It seems that Simon Cowell is in talks with US broadcasting network Fox to launch a US version of the X Factor, and he wants Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh to head up the show, according to The Sun.

An ‘insider’ is quoted in the paper as saying, “Simon is really keen on bringing the X Factor to America as it has been such a hit in the UK.

“And he is convinced that the yanks will love Cheryl and Louis.

“He’s made no secret of the fact that he wants to expand his TV interests around the world and this is one of the first big ideas he’s got… Read more & comment »

It seems that Olympic bronze medal winner Louis Smith doesn’t have the X Factor.

The gymnast turned up at the Birmingham auditions only to be told that he should “stick to his day job”.

A source from the X Factor camp told The Sun that Louis, who’s 20, “didn’t have a great voice.” Read more & comment »

Apparently, one of last year’s X Factor hopefuls – who was eliminated because he was deemed to be too young at 15 years old – Mali Michael McCalla, has refused a personal request from Simon to try out for the show again this year.

However, The Sun today has revealed that Mali is “On the brink of a £1million boyband deal” and according to a friend of his, Mali “doesn’t want to be associated with reality shows any more.” The new band is called NSA and they’re being backed by US producers.

Mali was a big hit with the judges last year but given he was only 15, they eventually decided that the pressures of the show may prove too much for him but they’d hoped he’d be back this year. Read more & comment »

It seems that Simon’s trademark sarcastic remarks and put downs got on Dannii Minogue’s wick so much at Wednesday’s X Factor auditions that she balled him out and moved seats at the judges table so as to be as far away from him as possible.

The Daily Mirror reports that it all began when Simon repeatedly interrupted Dannii as she tried to comment on the acts. She put up with it initially but later, during a break in filming, she told him to “stop undermining” her and, in a temper, she moved to the end of the table rather than sitting at Simon’s side.

A source told the paper, “Simon was in an impatient mood and kept interrupting Dannii with really sarcastic remarks when she tried to give her opinion on the acts.

“She tried to keep calm but it all became too much and she turned on him during one of the breaks… Read more & comment »

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole had a deja vous moment yesterday when an old rival from her formative days on Popstars: The Rivals showed up for an X Factor audition.

The Sun reports that Daniel Pearce, one of the singers in the band One True Voice – who were beaten on Popstars by Cheryl’s band, Girls Aloud – got a unanimous ‘yes’ from the judges yesterday when he sang a cover version of Seal’s hit song, Kiss From A Rose. Read more & comment »

The 16 year old brother of last year’s X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke, has apparently sailed through the initial rounds of auditions.

According to the Daily Star, Alex’s brother, Aaron, belted out a winning cover of Will Young’s hit tune Evergreen which so impressed the judges, they unanimously put him through to the next stage.

An insider told the newspaper that, “Aaron is very cool. He didn’t make a big noise about the fact he’s Alexandra’s little bro, but word got round… Read more & comment »

According to the Daily Mirror, Simon Cowell is definitely leaving the X Factor in order to concentrate on building a “billion-pound global TV and entertainment empire.”

Their report says that Simon has told close friends that the upcoming series of the hit show will be the last time he’s involved with it. It adds that Simon has said he wants Cheryl Cole to “become the new main face of the show” when his £20 million contract with ITV ends in December this year.

However, it seems that ITV are desperate to keep Simon at the show’s helm and fear that viewing audiences of around 15 million would decline if he were not a part of the show.

A friend of Simon’s is quoted in the paper as saying, “He has found X Factor increasingly draining and it leaves him little time for serious business. Now he’s decided this will be his last series and he’s moving on. In future, he will have a more overseeing role.” Read more & comment »

According to The Sun today, a woman who received a unanimous “No” from the X Factor judges at yesterday’s auditions ran out of the studio screaming that she was going to kill herself.

The paper claims that the hysterical 50 year old woman was seen by a doctor who was on stand-by at London’s ExCel centre. The decision to have a doctor present at auditions was made following the revelations about Susan Boyle’s mental health problems when she appeared on Britain’s Got Talent.

An eye witness to the shocking event, Tracey Ward, told the paper, “She ran off, shouting that she was going to commit suicide… Read more & comment »

It would seem that Susan Boyle hasn’t been the only casualty of reality TV Simon Cowell style. In a revealing interview with the Daily Mail former X Factor star Niki Evans has told of how she felt exploited by the producers of the show.

Niki’s dad died shortly before she auditioned for the show, a fact which she feels the producers played a lot on.

‘They spent three hours literally shouting at me to sing Dance With My Father Again live on the show, with the instruction to cry in the middle of it,’ Niki said.

Read more & comment »

The Press Association website today reveals that in a survey of more than 30,000 funerals last year, X Factor winner Alexandra Burke’s version of ‘Hallelujah’ was “25th in the chart of popular songs” played at funerals and apparently, it’s the first time a reality TV star has appeared on that particular list.

It seems that ‘My Way’ is the most popular song to be played at funerals followed by ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ and Andrea Bocelli duet with Sarah Brightman, ‘Time To Say Goodbye’.

Other tunes included were AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’, Doctor And The Medics’ ‘Spirit In The Sky’ and ‘Another One Bites’ The Dust by Queen… Read more & comment »

Following the news that former X Factor winner Leon Jackson has been dropped by his record label Sony, New magazine is reporting that his mentor on the show, Dannii Minogue, “has been in touch to offer support and career advice”.

Leon said of Dannii, “I adore her. She’s so nice and caring” while Danni said, “I care about these kids. Being a mentor shouldn’t just stop when the show ends… Read more & comment »

X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has arrived in LA today and is beginning work on her debut album.

After finishing on the recent X Factor tour, Burke is expected to spend the next two months in the States working on her album, trying to make it every bit as good as Leona’s first. Simon recently predicted that Alexandra would be just as big a star as Leona once her album is released.

The Sunday Mirror has reported that Burke will begin by teaming up with music producer Red One, who has recently collaborated with Akon and Lady GaGa.

Read more & comment »

Former X Factor winner Leon Jackson has admitted that he found out he had been dropped by his record label when the story was printed in a newspaper this week.

Leon had a one album deal with Sony and obviously hoped he would continue to make more with the company. However an insider leaked the news that he had been dropped to The Sun earlier this week.

Speaking to the Daily Record Jackson said: “The label never told me I had been dropped. I never heard it directly from anyone.

“Word filtered through the management about the likelihood of it happening but I was never told a date. No one at the label ever told me. The first time I knew was yesterday in the paper.”

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Sharon Osbourne is appearing on Piers Morgan Life Stories tonight and one of the biggest revelations was when she bluntly declared that she had left the X Factor because of Dannii Minogue.

Osbourne eft the ITV1 show in June 2008 after four series, she explained her departure saying:

“I left because of Dannii Minogue, simple as that”.

“I didn’t enjoy working with her at all and the prospect of spending six months sitting next to her, I thought ‘my life is better than that’.”

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Cheryl Cole is currently trying to crack America and it seems like she has at least one person on her side.

Paris Hilton has been heaping praise on the Girls Aloud singer and revealed that she was very impressed by Mrs Cole when they met at the Grammy Awards last month.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Hilton explained: “Your favourite lady has been hanging out on my side of the pond. I love the way Cheryl dresses, and she’s so sweet!

Read more & comment »