Already Controversy Over The X-Factor

[Babbred]

My husband is British, and so he checks a few Brit websites every day. He told me the following yesterday.

Over in Britain, there's a big controversy over Simon and his American version of The X-Factor. Seems he was going to have as a judge/mentor this British singer named Cheryl Cole, but TPTB at Fox told Simon to drop her because they didn't think Americans would be able to understand her speaking accent. Simon acquiesed (?), and now he's very unpopular with his countrymen. Last week he was a guest judge on Britain's Got Talent, and the audience booed him. Now Simon is saying that he'll try to get Cheryl reinstated on the show.

My husband says he can kind of understand Fox's decision. According to him, Cole comes from Newcastle, and hubby said even other Brits can't understand people from there. However, I think it was kind of mean for Simon to drop her after she'd already been asked to do it.

[Arielflies]

Hasn't Nicole Scherzinger already replaced her? The way in which she left was murky in the news accounts, but if it was FOX for her accent, it could be a problem. I thought I also read that maybe she had been reinstated on the British X factor. All this brouhaha over another reality contest show.

[canadian_angel]

It was back and forth Arielflies. One minute she was out, then in, then out once and for all. It's been a mess of a situation.

[CCL]

Well Cheryl Cole is a public darling in the UK so I'm not surprised that Simon Cowell would get a drubbing over there for agreeing to have her removed from the American X Factor. I feel kind of bad for her as she had expressed such excitement at being on the American show and then she was unceremoniously dumped. Her Geordie accent is a bit harder to understand than, say, a Home Counties accent but she's not totally indecipherable. And I'd rather have watched her over Nicole Scherzinger.

[karalott]

I had been excited about this show. Oddly enough, I missed Simon on Idol this season, and had always been a fan of Paula's. I was disappointed her dance show didn't work out, but was hoping she'd be a part of this show. Now? I think it's all over blown drama, desperate hype, and stunts to generate publicity. The whole 'who will be the judges', that was long and drawn out, and 'will she or won't she' when it came to Paula and Cheryl; the firing of Cheryl, then the 'will she or won't she return' (truthfully, from what I've read, I think Simon has egg on his face). The judging panel doesn't excite me anymore. It'll be like AI all over again, with all the attention focused on Simon's ego and arrogance, and Paula's antics. Nicole will be a poor man's Paula, probably forgettable. I can't even remember the 4th judge. Never heard of the host. I probably won't watch, because the whole premise just sounds tired. I also read Simon was banning booing at auditions, after originally telling the audience to go at it with the bad auditions. This could be the next big thing, and all the drawn out hype works, or it's a flop. I wouldn't mind the latter happening.

[canadian_angel]

Well Cheryl Cole is a public darling in the UK so I'm not surprised that Simon Cowell would get a drubbing over there for agreeing to have her removed from the American X Factor. I feel kind of bad for her as she had expressed such excitement at being on the American show and then she was unceremoniously dumped. Her Geordie accent is a bit harder to understand than, say, a Home Counties accent but she's not totally indecipherable. And I'd rather have watched her over Nicole Scherzinger.

I'm not sure she's still the UK darling. She wasn't allowed back/invited to the UK X Factor. It's a schemy situation no matter what.

[Babbred]

I had been excited about this show. Oddly enough, I missed Simon on Idol this season, and had always been a fan of Paula's. I was disappointed her dance show didn't work out, but was hoping she'd be a part of this show. Now? I think it's all over blown drama, desperate hype, and stunts to generate publicity. The whole 'who will be the judges', that was long and drawn out, and 'will she or won't she' when it came to Paula and Cheryl; the firing of Cheryl, then the 'will she or won't she return' (truthfully, from what I've read, I think Simon has egg on his face). The judging panel doesn't excite me anymore. It'll be like AI all over again, with all the attention focused on Simon's ego and arrogance, and Paula's antics. Nicole will be a poor man's Paula, probably forgettable. I can't even remember the 4th judge. Never heard of the host. I probably won't watch, because the whole premise just sounds tired. I also read Simon was banning booing at auditions, after originally telling the audience to go at it with the bad auditions. This could be the next big thing, and all the drawn out hype works, or it's a flop. I wouldn't mind the latter happening.

