The X Factor Page 7

Sharon Osbourne has reportedly agreed to return to the 'X Factor’ judges' panel for another series later this year.

According to The Mirror, the 64-year-old has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with bosses that will see her keep her place on the the ITV talent show in a £2million deal.

Sharon Osbourne will reportedly be returning to The X Factor

Continue reading: Has Sharon Osbourne Signed A New 'X Factor' Deal?

Rylan Clark-Neal and Matt Edmondson have both lost their jobs today, as ITV announced that ‘The Xtra Factor’ – the ‘X Factor’ support show hosted by the pair last year – was being axed in favour of a digital spin-off.

“’The X Factor’ is our biggest ITV entertainment show, in terms of online engagement. We have taken the decision to move away from a linear switchover show, and instead focus our efforts on our digital platforms, in support of the main show,” an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror on Wednesday (January 18th).

‘The Xtra Factor’ was launched on ITV2 thirteen years ago, and helped launch showbiz careers for the likes of Holly Willoughby, Fearne Cotton and Caroline Flack.

Continue reading: 'The Xtra Factor' Axed By ITV In Favour Of Digital Spin-Off Show

Honey G didn't manage to make it to the finals of this year’s ’x factor’, but no contestant was given as much press as the wannabe rapper from Harrow.

Now the 35-year-old has confirmed she’s signed to Simon Cowell’s record label Syco, and even hinted that her debut album is on the way.

Continue reading: Honey G Confirms She's Signed With Simon Cowell's Record Label

Matt Terry has been crowned the winner of this year’s ‘x factor’.

The 23-year-old waiter, who was competed as part of Nicole Scherzinger's Boys' category, beat Finnish singer Saara Aalto, to claim the title on Sunday evening.

This year's ‘X Factor’ winner, Matt Terry

Continue reading: Matt Terry Crowned This Year's 'X Factor' Winner

One Direction star Louis Tomlinson is in mourning following the death of his mother, Johannah Deakin, after a short battle with leukaemia at the age of 42.

“It is with immeasurable sadness that Johannah Deakin’s family said goodbye to Johannah in the early hours of Wednesday 7th December 2016,” a statement read the following day.

“Earlier this year Johannah was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukaemia that required immediate and continuous treatment. We respectfully request that the family are given time and space to grieve in private.”

Continue reading: Louis Tomlinson's Mother, Johannah Deakin, Has Died Aged 42 After Leukaemia Battle

Fans of the Spice Girls will have to wait until 2017 for the band’s much-rumoured reunion after they cancelled their scheduled performance on the live final of ‘The X Factor’ this weekend.

Ginger Spice Geri Horner, Baby Spice Emma Bunton and Scary Spice Mel B were due to make their much-publicised comeback on Saturday (December 10th) on the finale of the ITV singing competition, duetting in a performance with Louis Walsh’s boyband 5 After Midnight, who had previously sung the Spice Girls’ ‘Say You’ll Be There’ on the series.

Mel B, Geri Horner and Emma Bunton were due to perform on 'The X Factor' this weekend

Continue reading: Spice Girls Cancel 'The X Factor' Final Performance Because Of Schedule Clashes

Sharon Osbourne made another live gaffe on ‘The X Factor’ this weekend, appearing to forget her own lines as she prepared to announce which act she was sending home.

On Sunday night’s episode (November 27th), Sharon was seen holding up a cue card to the camera that had presumably been placed on her desk, out of shot, containing the words she was being instructed to say.

“The name of the act I am sending home is,” the sheet of paper read, with the last two words underlined to remind the judge to emphasise them.

Continue reading: Sharon Osbourne Forgets Lines In Another 'X Factor' Gaffe

This year's series x factor has been one of the most controversial of the entire show and that's thanks to one contestant and one contestant alone: Honey G. With claims of a fix from fans and constant support from the judges, the rapper made it through to sing another week after avoiding elimination despite being in the bottom two.

Cheryl seen at Cannes earlier this year

And now Sharon's act - who many have described as a "novelty" - has found herself another fan: Cheryl Cole. The former judge on the show has come out in support of Honey G, despite revealing she has yet to watch any of this year's series.

Continue reading: Cheryl Backs Honey G

Simon Cowell angered ‘x factor’ viewers again on Sunday night when he chose to save ‘novelty act’ Honey G over singer Ryan Lawrie.

The music mogul later explained his controversial decision on spin-off show ‘Xtra Factor’, where he also revealed he doesn't believe Honey can win the show.

Simon Cowell saved Honey G, but doesn't see her as a potential winner

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Saves Honey G On 'The X Factor', But He Still Doesn't Think She Can Win

This year’s ‘x factor’ has once again been accused of being fixed after Honey G said she already had an ‘amazing track’ ready for next week, minutes after hearing the theme.

On Sunday night’s show Ant and Dec spun the jukebox wheel from the set of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’, with Movie Week being selected as the theme.

