty with a British accent).
Simon Cowell ranked 29th in the Forbes Top 100 Celebrities list, with his top attributes being "rude" and "mean." It's no wonder when he says to contestants things like, "If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning."
But as much as Simon Cowell is known for his snarky ways, he's also known for his manly monochromatic T-shirt collection, most notably the tight black Armani T-shirt, of which he owns 30, no less.
Jeans and T-shirt -- gotta love that, don't you? Who wouldn't wish to become rich and famous without ever worrying too much about what to wear? Wouldn't it be great if you knew that whenever and wherever you went, you could wear your jeans and black T-shirt? And this might be the exact appeal of Simon Cowell's "uniform"; it's plain, simple and any of us can do it. That's what I like about it. Cowell doesn't dress too fancy or patronizing (like fellow weasel Ryan Seacrest), so that when he says what he has to say, it's taken seriously.
I must put a personal note here and admit that as a teenager, I was thankful for having a school uniform. You see, I didn't have to wake up every morning and decide what to wear; I was to wear a certain pair of pants and shirt. Later, when I grew up and worked in the finance industry, I had to wear business clothes, to which I never grew accustomed. The guys seemed to suffer even more with their neckties. It was only when I moved to the tech and start-up world, that just like Simon Cowell, I could wear my own jeans and T-shirt.
So when I see Simon Cowell in his ultimate uniform, his signature mark, I can definitely appreciate it. I think most of us do.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
| 'Lost' Moves to 10?! |
December 5, 2006
By Kristin Veitch for E! Online
Could Lost really be moving to 10 p.m. on Wednesdays? That's the word from sources close to ABC, who tell me the network is considering a new Wednesday-night lineup, which will be launched—in part—Jan. 3.
Word is, ABC intends to premiere The Knights of Prosperity (the return of Donal Logue, baby!) and In Case of Emergency at 9 and 9:30, respectively, on that first Wednesday of the new year. Two weeks later, Fox brings back American Idol, and Idol has been known to swamp the Lost island in the ratings. So, according to insiders, ABC is planning to move Lost to 10 p.m. in order pimp out the new comedies and protect our Losties from the big, bad monster of Simon Cowell.
I, for one, am worried about Medium, which could very well become Small if it's up against both CSI: NY and Lost. CSI: NY, meanwhile, is pretty formidable in its own right—it regularly pulls in Lostzilla-size numbers.
But what do you all think? Can you stay up that late? Could this give the producers more freedom to go even darker? This is the audience-participation portion of the blog, and I'm dying to hear your thoughts. So, comment away below!
Awwwwwww, they're afraid of Simon! LOL!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
| 'Simon Said He Does Respect Us' |
December 05, 2006
By Alison Maloney for The Sun
After losing out on Saturday’s vote, the McDonald Brothers are out of the X Factor and taking the high road home.
But the Scottish duo told us they are keen to capitalize on their success as soon as they can.
“We’re determined to do well,” says Brian. “We’re going to continue to work hard and hopefully get a record deal. We’ll be talking to Louis (Walsh) next week and he’ll point us in the right direction.”
The singers, who were constantly slated by judge Simon Cowell, revealed that they wouldn’t be holding a grudge.
“He was quite rude but we’ve watched it back and, from a television perspective it’s fantastic,” says Brian. “It would be extremely boring without it, to be honest.
“At the end of the show he came up to us and said he really respects us for what we did. He said that, no matter how much stuff he threw at us, we kept our heads high, so we parted on good terms.”
Monday, December 04, 2006
| Women Join Stars...in Moments of Fantasy |
December 4, 2006
By Staff Writers for Yorkshire Today
Women have revealed who they fantasise about while in bed with their partners – James Bond star Daniel Craig and X Factor judge Simon Cowell.
They are more likely to think about the 007 star or badly dressed TV's Mr Nasty than hunks like David Beckham and Brad Pitt.
Men fantasise about Wags (England football stars' wives and girlfriends) when they are with their girlfriends in the bedroom.
