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Saturday, June 30, 2007
| Smoking Ban: What the Celebs Say |
June 30, 2007
By Staff Writers for ITV
The Friday Night Project's Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr are just some of the stars to give their opinions on the smoking ban.
Collins had a humourous view on the subject, joking: "I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. I'm a maverick, I'm a loose cannon.
"I operate outside of normal society. I'm going to start smoking. That's my big finger to authority.
"I've never smoked in my life - you're gonna ban it now? I'm gonna start."
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell said: "I think it's illegal because I think it's taking away something we have a free choice about. So, I think that they should take it back."
| Chan: I Fancy Simon Cowell |
June 30, 2007
By Marcus Barnes for The Sun
Sexy Chanelle has admitted she has the hots for Simon Cowell.
The Wakefield babe made the admission during a chat with housemates Ziggy, Carole and Jonathan about reality TV.
"Uh, I love Simon Cowell so much I think he's GORGEOUS." She told them, as they spoke about voting for their favourite reality stars.
All four claimed to have never called in to vote for anyone, although Jonathan bucked the trend saying he’d voted for Leoni on the X-Factor.
Bet Ziggy’s worried now…
| Sending Up the Stars |
June 29, 2007
By Melissa Kent for The Sun
Celebrity spoof show Star Stories will get its claws into a new clutch of the rich and famous in a second series on Ch4.
The critically-acclaimed series aims its irreverent satirical humour at Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and Take That.
The first series - which won Best New TV Comedy Series at the British Comedy Awards - mercilessly ridiculed the lives and loves of George Michael, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Victoria and David Beckham and Sadie Frost.
Actors Kevin Bishop, Daisy Beaumont, Rhys Thomas and Steve Edge all return for more delicious satire.
| Simon Cowell Can't Do without Me! |
June 29, 2007
By Chrissy Iley for The Daily Mail
Louis Walsh has never been one to dwell on the negative side. That's why he's such a lover of pop music. He doesn't go for navel-gazing rock and rollers.
He loves the lift you get from a good pop song and performance. He was a fan first and became a businessman as a consequence of it.
It's his enthusiasm, knowledge and quirky sense of humour -- as well as his business acumen -- which made Simon Cowell warm to him.
Having worked together since the late 90s turning Westlife into a global phenomenon, Louis was a natural choice as a judge for Simon when he co-created ITV's reality talent show Pop Stars: The Rivals
Simon then took him with him on to the judging panel with Sharon Osbourne on its successor, X Factor, in 2004.
On that show Louis went from being well-known in the business and in his native Ireland to becoming a greatly loved TV personality in the UK.
But then, in March, came the stunning news that Louis was to be dropped from the X Factor in favour of an American choreographer.
It was such a shock -- Louis has after all been the most successful of the three judges with his acts G4 and Shayne Ward -- that many believed it was part of a conspiracy to garner publicity for the X Factor's new series and stem viewer fatigue.
He was replaced, bizarrely, by Brian Friedman, the choreographer who was a judge on the ITV1 Simon Cowell production Grease Is The Word which lost out in the ratings to the more emotionally charged Any Dream Will Do.
Dannii Minogue and a fourth category have also been added to the X Factor, and new presenter Dermot O'Leary is replacing Kate Thornton.
But rather than all of this upheaval giving X Factor a new wow factor it seemed instead to cast a shadow of apprehension and discomfort.
Why sack Louis? Now, of course, it has been revealed that he is back -- only fuelling suspicions that it was all a PR stunt.
But Walsh is adamant: "It wasn't a stunt, but if I was on the outside looking in I would probably think it was. I was gobsmacked.
"I still love the whole thing," he adds with not a smidgen of resentment.
"In a way I think it was a good thing for me to be sacked because in show business nothing is definite.
"That's a thing I always tell other people and then it happened to me. Maybe I needed that. Now I know what it is like.
"I had a lot of sleepless nights when I was sacked, a lot of stress, and I learned a valuable lesson. You can get a phone call that can make or break you."
It was a tough lesson for a man accustomed to success, having dragged himself up from humble beginnings.
The second of nine children, Walsh grew up in rural Kiltimagh, Co Mayo, where his father had three jobs: as a farmer, a baker and as a cab driver, to earn money to bring up his brood. Louis inherited his father's strong work ethic.
His mother wanted him to be a priest, but he failed the exams. Besides he had other ideas and at 17 was living on his sister's floor in Dublin and starting work for an agent booking Irish show bands.
He moved into management and his first taste of success came when his artist Johnny Logan won the Eurovision song contest in 1980.
His amiability masks his strong ambitious streak and, inspired by the success of Take That, in 1994 he formed Boyzone, who reinvented Irish pop.
But even Boyzone's massive British success was dwarfed by their successors Westlife.
Louis may have been saddled with a bit of an underdog image in Britain, but in his homeland he's one of the most famous and respected men in the country.
As Shane Filan of Westlife says: "He's a god in Ireland."
What you see on TV is what you get in private, a fun-loving sociable man fond of Prada suits and the bright lights, whose dressing room at X Factor became a weekly party where you'd find family, artists past and present, and friends all treated with the same civility and warmth.
On screen Louis, Sharon and Simon have a palpable chemistry that makes exciting television but is also familiar. It seemed invincible, a hit formula. So why break it?
The last time I saw them all together was this year at Elton John's Oscar party in Los Angeles on February 25.
Sharon was sparkling with diamonds, and purring like a lioness over her husband Ozzy and children Jack and Kelly. Simon was complaining about everything in the way he does when he's enjoying himself.
Louis was excited to be in a room with so many famous people because that's Louis. He doesn't grasp he's famous, too.
As I left with Louis, Simon said: "Make sure Lulu goes to bed early, [both Simon and Sharon affectionately refer to him as Lulu] don't keep him up. We've got intense X Factor meetings tomorrow. That's why we're here."
We didn't stay up late because it was business as usual the next day. Louis, 54, will always try his best.
So what a shock when just ten days later, on March 7, one of those make or break your life phone calls came.
"It was eight o'clock in the evening and I was in Stockholm, where I was meeting with various producers for Shayne's album. (Shayne Ward was the second series X Factor winner and is managed by Louis).
"I didn't see it coming. I thought the producer was going to give me the dates for the show auditions, but executive producer Richard Holloway's first words to me were: 'I've got bad news for you'. I was gobsmacked.
"Every year I get drawn into the show. I get close to the artists. It's my job to fight for them even if they are probably not going to make it. I try.
"Last series I was emotionally involved with the MacDonald Brothers. I had sleepless nights trying to keep them in the show.
"But they were nice people, genuinely trying to be singers and I get so drawn in. So yes, after the producer called I was in shock."
When the news broke, Simon Cowell said the decision was ITV's not his. But the fact that he didn't call Louis himself made Louis suspect otherwise.
"I did not believe him. I wanted to blame somebody and he was the person I could blame. He was the one that hired me. Now I believe that it was Simon who fought my case. He told me he missed me.
"I'm now sure it was not his decision to fire me because he has been the one who got me back.
"I believe that ITV just wanted to change it, to make it younger and edgier."
But the edginess that ITV hoped for was clearly absent in rehearsals. In the London auditions the chemistry between Friedman, Simon, Sharon and Dannii just didn't work.
Although since Louis' rehiring Friedman has been retained on the show as "creative advisor" he wasn't deemed right as a judge.
Apparently his background as a choreographer and music video director led him to struggle with the auditions, and his limited knowledge of pop music and a complete lack of understanding of British slang made it difficult for him to do the job.
For Louis, a pivotal turning point came when he was invited to appear as a guest when Simon was surprised by This Is Your Life just a few weeks ago.
Walsh was the first person to congratulate Cowell, and their faces lit up on seeing each other, but at the same time Louis put in a couple of digs that what Simon had done had been forgiven but not forgotten.
"At the party afterwards Simon told me he missed me and he'd like to have me back working on the show."
That was their first conversation as friends since the split, although they had been in business meetings together because Louis remains the manager of Westlife who have sold 36 million albums for Simon Cowell's label, and they are also working on Shayne's new record together.
"Those meetings weren't awkward because we know we have to put business and our artists first," says Louis.
"Simon is always professional. He wants to succeed. Westlife's album and Shayne's album are important to him. But we never talked about anything outside of that until this hint at the after-show party.
"I knew Sharon was missing me because we talk all the time. We are really, really good friends."
When Simon first dropped this hint Louis dismissed it and told him he was busy with Westlife's tenth album, Shayne's new album and managing Any Dream Will Do winner, Lee Mead, and Keith Jack, the runner-up on the show.
Louis has also been thinking about a Boyzone reunion tour but the timing wasn't right.
"The Spice Girls pipped us to the post by announcing they are getting back together." Now it will probably happen next year, giving him time to do X Factor.
He's also just written a book, on how to fast track to fame. I have heard there is a chapter in it called Never Trust A Man In Heels. "Yes there is," he giggles.
He is always animated, but it's nice to see him so naturally at ease with himself in his home environment. He lives alone in a swish ultra modern penthouse apartment. It is bright inside despite the overcast sky above Dublin.
"The book's all tongue in cheek and I have to say, although it's early days, that Simon and I are getting on really well.
"But as judges we will all want to win. There are four categories this year so I have three judges to beat instead of two."
The extra category is going to be the under-16s. "I hope I don't get the kids. I would be no good with them.
"But you can never predict what you are going to get, and if they think you don't want something they'll give it to you," he says.
Simon himself has been predictable in his unpredictability since Louis' return. Last week he said: "If I am honest I have missed Louis a bit and I think the show has missed him, too."
One can only speculate whether it was Simon or the show who missed Louis more. Reports say that he was lured back with a £1 million offer. "No, I tell you we didn't even talk about money.
"I'm actually looking forward to working with Dannii Minogue. I've never understood why she hasn't been a bigger star. She deserves to be. Maybe she needs a good manager," he quips.
"I will be the only person on that panel though who's had no cosmetic work done. I'm the only person with my own teeth and t**s."
"I have history with these people. I know that Simon has a really good side. He's got a big ego, but that's why he's really successful. And he's got a brilliant instinct for songs."
As for Sharon, they have a huge respect for each other. "She's a great woman. A family woman. She looks after her family.
"I like her work ethic and there's a special bond between us. We always have great fun. Every time I see her I light up.
"I recently did the Friday Night Project with her where she got me to dress up as Amy Winehouse. I would never do that for anyone else, but it seemed like a natural thing to do with her."
Not having any X Factor to get emotional about must have left a gap. "It did, but I am very busy with Westlife, Shayne, Lee, Keith, and potentially Boyzone."
The trick is he knows how to fill the gap. That's why he too has been phenomenally successful. Westlife are one of the biggest selling acts of all time.
He says that one of the first people to call and congratulate him on his return to X Factor was fellow sackee Kate Thornton.
"She's getting over it now. She put a lot of emotional energy into it as well. I think Dermot will be good at presenting it as well, but in a different way."
Before Louis was reinstated as a judge Cowell hinted that he would like him to manage the winning act whether he was a judge or not.
"I'm not sure if I will. I need to devote attention to Shayne, who is going to be a really big international star and I would only do it if I felt something for the winner, if I really, really loved them."
The problem is, if it was one of Louis' acts he really would love them. This week he is back at auditions. He's only missed the London auditions.
And all four judges will work together on Boot Camp. So is everything really forgiven and forgotten?
"Let's just say I've taken the pins out of the voodoo doll now. That doll, it had a very high waist band, a very strange haircut and a very big head. But I've taken the pins out now."
Another irrepressible giggle and he's off to catch the private jet that ferries the judges and their egos around the country. Let's hope it's not a bumpy ride.
Friday, June 29, 2007
| Louis All Fired Up |
June 29, 2007
By Nicola Methven and Polly Hudson for The Mirror
Panic in the offices of BBC1's You Can't Fire Me, I'm Famous as Louis Walsh (one of the stars of the upcoming series) is unexpectedly rehired by Simon Cowell. The show was done, dusted and in the bag. But then he was reinstated on The X Factor and it rather ruined everything.
Our snout whispers: "In our original interview Louis was incredibly emotional about the whole sacking, very angry and upset with Simon. Now we're having to reshoot him next week, all happy that he's back as Cowell's best buddy."
Simon, who didn't feature in the first version, will also be shown explaining his change of heart. Which has nothing to do with Brian Friedman being a bit crap...
| Walsh's 'Valuable Lesson' in X Factor Sacking |
June 29, 2007
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Latest: Irish music impresario Louis Walsh has thanked The X Factor bosses for sacking him from the show because the experience taught him a "valuable lesson".
The pop mogul was fired from the British TV talent series in March (07), but was reinstated to the judging panel with Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne earlier this week (ends01Jul07). Walsh now admits the ordeal "was a good thing", showing him the uncertainty of the entertainment industry first-hand.
He says, "I still love the whole thing. In a way I think it was a good thing for me to be sacked because in show business nothing is definite.
"That's a thing I always tell other people and then it happened to me. Maybe I needed that. Now I know what it is like. I had a lot of sleepless nights when I was sacked, a lot of stress, and I learned a valuable lesson. You can get a phonecall that can make you or break you."
Thursday, June 28, 2007
| Music Duo Shop and Make Up |
June 28, 2007
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
X Factor duo Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh put their warring ways behind them — with a spot of retail therapy.
The judges on the ITV1 show were spotted at Harvey Nichols, Manchester.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
| Mayor's X-Factor Slip |
June 26, 2007
By Mike Keegan for The Manchester Evening News
Judges from TV's toughest talent show are back in Greater
Manchester as part of their search for the next pop act with the X Factor.
Hundreds of hopefuls crowded at the base of Trinity Bridge as they waited for their chance to impress the panel.
But it was the Mayor of Salford Val Burgoyne who made the biggest impression of the day.
Maybe nerves kicked it when the councillor stepped in front of the four judges, or maybe she isn't one of the millions of viewers who regularly tune into to the top rating show.
But when she gave the X Factor a special welcome to the city - handing over a coat-of-arms plaque to straight-talking judge Simon Cowell - she said she hoped that this year's winner would come from the area `just like Simon Ward from two years ago'.
Embarrassed officials quickly pointed out that it was Shayne Ward, pictured right, and not `Simon Ward' who scooped first place in 2005.
The mayor's speech was then filmed a second time so it could be screened without the faux pas.
Later Mayor Burgoyne said she had no aspirations to perform in front of the judges in the future.
