Pete Waterman: ‘X Factor is a freak and geek show’
Pete Waterman has hit out at ITV’s X Factor, saying that it is more about the judges than the contestants.
Writing in The Independent, Waterman described The X Factor as “the greatest television show in the world – but that’s not talent”.
He continued: “The problem for me is that kids believe that this is a talent show. It’s not. It’s a freak and geek show. It’s about ratings. That Cheryl Cole has sold more downloads as the judge than the winner of The X Factor proves that it’s a bigger promotion for the judges than it is the contestants on the show.”
Waterman said that TV talent shows began their journey away from finding actual talent on the second series of Pop Idol in 2003.
“The credit in the first Pop Idol goes to the people who trawled through and edited the performances, picking a balance between fun and talent,” he explained. “But that all went out of the window on Pop Idol 2. You had to have someone who cried, someone who died, someone with one leg.”
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Well sadly this is probably true for 2009. But could this be sour grapes aswell, after all he is not sitting in a one million pound judging seat?
It’s not sour grapes from Pete Waterman as Simon has asked him several times to be a judge and he doesn’t want to know. Who can blame him either each year it has lost some of it’s credability and this year if the Grime Twins win it will lose it all and most of its fans.
I agree that over the last few years it is becoming more and more about the judges, whose the biggest draw, silly arguments, nasty comments to each other, Queen bitch Sharon getting nasty and unprofessional because she was no longer queen bee. Previous years Sharon and Louis have let their acts down by not being therefor them even though they were being paid big money to mentor them. Simon is often away on other business ventures during the week. This year Cheryl has been too focused on her own solo career and she should never have been allowed to promote it on the show. Personally even though Danni gets all the flak she is the judge that actually commits herself 100% to her acts and spends lots of time with them during the week and not just Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
I would have loved Pete Waterman to have done the show as he knows what he is talked about and is respected. Simon learnt everything from Pete and used to follow him around all the time until Pete gave in and employed him.
Hello Trudy, I know Simon has asked several times, but each time he has been turned down simply because the salary isn’t high enough. Pete Waterman is not happy about the level and amount of background work either from arrangers, musicians and tuition.
In other words it is rather late in the heats when these young wanabes get to give a true live perfomance with a pianist even. Auditions not being included here. So in the absence of the work from real musicians these youngsters are expected to come up with the delivery of an almost perfect performance without the input or experience.
If only Pete would accept a role even as a consultant I’m sure the programme would have been forced to improve. Pete’s background with live musicians and other areas of the business behind the music business makes him a far viable concern than Simon.
Of the level of tuition I think he to would have something to say about all the belting instead of singing that is actually being advocated throughout the prgoramme. With young voices it is asking for damage.
I do think though that if Pete were to reconsider there would no room for Louis and one of the girls would have to go aswell as three judges in his views would be more than enough.