Abigail Clancy and Cheryl Cole are more popular than sex symbol Pamela Anderson and glamour model Jordan.
The likes of Big Brother star Nikki Grahame, Rebecca Loos and Jodie Marsh were dubbed too fake.
Women also said that the "rough and ready" look favoured by the likes of Pete Doherty does does not cut it anymore.
But 21 per cent said they fantasise about more mature men like Richard Madeley, Gordon Ramsay and George Clooney.
Cowell, 47, said on his placing in the poll: "Naturally I would have expected to be very near the top as I'm obviously extremely attractive.
"But on a serious note – I am very interested to know where Louis (Walsh) came in this poll?
He joked: "Was he even in the top 100,000 or didn't they include the over 70s age group?"
Sex therapist Louise Van Der Velde said: "Fantasies are extremely important for exploring our own sexuality. Nearly everyone has a secret fantasy.
"The brain is our biggest erogenous zone and it's important that we accept fantasy as part of our sexual being. Imagining a sexual encounter with a celebrity is one of the most common fantasies amongst both men and women."
Itsmyfantasy website asked 1,000 men and women who they are most likely to fantasise about while having sex with their partners.
Women's fantasy figures
1. Daniel Craig
2. Simon Cowell
3. Jesse Metcalfe
4. David Beckham
5. Brad Pitt
6. Mark Owen
7. Leonardo DiCaprio
8. Richard Madeley
9. Robbie Williams
10. Will Young
Men's fantasy figures
1. Abigail Clancy
2. Cheryl Cole
3. Britney Spears
4. Angelina Jolie
5. Jordan
6. Abi Titmuss
7. Eva Longoria
8. Pamela Anderson
9. Jessica Alba
10. Madonna
| Louis Slams Cowell's Musical Knowledge |
December 3, 2006
By Suzanne Kerins for The Sunday Mirror
Louis Walsh has accused his X Factor co-star Simon Cowell of knowing nothing about music, saying: "He's just a marketing man."
| Lou out to Beat Cowell |
December 4, 2006
By Nicola Methven for The Mirror
Louis Walsh is backing Ben Mills to win the X-Factor - because he wants Simon Cowell's acts to lose.
Walsh is fuming over Cowell's comments about The Mac- Donald Brothers who were ousted on Saturday - meaning he no longer has an act in the competition.
Now he wants Sharon Osbourne's act Ben to beat both Leona Lewis and Ray Quinn.
Speaking after the show Walsh told ITV2 viewers: "I'm going to support Sharon 100 per cent and hope she gets the Scottish vote.
"Scotland doesn't like you, Simon."
Cowell said the MacDonalds' performance was their "worst yet" and described it as "painful".
The boys said they were "absolutely gutted" by his remarks, but viewers agreed with Simon.
| Simon's Granny Bashing |
December 3, 2006
By Billy Paterson for The Sunday Mail
MacDonald boys' biggest fan takes a hammer to TV show's Mr Nasty
This is the moment The X Factor MacDonald Brothers' gran came face to face with her boys' archenemy Simon Cowell.
And feisty Mary MacDonald, 85, made sure the judge, who has savaged her grandsons on TV, came off worse.
Mary got stuck in to a lifesize cardboard cutout of The X Factor's Mr Nasty judge with an inflatable hammer.
Then she belted it with her handbag for good measure and shouted: "B****r off, Simon!"
Proud gran Mary has been glued to the TV every Saturday night with her friends and staff at Campsie Gardens sheltered housing in Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, cheering on Craig and Brian, both 20.
Mary said yesterday: "My grandsons are lovely boys and very talented. It makes me very angry when I hear some of the things that Simon Cowell has said about them.
"They are just young lads and it can't have been nice to hear what he has said about them.
"But the boys are polite and well brought-up and have just taken it on the chin and smiled through it all.
"My friends have been texting my votes in for the boys and I dread to think what my phone bill will be.
"But maybe the boys will pay the bills for me once they are rich and famous."
Last night, Mary and her pals were once again busy voting after the MacDonalds performed their version of the Bay City Rollers' Shang-a- Lang.