"If they heard me sing they'd probably vote me off straight away," she said.
Simon Cowell may have joked that he had `not seen any talent yet' during this year's Manchester heat, but new judge Dannii Minogue said that the standard in the city had been high.
She said: "I'm so excited to be in Manchester - I hear all the best talent comes from here."
Sharon Osbourne, whose father was from the city, said she was `pleased to be home'.
And Louis Walsh, returning to the show just months after he was axed, said: "I'm just happy to have my job back."
The judges are continuing in their search for the X Factor in Manchester today.
Monday, June 25, 2007
| Simon's a Celeb: Get Him in There |
June 25, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Daily Star
Telly jokers Ant and Dec have cheekily asked TV bosses to put Simon Cowell in the I’m A Celebrity jungle – because they reckon his career’s on the skids.
The star hosts’ new £40million deal means they are paid twice what TV’s Mr Nasty earns.
And they teasingly suggested he needs to give his fortunes a lift by getting himself into the Aussie outback with the bugs and spiders.
Jungle presenter Ant McPartlin laughed: “I’ll be having a word with the producers about getting Simon out to Australia this year for the show.
“He clearly needs to give his career a boost.
“Now we’re getting paid more than him, Simon needs to up his profile.
“He’d be great in the jungle. But I reckon the snakes would be more scared of him than he would be of them.”
Cowell, 47, was left fuming earlier this year when word leaked that the I’m A Celebrity duo had bagged their £40m deal with ITV.
That is double the amount the acid-tongued judge gets paid for producing hit shows like X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.
And Ant and Dec, both 31, have been teasing him about their new contract to make programmes such as PokerFace and Saturday Night Takeaway.
Dec Donnelly revealed: “When we were filming Britain’s Got Talent and the news came out about our deal Simon was steaming. He hissed: ‘You’ve curdled my milk.’ He was so unhappy.
“The poor guy can’t bear the thought of anyone being paid more than him.
“We love winding him up.”
I’m A Celebrity is due back on our screens at the end of the year.
Among the stars tipped to appear are Prince Andrew’s old love Koo Stark, 51, former supermodel Janice Dickinson, 52, and singer Jamelia, 26.
| Piers Morgan: The [Britain's Got Talent] Insider |
June 23, 2007
By Piers Morgan for The Daily Mail
This week, Piers Morgan writes: 'Amanda Holden says I dress like a City banker -- this from the woman who sticks her ambitious little breasts into Cowell's face every chance she gets'
MONDAY JUNE 11
Britain's Got Talent started on Saturday, and the thing I've been most looking forward to is not so much the show itself finally going to air, but the verdicts of that wonderful band of vermin – the newspaper critics.
Now I'm at a slight advantage over most "celebredees" in that I know all these guys personally...
But who needs enemies when your own colleagues pile in? Amanda "Tear Time" Holden told the Mirror: "Isn't there a leisurewear company that could help Piers lighten up his dress sense? He's always dressed like a City banker. He should get some air round his pasty white legs."
The cheeky little bint. Mind you, this is from a woman who thinks high fashion involves wearing criminally low-cut dresses and sticking her ambitious little breasts into Simon Cowell's face every chance she gets...
THURSDAY, JUNE 14
The first live Britain's Got Talent show, and I knew things were going to be tense when I saw Simon patrolling the corridors silently, chain-smoking, his brow furrowed.
"Don't tell me you get nervous, too?" I asked him.
"God, yes," he replied. "This is where you really earn your money."
Amanda was no better. "I'm shaking," she said, and by way of confirmation she grabbed my hand and shoved it to her heaving breast.
If this is what happens when she's nervous, I hope she spends the rest of the week quaking in her sexy little boots.
The coolest kids on the block were Ant and Dec, who glided around backstage cracking jokes and looking as relaxed as a pair of tortoises in mid-hibernation. They didn't make a single mistake in any of the four live shows, which is why they're worth £40 million...
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Simon had a migraine today, which meant we all got a headache. His mood wasn't helped by news that three of the Kit Kat Dolls, the fabulously exotic group of drag queens from Soho, are being exposed in the papers tomorrow as hookers.
Which follows this morning's "BRITAIN'S GOT PERVERTS" splashes about Richard Bates, the George Formby impersonator, who is apparently on the sex offenders list for tickling a 14-year-old boy's feet.
"Well," I said to Simon. "We did promise this show would be unpredictable." He just grimaced and popped more paracetamol.
SUNDAY, JUNE 17
The final was brilliant, with Paul Potts deservedly winning for his stunning Nessun Dorma.
He sums up the essence of the show so well – an ordinary guy doing an ordinary job, but with an extraordinary talent.
Later, I was jumped on during the ITV2 follow-up show by my "biggest fan" (in every sense), called Jodie, who to the delight of Simon, Amanda and Ant and Dec, read a poem to me live on air:
"With all my heart I love you Piers, I've been a fan of yours for years, I've heard Mr Morgan, that the size of your organ, can reduce a young girl to tears."
Suddenly my co-stars, especially Mr Cowell, didn't seem quite so jubilant.
Simon threw a small party at the Dorchester afterwards, where we cracked open the champagne and reflected on a quite amazing week.
"That was the best show I've ever worked on," he said. Which, when you think what he has worked on, is quite an accolade...
| Calling All 'American Idol' Wannabes |
June 24, 2007
By Bill Keveney for USA Today
Weren't we just here?
Just a month after American Idol winner Jordin Sparks was showered with confetti on the Kodak Theatre stage in Los Angeles, the top- rated Fox series is gearing up for Season 7 auditions.
San Diego, a first-time audition site, will kick off the seven-city tour July 30. New audition cities Omaha, Charleston, S.C., and Philadelphia join Dallas, Atlanta and Miami on the tour, which last year attracted 100,000 hopefuls, according to Fox estimates.
"We do like to see America," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says of the annual search for vocal talent. Smaller cities, such as Charleston or an earlier site, Greensboro, N.C., "produce some wonderful stuff."
The tryouts will start a week earlier than last season because producers also will be conducting auditions for a new Fox reality series, The Search for the Next Great American Band.
Atlanta, Charleston, Dallas and Miami may bolster Idol's typically strong Southern flavor. Last season's finale, when Arizona's Sparks bested Washington state's Blake Lewis, was the first without a singer from the South, which provides one of Idol's largest fan bases.
Whether any city will perform as well as Season 6's Seattle, much maligned by judge Simon Cowell, remains to be seen. (Sparks and Lewis auditioned in Seattle.)
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Lythgoe says. "Everything was condemned about Seattle … and out of it came Sanjaya (Malakar), the two finalists and the songwriters" who wrote Sparks' finale single.
After battling the elements in some earlier seasons, Idol will hold most auditions indoors, save for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and Dallas' Texas Stadium, which has a partly covered roof.
As with past audition tours, Idol producers will narrow each city's field to 300 to 400 of the best and worst singers. Lythgoe and co-executive producer Ken Warwick will then cull to about 120 per city to sing to judges Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Producers want to find a way to make sure more good singers make it through the initial auditions and the Hollywood round and into the final 24.
"Too many slipped through the net," Lythgoe says, adding that no big changes are planned.
Last season, Tuesday and Wednesday episodes (29.5 million viewers and 30 million, respectively) were TV's top two shows, although Tuesday was 5% below Season 5's record number. Wednesdays matched Season 5, also a series high.
Auditions are open to 16- to 28-year-olds as of July 28. Details are at americanidol.com.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
| Thank You, Simon, for Bringing Back the Spice of Life |
June 20, 2007
By Hilary Porter for The Bournemouth Daily Echo
Should I ever meet Simon Cowell I would like to shake him by the hand.
The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent mogul has put blood back in the veins of variety entertainment -- and it's about time too!
In recent years the word "variety" has become a dirty word among TV executives who have cut budgets with an endless stream of mindless reality TV shows while talented entertainers have been left out in the cold.
Shows like Opportunity Knocks and New Faces might have been cheesy but they brought us the stars of an entire generation -- Les Dennis, Little and Large, Bobby Crush, Stan Boardman, Pam Ayres and Freddie Starr all came to prominence through Opportunity Knocks.
Darren Day abandoned his two-year career as a professional snooker player when he appeared on the show. Roger de Courcey also gave up his career as an opera singer to hook up with Nookie Bear.
New Faces, meanwhile, brought us Jim Davidson, Tom O'Connor and Marti Caine.
TV viewers loved the novelty acts even then.
Remember Tony Holland the Muscle Man flexing his pecks to the Wheels Cha-Cha?
Then there were the child stars.
Ten-year-old Lena Zavaroni went on to present her own TV series and Neil Reid, on Opportunity Knocks in 1971, had a huge hit with Mother of Mine.
The judges didn't always get it right. The so- called "clapometer" on Opportunity Knocks was a farce -- it saw Paul Daniels lose in 1969. (Some may argue it got that right!) Victoria Wood appeared on New Faces in 1974 and was told: "She's sophisticated cabaret and there is no room for it -- she'll never work."
The Simon Cowell of the era, Tony Hatch, was known as the hatchet man and recalled he couldn't get a cab for weeks after he was particularly critical one week.
TV shows of the new millennium like X Factor and Pop Idol brought thousands of wannabes into the limelight and paved the way for the variety show renaissance that is now happening.
We saw the signs with other new TV shows this year. The wacky Graham Norton hosted When Will I Be Famous? on BBC1 and Brian Conley hosted Let Me Entertain You on BBC2.
But neither of these really hit the mark. It took the talents of Cowell to really have us glued to our TV screens night after night.
The combination of the good, the bad and the downright ludicrous worked a treat. From the piano-playing pig to the rapping granny, the transvestite with a dwarf in her suitcase to line-dancing dogs, the eccentricity of the British was celebrated.
Then watching the real stars perform before judges Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan had my entire family glued to the live shows. Even my two-year-old son Jameson made knowing comments on the Saturday night final.
Watching Salisbury comedy puppeteer Damon Scott, he turned to me and said: "I like him!"
He jumped up and down clapping when six-year-old Connie Talbot sang and when opera singer Paul Potts made his winning performance, he said: "He's the best!" I was astounded at his understanding of it all.
I had another good reason to watch this show. Damon Scott won the Echo Star Trail talent contest back in 1999.
I was chairperson of the judging panel for 13 years and have always been a huge fan of Damon since he won our contest. He went on to represent Bournemouth in the British Resorts Association national final and I was truly euphoric when I watched him win in Leamington Spa.
As a result he went on to do a 22-date nationwide tour with Gene Pitney and was the subject of a BBC documentary which charted his success.
Sadly, the demise of variety meant he never became a mainstream star... until Simon Cowell created this show.
I spoke to Damon several times last week and he revealed all sorts of exciting opportunities are now in the pipeline which he will be discussing with Simon, who he is now contracted to, later this week.
I wish him all the luck in the world... and long live variety entertainment!
| Creative Entertainment Wins Contract from Simon Cowell's SYCO Television |
June 20, 2007
By Staff Writers for Forbes
Creative Entertainment Group PLC said it won a contract with Simon Cowell's SYCO Television to be the exclusive agents representing the contestants of ITV's show 'Britain's Got Talent'.
The agreement is for the UK and may extend worldwide.
Creative Entertainment is a PLUS-quoted media and entertainment group.
No financial details were disclosed.
| By Popular Demand: Connie, Paul, and Bessie Videos on YouTube: |
Connie Talbot Performance #1 -- "Over the Rainbow"
Connie Talbot Performance #2 -- "Ben"
Connie Talbot Performance #3 -- "Over the Rainbow" -- Finale
Paul Potts Performance #1 -- "Nessun Dorma"
Paul Potts Performance #2 -- "Con te partirò" (Time to Say Goodbye)
Paul Potts Performance #3 -- "Nessun Dorma" -- Finale
Bessie Cursons Performance #1 -- "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"
Bessie Cursons Performance #2 -- "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
Bessie Cursons Performance #3 -- "Get Me to the Church on Time" -- Finale
***And Paul Potts is the winner! Congratulations, Paul!!!***
Announcement of Winner (Paul), and Encore of "Nessun Dorma"
Friday, June 22, 2007
| 'Mr Nasty' Shows off His Softer Side |
June 20, 2007
By Staff Writers for IC Surrey Online
Two youngsters could not believe their eyes when they ran into TV's "Mr Nasty", Simon Cowell, on their holiday.
Harry Wood, 11, and friend Chiara Calcioli, 10, both Greenfields School pupils from East Grinstead and Forest Row,bumped into The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent judge in Puerto Banus, Spain.
They were on holiday at the resort near Marbella with Harry's dad, John, when they spotted the acid-tongued music mogul -- famed for his harsh put-downs of musical wannabes -- in a bar in the early hours.
But Harry, from Garden Wood Road, said Mr Cowell was far from his TV bad-guy image: "He was a really nice guy and happy to have his photo taken. My friend Chiara did a double-take when she saw him. He was with his girlfriend, but we went up and had a little chat."
They made their famous encounter during half-term at the end of last month.
Dad John said: "He was very polite, not at all Mr Nasty. He asked for their names, shook our hands and was really lovely.
"He was being besieged by people all the time -- and he was loving it."
John said they also bumped into Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan and his rival, Birmingham City owner David Sullivan, during the same week.
| Louis' X and Make Up |
June 22, 2007
By Fiona Cummins for The Mirror
Cowell lures him back with £1m to buck up show
Louis Walsh is to return to The X Factor - three months after he was booted off the show.
Simon Cowell persuaded the Irishman back with a £1million offer.
Walsh, 54, will replace Brian Friedman, who was brought in to take his place.
It marks a huge U-turn for Cowell, 47, who decided to axe Walsh and was accused of "knifing him in the back".
The two were publicly reunited last month during filming of a This Is Your Life special about Cowell. An ITV source said: "Simon was touched that Louis appeared and thought he might have been hasty in dumping him.
"He has had to eat a rather large portion of humble pie but was prepared to do it to get Louis back." Last night Walsh told the Mirror he was delighted to return, but at first he thought the offer was a prank.
He said: "I got called today and didn't know if it was a wind-up at first. But I'm absolutely delighted to be back.
"I've missed the gang, especially Sharon. Me, Simon and Sharon have a chemistry no one else has.
Cowell said: "If I'm honest I have missed Louis a bit and I think the show has missed him too.
"He is ecstatic about being back on the show. I'm sure he'll be a bit smug when he gets there but we are still looking for talent. He has a job to do."
