Nigel Lythgoe: American Idol Contestants Better Than X Factor Singers
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?
Leave your comments below!
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February 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I think they have more talent on American Idol or at least they show more. Perhaps with ours it is not somuch that we do not have the talent but that they spend too long concentrating on acts that are awful for entertainment value.
February 24th, 2008 at 2:13 am
[...] the original post: Nigel Lythgoe: American Idol Contestants Better Than X Factor Singers Posted February 23rd, 2008 American [...]
February 24th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Well last year 2007 was a bad year for the x factor and it may be true that 2007 saw a vast improvement in the standard of contestants for American idol. Problem with a post like this one is that if NIGEL LYTHGOE truly posted it than it is biased as he is a producer for the programme. So he will state that because its more than his jobs worth to say otherwise.
Additionally the geographic difference between a small island such as Britain which would fit into one state and still have space left, as America is bigger than our total land mass. America is a continent, which is why in former years the programme has no excuses for the trash it has given the American viewer to watch.
The show should have far more available talent and also far more trash than the UK.
The uk appears to have a small talent pool, but the real reality is that talented and gifted people do not go in for the programme. They can’t afford to go for the programme as if they are working in the industry already in a regional capacity, they’d lose income vital to there families and their survival.
The only people who are really available to take part are those whose 9-5 employer is willing to hold a job open, those who have just left school or college and have nothing to lose as yet, and finally the unemployed.
March 24th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I think producers of these shows should be very careful - We already know that finalists in this year’s X factor were professionals and had also appeared as backing singers in previous X Factors - so I think we can make the assumption that American Idol has a degree of manipulation going on as well - So when a young lad who is ‘amateur’ actually wins then the producers should be very careful and make sure he gets all the help and protection a non-professional needs - and less of the criticism - after all it wasn’t a level playing field and he won against the odds - and with the same training and background as the others and less professional snobbery then I’m sure he would give any of the rest a run for their money