They also sang the Barry Manilow ballad Can't Smile Without You.
Mary's son Jim, 59, of Ayr, is the brothers' dad. And his sister, Marie Allan, 55, joined her mum in throttling the cut-out Cowell yesterday.
Mum-of-three Marie, from Cumbernauld, said: "I don't think Simon Cowell has any musical talents, unlike my nephews, so he is not qualified to comment on them.
"My daughter Pamela teaches dancing and was taking classes in Stirling and Perthshire and everyone she spoke to said they were voting for the MacDonald Brothers."
Marie and her children - Christopher, 24, Gary, 23 and Pamela, 21 - travelled down to The X Factor studio three weeks ago to see the brothers.
Marie said: "Simon is so arrogant. During the break, he has people surrounding him touching up his makeup while he stands having a smoke."
But when Mary and Marie were reminded that Simon, albeit reluctantly, praised their favourite act last week, they gave the cardboard Cowell a cuddle.
Mary's pal Sadie Logue, 69, said: "Mary's maiden name is Stars and that is very apt because that is what everyone here thinks Brian and Craig are.
"They come to visit their grandmother and they are really nice lads. We all hope they go on to win the final."
Hotelier Alan Meikle sent a lawyer's letter to the MacDonalds threatening legal action if they pulled out of playing his Hogmanay party.
The boys said they always intended to do the £800 gig at the Horizon Hotel, Ayr.
Last night, Alan's wife Liz said they sent the letter on legal advice as the boys were under contract for mentor Louis Walsh.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
| Simon's Christmas Holiday |
December 3, 2006
By Alice Walker for The Sunday Mirror
Judge Simon Cowell is paying £70,000 to spend Christmas and New Year with girl friend Terri Seymour in a luxury villa in Mauritius.
| Cowell So Cruel over Macs Sack |
December 3, 2006
By Alex West for The People and Lara Gould for The Sunday Mirror
The MacDonald Brothers crashed out of the show last night. The Scots pair failed to impress with their version of Barry Manilow's I Can't Smile Without You.
Simon Cowell called it "the worst performance yet" -- and LAUGHED as rival judge Louis Walsh's act were axed.
Afterwards Cowell, who described the boy's performances last night as "painful", made peace with the pair.
But he had confidently predicted that the appearance would be their last.
He said: "You know what guys, I surrender. I don't think this has got anything to do with singing any more. But I'm going to make a prediction. I think this is your final week."
Afterwards acid-tongued Cowell told the brothers: "I have to hand it to you. You came out and took the criticism with no whining.
"You are true gentlemen. Good luck to you. I wish you all the best."
Cowell later made light of his spat with Louis, saying: "There's no hard feelings."
A bitter Louis told presenter Kate Thornton: "I won last year," before adding: "These guys are going to have a big future."
Craig and Brian said: "It's the biggest thing we've ever done in our whole lives. We thank all our fans."
Earlier the lads admitted they've CRIED over the judges' barbs.
Around 3.5 million viewers voted to put Leona Lewis, Ray Quinn and Ben Mills into the semi-finals.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
| Champers on Ice |
December 2, 2006
By Lachlan Mackinnon for The Daily Record
RINK OR SWIM AS CRAIG AND BRIAN FACE ANOTHER VOTE
Scotland can make MacDonald Brothers' X Factor birthday wish come true tonight
X Factor star Craig MacDonald is desperate to shine in tonight's show -- so he can toast his 21st birthday with a win in the final.
Craig and brother Brian, 20, have made it to the last four and are just two weeks away from clinching the crown.
Craig turns 21 on December 16 -- the day of the final -- and the whole family want it to be one to remember.The brothers are 5-2 second favourites for eviction...
But Rupert Adams, of bookies William Hill, backed the duo to defy the odds.
He said: "Punters are convinced the MacDonald Brothers will be singing for the final time. However, they have consistently under-estimated the Scottish vote and the anti-Simon Cowell vote, and we think they will make it to the final."
Not all the judges have been as supportive as Louis, however. Cowell has been a harsh critic -- but Margaret is convinced he'll have to eat his words.