A source said: "Brian is not going to be a judge any more. He's going to be the show's creative guru." Cowell added: "Brian is much happier now."
Walsh will join the others at auditions in Manchester on Monday as the show nears its autumn return.
| Cowell and Walsh reLounited |
June 22, 2007
By Sara Nathan and Danielle Lawler for The Sun
Telly favourite Louis Walsh was ready to rejoin his chums last night — after being re-hired for The X Factor.
The Irish music mogul was axed from the hit telly talent show in March, sparking outrage among fans.
But X Factor judge Simon Cowell, who owns the rights to the programme, brought him back after spending a day with him at Ascot races.
A source said: “It wasn’t until Simon returned from filming American Idol that he realised how popular Louis was. When Louis turned up on Simon’s This Is Your Life they buried the hatchet.
“Simon told him, ‘We’ve made a mistake, we need you back on the show’. But by that time they’d hired Dannii Minogue and Brian Friedman.”
Dannii and Brian will still remain on the ITV1 show and Cowell, 47, was last night due to reveal what part Louis will now play.
X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne said at the Mojo Awards on Monday night: “I’ve missed Louis — I really want him back on the show. Simon was cruel.”
But Cowell maintained it was ITV’s decision to get rid of 54-year-old Louis and show host Kate Thornton.
The cast have begun auditions for the new series, which starts in August.
After getting the boot, Louis said his ten-year friendship with Cowell was in tatters.
He raged at the time: “I have been completely shafted by Simon. I never expected in a million years to hear that I was being sacked.”
| Cowell Backs Down and Calls for the Louis Factor Again |
June 22, 2007
By Paul Revoir for The Daily Mail
Simon Cowell has been forced to reinstate Louis Walsh as a judge on The X Factor after his replacement struggled in the role.
Walsh, who was given his marching orders in March, has been called in to bale out the show after new judge Brian Friedman is thought to have found himself out of his depth.
Friedman, an American choreographer and music video director, seen most recently as a judge on Grease Is The Word, is said to have struggled during recent auditions for the ITV1 show.
A limited knowledge of pop music and a complete lack of understanding of British slang apparently made his job difficult.
Cowell, who owns the rights to The X Factor, has had to mend bridges with Walsh after realising he was the only person who could get him out of the fix.
An insider claimed Cowell, 47, had become increasingly uncomfortable with Friedman's role on the show.
The pair are said to have had a heart-to-heart about the situation after recent London auditions.
It is believed Friedman had also expressed concerns that he was struggling to adapt to the role.
An insider on the programme said: "They tried it and it didn't work. It was when they were together and talking about it they admitted that it just didn't work together.
"Friedman told Simon he wasn't comfortable as a judge.
"He didn't understand slang and didn't have a good enough knowledge of pop music.
"Simon didn't think he would work, the chemistry wasn't there."
Friedman is said to be taking on a different role in the series, which will involve "developing the acts".
Walsh, best known for managing the boyband Westlife, is expected to replace Friedman "with immediate effect".
"Simon feels that Louis was the only person with the relevant experience," the show insider said.
"My belief is that Simon has thought we had a lot of success with Louis.
"Maybe he would have rather brought in someone fresh and new but they've not had the time to do that."
The X Factor, which is in its fourth series for ITV1, is a big ratings winner.
Walsh, 54, who worked alongside Sharon Osbourne and Cowell as judges in the previous series, had not severed all links with the show.
Earlier this year he had agreed to stay on and manage the new winner.
It is uncertain whether this will change in the light of his return to the judging panel.
| U.K. Talent Champ: ‘Can’t believe it’ |
June 21, 2007
By John Springer for MSNBC
In a rags to riches story, Welsh phone salesman wins ‘Britain’s Got Talent’
A cell phone salesman who sought refuge from bullies as a child by singing opera still cannot believe he was able to overcome his lack of confidence to win “Britain’s Got Talent,” the U.K’s version of “American Idol.”
“I just can’t believe it. I’m waiting for someone to pinch me and say, ‘Get out of bed. You’ve got to work. You’re late again,’” Paul Potts, 36, said during an exclusive interview Thursday with TODAY host Meredith Vieira.
Potts still has to get out of bed to go to work, but now his work will be singing for the Queen and recording albums for Simon Cowell’s label. His remarkable rags to riches story may even be made into movie.
“I think I am somewhere around Planet 66 at the moment. I just can’t believe it,” Potts told Vieira, before performing live on the Plaza.
“It’s been a mind-blowing experience, really, to be on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and meeting Simon Cowell, and get the response I had from them,” Potts said. “It’s incredible. It’s changing my life.”
Performing a song made-famous by Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, Potts made audience members cry and nearly made Cowell, a judge, speechless during Sunday’s finale. The show is similar to “American Idol,” which Cowell also judges. (There’s also a U.S. version on NBC, “America’s Got Talent.”)
Potts plans to pay off debts, which built up during years of health issues, fix his teeth and start a family with the $240,000 he won by finishing first in the television talent contest.
Within three days of winning, Potts signed a deal with Cowell’s SYCO label that reportedly will pay him $2 million. He begins recording his first album on Saturday.
Voice has been ‘best friend’
Potts road to fame and fortune is an inspiring one.
As a child growing up in southern Wales, Potts was teased about his weight, his clothes and called names by other boys in school. At home, he found comfort singing opera.
“I’ve just always sung. That’s always been something I’ve done,” Potts xplained. “My voice has been my best friend. When other things have gotten me down, my voice has always been there.”
Lacking confidence and beset by health problems, Potts racked up debt. But he
never gave up.
In 2003, he married a woman he met through an Internet dating service. With the encouragement of his wife, Julie-Ann, Potts did some voice training with Pavarotti and others before entering “Britain’s Got Talent.”
“I almost never even sent the application off. I didn’t really thing I was going to make that first [cut],” Potts told Vieira.
Now that the world is learning about Potts and his powerful yet silky smooth voice, Potts is going to have to learn to deal with both success and celebrity.
“What would you say now, Paul, to all those people bullied you as a kid, who had you lose a lot of the confidence you had?” Vieira asked.
“I think in some ways the bullying I had made me the person I am,” Potts said. “I hope that people who feel that their confidence is down because they have been bullied actually see a source of inspiration and get out there and take a risk.”
| Some Like It Potts |
June 21, 2007
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts is set to have his rags-to-riches life story turned into a movie.
And publishers are desperate to turn the opera singer’s tale into an inspirational book.
The former Carphone Warehouse manager has already signed a £1million recording contract with Simon Cowell since winning the ITV1 contest on Sunday.
Last night he touched down in the US where he is due to perform on NBC’s Today show.
An insider said: “Paul’s story has really caught people’s attention. Movie producers want to turn it into a film. They think it will sell as it speaks to people who are suffering hard times.
“And he’s also had six-figure offers for his autobiography from publishers in Britain and America.”
Roly-poly Paul, from Port Talbot, South Wales, captured the nation’s hearts after overcoming years of heartache to take the £100,000 TV prize.
The 36-year-old previously told The Sun how he was bullied at school and had to take two years off work after breaking his collar bone in a bike smash.
During that time, the one-time Tesco shelf stacker racked up £30,000 of debt.
| My Little Sony for Talent Connie |
June 22, 2007
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Britain's Got Talent cutie Connie Talbot will go into a Sony recording studio this week.
The six-year-old won the nation’s heart — but was beaten by Paul Potts on the hit ITV1 talent show.
But judge Simon Cowell, 47, still thinks she could be the next Charlotte Church.
And a source said that she would be going to record a demo tape for Sony BMG on Sunday.
The insider said: “When Connie sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow, she left everyone in tears.
“We’ll see what happens in the studio. She could make millions but would probably not get a big deal to start off.”
Meanwhile, opera star Paul wowed viewers with his first US performance yesterday.
The ex-Carphone Warehouse manager showed off his booming voice on the NBC Today Show at the world-famous Rockefeller Plaza in New York. But he told host Meredith Vieira he had no plans for a “Hollywood makeover”. Paul, 36, said: “I’ll always be Paul Potts.
“I put up with a lot of bullying at school and never had much confidence until I began singing.”
His debut album will be out in just four weeks after he signed a £1million deal with Sony BMG.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
| Simon Videos |
Courtesy of Yahoo
FYI: there may be a commercial first before the interview starts...
The New 'American Idol'-- ABC News, May 24, 2007
Simon Cowell discusses the controversy and drama both on and off the stage.
The Price Of Fame -- 60 Minutes, March 16, 2007
Life has never been better for Simon Cowell.
Simon's Tough Love -- 60 Minutes, March 15, 2007
Simon Cowell says honesty is the best policy on American Idol.
| Talent Winner Signs £1m Deal |
June 20, 2007
By Colin Robertson for The Sun
Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts has signed a £1MILLION record deal with Simon Cowell.
It is a multi-album contract for Britain AND the US.
Paul — who will start recording for show judge Simon’s Syco Music record label next week — flies out to New York today.
US telly stations have bombarded Talent producer Syco TV with requests for Paul to sing. He has agreed to perform on the Today show on NBC tomorrow morning.
Paul will sing from the world famous Rockefeller Plaza — following in the footsteps of major acts including Bon Jovi and Enrique Iglesias.
An insider said: “We’ve had a huge amount of interest in Paul from the US so it only seems right we should release his music over there. They know all about the show because they have their own version America’s Got Talent, which is their biggest show at the moment.”
Former Carphone Warehouse manager Paul, 36, said: “I’m over the moon — I can’t believe any of this.
“Simon’s been true to his word, this has given me the most amazing opportunity. None of this has sunk in yet.”
A massive 12.6million ITV viewers saw pop mogul Simon promise the star a record deal after he won the talent show on Sunday.
Paul’s album is set to feature a string of opera hits — including Nessun Dorma, the classic aria that won him the show. Simon has already had success selling classical music to the US, with Il Divo one of the best-selling classical groups.
Paul has also received plaudits from other major stars, including Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and Welsh opera star Katherine Jenkins.
Paul revealed: “I saw Annie Lennox the morning after I’d won and she said she’d seen my performance and wished me well.”
Katherine has pledged to sing with Paul — who is from Port Talbot — at a festival in Wales.
Katherine, 26, said: “I’m very happy that he won because he’s from Port Talbot, which is the next town to mine.”
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
| Moving on: Simon Cowell |
June 17, 2007
By John Elliott for The Times Online
Sitting pretty with an estimated fortune of £100m, Simon Cowell, the pantomime-nasty pop-music and television svengali, has decided that it’s time for some home improvements.
Cowell, the man behind talent shows The X Factor and American Idol, has just applied for permission to knock down the conservatory at his mansion in Kensington, west London, and replace it with a new one.
Cowell bought the house, near Holland Park and on one of the best streets in the royal borough, for £5.7m four years ago, using a mortgage from Coutts – the bankers to the Queen.
Monday, June 18, 2007
| Paul Potts Wins 'Britain's Got Talent' --and Bags Himself a Record Contract |
June 18, 2007
By Clemmie Moodie for The Daily Mail
His doleful expression, ramshackle appearance and booming voice have made him an unlikely national idol.
But Paul Potts, a 36-year-old operatic mobile phone salesman, sang his way to victory in ITV1's hit show, Britain's Got Talent.
After opening the show with a stirring performance of Puccini's Nessum Dorma, Potts, from Port Talbot, received a standing ovation from the live studio audience and was unanimously praised by the programme's three judges, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden.
After being declared the winner, Paul Potts was close to tears and said that performing for the Queen 'means absolutely everything'.
He added: "I cannot believe it at all, I'm like jelly. Thank-you for believing in me, it is absolutely bonkers."
Simon Cowell said: "I'm so proud of you. Next week you are going to be in a recording studio making your debut album."
Fellow judge Piers Morgan told him: "You deserve it I can't think of anybody better to represent this show."
Paul Potts regained his poise after the result of two million phone votes was revealed, and delivered a final rendition of Nessun Dorma for the TV cameras.
After his victory was announced Simon Cowell confirmed that Paul will be in a recording studio next week, recording his own album.
As well as receiving a cheque for £100,000 -- which will cover £30,000 worth of debts he has amassed trying to achieve his dream of stardom -- the tenor will now perform in front of the Queen at this year's Royal Variety Performance.
Success means that Potts, who currently works for the Carphone Warehouse, is likely to secure a lucrative record deal -- and has already been lined up to appear in a series of shows and concerts.
Indeed, his first round audition -- in which he left the judges speechless and Miss Holden crying -- has already taken over as the number one most watched clip on internet website, YouTube.
Although the former supermarket shelf- stacker has not sung since a near fatal motorcycle accident in 2003, his victory is perhaps tinted after it was revealed that he has received professional voice training.
| Britain's Got Talent, ITV1: And the show's real winner is ... Simon Cowell |
June 18, 2007
By Robert Hanks for The Independent
One of the Prime Minister's main complaints about the media in his "feral beast" speech was that it "saps the country's confidence and self-belief". Presumably he loves Britain's Got Talent, with its affirmative, confidence-building title, and its set of inspiring narratives about people seizing the day and lifting themselves out of the ordinary.
The variety talent contest -- in effect, Opportunity Knocks rejigged for the post-Pop Idol generation -- has been running every night this week, earning very healthy ratings. Last night the public got the chance to vote on the six finalists. The bookies' favourite was, apparently, six-year-old Connie Talbot, small enough to make the hosts, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, look tall, and yet with the mature vocal style of a nine-year-old. Her surprisingly firm, tuneful performance of "Over the Rainbow" reduced one of the panel of judges, Amanda Holden, to tears. She faced hot competition, however, from Bessie Cursons, 11, whose precocious faux- cockney rendition of "I'm Getting Married in the Morning" carried eerie suggestions of Jack Wild -- the Artful Dodger in Oliver! -- and Bonnie Langford (if she won, she told the judges, it would be "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"); and from Paul Potts, a Secombesque tenor with an appealingly underdog air.
Making up the numbers were the Kombat Breakers, breakdancers from Coventry; Damon Scott and his Michael Jackson-imitating monkey puppet Bubbles; and the Barwizards, who juggle bottles and cocktail shakers in an ingenious extended tribute to Tom Cruise in Cocktail. Of course, the probability that they would lose was glossed over: an interesting aspect of the programme is the way that every contestant is cajoled into telling the cameras that they are determined to win -- the prize, incidentally, is £100,000, and the chance to perform in front of the queen at the Royal Variety Performance: Her lucky Majesty. Meanwhile the judges -- along with Holden, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell -- implied to each contestant that they were the most likely winner: "You're the dark horse", "I think I've seen the winner", and so forth.
