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The Trouble With Simonby Sting7 -- 05/14/2007
View Printable version of this article Just a few weeks ago, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh were lobbing bombs at each other over Walsh’s firing on X-Factor. Since then, Simon has had a tough time filling Walsh’s position. The good news is that Dermot O’Leary has accepted the job after initially declining. O’Leary was very hotly pursued by X-Factor, who even made uncommon concessions to accommodate the erstwhile host of UK’s Big Brother’s Little Brother. Some speculate that O’Leary brings X-Factor a more “Seacrest-like” presence at the host spot. 
The bad news is filling Louis Walsh’s spot is becoming an odious task. To make matters worse, it is actually two spots to fill, as X-Factor goes from three to four judge/mentors. Recording artist Danii Minogue (sister of Kylie Minogue) is firmly in place. Dannii has performed similar hosting chores for Australia’s Got Talent, and was personally requested by Simon Cowell. But talks with American Idol judge Randy Jackson seem to have broken down. There has been no shortage of volunteers for the highly-rated talent competition. However, Simon Cowell is being especially picky about who gets a shot. Donny Osmond, fresh off the cancellation of his show, The Great American Dream Vote, practically begging to be considered for the judge spot. "I'd love to be a judge, oh man, in a heartbeat. “ he told Contactmusic.com. "I come from an era when singers didn't lip-synch, they performed. Show us what you can do!" Cowell has confirmed that he has offered the position to David Gest, who is perhaps best known for marrying Liza Minelli and failed reality show Liza and David. Gest has turned down the offer. Also rumored to be up for judge consideration is George Michael, ex-head Thompson Twin Tom Bailey, and even outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair! There are even more problems for X-Factor; mobile phone titan Nokia, which has sponsored X-Factor for all three of its seasons, has stepped down. Though no specific reason was given for the decision, some speculate media watchdog Ofcom’s ruling to uphold a viewer complaint that Nokia was being promoted on an episode of spinoff series The Xtra Factor has led to some hard feelings. In the episode in question, Cowell and Walsh were shown sending childish text messages to each other with Nokia phones. Producers for the Xtra Factor claim there was no intent to sell Nokia phones; they just happened to be the phones used by Walsh and Cowell at the time. 
Or it could have been over another embarassing incident last season where Nokia over-charged X-Factor viewers for cast votes. A reported 1.3 million votes were charged at 50 pence instead of 35. The company avoided a fine by immediately offering refunds when the error was noted. Most recently, Charlotte Church has made her opinion of the sitting judges known – she thinks she can do it better! She says has “enormous respect” for them, but “they just don’t know the ins and outs of a voice or music,” she told Closer magazine. “On the last series, Sharon said about The Unconventionals, ‘That was so messy, you were all singing in different keys.’ Er, yes, they’re called harmonies.” She has a point! For the first time, contestants as young as 14 will be allowed to compete for the X-Factor crown in the upcoming season. Leona Lewis, winner of last year's season, reached number one in the UK with her remake of Kelly Clarkson’s, “A Moment Like This.” American Idols Live Daughtry Kelly Clarkson Clay Aiken If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent articles on Foxes On Idol and RealityNewsOnline:
Sting7 has been a respected published writer for many years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Nashville Star, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot: Simon Cowell and Reality TV Fever! View Printable version of this article
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