She said: "Simon is entitled to his opinion and I have nothing against him.
"Viewers aren't voting for Craig and Brian because they don't like Simon Cowell -- it's because they like my boys..."
William Hill make Leona 2-7 favourite to win X Factor with Ben at 4-1, the MacDonald Brothers 7-1 and Ray 20-1.
| Tenor Says They'll Be Xmas No1 |
December 02, 2006
By Samantha Wostear and Nadia Mendoza for The Sun
Popera is set to take on pop in this year’s Christmas charts.
And the easy listening lotharios and child prodigies look like being the big winners.
The Christmas crackers of classical crossover, angelic youngsters Angelis, plus G4 and Il Divo are ready to go head to head for the coveted No1 chart slot on Christmas day with their latest albums.
Angelis and Il Divo, are the brainchild of X Factor’s Mr Nasty, Simon Cowell.
The manager who never minces his words admitted he was fed up with pop and turned to the church, or at least their choirs, for the answer.
He says: “Pop used to be my life blood but I haven’t liked anything that’s been in the top 40 for months.
“It’s not as interesting as it used to be because it has become so predictable. I think Popera is the kind of music people want to hear because it captures a certain mood.
“The idea for Angelis came when I heard a choir on the radio and realised the music could, and should, be popular.
“I wanted a group that could do what Charlotte Church did. The public missed that sound and now they don’t have to.”
Angelis — six school choristers — are the hottest of the three contenders.
Hunky Il Divo — or the Phwoar Tenors as they have become known — will have to turn on the charm if they want to out-sell their youthful rivals.
Louis Walsh has also swapped pop tarts for the high arts.
His band of pint-sized pavarotties, G4, have cornered the desperate housewife market and have women swooning when they perform live.
Friday, December 01, 2006
| Simon Cowell Tells Us What Turns Him On |
From around January, 2003
By Jessica Callan, Eva Simpson and Bryony Gordon for The Mirror
Sorry, but there hasn't been anything lately. Here's an oldie.
FOR all of you who love to hate Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell, we have important news -- in person, he is incredibly difficult to dislike. He seems almost hurt as he points out that his sneering, on-screen persona is not the real man inside. "People think I'm not nice on telly," he complains. "But I'm just trying to be honest." Cowell is outspoken and upfront. But nothing like the rude, smug man we see on ITV every Saturday night. He arrives at London's Spearmint Rhino lap-dancing club for dinner at 3am full of charm, not smarm. He's laid-back, slightly camp and has dazzling white teeth. "They're not my own," he admits. "But all the hair on my head is mine." And what an impressive head of hair he has, too. If a little over-dyed.
Over dinner of salmon fishcakes, he smokes an endless supply of menthol Kool cigarettes and sips cola before moving on to coffee and frequent glasses of Amaretto on the rocks. "What a girly drink," we point out. "He's not gay," Simon's woman of the moment, 23-year-old Georgina Law — a dancer at the club — tells us. "Anything but. Believe me, he's all man." Simon looks on admiringly as the blonde perching on his lap tells us of his prowess. He says: "She's not my girlfriend. I've only been on nine or 10 dates with her." And then, inexplicably, he adds: "I've never had a girlfriend." Georgina doesn't seem to mind. Nor is she bothered by the constant stream of lap dancers who teeter up to him, thrust their enormous chests in his face and chat him up.
GRACIOUSLY, he talks to each of them — even the more persistent ones who come back three or four times — and gets annoyed when the club's public relations person orders the bouncers in the VIP section to get rid of the girls. "Oi — don't do that!" he protests. "That one was rather cute!" Not a weekend goes by without another busty blonde kissing and telling. "I don't mind at all. I just wish it was more consistent," he says. "One girl says I'm very well endowed and the next week another girl claims I'm not and I'm terrible in bed."
What does his mum think of his sudden fame and all the ex-lovers sharing his bedtime secrets with the world?
"She doesn't mind," he laughs. "Honestly, she doesn't care. There is only one thing she is angry about.