That kind of sums it up for me. We lived in England when TXF debuted there, and hubby and I really loved it; it was such a refreshing departure from AI. Now, though, here in the States, we're becoming saturated with music shows. In addition to AI this year, we've got The Voice (which I love), which has elements similar to TXF. I feel tired just thinking about it all.

Good observation about the judges, too. That was a big reason we liked Brit XF, because Paula wasn't on it. Instead, they had Sharon Osborne, who's a real hoot to watch. She fiercely defended her singers when Simon tried to put them down, and she never made inane comments like "I love your dress!" Instead, she gave real, constructive criticism. I've never even heard of Nicole What's-her-name.

I may still watch it, just because I miss Simon. I'm so sick of all the gushy comments made by the judges on these other shows, that I need an antidote. I'm not as excited about it like I used to be, though, and that makes me kind of sad.

If anyone's still interested, here's a clip of Simon commenting on the mess to a British reporter. Basically, he dodges it by saying that Cole was offered her job back on American XF, but she declined. Really? I wonder why?

Simon Cowell will Miss Cheryl Cole on X Factor on MSN Video

[CCL]

I'm not sure she's still the UK darling. She wasn't allowed back/invited to the UK X Factor. It's a schemy situation no matter what.

I've read various reports in the British media where Cowell said he asked her to return to the British show and she said no; the Daily Mail reported on an interview that Cowell had with NBC where he said the same thing. I think most of the British press (and I've not read all of it, by any means) is supportive of Cole versus Cowell right now. Interesting that most of the American press has it as her being dumped by the British show (even though there were no plans for her originally to return to the British version as she was going to be busy doing the American version. If she was to come back to the British version now she would be bumping her replacement).

[karalott]

I only ever heard of Cheryl Cole because she was dating Derek Hough from Dancing With The Stars. In fact, there were rumors in the past she was considered by producers to be a contestant because of their relationship. I've read they're now broken up, though I don't know if that's true. I knew she was a judge on British XF, but that's all I ever knew. Because comments from her camp were coming up that at least one of the reasons she was canned was due to her accent, I went and looked up clips of her and was surprised. She wasn't hard for me to understand at all. Most talent shows I watch have at least one Brit on the panel, and I don't think she would have been any harder for me to understand than them. Sometimes when they really get going, their accents bring part of the fun I do feel bad for her. I don't know what the story is, but I'm not sure I buy she knew she was getting fired and was all happy about returning to the British version. Simon may have fully believed she was going to do that, and I read he was surprised she didn't since she'd be considered the head judge over there, and would make more money. However, it seems like FOX and Cowell are the ones looking bad in all of this. I don't like Nicole, but I'm really tired of these shows being about the judges, anyway. Shouldn't it be about the contestants? I could care less who Simon's Girl Friday is, who has chemistry on the panel, whether something got slipped into Paula's Pepsi cup (I think they're going to be a sponsor), or who makes her cry and spit out rainbows and sunshine first. I feel like this show isn't going to be the big deal they're making it out to be. We already know the concept, it's another singing show, Paula and Simon aren't anything new or surprising, the host may tank, and who knows where Nicole and the other guy will fall into place. I feel like they're just cannon fodder by FOX. I like The Voice's concept a lot better, even if it doesn't seem much different from this show. And, I like their judges a whole lot more.

[canadian_angel]

I've read various reports in the British media where Cowell said he asked her to return to the British show and she said no; the Daily Mail reported on an interview that Cowell had with NBC where he said the same thing. I think most of the British press (and I've not read all of it, by any means) is supportive of Cole versus Cowell right now. Interesting that most of the American press has it as her being dumped by the British show (even though there were no plans for her originally to return to the British version as she was going to be busy doing the American version. If she was to come back to the British version now she would be bumping her replacement).

Isn't that interesting; how much the various media spins things. Thanks for the info from the British sources!