Simon Cowell’s ‘X Factor’ has been branded a ‘fix’ again

Continue reading: 'X Factor' Branded A "Fix" Again, After Honey G Already Has Song Lined Up For Next Week

‘x factor’ contestant Honey G has opened up about her past drug use, admitting to taking ecstasy and cocaine as well as smoking marijuana.

Speaking to The Sun, Honey, real name Anna Georgette Gilford, said that personal troubles led her to stray into drug addiction.

Continue reading: 'X Factor's' Honey G Reveals Past Drug Use

The ever-outspoken Lily Allen has described the controversial ‘X Factor’ contestant Honey G as “offensive” and “wrong on so many levels”.

While being interviewed on BBC Radio 1 by Annie Mac, the 31 year old singer launched a blistering attack on the North London 'novelty' rapper, who has split opinion with her surprisingly deep progress in this year’s series of ‘The X Factor’, increasingly at the expense of talented singers.

Lily Allen slammed Honey G as "so wrong on so many levels"

Continue reading: Lily Allen Brands Honey G "So Wrong On So Many Levels"

‘The X Factor’s head honcho Simon Cowell has apologised profusely for nearly accidentally voting off his own act on last weekend’s live episode, saying the gaffe left him “humiliated”.

The 57 year old music mogul had accidentally picked Gifty Louise to leave the singing contest on Sunday night (October 30th), before quickly changing his mind and nominating the girl-group Four of Diamonds.

Simon Cowell at the Pride of Britain Awards 2016

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Apologises For 'X Factor' Voting Gaffe

‘x factor’ hopeful Honey G has reportedly been told by David Bowie's estate that she cannot do her own rap over a track by the late singer.

Honey is set to perform Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice Ice Baby’ on tonight’s live shows, which samples Bowie and Queen’s 1981 song ‘Under Pressure’.

But according to reports the London-born hopeful has been told she must stick to Vanilla Ice’s version and not make the track her own.

Continue reading: 'X Factor's' Honey G Banned By David Bowie Estate From Rapping Over Classic Track

‘The X Factor’ has been forced to deny that the show is fixed after the controversial contestant Honey G, who is still in the running, was seemingly booked for a live performance in a nightclub in Scotland on the night of this year’s final.

The venue Kittys & Kandy in the Scottish town of Kirkcaldy posted a Facebook message this week promising that they would be featuring self-styled comedy rapper, real name Anna Gilford, on December 10th – the evening of this year’s ‘X Factor’ final.

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Forced To Deny Fix Claims After Honey G Booking

In the aftermath of the high-profile robbery and attack on Kim Kardashian in Paris last weekend, Simon Cowell has revealed that he’s increased security around ‘The X Factor’ ahead of the live shows.

After weeks of auditions and Judges’ Houses, the live shows begin on Saturday night (October 8th), but the show’s head honcho admitted that recent events in the Kardashian world, coupled with fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger’s revelation that she had recently been harassed by a stalker, had led him to step up security around the show’s contestants and crew.

Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger both spoke about security fears after Kim Kardashian's robbery

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Stepping Up 'X Factor' Security In Wake Of Kim Kardashian Robbery

Simon Cowell has at last addressed the slightly alarming and awkward moment on last weekend’s ‘The X Factor’, where many thought he had flashed the camera during a possible wardrobe malfunction.

Turns out, the audience was actually looking at “very large toe”, according to the music mogul, and not his (ahem) little Simon.

#ToeGate happened on Saturday night’s episode (October 1st) during the Judges’ Houses round, as he lounged in a rather awkward position on a sofa between Spice Girls Mel B and Emma Bunton with his left foot bent so that his bare foot was up against his right thigh.

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Reassures He Didn't Flash The Camera On 'The X Factor'

‘The X Factor’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ creator Simon Cowell has announced he’s inked a brand new three year deal to keep both talent shows on their home of ITV. Both shows are two of the UK’s biggest television formats and will continue to be broadcast by ITV until at least 2019.

Simon Cowell is keeping ‘The X Factor’ on ITV for three more years

The new partnership begins with ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in Spring 2017 followed by ‘The X Factor’ in the Autumn. Announcing the new deal Cowell said: "I want to thank ITV for continuing to be fantastic partners. I'm delighted for the shows and, in particular, for all the talented people who work on them with us.”

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Signs Three Year Deal To Keep 'X Factor' And 'BGT' On ITV

The most memorable contestant on Sunday night’s ‘X Factor’ auditions was undoubtably Sada Vidoo, a ‘living doll’ who gained four yeses from the judges for her rendition of ‘Love Is A Battlefield’. But while Sada may have been new to British TV viewers, it’s now be claimed that she is actually an established platinum-selling act from Denmark.