In the event, Paul Potts won the phone-in vote.
The only real winner, though, is Cowell, because he owns the format, which has now been sold in territories from America to China, from Sweden to Australia.
But I couldn't shake a sense that these are talents marooned in a century that has lost interest in such things. The programme left me feeling like the dinner-party guest having to sit through the host's children's party pieces, expressing wonderment at appropriates gaps in the performance. Bring on the grown-up conversation. Bring on the food. Above all, bring on the drink. And this time, don't juggle with it: pour the bloody stuff.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
| Simon Cowell's Soup Soak |
June 17, 2007
By Staff Writers for Monsters and Critics
Simon Cowell bathes in cherry tomatoes and sparkling water to stay looking young.
The vain 'Britain's Got Talent' and 'American Idol' judge reportedly believes the concoction will preserve his youth.
A source told the National Enquirer: "Simon orders Italian cherry tomatoes to be flown in from Europe and pulps them in a bucket.
"He pours them into a bath filled with Perrier water and soaks for hours.
"He calls it 'Tomate Cerise'. He believes the tomato enzymes eradicate age spots, keep the skin looking young and even boost the metabolism."
However, Simon's Los Angeles housekeepers are allegedly fed up with cleaning up after what they call his "tomato soup" baths.
Fellow 'Britain's Got Talent' judge Amanda Holden recently revealed the image-conscious music producer worships his hairdryer.
She said: "Simon has this little routine before every show, with his hairdryer, but it's pointless -- he looks exactly the same afterwards.
"I can only assume it has become some sort of ritual. Just as Madonna prays before a performance, Simon worships at the altar of his Babyliss hairdryer.
"He likes to be reassured that he looks good and we always tell him it does. He's always checking his appearance. His hair never moves. Maybe he should grow it slightly, so it looks less military."
Saturday, June 16, 2007
| The Glamour Mag List of Men |
June 16, 2007
By John Mckie for The Daily Record
The Glamour mag list of Men It's OK to Fancy is always a talking point.
This year, it features Chris Moyles, Simon Cowell, David Walliams and Daniel Radcliffe.
Next year, they're hoping to do something outrageous by putting someone on it who's not a millionaire.
| Britain's Got Perverts |
June 16, 2007
By Guy Patrick and Sara Nathan for The Sun and Staff Writers for The Daily Star
A contestant was dramatically kicked off Britain’s Got Talent yesterday — after he was exposed as a sex offender.
George Formby impressionist Richard Bates claimed he quit the ITV show after injuring himself in an accident with his electric organ.
But The Sun can reveal he was axed after police saw him performing and alerted TV bosses to an incident involving a boy of 14.
Gay Bates, 27, was hauled into court over the 2001 encounter and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.
A police source said their latest action would have been taken to prevent “further distress” to his victim.
Bates, of Blackpool, stunned Talent judges with his impressions on Tuesday.
He was due to appear in last night’s semi-finals, but claimed he had crushed his fingers in his organ stand.
However cops revealed Bates left after THEY contacted ITV bosses. A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “Richard Bates is on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
“We were alerted that he was to appear and entered into conversation with Mr Bates and the TV company.
“As a result, Mr Bates was withdrawn.” Show chiefs decided to ask him to leave after consulting star and co-producer Simon Cowell.
A spokeswoman said: “In consultation with us Richard chose to withdraw himself.”
Bates last night protested his innocence. He said: “I basically got into trouble for tickling a lad’s feet. I got a discharge in court.”
TV judge Simon Cowell, 47, never wanted Bates in the contest and said of his act: “That is the worst I have ever seen. It was torture.”
But former newspaper editor Piers Morgan, 42, pushed him through saying:
“You were brilliant. Do we inflict you on future audiences and also the Queen?
“Yes. You are through.”
Friday, June 15, 2007
| Cowell's Latest Hit Gets a YouTube Boost |
June 15, 2007
By Ben Quinn for The Telegraph
Simon Cowell, the pop music mogul with the Midas touch, has scored yet another success after his latest television talent show became an enormous hit on the internet site YouTube.
Clips of acts from Britain's Got Talent on ITV have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on the website, which has an often rocky relationship with broadcasters.
One clip repeating the performance of six-year-old Connie Talbot from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, who impressed judges with her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and is one of the favourites to win this weekend's final, received close to one million hits and was the most viewed piece of footage on YouTube on Wednesday.
Clips featuring the tenor Paul Potts, a mobile phone seller from South Wales, and Damon Scott, who won over the judges with his comedy routine involving a monkey puppet "singing" Michael Jackson songs, have also been popular.
A spokesman for the show said that broadcasters sometimes "had issues" with television footage being shown on YouTube but admitted that the popularity of the clips on the website had been impressive.
"It is amazing that within 20 minutes of being on air they are on YouTube. I don't known how people are doing it," she added.
Even footage of Norma Clarke, a Birmingham pensioner whose rap act failed to impress Cowell, has been viewed more than 60,000 times on YouTube.
The figures illustrate how British households are now spending almost as much of their free time surfing the internet as they do watching television.
A recent survey of more than 2,500 households showed that almost half spent three or more hours a day on the internet, compared with 3.8 hours watching television
Britain's Got Talent was watched by more than seven million viewers on Tuesday and the overall winner will perform before the Queen at the Royal Variety Show on Dec 3.
Its creator, Cowell, was this week ranked 21st in a Forbes magazine list of the world's most powerful celebrities, with earnings of £22.8 million.
Videos on YouTube:
Connie Talbot
Paul Potts
| US Talk Show Host Is World's Most Powerful Celebrity |
June 15, 2007
By Staff Writers for U.TV
Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity, according to a list compiled by business magazine Forbes.
The 53-year-old talk show host was followed in the annual rankings by golfer Tiger Woods, who made history as the first sportsman to earn $100 million (£50.7 million) in a year, and Madonna, who returned to the list in third place after a successful tour.
Britons made a strong showing in this year`s list, with the Rolling Stones and Elton John featuring in the top 10 with estimated paycheques of $88 million (£44.6 million) and $53 million (£26.9 million) respectively in the last calendar year.
David Beckham, who signed on with LA Galaxy in a five-year deal, jumped from 43rd to 15th with an estimated $33 million (£16.7 million).
Boy wizard Harry Potter also made a significant contribution to the 2007 list, with its author JK Rowling in 48th place ($32 million, £16.2 million) and its child stars Daniel Radcliffe ($15 million, £7.6 million) and Emma Watson ($4 million, £2 million) making the rankings at 79 and 97 respectively for the first time.
Other Britons on the list include Simon Cowell in 21st place ($45 million, £22.8 million), U2 in 22nd ($30 million, £15.2 million) and Kate Moss in 74th place with $9 million (£4.6 million).
As well as looking at a celebrity`s earnings over the past year, Forbes examines internet presence, press clippings, magazine cover stories and mentions on TV and radio.
Oprah, whose talk show is watched by 30 million viewers each week in the US alone, regained her top spot - which she lost last year to Tom Cruise - with estimated earnings of $260 million (£131.8 million).
A Forbes spokeswoman said: "A combination of strong financials and her enduring influence on the US public, which could see her affecting the outcome of next year`s US elections, is enough to propel her back into the top spot."
Notable absentees included Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan, who all missed out on the top 100 this year.
But Hollywood actors featured prominently in the list, with Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise all in the top 10. Angelina Jolie was in 14th place.
The list is published in the forthcoming issue of Forbes, out in the UK on June 15.
:: Forbes Most Powerful Celebrities
1 Oprah Winfrey ($260 million, £131.8 million)
2 Tiger Woods ($100 million, £50.7 million)
3 Madonna ($72 million, £36.5 million)
4 Rolling Stones ($88 million, £44.6 million)
5 Brad Pitt ($35 million, £17.7 million)
6 Johnny Depp ($92 million, £46.6 million)
7 Elton John ($53 million, £26.9 million)
8 Tom Cruise ($31 millions, £15.7 million)
9 Jay-Z ($83 million, £42.1 million)
10 Steven Spielberg ($110 million, £55.8 million)
| Barrymore Quizzed |
June 15, 2007
By Aidan Mcgurran , Jeff Edwards, and Staff Writers for The Mirror and Thomas Whitaker and Mike Sullivan for The Sun
Detectives quizzing Michael Barrymore over the death of Stuart Lubbock were today granted more time to hold him.
They have been given a further 12 hours to detain the TV star over Mr Lubbock's death in his swimming pool six years ago.
Barrymore, 55, was arrested yesterday after police were handed tapes of him chatting about the night of the incident.
Officers are checking the recordings to see if the star's account of how the 31-year-old died at his party in 2001 differ from what he has told them.
The tapes were given to detectives by Simon Cowell's brother Tony who had interviewed Barrymore for his autobiography before a row scuppered the project.
Tony said: "Michael phoned me three weeks ago and said the police may want to talk to me about the book."
Barrymore was yesterday held on suspicion of Stuart's murder and sexual assault, along with two other men.
The former comedy star was quizzed about the death at his mansion in Roydon, Essex. Two other men, Jonathan Kenney and Justin Merritt were also held but released.
Tony said he gave the audio tapes to Essex police after an officer phoned him. He added: "I got a call from DC Darren Jones saying he knew I had worked with Michael on the book and did I have any transcripts or tapes of the interview.
"We arranged to meet at a restaurant in Soho and I volunteered the tapes. I told him there was nothing new on them.
“The first tape is the one that deals with the Lubbock incident but police wanted the whole lot.
“I asked them how the investigation was going and if there was any end in sight.
“They said they were talking to people like me who were not spoken to the first time. There was no indication at all at that time there would be arrests.
"Michael recently returned to the UK and had told me he hoped the situation with the Lubbocks would be over with."
Last night an Essex police source said: “The arrests were planned a week before the tapes were handed over. But they will form part of the overall case.”
In the recordings, Barrymore is believed to have talked for several hours about the night butcher Stuart was found dead in his swimming pool.
Essex Police said: "We have obtained some tapes from Mr Cowell, but cannot say anything regarding their content."
Thursday, June 14, 2007
| Simon Cowell Picks 6-year-old as the 'Next Charlotte Church' |
June 14, 2007
By ANI for Yahoo India and Clemmie Moodie for The Daily Mail
Reality show Britain's Got Talent's contestant Connie Talbot might be the 'next Charlotte Church', for she took the judges and audiences by surprise by her stunning performance.
The show's creator producer Simon Cowell insisted that the 6-year-old's vocal talent is so good that it is justified if she is compared to Church whose first album, 'Voice of an Angel' made her the youngest artist with a No. 1 selling album on the British classical charts to date.
"I think a comparison with Charlotte Church is interesting -- she's certainly got a shot," Daily Mail quoted Cowell, as saying.
The music mogul was so impressed by Tablot's singing that he has agreed to sign her for a seven-figure deal with his own record label, Sony BMG.
"Of course a record deal with a Sony BMG is on the cards -- but only if Connie wants it," Cowell said.
"We can't go rushing into anything. I will initially talk to her and then I'll have a word with her mum and see what she wants," he said.
"She could easily make a million quid-plus this year, but of course none of this is guaranteed until the competition is over.
Last night, Connie said: "I am really excited. Simon is my hero."
Cowell insisted that the girl is 'special' and has become popular worldwide.
"This girl is just special. I have never felt such a powerful silence in my life as when Connie sang. It was pure magic," Cowell said.
"She's all over the world at the moment, this girl -- she's the number one clip on YouTube, for instance -- and that's a worldwide number one," he added.
The reality show judge predicted that Tablot might even beat records of singer Joss Stone this year.
"She's got a wonderful opportunity here and I'll make a prediction that Connie will sell more records than Joss Stone this year," he said.
However, Tablot's mum Sharon is a bit unsure about the offer, her daughter's 'hero' has offered.
"I'm a big worrier. I just want my Connie to stay the way she is. I never wanted all this for her -- I never took her to dance lessons or singing lessons," Sharon said.
"But I wouldn't be able to turn down a record deal with Simon because Connie would just be like, 'Yes!, Yes!' She'd feel like Leona Lewis from the X Factor who, along with Joss Stone, is her absolute idol," she added.
| Simon's Six |
June 14, 2007
By Mark Jefferies for The Mirror
Britain's Got Talent judge gives his verdict on top entrants.. and vows to crush BB in ratings
RICHARD BATES
George Formby soundalike who performs in clubs and old people"s homes
Simon says: Hideous. I hate acts who play and sing with those ghastly electric organs. No chance
CONNIE TALBOT
The six-year-old has been seen singing by more than 360,000 people on YouTube
Simon says: I'm not a fan of young kids singing but she is incredible, with the best smile I've ever seen
MD PRODUCTIONS
Colourful dance act with most of the kids from underprivileged backgrounds
Simon says: Totally brilliant. I loved what they did and would love to see them in the final
DAMON SCOTT
Bizarre tribute to Michael Jackson with a monkey puppet dancing and singing
Simon says: One of my favourite acts from all the auditions so far and completely unexpected
CAROLINE BOYES
Madonna tribute performer who strutted her stuff in corset and conical bra
Simon says: One of the worst acts we have seen in the entire series. It's a miracle she ever got through
PAUL POTTS
Mobile phone salesman with a surprise twist - he has a voice like Pavarotti
Simon says: A normal guy in a normal job with the most fantastic talent which had gone unnoticed
These are the six Britain's Got Talent hopefuls judge Simon Cowell believes will have viewers glued to their TV screens.
They include child wonder Connie Talbot, six, whom he hails "incredible", and singer Paul Potts - "the most fantastic talent".
But he reckons some are memorable for the wrong reasons, such as tacky Madonna wannabe Caroline Boyes. The acid-tongued mogul, 47, sneered: "One of the worst we've seen."
He gave his verdicts on the six, among 26 acts in tonight's final stages, as he vowed to carry on thumping Big Brother so badly in the ratings that bosses axe it.
He spat: "Big Brother is horrible, boring and full of stupid people. It's so dull.
"I'm thrilled the country seems to be enjoying Britain's Got Talent. We wanted to bury Big Brother and we are. It's our moral duty to drive it off our screens."
