American Idol prodcuer, Nigel Lythgoe (you’ll remember him as the man who told Kym Marsh she was fat on Popstars), has claimed that American Idol contestants are more talented than their UK counterparts.

Funnily enough, while watching the American Idol final 24 perform on ITV2 last night, my husband and I were saying the eaxt same thing. They have at least 5 girls who can sing as well as Leona Lewis, and none of their boys are as talentless as Leon Jackson!

Lythgoe commented:

“Each year I am surprised and gratified that the talent just keeps coming [to American Idol]. We’re a much smaller country in the UK and there is a smaller talent pool.

“Here it is topped up every year because you’re allowed to come at 16, and the sort of David Archuletas and the Alexandrea Lushingtons that have just joined us now, well they were nine when we started here, and ten.

“Now they’ve watched this show all the way through their little lives and finally come on it.”

“In the UK we really had to go out there and find it and put notices out there all the time to [say] please come, we’re auditioning. You kept your fingers crossed,” he said.

“It was the same people auditioning for Popstars as it was auditioning for Pop Idol as it was auditioning for Grease is the Word, or whatever other show was on. It was just the same small amount of people.

“Here [in the US] it just goes on and on and that talent pool is incredible. To be frank, they’re much better singers, and I think that’s because of the church upbringing as well.”

I think that the talent is also more obvious on American Idol as the show doesn’t seem to focus so heavily on the contestants sob stories and dead parents as ITV seem to. I therefore remember people for their singing talent or lack thereof, than for their illnesses, hardships or bereavements.

So what do you think? Which show do you prefer?

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