X Factor 2009 finalist Jamie ‘Afro’ Archer will be releasing his debut single Insanity on iTunes tomorrow (27.06.2011) with his band ‘ARCHER’ consisting of his brother Stephen Archer and friend Anthony Reed.

Jamie and the band have been away for 18 months writing and recording a so-far untitled album of original material, which is due out later this year. Their single and album will be released independently.

He performed the single on his own for the first time yesterday (25.06.11) at the Miss Gibraltar beauty pageant and you can watch the video below.

What do you think of Jamie’s new song? Leave your comments below.

View the original post X Factor: Jamie ‘Afro’ Archer releasing debut single ‘Insanity’ on Unreality TV

X Factor star Jamie Archer has insisted that he is not interested in Katie price, despite tabloid reports to the contrary.

The pair met earlier this week at a London club and Jamie admitted that they chatted for a while. However he insisted that Katie is not his type and he is not romantically interested in her.

Jamie told The Sun: “She came over and said hi and then asked me to come and have a drink.

“We got chatting and she said, ‘Oh, you’ve got hair like my Harvey’.

“She was beaming when she was talking about her kids, which was really nice to see.

“But it seemed like the whole thing in the jungle had upset her because people kept voting to make her do the trials.

“I felt like she needed a bit of TLC so I gave her a hug and told her things would be okay.

“I think she seemed anxious about public opinion of her. At the end of the day, she’s a human being, we all have feelings.”

He said: “She’s obviously an attractive woman but she’s not really my type to be honest. I didn’t flirt with her or see her in a romantic way.

“I’ve met Peter Andre a couple of times too and he’s one of the loveliest guys in the world. It would be amazing if they got back together but I think it’s unlikely to happen.”

View the original post X Factor: Jamie Archer is NOT interested in Katie Price on Unreality TV

Katie Price really seems to be over her split with cage fighter Alex Reid. As her ex-husband Peter Andre erected his Christmas tree last night, Katie partied the night away in Mayfair’s exclusive Mahiki club.

During her girly night out, Katie bumped into X Factor singer Jamie Afro and the sources say that the pair really hit it off.

One clubber told Metro.co.uk:

‘They were chatting away and getting along swimmingly’, says the source, ‘It looked as though they were swapping numbers.’

They added:

‘He grabbed the microphone in the DJ booth and was belting out ‘You, your sex is on fire’ as Katie and her mates cheered in on.’

‘He put on a real show for her…’

View the original post Katie Price swapped numbers with X Factor’s Jamie Archer? on Unreality TV

Often, when you chat to an X Factor contestant they’re media prepped to the point that you get nothing interesting or relevant to report – not so with Mr Archer, who spoke openly about his frustrations with the X Factor format and his gratitude to the show for giving him such a big break.

Here’s the transcript of our chat (and thanks to Jamie for being a great interviewee!)

It’s not often we get to interview an X Factor contestant at the end of the week – tell us about what you’ve been up to.

It’s just been madness. I’ve been doing loads of press and sorting out the upcoming shows I’m doing. You do a tour after the show, when you come out. I did my first show yesterday in Rochdale and it was amazing! I felt really natural on stage because I wasn’t under the constraints of the show – I could really be myself. And I had a great time up there, the crowd were really receptive, it was brilliant.

There’s loads coming up – there’s the X Factor tour after that, it’s non-stop. The X Factor tour starts sometime in February I think.

What are the signs of a record deal at this stage?

Well at the moment, everything goes quiet until the end of the X Factor show. No-one knows what’s going on with that. None of the X Factor contestants do. We don’t find out until between one and three months after the show.

Can we go right back to the start for a moment – what brought you to apply for the X Factor in the first place?

Well, I’d been playing for a long time. I’d tried to get record companies and A&R people down to gigs. I’d tried everything to get people to take note and just give me a chance. But nothing was working. I knew that if I could get people to see my performances, then they may give me a chance, and I just wanted an opportunity to do that. So, I went on the show, knowing that I was coming from a rock background in a pop competition, but I thought it was worth a shot.

I thought “What’s a great way of getting people to see me in a short space of time?” And I thought X Factor. I came on thinking I’d probably go out in the first round or something because that’s not what people want in the show. But then it kept working.

It’s funny, because people keep having a go at the X Factor and Simon Cowell because it’s plastic pop. But I have to say, it was Simon Cowell who gave me my break after all these years of people not giving me a chance, so I’m really grateful to him for that.

So you’d agree with what Simon said on the show last week – talking about Sting’s comments about X Factor.

I completely echo that. As a lifelong Police fan, I can’t say anything bad about Sting, but the public deciding who they like is an age-old thing – since the days of Opportunity Knocks. Out of that have come some brilliant acts.