His ITV1 series has attracted more than seven million viewers nightly while their Channel 4 rivals have struggled on fewer than three million.
Among the other hopefuls Simon reckons TV audiences will love is monkey puppeteer Damon Scott, whom he calls "one of my favourite acts".
The TV toughie is also fond of dancers MD Productions and says: "Brilliant, I loved what they did."
But there are harsh words for George Formby tribute performer Richard Bates, whom he ridicules as "hideous".
Many other wannabes vying to be crowned winner on Sunday can also expect similarly barbed putdowns.
Simon added: "I've always gone out of my way to be honest and if someone's terrible, I'll be telling them.
"And I'll let the other judges know what I think of their opinions, too."
Simon now expects the talent quest, with TV's Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden as fellow judges, to be back for a second run.
The winner of this series will perform at December's Royal Variety Show.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
| Britain's Got Talent Connie Talbot YouTube Video |
For those of you who have been searching for a video of Connie, here it is: Britain's Got Talent's Connie Talbot
| Seacrest to Simon Cowell: Your Ego Is Getting Out of Control! |
June 12, 2007
By Staff Writers for US Magazine
It hasn't even been one month since American Idol's sixth season wrapped and TV's hottest odd couple, Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell, parted ways. But the pair is already duking it out.
During a recent press junket to promote the launch of E! News in Canada, Seacrest acknowledged that Idol's ratings, while still atop the Nielsen Ratings, had slipped last season - and jokingly blamed Cowell for the significant slump.
"Well, the knee-jerk reaction would be Simon," Seacrest told the Toronto Globe and Mail, in response to the ratings slide. "Clearly there's an over-saturation of his character."
Seacrest's tongue-in-cheek ribbing was nothing if not good-natured, as the host revealed this morning on his KIIS-FM radio show. Dialing up his Brit pal to clear up rumors of a feud, Seacrest argued that Cowell, who co- created Idol, "believe[s] that [he's] created everything for all of us."
"Everything good goes to you," Seacrest told the acerbic judge. "If there's any hiccup along the way, we are obligated to blame you. You want the credit, you get the blame."
"When I'm allowed more airtime," Cowell countered, "we get 34 million viewers. When I say nothing and you're talking, we get 12 million less."
"There's a little bit of an ego getting out of control with you," Seacrest shot back. Cowell's solution to drive ratings for season seven? "Let us talk more. When I say us, I mean me."
The voice of Idol reason, who was also hawking his other reality show, Britain's Got Talent, chuckled when reminding Seacrest that he had his chance to shine.
"I offered you Romania's Got Talent and you declined!" Cowell said with a hearty laugh.
With that, Seacrest, who recently performed a widely praised comedic cameo in the film Knocked Up, offered the final straw. "I know you're upset they didn't ask you to be in Knocked Up," he told the judge. "It's okay that [director] Judd Apatow didn't call you. You can't be everywhere all the time. You're one old man!"
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
| Miss Holden's Got Talent |
June 12, 2007
By Sue Evison for The Sun
Amanda Holden is the rose between two thorns on Britain’s Got Talent.
The gorgeous actress is a judge on ITV1’s new wannabe variety show, with Simon Cowell and ex-newspaper editor Piers Morgan.
And Amanda reckons she has what it takes to keep the two blokes in check.
The 36-year-old says: “Simon and Piers are just like naughty schoolboys. They like to wind me up. If I disagree with their verdict, they say, ‘What do you know? You have no credibility.’
“And I say, ‘So, Piers, weren’t you sacked? And Simon, didn’t you promote Zig and Zag?’ That shuts them up!
“There is a real rivalry between them and they argue a lot on the show. I feel like their mother — like taking them by the scruff of the neck and saying, ‘Right, stop squabbling, it’s straight to bed with no tea for you two.’”
The show aims to find an unknown act who will win £100,000 and appear in front of the Queen at December’s Royal Variety show. Hopefuls include a performing pig, horse acts, knife throwers, singers and a stand-up aged EIGHT.
Piers, 42, has appeared on several TV shows and writes a magazine column boasting of his friendships with the stars — and especially Cowell.
Amanda says: “Piers is the biggest waffler. You can always count on him for a soundbite. I am embarrassed to say I like him. I spent years cursing him when he was an editor for lots of horrible stories he published about me.
“He has since apologised, but only because I asked him to.
“We get on well now. He is a real gentleman, cunning, always knows what he is talking about and is very measured in what he says.
“The problem with both Simon and Piers is that they have no social skills when it comes to saying something difficult without being blunt and rude. I’m more subtle.
“I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings, but I’m no pushover. My opinions differ a lot from theirs and I’m unpredictable.
“Simon’s a flirt. I’d be flattered, except I know he enjoys flirting with everyone.”
The 47-year-old once confessed Amanda was one of the few blondes he fancied, adding: “I bet she’s filthy!” He’s also been known to snog female co-judges live on air.
Amanda, who has a young daughter with fiancé Chris Hughes, 35, a music producer, says: “Simon won’t get the opportunity to snog me — I’d put him over my knee and spank his bottom so he couldn’t sit down for a week. Simon’s flirting is all harmless fun. Chris knows both Simon and Piers and they all get on well.”
Simon has been described as ruthless, rude, cold and heartless yet Amanda, who starred in TV’s Cutting It and Wild At Heart, reckons he’s a pussycat.
She says: “Simon is charming and polite and always the first to bed, unlike Piers, who will be drinking a bottle of wine after the show. Simon will tell me and Piers we’re not wearing enough make-up. ‘Don’t kill the magic, darling,’ he says, ‘put some more make-up on.’
“He always has time for the public. He won’t be hurried when it comes to kissing grannies and signing autographs and always poses for pictures.
“A lot of celebrities could learn a lesson from him, he’s very down to earth because he remembers who put him where he is.
“For me the best part of the show is when Simon loses it, giggling.
“He can’t help sniggering, I’ve had him crying on my shoulder in tears of laughter.
“He’s a big softie at heart. He leapt up and ran around trying to save budgies which had escaped into the audience during one act.
"It was very funny!
“I also love it when Piers tries to be trendy. He joined in with some beat-boxers on one show, it was a sight to behold.”
Olivier Award-nominated Amanda performed for The Queen when she was starring on stage in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie. She says of her new role: “The show has a real responsibility to find a good act. They aren’t always polished, it can be very raw.
“For the first time the public is involved in the auditions so the audience is like a fourth judge. We have been swayed to change our minds by their booing.
“I’ve been in this business for 15 years but now I’ve recognised it’s the people you least expect anything of who usually come up trumps. As we say in the business, it’s not all teeth and t*ts!”
Amanda recently announced she is quitting hit show Wild At Heart for the sake of daughter Lexi, 18 months.
She explains: “Lexi always comes first.
It doesn’t seem fair taking her to South Africa for six months to film Wild At Heart now she’s developing a routine and life of her own.”
Amanda, who famously had an affair with Neil Morrissey, is due to marry Chris next year. Formula One driver David Coulthard will be his best man. The couple had known each other for a decade but only dated after Amanda divorced actor Les Dennis in 2003.
They put the wedding on hold until Lexi can be a bridesmaid.
Amanda says: “Chris is wonderful, funny and I fancy him like mad.
“He’s taught me to have fun and to revel in being the age that I am.
“We’d love more children but not until we’ve married in 2008. I love being a mum and didn’t want to rush into marriage again, which is why we’ve waited.”
Britain’s Got Talent is on ITV1 every night until Sunday.
| Baton-Twirling Was a Secret for 10 Years... Now It's Wowed Simon Cowell! |
June 12, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Yorkshire Evening Post
He's the Leeds teenager dubbed baton-twirling's answer to Billy Elliot.
Craig Womersley, 17, won rave reviews with a spectacular display of his twirling skills on the opening night of Britain's Got Talent, ITV's big-money search for a new variety star.
But after the show it emerged that Craig, from Bramley, kept his hobby hidden from his parents for 10 YEARS.
Dad Jeff and mum Mandy asked him to hang up his baton when he was seven because they were worried he might get picked on at school for being too "girly".
Unbeknown to them, however, he continued practising during weekly visits to see his nan, Barbara White, who runs the Lynbar majorette troupe in Beeston.
And Craig didn't let his parents in on his secret until a few weeks ago, when he arrived home from his successful Britain's Got Talent audition in Manchester and told them: "I'm going to be on the TV!"
Shop manager Mandy, 46, said: "We were flabbergasted – I couldn't believe it had been going on for so long. We're really proud of him, though. He's done fantastically."
Millions of viewers watched on Saturday as Craig's routine wowed Britain's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan.
Cowell drew comparisons between the Yorkshire lad's story and the movie and musical tale of Billy Elliot, an aspiring dancer growing up in a tough North East mining town.
Holden, meanwhile, was almost moved to tears when Craig – dressed in a white sequinned jumpsuit – told her: "I forget everything when I'm twirling and go into a world of my own."
The Intake High School pupil is now hoping to win a place in the final stages of the competition, which start on Thursday.
The programme's overall winner will scoop £100,000 and the chance to perform for the Queen at the Royal Variety Show.
Taking a break from rehearsals in London today, Craig said: "It's all been like a dream so far. I was quite nervous about going on stage in front of so many people, but in the end it was wicked. Fingers crossed it keeps going well for me."
| Cowell OK for City Dance Crew |
June 11, 2007
By Emma Stone for IC Coventry
Coventry dance crew Kombat Breakers stormed into the next round of TV's hottest new talent contest last night.
Notoriously harsh critic Simon Cowell described the city lads as "the freshest act I've seen in the UK" on Britain's Got Talent.
The group are now getting ready to perform again in front of millions of TV viewers later this week when members of the public will have a chance to vote for them.
The compliments came flooding in from the judging panel following an energetic performance by the seven-strong crew to the sounds of Drop by Fat Man Scoop.
Self-taught choreographer Leeroy Bailey, 26, of Dunrose Close, Wyken, Coventry said the team had a great time during their first performance in the UK's biggest talent show.
He said: "Back stage, when we were waiting in the wings,
is when it kicked in.
"As soon as we got on stage there was a crowd of 1,800 people in front of us.
"We just got straight on with it and the audience were really behind us, they went crazy.
"Piers Morgan said he thought we had a few rough edges but liked the crowd's reaction.
"Simon Cowell thought we were perfect role models for the kids and there was a market for us. He also said he thought we were the freshest act he had seen in the UK."
The group eventually got 'buzzed off' but not before they secured themselves a place in the next round and took one step closer to the ultimate prize of £100,000.
After leaving the stage the show's presenters Ant and Dec attempted to interview the group, but the excitement was just too much for the lads from Coventry.
Leeroy, who has passed on his street-dancing skills to hundreds of young Midlands dancers and has appeared on stages everywhere from New York to Dubai, said: "We all just went crazy.
"Ant and Dec were trying to interview us but we were just leaping around - it took them about five minutes to calm us down."
The team will now go on to perform in the second round of the competition on ITV this week and if successful they will then face the public vote in the semi finals.
Leeroy added: "If we were to win this it would be the biggest thing that could ever happen to us."
Monday, June 11, 2007
| Ryan Blames Simon for ‘Idol’ Ratings Drop |
June 11, 2007
By Jeanette Walls for MSNBC
Ryan Seacrest says he knows why “American Idol” took a ratings hit this season. He says it’s Simon Cowell’s fault.
When asked about the decline, reports Canada’s Globe and Mail, Seacrest replied, “Well, the knee- jerk reaction would be Simon.”
Seacrest says there’s just too much of the acid- tongued judge: “Clearly there’s an over saturation of his character.” Seacrest pointed out that the ratings are still high, and addressed buzz that bosses want to change some of the “Idol” judges.
“That’s clearly rumor,” he said. “I’m positive you can’t recreate the chemistry that we have with the group on ‘American Idol.’”
| Cowell’s Got The Jew Factor |
June 11, 2007
By Rachel Weisbach for Jewtastic
Looks like showbiz mogul Simon Cowell can trace his roots back as a member of the tribe.
The American Idol to Britain’s Got Talent judge has paternal grandparents who were married at an East London synagogue. His father Eric, was born to Joseph Cowell and Esther Malinsky. Joseph and Esther got married in 1915 at West Ham Synagogue.
While Esther came from Poland with her family emigrating around 1890, Joseph was also born in the East End to Joseph Allerton Cowell and Nancy Levy.
| Simon Says It's the Pits |
June 11, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Daily Record
Simon Cowell will tonight unveil the "worst audition" he has ever seen on British TV.
He's seen countless thousands of hopefuls who've tried to impress him over the years.
But tonight, the 47-year-old is stunned by some performers in Britain's Got Talent.
One "hightlight" is drag duo Linda Limelight and partner Hazelnut who is pulled on stage inside a suitcase.
Describing the performance, TV's Mr Nasty said: "You do get extreme auditions.
"The worst thing I have ever seen is a tranvestite with a midget in a suitcase, who then becomes her horse.
"Am I showing that on TV? Of course I am."
Other auditions on tonight's show include singing dog Mitzy-moo.
Also hoping to win a place in the show's semi-final is Dave Allen and his daredevil duck Domino.
The show, which also has Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan as judges, pulled 5.4million for its first show on Saturday night.
| Cowell + Jagger Top Sexy List |
June 11, 2007
By Staff Writers for Contact Music
Music mogul Simon Cowell and ageing rocker Sir Mick Jagger have topped a poll of men British women secretly fancy.
According to the poll, by U.K. magazine Glamour, women like Cowell's "man-boobs, flat top hair and Cuban heels".
The poll, which lists the unlikely male celebrities woman are ashamed to admit they like, also features former U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown also made the list.
| Cowell's Wowed by Girl, 6 |
June 11, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Sun
A girl of six is set to steal the nation’s hearts tonight on reality show Britain’s Got Talent.
Connie Talbot won over sarky judge Simon Cowell with her version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. He tells her: “I thought you were fantastic — pitch perfect.”
Bizarre acts include a singing dog called Mitzy Moo attempting the Crazy Frog song and a 79-year-old tap-dancer.
The programme, aiming to find an act for the Royal Variety Show, kicked off on Saturday with 5.4million viewers.
Earlier, Cowell was heckled by angry X Factor hopefuls at the show’s biggest-ever audition.