"My mother was furious that I swore on TV the other week. I said 'bo***cks'. She called me up afterwards and said: 'How dare you do that? You don't even swear. It was appalling behaviour'.
"That's mothers for you."
Simon is a consultant at BMG and plans to start his own label, S Records, which will sign up the winner of Pop Idol.
A few months ago, the man who discovered Westlife and Robson And Jerome could walk down the road safe in the knowledge no one knew who he was. But life has changed for 42-year-old Cowell and he gets increasingly hassled by the public.
He doesn't moan about the sudden fame, though.
"You get a bit of that. You just have to be careful about where you go," he says.
"If I walk into a crowded pub, I'd get a load of flak. I have had a few nasty emails but nothing sinister.
"I went on Graham Norton's show the other night and there was someone in the audience who you could tell was trouble. He got more and more aggressive.
"If I did another series of Pop Idol in Britain, we would have to have security during the auditions. There's sure to be someone who wants to make a name for himself by attacking me."
He drives a Ferrari, lives in a £3million, three-storey house in Holland Park on his own and has just returned from a three-week holiday in Mauritius.
Life is good, then. But we can't help but feel there is a slight air of sadness about Simon.
He says he thinks he is too old to become a father and his favourite subject seems to be girls.
"Everyone thinks I like blondes but I don't," he winks. "I prefer brunettes. I chased Naima from The Honeyz for years. She always turned me on. She is my dream woman.
"I'd make an exception for Amanda Holden. I bet she's really filthy.
"And Danni Minogue. She is so sexy. I much prefer her to Kylie. Kylie is a one-trick pony. All she does is put on a pair of tiny hot pants and shows off her bum.
"I don't like Britney, either. She is a plain Jane."
If anyone else had reeled off a list of women they'd like to get to know better, we'd be reaching for the sick bag. But not Simon.
He is more like a kindly uncle-figure who makes sure our glasses are constantly filled with champagne and punctuates every sentence with a wink.
"I've a bone to pick with you girls," he says, serious suddenly.
"You did a Wicked Whisper about me liking gay transvestites. I knew it was about me because you described me as 'self-satisfied'.
"You need a good spanking for that," he says, laughing again.
So what makes Simon Cowell unhappy?
"All the fuss about my trousers," he replies sadly. "I don't think I wear my trousers so high. I'm really paranoid about them now. Dec did an impression of me with trousers up to his armpits. He really found my Achilles heel."
Lighting up another minty cigarette, he sighs and tells us what is really bothering him.
HE SAYS: "The music industry is terrible at the moment. I hate the Brit Awards. The whole voting system is peculiar. I hate the whole thing.
"For me, the only thing that matters are record sales. It's the only indication you are successful. Any awards you get are based on things you've done a year ago. So who cares? The Brits is the most boring night of my life. Same people, same outfits, same gossip..."
He is clearly warming to his theme. "Record company people are awful. They lie about boy bands not having girlfriends. Who cares? The fans aren't bothered.
"Our pop stars today have lost their sense of mystery. I think it's because they're too accessible. There is no frenzy over bands these days.
"You don't see any scenes like you did with Take That fans going crazy and fainting. It's all so boring." So why is he appearing on Pop Idol, then? "I want to make pop more exciting. And the show is so thrilling to do. The atmosphere is amazing."
Who will win?
"I think Gareth will win in the end."
IS THERE anything that he would change about Pop Idol? How about the panel of judges?
"I'd definitely pick Pete Waterman again. He is great. He's like a grandfather. One minute he is totally normal and then if you say something he doesn't agree with, he goes off on one.
"But I really admire him. Even if we do squabble." What about Nicki Chapman? Cowell just laughs, looks down at our tape recorder and raises one eyebrow, James Bond-style.
"She's very -- um -- professional," he says. And with that he wishes us goodnight and puts on his overcoat.
He's much smaller than he appears on TV and much slimmer.
Georgina has long ago gone off with her flatmate Diva to another club. The other lap dancers are gyrating into the faces of businessmen in the club.
Simon doesn't even give them a second glance.
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