You’ve got Leona, who’s a superstar because of this show and JLS…

Let me stop you there! Come on, you can’t seriously think JLS would have been a success if they’d been picked up by Louis Walsh?

Ermm, no, I wouldn’t have thought so. But they got the exposure that the record company was able to go “we’ll do them, but we’ll do them in a different way”. I’m not saying that the show always does the right thing with people, but it gives them the exposure to go off and do something else.

The X Factor doesn’t really have a good track record for the Over 25 category. Steve Brookstein is still the only winner from the older contestants. Was that a concern for you when you applied?

No, not really, because I just saw it as “I’m going on The X Factor” Either it’s going to work or it’s not going to work. And ultimately it didn’t work because I’m totally different to the artists that usually go on the X Factor. I think we’re going to have another Over 25’s winner this year in the shape of Olly Murs.

The audition footage of you, Danyl and Olly had some of the best audience reaction. Is that a sign of how strong that category is this year?

It’s also a sign that sometimes the show works and sometimes it doesn’t work for certain people. If you look at Olly’s first audition and you look at him now, it’s basically the same audition. They’ve sorted out his hair, given him a nice suit but basically he’s doing Superstition again – you know, the dancing, the cheeky grin. It works for him.

What I did in my first audition was never really repeated again, because I wasn’t allowed to repeat it again.

You alluded to that earlier on when you said you weren’t able to be yourself within the constraints of the song. How was that for you?

It was frustrating to be honest. You’ve got two things going on – what you think is right for you and what the show thinks is right for you. When I came on the X Factor, I fully was aware of the fact that I probably wouldn’t be able to do what I wanted to do. But I thought maybe in time they’d let me do my own thing. But it became apparent that my vision and their vision weren’t really reconciling in any way shape or form. So, that’s what took me out of the show – I think people could tell I wasn’t able to do my own thing!

When you were doing Queen week, I was hoping you’d do something heavier like Stone Cold Crazy.

Well I had my own ideas of songs I wanted to do on Queen week…

Like what?

[Laughs] Ah, I can’t talk about it unfortunately, because if I told you then it would go all over the place. I had my own ideas and they weren’t listened to. I love Radio Gaga, but I wanted to do something else.

The problem was, every week I wanted to do something chancy and edgy, something people wouldn’t expect me to do and the song was one not everybody knows very well, but they’d love it when they heard it.

Like on Rock Week, I wanted to do Mr Brightside coz it’s fresher, more modern and not something you’d expect me to do. But obviously being a Saturday night TV show, the people in charge wanted to go with something a bit more obvious, like normal rock which is not really what I wanted to do.

That’s a shame – because it’s the first time they’ve every tackled a rock theme and I was hoping that they’d give it a bit of an edge.

I knew in Rock Week that I was in trouble. I knew that this was the one week that I was supposed to come across with something. Rock Week was supposed to be the one week where people said Jamie did something special and he’s a real contender.

In the end I don’t think that I did. I don’t think it was brilliant or anywhere near world class, and I think people thought I’d peaked when I hadn’t.

On the weeks that you weren’t doing rock stuff, you were getting amazing comments about your soulful vocals.

But that’s who I am – I’d rather take chances, do something edgy. Hurt was Simon’s idea. When we were doing Christina Aguilera, I said Beautiful, he said Hurt. We tried that out and liked it. And Hurt is not a song everybody in the country knows and it went to #9 in the charts, and Sex On Fire went to #6 after I sang it for my audition. Again, that wasn’t a song that everybody knew – I was more into that, people saying they didn’t know that song, but they really liked it.

Do you write your own material, Jamie?

Yeah, I do. I write my own stuff, I play guitar and I’m a producer as well. I’ve got plenty of demos and stuff and I’m gonna continue to write and demo and hopefully by the time all the X Factor stuff is done, by the end of the tour, I wanna go straight into the studio and record. Because the X Factor is not my career, it’s the start of my career. It’s a launchpad, so that’s why I’m not sad in any way, because it’s given me a chance, this show. Simon Cowell took a chance on me when no-one else would, and I love him for that, I respect him for that and I thank him for that.

A lot of tabloid speculation around the contestants this year – is there any truth in the rumour about you and Coco from Kandy Rain?

That old chestnut! The truth of it is, it’s really nice to see her from time to time, but obviously she’s really busy, I’m really busy, but we catch up from time to time and enjoy a drink and what have you, but that’s it. We have a bit of fun from time to time.

Nothing formal…no rings exchanged then?

No rings exchanged!

You’re in a unique position, you’ve been in the bubble of possibly the biggest X Factor ever. There’s more speculation, more watercooler speculation this year than ever before. How much of the press you get is made up and how much is real?