More than 12,000 wannabes headed to Arsenal’s Emirates stadium, with some arriving in the early hours. They had to wait until 1.30pm to be seen.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
| Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Take Top Honors in Premier PopSugar 100 List (Simon 95th) |
June 6, 2007
By Staff Writers for PM Newswire
Annual List Features Top Celebrities as Determined by PopSugar Readers
After more than three months of voting, the results have been tallied and the premier PopSugar 100 List is here. Taking the crown in PopSugar's first-ever ranking of the world's top celebrities are golden couple Brad Pitt (#1) and Angelina Jolie (#2), who have soared to the top of the charts with their efforts to raise awareness of global issues, their ever-expanding international family and undeniably successful blockbuster films.
PopSugar's Editor-in-Chief Lisa Sugar noted, "Brad and Angelina are a combination of everything an A-list celebrity today entails. Looks, talent, charity and family have made this couple the most talked about celebrities this year. Even their peers are star-struck by the couple who have re-defined what it means to be A-list. To us, this is the definition ofcelebrity."
Rounding out the Top 10 list are Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Johnny Depp.
The PopSugar 100 List is the result of readers rating celebrities in five categories: likeability, talent, style, class and looks. Readers were provided with a list of more than 300 film, television, music, fashion and sports celebrities from which to vote. Each celebrity received their own profile page, consisting of a mash-up of content pulled from across the Internet, including YouTube videos, Wikipedia entries, Flickr photos, Sugar Network stories and http://www.PopSugar.com photos. Readers rated them on a scale from one to ten in each of the five categories. PopSugar then combined the users' votes with the elusive "Pop Factor" to create the final list. "The public certainly has definitive views on the hottest celebrities," said Sugar. "More than four million votes were cast throughout the voting period. Brad and Angelina have been two of the most controversial celebrities on the list, given their personal lives over the past two years, but every time they appear in a photo or story, users crowd the Jolie-Pitt celebrity pages to record their votes and express their opinions through comments.
"We also find it notable that the top five celebrities are seasoned entertainment industry vets who have demonstrated their staying power over the years. Additionally, 11 of the top 50 celebrities are over the age of 50, which demonstrates that Hollywood has not been taken over by young starlets."
The entire PopSugar 100 list can be found at http://www.popsugar.com/100, or below.
About Sugar Publishing
Sugar Publishing, Inc., the privately-owned media company, is focused on creating the richest, most relevant online community for trendsetting, passionate and smart women. Building upon the insanely addictive flagship website, PopSugar, Sugar Publishing's network now includes BellaSugar, BuzzSugar, YumSugar, FitSugar, GeekSugar, GiggleSugar, DearSugar, TeamSugar and FabSugar, winner of the 2007 People's Choice Webby for Fashion. The Sugar Network boasts 4 million unique visitors a month. Founded in April 2006 and headquartered in San Francisco, Sugar Publishing is committed to creating the best, most comprehensive, and just plain fun online community for women.
The PopSugar 100:
1. Brad Pitt
2. Angelina Jolie
3. Oprah Winfrey
4. Madonna
5. Tom Cruise
6. Britney Spears
7. Jennifer Aniston
8. Julia Roberts
9. George Clooney
10. Johnny Depp
11. Jennifer Lopez
12. Justin Timberlake
13. Nicole Kidman
14. Leonardo DiCaprio
15. Jack Nicholson
16. Beyonce Knowles
17. Kate Winslet
18. Will Smith
19. Reese Witherspoon
20. Drew Barrymore
21. Paris Hilton
22. Lindsay Lohan
23. Cameron Diaz
24. Robert De Niro
25. Christina Aguilera
26. Steven Spielberg
27. Bono
28. Pam Anderson
29. Gwen Stefani
30. Jessica Simpson
31. David Beckham
32. Bruce Willis
33. Demi Moore
34. Jake Gyllenhaal
35. Clint Eastwood
36. Natalie Portman
37. Al Pacino
38. Scarlett Johansson
39. Jim Carrey
40. Gwyneth Paltrow
41. Matthew McConaughey
42. Diddy
43. Robin Williams
44. Sarah Jessica Parker
45. Harrison Ford
46. Denzel Washington
47. Meryl Streep
48. Katie Holmes
49. Matt Damon
50. Ben Affleck
51. Mariah Carey
52. Sandra Bullock
53. Eddie Murphy
54. Ellen DeGeneres
55. Samuel L Jackson
56. Richard Gere
57. Tyra Banks
58. Orlando Bloom
59. Courteney Cox
60. Adam Sandler
61. Ashton Kutcher
62. Victoria Beckham
63. Kate Moss
64. Rene Zellweger
65. Janet Jackson
66. Ben Stiller
67. David Letterman
68. Kate Hudson
69. Rachel McAdams
70. Morgan Freeman
71. Salma Hayek
72. Jessica Alba
73. Dustin Hoffman
74. Nicolas Cage
75. Nicole Richie
76. Will Ferrell
77. Charlize Theron
78. Eva Longoria
79. Heidi Klum
80. Anthony Hopkins
81. Penelope Cruz
82. Jennifer Garner
83. Jude Law
84. Hugh Grant
85. Ashley Olsen
86. Catherine Zeta-Jones
87. Jessica Biel
88. Jay-Z
89. Halle Berry
90. Russell Crowe
91. Tom Hanks
92. Mary-Kate Olsen
93. Jamie Foxx
94. Kirsten Dunst
95. Simon Cowell
96. Keira Knightley
97. Diane Keaton
98. Owen Wilson
99. John Travolta
100. Patrick Dempsey
| Barrymore Cops to Seize Death Tapes |
June 10, 2007
By David Jeffs for The People
The brother of X Factor star Simon Cowell has been interviewed by police re-investigating the Michael Barrymore swim pool death.
Tony Cowell tape-recorded hours of candid interviews with the fallen TV comic after agreeing to co-write his autobiography.
During the private meetings Barrymore went into great detail about the night in March 2001 when butcher Stuart Lubbock, 31, was found floating face-down in the pool at the TV star's Essex mansion following a boozy party.
Literary author Tony and Barrymore, 54, later fell out after the star pulled out of the book deal.
Tony, 56, locked the potentially explosive tapes in his safe. After learning of their existence, detectives who reopened their investigation last December contacted Tony and took them away after he travelled to London from his home in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Despite an extensive police inquiry no one was charged over Stuart's death. Tests showed he was three times over the drink-drive limit and had consumed potentially lethal amounts of cocaine and Ecstasy. He had also suffered "severe sexual injuries".
Barrymore has always protested his innocence.
A police source said: "Mr Cowell's tapes could contain some important new leads."
Last night Tony Cowell was unavailable for comment.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
| This Gorilla Is a Real Thriller |
June 09, 2007
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Michael Jackson has a rival for his chimp Bubbles — a monkey who jives to his tunes.
The puppet performance is one of a host of wacky acts on new ITV1 show Britain’s Got Talent tonight.
Damon Scott, 27, from Wilts, claims his dancing monkey routine is like “no-one else in the world”.
Even judge Simon Cowell agrees, joking: “It says something about the world when I’m enjoying a monkey puppet more than Michael Jackson...”
| Talent' Judges Horrified by Knife-Thrower |
June 9, 2007
By Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy
Simon Cowell told a girl who auditioned for Britain's Got Talent that he had saved her life after he rejected her.
Father and daughter Brian and Melanie Webber auditioned for the ITV1 reality series as a knife-throwing act, but Brian caused concern immediately when his shaky hands were spotted. Hosts Ant and Dec were horrified when they noticed that he could hardly hold a bottle of water in his hands because he was so nervous.
"Is this legal?" Ant asked. "You are about to throw knives at your daughter in front of 2,000 people, will you be able to hold it together?"
"I hope so," Melanie replied. "I might as well start shaking because I could be dead by the sound of things!"
The judges were forced to tell Brian and Melanie to stop the act almost immediately when Brian's knives consistently missed their targets and flew off around the stage.
"I had to stop you before you had an ex-daughter," judge Piers Morgan said.
Cowell added: "I just saved your life Melanie."
| Cowell Unimpressed by Piano-Playing Pig |
June 9, 2007
By Daniel Kilkelly for Digital Spy
Simon Cowell was left unimpressed when a woman auditioned for his new reality show Britain's Got Talent with a pig.
The series follows Cowell, journalist Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden as they search for a unique act to perform at this year's Royal Variety Show.
Hopeful Katie set out to wow the panel by showing how her pig Rupert can complete an obstacle course -- which finished with her pet playing the piano.
"My kids would love it," Piers admitted after watching the routine. "Don't worry about what Simon thinks -- he likes to be the most talented pig in the room!"
Holden was also extremely impressed, but Simon complained: "He doesn't play the piano -- he just walks on it."
"He's not Stevie Wonder, Simon," Piers hit back. "What were you expecting, his own composition?"
Viewers can see whether Katie and Rupert made it through to the second round tonight at 9.30pm on ITV1.
| X-Factor Flops Leave Cowell Speechless |
June 6, 2007
By Staff Writers for Herts and Essex News Online
A Hertford band crashed out of the X-Factor after their performance was met with stunned silence from judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Dannii Minogue.
The Book and Curry Sauce Club believed their act was hot – but the day started badly after an accident with a champagne glass.
Stylist Tom Ashley, 26, of Saks Hair and Beauty in Fore Street, was one of five singing These Boots are Made for Walking – but soon he wished he was wearing some.
Lead singer Claire Marginson, 43, of Stevenage, said: "We started on the champers at 6am and Tom stood on a glass cutting his big toe badly. Fortunately, Anne Ashworth, one of the group who is a nurse, treated him.
"After that we had a fantastic day, until we faced the judges. I have never seen Simon and Sharon speechless and Dannii just held her head in her hands with her mouth open. There was dead silence. Simon said ‘What am I supposed to make of that?’.
"I just don’t think that they got what we were about. I asked Dannii what was wrong and she said she just wanted to scream."
The group were in the third round of the TV fame show held at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Monday.
Claire, who is a trained counsellor and cleaner, added: "Two of the group are so mortified they have left the country.
"I think we will all be leaving the country when it is shown on TV. I think we are going to be really shown up as one of the failures.
"But we had an absolutely fantastic time and didn’t really take it that seriously. We just wanted to meet Simon Cowell and we did that. He was actually very nice to us – he could have been a lot worse."
But the failure and humiliation has left the book club undaunted – they are gearing up for their next challenge.
Claire said: "I think we are going to go for Dancing on Ice. Our talents are yet to be discovered. And it’s a laugh."
Other members of the group, who wore the same black and red clothes from Diva fashion store in Hertford, were Laura Ashworth and Patricia Ling.
Friday, June 08, 2007
| Simon Says Grease Slides into History |
June 8, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Mirror and The Sun
Simon Cowell has sensationally put his reputation on the line by declaring that his latest show, Britain's Got Talent, will be "a thousand times better than Grease".
TV's Mr Nasty is so disappointed with his theatrical casting show, that he's vowed never to make another.
Instead he plans to concentrate on what he does best - good old-fashioned talent contests.
Speaking at the launch of Britain's Got Talent — which kicks off tomorrow and runs for nine consecutive nights — he sighed: "We won't be making a follow-up to Grease Is The Word. But Britain's Got Talent is a much better show."
Cowell said: “We’ve learnt our lesson.”
He also admitted that Grease was not a patch on its BBC rival, Any Dream Will Do, and called for an end to copycat programming by warring channels.
Simon said: "What we've learned is that ITV and the BBC shouldn't compete on everything.
"There are some things that they do better than us, and others that we do better than them."
And he reckons one of the things the Beeb should avoid in future is talent contests.
Cowell said: “We shouldn’t try to beat the BBC on those types of shows and they shouldn’t try to beat us with variety shows.
Pouring scorn on Graham Norton's When Will I Be Famous? he said: "The mistake they made was not showing the auditions — viewers didn't go on a journey with the contestants and get emotionally involved with them.
He believed that — unlike on X Factor — viewers could not connect with the acts on When Will I Be Famous? adding: “Look what happened with Norton’s show. I can’t even remember what it was called. I didn’t buy into it.”
If I thought it was any good, we wouldn't have made this. The problem is, if you say ‘here are 12 singers you will like’ it won’t work.”
Britain's Got Talent provides something of an emotional rollercoaster ride for viewers.
Some of the acts are woeful — like the man who plays an ashtray with his keys — while others are brilliant.
Some even come complete with their own sob story, like the boy who has to practise his hobby of baton-twirling in secret because his parents don't approve.
Simon is hoping to easily trounce all other reality shows in the ratings. He laughed: "We have a moral duty to drive Big Brother off the screen."
On Britain’s Got Talent Cowell antagonises desperate wannabes who compete for a £100,000 prize and a chance to perform for the Queen at this year’s Royal Variety.
| Sharon Osbourne: Simon Cowell Convinced Me Not to Quit 'Talent' |
June 7, 2007
By Christopher Rocchio for Reality TV World
Apparently the friction between judges Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan displayed during Tuesday night's second-season premiere of America's Got Talent wasn't just for the show's cameras.
"[I've] never sat down with Piers, just the two of us.
Nor would I," Osbourne told TV Guide about her icy relationship with Morgan in the magazine's June 11 issue. "I talk to him about what we are doing, but in between contestants there is no communication. It is not that we don't get along, it's that we just don't have any sort of relationship. I wouldn't hang out with him or go have a cup of tea."
The riff between the two apparently stems from America's Got Talent 2's Dallas auditions, which aired during the show's two-hour season premiere, and a cheerleading routine performed by Breeze, 9-year-old girl from Carson City, NV. After Breeze performed, Morgan criticized her mother for pushing her daughter into something he thought she didn't want to do -- a comment that didn't sit too well with Osbourne, who accused her fellow judge of putting the young girl "on trial."
"It was a day where there was one young contestant after another," she told TV Guide. "[Morgan] has a definite dislike for children or younger artists. It was appalling behavior. I just couldn't take the way he was talking to them. And it was not just the children, he was being particularly appalling to everybody that day. I just had it. I was ready to scream."
NBC's cameras caught Osbourne ripping up her audition information paperwork and declaring, "I can't take this anymore" before storming off the stage. Cameras followed her backstage, where she said she was removing her make-up and "going home" with seemingly no intention of returning to her duties.
And according to Osbourne, quitting the show was exactly what she planned to do, at least until Simon Cowell, who created America's Got Talent and works alongside Osbourne as a judge on his American Idol-like British The X-Factor reality competition series, stepped in.
"The director got Simon on the phone," she told TV Guide. "Simon is always the voice of reason. He had his entrepreneur's hat on, and he said, 'You have got to be professional. You signed a contract here, and you could really get into a lot of trouble. You have worked with worse people in your life. You can handle this.' I sat down and phoned my husband and my kids, and had a little cup of tea. [Husband Ozzy Osbourne] is a fan of the show. So he said, 'Oh, I want to go to the finale.' [former Armed & Famous celebrity cop Jack Osbourne] said, 'Mom, [Morgan] would love to get rid of you. If you quit, he gets his way...'"
Thursday, June 07, 2007
| TV's Mr Nasty Is Really Nice to Sick Girl |
June 7, 2007
By Luke Bishop for Surrey Online
A poorly young girl from Leatherhead has been in front of the cameras again - this time on This is Your Life with Simon Cowell.
Sian Tolfree,who has a life-limiting illness, appeared on the show on Saturday when music producer turned TV personality Simon was given the famous red book by Sir Trevor McDonald.
It was the second time in a week that Sian was due to star on prime-time TV - last week the Advertiser reported how the 12-year-old would also be featuring on Challenge Anneka on Wednesday.
This was part of a challenge to produce a CD for the benefit of children's hospices, including contributions from famous musicians such as Jermaine Jackson and Michael Bolton.
Sian, who lives in Randalls Road, has a rare condition called DiGeorge Syndrome, which affects her heart, and she is treated at Christopher's Children Hospice in Guildford, which is run by CHASE.
She has undergone several complicated operations
including major heart surgery,but doctors are unable to do anything further to help her.
During the filming of This is Your Life,Sian was introduced as a young person who has had a real impact and influence on Simon Cowell's life.
He met her at CHASE, where he is a regular visitor, having been introduced to the charity by his PR agent Max Clifford, who is its highly active patron.
During the show, which was a one-off special, Sian got to shine again among a line-up of celebrities from stage,screen and the music world including The X Factor winners Shane Ward and Leona Lewis.
It was a particularly great moment for Sian, who is a big fan of the music talent contest.
Mr Cowell has become known as TV's Mr Nasty as a result of his caustic and forthright remarks about performers on the show.
But Tina Tolfree, Sian's mother, said: "Simon Cowell has been a great supporter of CHASE hospice and a great friend to Sian as he lets her go to The X Factor finals every year as one of his special guests.
| Simon Cowell Searches for the Next Great Invention |
June 6, 2007
By Staff Writers for ABC News
"You are the worst singer in America." If you've heard this phrase before, then you are familiar with the famously smug, caustically honest "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell.
But Cowell is also a TV mogul who's launched a half dozen shows. Including his newest venture: "American Inventor," which starts it second season on ABC tonight.
According to some estimates he's worth $200 million. And that's not too bad for a guy who never went to college. "There was nothing I could— and wanted to— learn in school," Cowell said. "It was just a complete waste of my time," he said.
But Cowell said he always has been a hard worker. "The secret of my success is that I make other people money," he said. "And, never ever, ever, ever be ashamed about trying to earn as much as possible for yourself, if the person you're working with is also making money. That's life!"
Cowell said he has never had a problem with that idea. "The more they're making, the more money I want," Cowell said. Cowell has made a fortune spotting talent, and "American Inventor" continues that succesful formula.
Among the inventions that have been "discovered" are a game called Whizz Ball, a jar that measures spices and a fireproof suit. Big dreams are tied to ideas from the imaginations of every day folks, who will compete for the $1 million prize on "American Inventor." Cowell has a specific ideas about what makes a product good or bad.
"You've got to relate to the product," he said. "Something where you go: ' God! I wish I'd invented that'."
Last year's winner invented a baby car seat which spins in a crash, lowering the impact on an infant.
"Its gonna take a long time to get it manufactured because you've got to go through obviously, tons of safety checks, and the government gets involved, but it will go on the market," Cowell said. " And I believe when it goes on the market it will save thousands and thousands of lives. So, it's fantastic!"
Cowell, of course, admits some of the ideas submitted are ludicrous. "We even had a guy who had to be escorted out by security this year, who came in with the best invention in the world and when we asked him what it was: it was the wheel," he said.
One of the show's four judges is boxing legend George Foreman, who didn't invent the famous grill that bears his name. But his heavyweight endorsement earned him a reported $150 million.
If Cowell were a contestant on this show, he knows what he'd bring in as his invention. "I've invented good shows, and I think that when you invent TV shows, it's a very similar process," he said. "You've got to get it financed, then you've got to get it made. Then you've got to make it popular. They're all inventions, aren't they?"
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
| Simon Tones Up |
June 6, 2007
By Louisa Pilbeam for The Mirror
...Meanwhile, Simon Cowell, 47, has revealed he does 300 press-ups (push-ups) every day to tone up his flabby "man boobs".
He tells Woman's Own magazine: "I do 100 before I get in the bath in the morning, then at work after a meeting I'll shut the door and do more."
He adds: "I wouldn't have plastic surgery, it looks ridiculous on guys. I'd never dye my hair either. Everyone thinks I do, but I never have."
| Keep That Simon Cowell off Our Screens |
June 6, 2007
By Mike Anderiesz for Guardian Unlimited (Weblog)
Saturday night's This Is Your Life served to remind us just how dependent ITV has become on Simon Cowell. And that's surely not a good thing.
Did anyone catch This Is Your Life on Saturday night? I thought ITV had reached the nadir of pointlessness with Greatest Living Britain, but I was wrong. 52 years after breaking onto UK screens and 4 years after being finally put out of its misery, Simon Cowell got a second glance at the Big Red Book, this time carried by Sir Trevor McDonald as if asking one dinosaur to introduce another would defy evolution. It was one of those shows that sapped all the energy from your index finger, leaving you cut off from the remote as one charisma-challenged celeb after another sucked up to the Big C.
There was Gest, Abdul, Seacrest, Waterman and Springer - all prostrating themselves at the feet of the man who just happens to pay their wages. It was like an episode of Entourage, as each sycophant tried to outdo the other, including Robson Green showing up to say how he once threatened Cowell with legal action over harassment - those were the days, eh Rob? The only reluctant voice was Louis Walsh, no longer on the payroll and far from pacified by a hug that had all the warmth of two eunuchs on a blind date. And of course, nobody mentioned any of the things we wanted to hear. No tales of Paula Abdul shagging American Idol contestants or breaking her nose after one too many and pinning it on the chiwawa, no Cowell disrespecting Virginia Tech victims and of course no mention of the Is He/Isn't He question that no one ever asks for fear of losing out on the next junket. Mind you, the original US version of This If Your Life didn't exactly give Liberace a grilling either.
And it wasn't just the guests. The whole show also served to remind us just how dependent ITV has become on Cowell to fill its weekend schedules. In between backslapping X-Factor and current ratings flop Grease Is The Word, there was the predictable showcase for Il Divo - whom Cowell has been shoe-horning into just about every show he can alongside his next chart assault, Leona Lewis. And lest we forget, there was a timely plug for Britain's Got Talent - Cowell's reinvention of The Gong Show hitting our screens in two weeks time and aiming to turn Piers Morgan into the next Mr Nasty.
This was nothing like the fondly remembered format of old. This Is Your life was designed for a kinder age when we not only liked our celebrities but believed they were entitled to half an hour basking in the approval of their peers. It was a time when Peter Ustinov could make a career out of anecdotes that would struggle today for airtime against Lindsey Lohan sneezing.
But then again, when 20% of your income comes from premium-rate phone revenue, perhaps ITV knows a trick or two about clutching at straws.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
| Cowell's Hairdryer Fetish |
June 5, 2007
By WENN for UK Yahoo and ANI for Yahoo India
Music mogul Simon Cowell abides by a superstitious ritual before appearing on TV -- he "worships" his hair-dryer, according to his co-star.
Cowell's pre-show ritual was exposed by his Britain's Got Talent co-judge Amanda Holden.
The actress explains, "He has a little routine before every show, with his hairdryer, but it's pointless -- he looks exactly the same afterwards.
"I can only assume it has become a sort of superstitious ritual. Just as Madonna prays before a performance, Simon worships at the altar of his Babyliss hairdryer.
The actress says that Cowell does not want any compromise on his looks, which is why he abides by this superstition.
"He likes to be assured he looks good and we always tell him he does."
| Cowell Envious of 'Dancing With The Stars' |
June 5, 2007
By David Cribb for Digital Spy
Simon Cowell has admitted he is envious of producers of other successful reality shows.
The X Factor judge reveals he was enormously jealous when Dancing With The Stars became so successful, mainly because he missed an opportunity himself.
"If someone I know is doing better than me I get incredibly miserable," he said. "A lot of my friends are extremely wealthy, but I'm not envious of their money, however, I'm never pleased if they have a hit show. I don't go to bed thinking, 'I'm really happy their show is doing so well'. It annoys me that it wasn't my idea. When I watch Dancing with the Stars in America it makes me sick with envy because I didn't think of the idea myself."
He did add that he was comforted slightly by his emotions though, and said he would start to worry when he didn't feel envious of other producers: "That's how it should be -- when you lose your competitive edge, you're over."
| X Factor Danii: I'll Beat Simon! |
June 5, 2007
By Staff Writers for The Daiy Star
Sexy new X Factor judge Dannii Minogue got her claws into Simon Cowell last night.
She warned Mr Nasty that she’s in it to win it as she joined the panel of the telly talent show.
“Simon had better watch out,” said dishy Dannii, who aims to be the woman behind the winning act. “When it comes to mentoring the acts, the gloves will be off.
“Just because I’m the new girl, I won’t be a pushover. Simon will soon see my competitive streak.”
Pop star Dannii, 35 – who has scored hits with This Is It and Love And Kisses – joined fellow newcomer Brian Friedman, 29, Sharon Osbourne, 54, and Cowell, 47, yesterday for the start of country-wide auditions for the new series of the hit ITV show.
Thousands of wannabes have applied to follow in the footsteps of former winners Leona Lewis, 22, and Shayne Ward, 22.
The show has a whole new look after Cowell was ordered to shake things up to keep it fresh and exciting. He got rid of judge Louis Walsh, 54, and host Kate Thornton, 34. In their place he hired Dannii and Brian, the Grease Is The Word panellist and choreographer who has worked with Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake.
Big Brother star Dermot O’Leary, 34, is the new presenter while foxy Fearne Cotton, 24, will be the host of Xtra Factor on ITV2.
Cowell has also made a change to the categories the judges will mentor.
This year there will be four instead of three 14-to 24-year-old (boys), 14-to 24-year-olds (girls), bands and the over-25s.
Auditions will take place throughout June...
Monday, June 04, 2007
| Pete 'Flatmate from Hell' |
June 4, 2007
By Staff Writers for Virtual Manchester
It's official. The votes are in and Pete Doherty has been named the celebrity flatmate from hell, taking the victory in a huge landslide.
For all his rock 'n' roll charm and misunderstood ways, the headline-courting Babyshambles frontman has been placed top of the list of flatmates that people would dread to share a flat with.
According to the survey, commissioned by freeads.co.uk, Doherty took 60 per cent of the votes overall.
"We were expecting Pete to feature highly on the flatmates from hell list, but taking nearly 60 per cent of the votes was a landslide we weren't expecting," commented freeads.co.uk chief executive Duncan Horton, according to the Daily Record.
At the other end of the scale cheeky chappie radio presenter Chris Moyles was the most popular celebrity flatmate, followed by soul singer Amy Winehouse and the ever-pleasant Cameron Diaz.
Other celebs who did not fare so well in the rankings included Britney Spears, who was voted as an undesirable flatmate by more than a quarter of people questioned.
Victoria Beckham, Madonna and Simon Cowell were also among the flatmates from hell list, as well as Doherty's long-standing love interest Kate Moss.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
| "Simon Is Such a Flirt!" |
June 3, 2007
By Sue Evison for News of the World
When she agreed to be a judge on Simon Cowell’s latest TV show, Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda Holden didn’t even need to meet the legendary Mr Nasty to discuss it.
“Pretty much everything he touches turns to gold, so I was delighted to be asked,” Amanda, 36, explains.
“I sit between Simon and Piers Morgan, the former newspaper editor. Simon is always getting ribbed by Piers for draping his arm around my chair. He has a certain magnetic charm but that’s just the way he is – he loves it.
“But both of them try to wind me up. If I say something they disagree with, they go, ‘What do you know, anyway?’
“But when I reply, ‘I’ve been in this business for 15 years. I’ve auditioned, performed and acted. What do you know?’ they soon shut up.”
It seems that Mr Cowell has more than met his match in feisty Amanda. In fact, the actress is so determined to get what she wants, she almost gave birth in high heels!...
“I adore being a mum,” she smiles. “I never knew it was possible to feel so much love for somebody as I do for Lexi...
“I miss her like mad when I’m away – Simon knows that, so when we have to eliminate a child from the show, he always makes me do it.
“He has a weird sense of humour like that. I think he’s trying to toughen me up.”
| Big Mouth Strikes Again |
June 3, 2007
By Stephen Armstrong for The Times Online
Don’t look now, but TV’s Mr Nasty is about to muscle in on our Saturday evenings all over again. Who knew being rude could reap such rewards?
First, the numbers. In his career to date, Simon Cowell’s acts have sold 100m albums and achieved 75 No 1 singles. In the last round of this year’s American Idol series, 63.2m viewers voted – more Americans than voted for George Bush. His latest show, America’s Got Talent, was NBC’s No 1 for the whole of last summer. This is a colossus bestriding our pop culture, who knows how to hold it down and slap it until it cries. On air, he’s careless with the dreams of young hopefuls: “If you sang like this 2,000 years ago, people would have stoned you”; “If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning.” Off air, he’s brutally ambitious: he set up The X Factor as a rival to Pop Idol, on which he appeared, but which was owned by his 1990s chart rival Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls. Cowell is branching out into drama and has been working on an updated movie version of Fame for the past couple of years. His combination of drive and sarcasm clearly pays: his company, Syco, employs a mere 11 people but was responsible for 40% of the profits of its parent, Sony BMG UK, in 2006, and this year’s Rich List values him at £100m.