I’d go 50/50. Some of it’s absolute rubbish. Usually, the basic point of the story might be true, but it gets blown out of all proportion. It’s like that thing with me and Simon having arguments. We just disagreed over song choices and we disagreed with passion. That was it, but it got turned into “We’d fallen out, we’re not speaking” It was ridiculous. Sometimes the nucleus of a story might be right, but it gets blown out of all proportion.

It’s like the Stacey and Olly thing – it’s not happening, it’s not true. They hang out because they’re from the same neck of the woods. They have the same sort of sensibilities, I guess, because they’re both from Essex. It’s natural in a house of strangers that you move toward people that are like yourself.

You make Essex sound like a foreign country…

[Laughs] Well, maybe in some way it is!

What’s the strangest thing you’ve read about yourself in the papers?

[Thinks for a minute] I don’t know, because you don’t really read the papers when you’re in the house. One of the things that X Factor said – and quite rightly – is that you shouldn’t read the papers or websites and forums, because it’ll drive you nuts. So, we don’t get internet in the house in case people read negative reviews.

I reckon over the next few months I’ll take a look at some old articles. I’ll tell you the one that made me laugh was that the house was out of control and that John and Edward were looking at porn. That story had absolutely zero substance to it whatsoever. We had three researchers in the house, security around the house and people from X Factor coming in and out.

You’ve got to understand that we work so hard during the week that literally there wouldn’t be the energy for everyone to go nuts in the house. That’s it really.

We talked a little bit earlier about Sting’s comments. This week, a lot of people have been talking about the impact of The X Factor on the pop charts at the moment.

I think that people look at this in the wrong way – I think it sets the bar for record companies and artists to rise to the challenge set down by X Factor. This is why I talk about the fact that it is OK to have X Factor around. Whether you like ‘em or loathe ‘em.

If there’s a lot of X Factor acts in the charts, that’s because the show’s huge and the public are making all the decisions. Other artists can stand around and complain or they can raise their game.

What do you think about the final 12 this year – is it safe to say that they’re the 12 best singers in the country, or are we looking for entertainers at this point?

We’re probably looking for a bit of both – and that’s what the final 12 were. If you look at the final six in our category, Olly, Danyl and me were the entertainers while the other three were probably the better singers. They do want more than just a great voice. You want to be entertained and to be engaged and people want to be part of their lives. People need the whole package and that’s why it’s called X Factor.

It seems this year is all about crazy themes and over the top productions. That’s what this year is all about, it’s the year of the entertainer I think, and maybe next year people will be like “Let’s get it back to being a singing competition again.”

You know who I blame for that? Brian Friedman.

Brian Friedman! What a crazy guy, I love him! He’s a complete mentalist! But that’s what his job is, to make it bigger and better and bolder. As a people in this country, we don’t generally big up ‘over the top’. We’re always playing things down. The X Factor gives us an excuse to say ‘over the top’ is great.

Brian’s productions are over the top, they’re ridiculous, they’re entertaining.

You know what I want to see? If it’s still George Michael this week, I want to see someone perform Outside on a giant oversized glitter toilet with dancing policemen, glitter balls and the whole works.

If Brian had his way and it wasn’t 8:00 in the evening on Saturday they probably would do that! But you see even you’re saying it – you want over the top, you want outrageous.

Well, if you’re going to be over the top, you have to be right over the top.

Yes, and that is why Jedward are so successful…

One last question – what are you doing tonight?

I’m playing two gigs – one in Southampton and one in Brighton. This is what I love to do – performing live.

View the original post Interview: We give Jamie Archer an X Factor grilling on Unreality TV

Former X Factor singer Jamie Archer has admitted that he understands why Danyl Johnson went into meltdown over his song choice for this week.

Reports emerged this morning that Danyl had walked out of a rehearsal session with Yvie Burnett and had a row with Simon Cowell after he was told that he would be singing George Michael’s Praying For Time on this weekend’s show.

On why Danyl got so upset, Jamie told The Mirror:

“I spoke to Danyl on my way down here and had a nice long chat with him to see how things were going.

“He told me about how he went to Simon’s office. It’s very high pressure, I don’t think anyone can ever understand what it’s truly like to be in that house.

“It’s the same thing for me and the same thing for Dan. People will flair up from time to time.

“It is natural to be like ‘oh my god’ I need some time to myself.”

Jamie added: “It’s the same thing that happened to me when you have a really strong idea of what you want to do and it doesn’t match what the X Factor think is right. I was annoyed.

“I’ve broken out of the house a couple of times because I just had to clear my head.

“It can be very frustrating.”

View the original post X Factor: Jamie Archer reveals why Danyl Johnson walked out on Unreality TV

X Factor’s Jamie Archer has been booked to play to his biggest live crowd yet at T4’s winter music event T4’s Stars of 2009.