Walking up the stone steps to his large Holland Park house, therefore, is slightly intimidating. There’s a chauffeur outside and a security camera that lights up when you press the bell at the gate. The James Bond part of me is hoping for the front door to open onto a sprawling laboratory of popular culture, with vast super-mega-computers calculating the perfect cheekbones for a male singer, and a secret room of songwriting elves bashing away at fairy pianos, writing hits for The X Factor. When Cowell comes to the door, however, he’s all bounce and smiles. He’s wearing jeans and a dark, crew-neck jumper, his hair tousled. He carries a small, unmarked brown bottle in the same hand as his cigarettes and lighter, and dumps them before perching on a vast modern armchair in an immaculate, tasteful room decorated in muted autumn colours, a bit like a hotel. (He lived in one once, until he got bored with the room-service menu.) He – or, rather, his housekeeper – makes me tea, biscuits and hot cross buns, and he chats away, hesitant and cheerful rather than dry and snappy. I make some obvious goofs that television’s Mr Nasty would have leapt on, but he’s warm and friendly, and constantly calls me “Stephen”.
We meet on the day before ITV records its second Simon Cowell This Is Your Life – the first was four years ago. Cowell is also conducting the first-round auditions of his new series, Britain’s Got Talent. This is a talent show in the postwar Butlins tradition. Anyone can enter, which means that boys with squeaky ears, men who play frying pans with a pen and truly atrocious comedy magicians all get their 15 minutes in front of Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden, in effect expanding the best part of The X Factor: the insanity of the early stages. The show seems curiously old-fashioned,and when he says he wants it to revive variety, it feels as if he’s promoting an end-of-the-pier entertainment. “Well, I’ve always been a big fan of entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s,” he nods. “To me, that was the absolute pinnacle. There was a kind of naivety in those days that I enjoy. We went through a phase in the 1990s when we became incredibly cynical, and I didn’t like that. Now we’re back on track, because I don’t think tastes change.”
He says his hero was Mickie Most, the acerbic judge of the 1970s talent competition New Faces: “He was a smart guy, knew what the public wanted and wasn’t interested in the art of it all. He was just interested in being successful.” And when Most was on air, success was important to the young Cowell, sitting on the floor in front of the variety show on the screen, caught between worlds in Elstree. He knew he wanted to be successful – he just had to be – but he wasn’t sure how he was going to make it.
His parents were an unusual couple for their time. His dad was an estate agent who wooed his dancer mother on a train journey from Birmingham. The woman he won was a socialite with Celia Johnson vowels – “a creature of the 1960s. She absolutely typified that whole Jackie Onassis glamorous look. Very energetic, very vivacious, very camp. During that time, she was in her element”. Perhaps to sprinkle some fairy dust in front of his new wife, Cowell Sr took a job at EMI, running its property division, and moved the family into Elstree’s equivalent of Beverly Hills. Cowell loves to tell the story of their neighbour, Gerry Blatner, head of Warner Bros films in the UK, who threw fabulous garden parties. “As a kid, I would look over the fence at this great house and see everyone – Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, all these great actors – having the time of their lives. I remember thinking from a very, very early age, ‘God, I hope I grow up and have a nice house so I can have parties like that.’”
But there were problems. For one thing, he hated school. He hated the lack of control – being told what to do, being forced to do things he didn’t like. He was expelled from three of them, and says it was only nicotine that got him through: “Because everything revolved around getting out of the classroom, meeting your friends, getting the cigarette and then looking forward to the next one. All of my school was about cigarettes.” After leaving with no qualifications, he tried a few odd jobs until his dad bagged him a place in EMI’s post room, and, finally, he could try to make it as Mickie Most.
He rose into A&R and found his 1960s tastes ideally suited to the multicoloured world of 1980s pop. He signed Curiosity Killed the Cat as well as the Stock, Aitken and Waterman moppets Sinitta and Sonia. Anything fun and silly – a single from the Power Rangers, or Robson & Jerome doing Unchained Melody, perhaps – he leapt at. He loved getting what he wanted. When he chased Robson Green to get him to record Unchained Melody, Green’s lawyer threatened him with a court order. Cowell simply switched his attentions to Green’s mum, and two months later the deal was signed.
It was only rebel music he didn’t understand – “I hated punk, and in the early 1990s, when house was big, I had a very bad time with my career” – and he narrowly avoided bankruptcy when his borrowing spiralled out of control. His tastes may be constant, but sometimes we, his public, can be fickle. He spent five years living with his parents, getting his career going again. By the late 1990s, he had just got Five and Westlife off the ground, and was preparing to launch Girl Thing, when television, a medium he had seen just as a tool, slipped him a low blow. He had turned down the chance to appear on Popstars, the first hit-maker show, in 2001, and he was furious to discover it was not only successful, but had stolen Pure and Simple, a song from his group Girl Thing’s flop album. “I was so mad, I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something to retaliate. I want Popstars off the market. I want to be on a show that’s going to kick it off the air.’ That was Idol.”
From then on, it became about control – revenge and control. He wanted to create the environment in which his acts would be showcased. He wanted to own the formats, not appear in them. He wanted every step of the process to be in his hands. He tells stories about meetings in America at which lowly office juniors would kick him out of the building. “I’ve still got an e-mail from three years ago, when I was launching my opera boyband, Il Divo,” he says. “I trusted this TV producer and got him in, saying, ‘I’d like you to listen to them before anyone else. You’re doing a big show, and I’d like them to be on it.’ The following day, my promotions girl got a mail from him, tearing the band apart and saying why they’d never be successful. I thought, ‘I’m never going to put my life in the hands of an idiot like that again.’”
When I ask him what bothers him about all of this, his face darkens for a second. “I don’t like being patronised.” Surely people don’t patronise a multimillionaire with global media properties. He gives a grim laugh. “All the time. All the time. It’s this weird, icy politeness you see a lot of in this business. People pretending to be happy about your success. I mean, I’m never happy about a competitor’s success. I despise it when somebody who isn’t working with me is successful on their own – it really upsets me. And I wish for their demise. And I’m very open about it, because I know they’re wishing for mine.” As a result, Syco now makes about 1,500 hours of television a year, much of it focused on promoting acts that are signed to his label.
Given that he’s now in a position to spread his tastes around the world, I ask him what they are. “If you look in my kitchen, you’ll find jellybeans and baked beans, nothing fancy,” he shrugs. “I like Jaws and Star Wars, rather than some Polish film with subtitles. A lot of the so-called great music of the world has bypassed me as well. I’ve just stuck to my guns. If I like it, there’s a very good chance other people will like it as well.”
So, what would we watch if you switched on the telly now? He smiles. “Stuff from 40 or 50 years ago. Black-and-white British films. I like St Trinian’s films, Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace.” And what would we eat? “Roast chicken and roast potatoes the way my mum makes.” What about music? “It’s hard to relax with music – it’s work.” But isn’t there a fantasy band that you would have loved to sign? “The Beatles. Because they’re still worth a lot today.” Not because of the music? “No.” And then he laughs, and shrugs. “It’s true.”
I tell him I’ll be at the studio for the recording of This Is Your Life, and he grins with delight at the show. “I remember thinking the first one I did wasn’t great. It felt too early. I never watched it or read the book. Ally Ross wrote that it was hilarious watching Simon Cowell with no friends. So I made bloody sure this time that there are more friends. I’m updating it with the best four years
The following night, This Is Your Life’s studio is filled with Ricky Gervais, Sharon Osbourne and Ant and Dec, who parade on, deliver a few affectionate jokes and give the beaming Cowell a hug. Grateful X-Factor winners offer thanks for their break. Ben Elton says he wrote a novel lampooning Cowell having never met the bloke, but got a phone call from his office saying how much he loved it, and they’ve been mates ever since. The finale sees Il Divo singing Bernstein and Sondheim’s Somewhere, joined halfway through by his latest X-Factor protégée, Leona. The fivesome hit the high notes as fire cascades down the wall behind.
Then the show ends and the celebrities mill around on stage shaking hands and swapping kisses. Out front, the audience are on their feet applauding, when something strange happens. At his moment of utmost triumph, Cowell takes the red book and steps down from the podium, walking forwards until he’s standing, alone, between the backslapping on the podium and wild cheering from the crowd. He holds the book out towards us and it’s hard to tell if this is a tribute or a sacrifice. Why has he stepped away from the glamour and the pop stars to face us like this – with his feet apart and the book thrust forward in both hands? Perhaps because we are the public, the people whose moods and whims have tossed him around and down, then up far higher than he could have possibly dreamed when peering over Gerry Blatner’s fence. I read his name picked out in gold on the book’s crimson cover, then glance up and catch the set of his jaw and glint in his eyes. I realise that, for the first time tonight, he isn’t smiling.
Britain’s Got Talent starts on ITV1 on Saturday.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
| Talent Show Is Craziest Ever |
June 02, 2007
By Sara Nathan for The Sun
Simon Cowell yesterday labelled his new entertainment-fest Britain’s Got Talent the “craziest show on Earth”.
The megastar returns to our screens a week today — judging the talent contest with a twist.
He is on a mission to find a unique act to star on the Royal Variety Show — and there is £100,000 for the winner.
Simon, 47, told TV Biz exclusively: “It’s the craziest show on Earth.
“Where else could you find a 73-year-old granny rapper, a woman with a bizarre relationship with her horse and a bald bloke who wears what looks like a dartboard on his chest?
“I’ve never worked on anything so barmy. There were thousands of these people queuing for auditions — it was a real circus.”
Simon is joined by actress Amanda Holden and ex-newspaper editor Piers Morgan on the judging panel.
Britain’s Got Talent, hosted by Ant and Dec, launches on the same night as the Joseph and Grease finales.
Its wacky contestants include horse trainer Rachel Grylls, rapping granny Norma Clarke and extreme gymnast Marcello de Ramos.
There is also extreme balancing duo Crazee Horse and 11-year-old Bessie Cursons, who gives a performance as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Meanwhile, Simon is back on the road on Monday for the X Factor auditions.
Friday, June 01, 2007
| Fergie Pays Tribute to Her Pop Idol Pal |
May 31, 2007
By Joanne Leyland for The Royalist
He’s feared by wannabe pop stars for his cutting remarks and rude manner, while she's suffered more than enough criticism in her years in the public eye.
Thankfully, though, Pop Idol judge Simon Cowell was on his best behaviour as he found himself on the receiving end of a televised tribute from Sarah, Duchess of York.
From the early days of her marriage to Prince Andrew, the former Sarah Ferguson openly enjoyed mixing in the world of celebrity.
Now very much an ex-royal, the Duchess has continued this tradition by becoming increasingly close to music industry figures. Just recently, Sarah met the other Fergie, Stacey Ferguson of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas, at an event in America (pictured).
Meanwhile, she’s partied with such stars as P. Diddy on his yacht in the South of France and joined a host of showbiz stars at parties hosted by the likes of Elton John and David Beckham.
Now the Duchess has made public her closeness to music industry insiders by making an appearance at a televised tribute to one of the biggest music industry's beasts of all: Simon Cowell.
The Duchess was accompanied to the weekend recording of Cowell’s This Is Your Life tribute in London by her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Having offered her warm tribute to Cowell, Sarah explained why she’d been invited to appear, saying: “Oh I've known Simon for years. Did you see how shocked he looked when I walked on?...”
| Paula Blames Simon for Her Drunken Rep |
June 1, 2007
By Splash for NZ Yahoo Entertainment
Paula Abdul has claimed American Idol co-host Simon Cowell is to blame for people wrongly thinking she's a drunk.
The former pop star -- who has repeatedly denied claims she has an alcohol problem -- said Cowell's acid- tongued comments have sparked speculation about her private life.
And she branded pop's Mr Nasty "twisted" in an interview with a US magazine.
She said: "I'm sick of it -- I've never been drunk, and I don't do recreational drugs."
Abdul has been seen apparently losing her train of thought on the US TV talent show and has reportedly made several strange comments in the latest series.
Asked what started the claims of odd behaviour, she told a US magazine: "When Simon [Cowell] made a funny accusation that something was in my Coca-Cola cup and when he says, 'Nobody understands you, Paula.'
"Simon is twisted."
The spokesperson said she is on prescription drugs for pain she still suffers after a 1993 plane crash.
She said: "I quit my career. For the next six years, I spent 75 percent of my time in the hospital.
"I was also hit by a drunk driver on the freeway after a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987, which is when I started getting severe neck pains. I have four titanium plates in my neck. I've had 14 surgeries over the years.
"I inject myself with a shot of Humira every two weeks.
"I also use Enbrel and Relafen [an anti-inflammatory drug] and the painkiller Lidocaine. If I appear exhausted on television, it's because I am.
"I have a lot of sleepless nights because I'm in so much pain. I was taking far more medication on earlier seasons, and nobody said anything."
The former choreographer, who turns 45 next month, tells OK! that she's never had plastic surgery, but admits to Botox.
She said: "Check behind my ears! I haven't had one ounce of work done.
"I had [Botox] done for the first time six weeks ago in my forehead, and it only worked for about two weeks."
She quipped with a wink: "Simon doesn't have any wrinkles."
| Rapper Raps Simon Cowell |
June 1, 2007
By Staff Writers for Preston Today
A Preston rapper claims he was "set up" to look foolish by producers on Mr Nasty Simon Cowell's latest TV show.
Matthew Cummins, who grew up in Deepdale, says producers at 'Britain's Got Talent' went out of their way to make him look foolish as he auditioned on the show.
Now he fears his performance in front of the show's panel – made up of Cowell, former national newspaper editor Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden – will make him a laughing stock when the show screens next month.
Having got through a first audition, he claims he was thrust in front of the panel and a 1,000-strong audience at the Manchester Apollo with a "big piece of sponge" microphone and inaudible backing music.
Then, within 25 seconds of beginning to rap, he was stopped by the notoriously sharp-tongued Cowell. Matthew said: "Simon stops me and said I looked like something I wasn't.
"I am an estate agent by trade and he said I looked like a goldfish trying to be a shark, or something like that. Then Amanda Holden chipped in and Piers Morgan said something like, 'Stick to selling houses'
"I just said, 'Okay, take care folks', looking up at the audience, and walked off.
"They wanted to get a reaction out of me because they knew I was an explosive character, but I was not going to give them it."
The 21-year-old, who works in Darwen selling overseas properties, believes producers will edit the footage to make him look foolish when the ITV1 show hits the screens on June 12.
The former Highfield Priory School claims they tried to make him come across as "cocky and arrogant" and forced him to say he could "conquer America" with his music.
A spokeswoman for the show said: "We do our best to give everyone a fair go. It's not in our interest to make contestants look stupid."
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