Jamie will be performing alongside sexy ladies including The Saturdays, Sugababes as well as fellow X Factor protege Alexandra Burke and is hoping to make his mark since leaving the X Factor house at the weekend…

Jamie is keen to follow in the footsteps of last year’s X Factor runners-up JLS – for music and their reputation with the ladies…

He’s also keen to impress mentor Simon Cowell, in the hope he will land a record deal with him – despite their public spats.

The event takes place on Sunday 29 November at Earl’s Court, London. Tickets are still on sale now at www.channel4.com/t4

View the original post Jamie Archer to play T4′s Stars of 2009 on Unreality TV

The final eight X Factor acts are reportedly set to earn £100,000 on this year’s live tour, proving that it is worthwhile to enter the X Factor, even if you have no chance of winning.

The Sun reports that half of the money is made up from pay cheques and the other half from bonuses and an unnamed finalist from last year said: “The tour is the most lucrative part of being on the show. Even if you don’t win, it can set you up for life.”

An X Factor spokeswoman said: “We do not discuss any financial details of contracts for the tour.”

Performing on tour this year will be Lucie Jones, Jamie Archer, Lloyd Daniels, John & Edward, Stacey Solomon, Danyl Johnson, Olly Murs and Joe McElderry.

The finalists who will not join the tour are Kandy Rain, Rikki Loney, Miss Frank and Rachel Adedeji.

View the original post X Factor finalists get £100,000 for tour on Unreality TV

Outgoing X Factor singer Jamie Archer has admitted that he was sexually frustrated whilst on the show. That can’t have been helped by his obvious crush on judge, Charyl Cole.

Archer told the Daily Star: “Without doubt she is the most beautiful woman in the world. I have always had a thing about Cheryl. I think she is absolutely stunning. And let me tell you, she’s even better in real life.”

On the other female judge Dannii Minogue, he joked: “I wouldn’t say no to Dannii either. She is hardly the booby prize!”

View the original post Jamie Archer calls Cheryl Cole ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ on Unreality TV

Jamie Archer has admitted that it’s not all bad to be kicked off The X Factor, because at least now he’ll be able to have sex!

Under Simon Cowell’s dictatorship, none of the X Factor hopefuls are allowed to have sex whilst on the show and are expected to adhere to an 8.30pm curfew. Jamie has been dating Kandy Rain’s Coco Lloyd and revealed that his first thoughts were of her when he was told he was voted off the show.

Jamie told The Sun said: “I have never gone so long without sex. Six weeks is a long time. I’m a red blooded male. I have needs. I can’t live on bread and water alone.

“I am the horniest man in Britain. I can’t wait to do it. When I was standing there at deadlock, after the initial shock had happened I though ‘wait a minute’.

“Maybe I can go and get some sex now. It’s not easy when every week you have got the most beautiful women in the country standing there.

“They are both so gorgeous. I am a Cheryl guy she is just a beautiful woman. But Dannii looked amazing on Sunday. Her boobs were just wow!

“Dermot said: ‘you’re going home Jamie’ and I was like ‘what?’. Oh right, I’m going off the show yeah’.

“I was looking at Dannii at the time and didn’t realise.”

Speaking about his relationship with Coco, Archer said:

He said: “I think she is amazing. It was great seeing her on Sunday. We really get on well. We call each other and text each other.

“In many ways having her around last night was nice because it was sad going out. She was really good and supportive to me and gave me a hug and it made me feel much better.

“I would like to cook for her. Have a nice quiet night in a bit of candles very romantic. I want to do it as soon as possible.”

View the original post X Factor: Jamie Archer can’t wait to have sex with Coco Lloyd! on Unreality TV

Pals of outgoing X Factor singer Jamie Archer have claimed that Simon Cowell purposely sacrificed him on last week’s show.

In an interview with The Mirror a close friend of the singer said: “The whole show is being made a mockery of. Simon was the only judge with all three acts left – he knew he had to lose someone this week and so he offered up Jamie.

“It doesn’t take a genius to see how he did it. He stuck him first on the bill which is the worst place to be. He made sure he dressed him in dark clothing so it all looked very drab with no colour.

“And he gave him a very average Queen song in Radio Ga Ga and left him there on the stage on his own.

“There was no production, no backing singers, no choirs, no pyrotechnics like the other contestants had.”

Last night we were watching Jamie’s best bits as shown on ITV2′s Xtra Factor and the difference between his singing then and on the Queen inspired show last week was astounding. Jamie was capable of so much more than Simon ever gave him and other than when he sang Christina Aguilera’s ‘Hurt’ he was never properly challenged. I think that Jamie’s friends may have a point with the sacrifice argument. Either Simon offered him up on a platter as a way to safeguard Danyl and Olly or he really is that out of touch that he can’t pick current songs for a current singer.

View the original post X Factor: Did Simon Cowell sacrifice Jamie Archer? on Unreality TV