We did tell @SadaVidoo to doll herself up for the audition.  #XFactor pic.twitter.com/VKOCL4DhEU

— The X Factor (@TheXFactor) September 4, 2016

Continue reading: 'X Factor' Living Doll Sada Vidoo Is Already A 'Platinum-Selling Artist' In Demark

The ‘x factor’s’ return on Saturday night gave the ITV talent show its lowest ratings for a series opener in 10 years, despite the revamped judging panel. On Saturday night Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh all returned to the show as judges, alongside Simon Cowell, while Dermot O’Leary was back as host.

‘X Factor’ judge Simon Cowell

But the much hyped return of the fan-favourite judges didn't give the show the ratings boost it had hoped for. On Saturday night 6.8 million viewers tuned in, which was 800,000 down from last year's launch episode and the lowest numbers for a series opener since 2005.

Continue reading: Revamped 'X Factor' Scores Lowest Ratings In 10 Years, But ITV Have No Plans To Axe It

‘The X Factor’s return to the nation’s TV screens did not go as ITV bosses had planned, with overnight viewing figures for the singing contest’s first episode down to the show’s lowest ratings in more than ten years.

The return of ‘The X Factor’, with an almost entirely overhauled judging panel and presenting team, on Saturday night (August 27th) was viewed by an average 6.8 million people – representing a drop of 800,000 compared to the launch episode from 2015’s series.

It represented a 34% audience share, up against a feature-length 30th anniversary episode of ‘Casaulty’ on BBC1. This is also down on the 39% audience share from 2015.

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Viewing Figures Down 800,000 On Last Year

The new series of ‘The X Factor’ seems to have gotten off to an inauspicious start, after judges Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne failed to show up for the 13th series’ launch event this week.

56 year old Simon and 63 year old Sharon were both no-shows at the central London hotel on Thursday night (August 25th), as the other two judges Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh were left to do press commitments.

Cowell is currently busy with the final stages of ‘America’s Got Talent’ and was obviously unavailable, but Osbourne’s excuse was ‘filming commitments’ – whatever that means.

Continue reading: Simon Cowell And Sharon Osbourne Miss 'The X Factor' Launch Event

Prepare yourselves for some bad news, Directioners…

Louis Walsh has claimed in a brand new interview that not only are One Direction not about to reunite any time soon, but also that it could be at least 10 years before they’ll consider doing so.

The 64 year old Irish pop mogul, who was a judge on ‘The X Factor’ when 1D were discovered back in 2010 and who is returning to the ITV singing contest this year, gave an interview to The Telegraph on Thursday (August 25th) and said that it was extremely unlikely that the band would get back together after their hiatus, as they had promised fans.

Continue reading: Louis Walsh Says One Direction Won't Get Back Together For Ten Years

Dermot O’Leary has revealed that ‘x factor’ boss Simon Cowell admitted he’d made a mistake by letting him leave the ITV talent show last year. Now back as host, Dermot confirmed that his exit last March was because he'd heard bosses were “looking at other ­presenters”.

Dermot O’Leary is back as the host of ‘X Factor’

Speaking to The Sun, Dermot said that he got a phone call from Simon in February, where the music mogul told him: “I’ve made a mistake, I’d love to get you back.” Dermot then flew to Hollywood to meet Simon where they spent three hours “chatting about the show and life in general”.

Continue reading: Dermot O'Leary Says Simon Cowell Admitted He "Made A Mistake" With 'X Factor' Exit

ITV have confirmed that the new series of ‘The X Factor’ will return on Saturday 27 August 2016 at 8pm and Sunday 28 August at 8pm. The new series sees the return of original judges Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, as well as former judge Nicole Scherzinger, alongside Simon Cowell.

Judges Simon Cowell and Nicole Scherzinger

A short teaser for the series has also been released, giving a glimpse of some hopefuls as well as the judges’ reactions, set to Girls Aloud’s ‘Something Kinda Ooh’. The show will be hoping to return to form this series after suffering low ratings last year.

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Confirms Return Date: What We Know So Far

Ahead of his return to ‘The X Factor’, judge Louis Walsh has criticised the choice of Rita Ora for the talent’s disastrous series last year, saying the 25 year old pop star “didn’t know a thing” about talent and that she turned it into a “fashion show”.

Walsh, 63, is coming back to the ITV singing contest after a year away, and is returning alongside fellow former judges Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger. He spoke to Best magazine on Wednesday (August 3rd) and lambasted the decision to have both Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (who has also quit the programme) and Ora on the same panel, saying that he advised against the move at the time.

Rita Ora departed 'The X Factor' after just one season earlier this year

Continue reading: Louis Walsh Lambasts Rita Ora's Performance On Last Year's 'The X Factor'

Former ‘x factor’ star Rylan Clark-Neal has been unveiled as Matt Edmondson’s co-host on the singing contest’s sister show ‘The Xtra Factor’ when it returns later this year.

The news was teased during Friday morning’s edition of ‘This Morning’, when hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby gave Clark-Neal a bit of a ribbing during his showbiz news bulletin. When he announced that Edmondson would be one of the hosts, Philip and Holly jumped in and said that there might be “more legs” to the story – leaving him momentarily silenced before moving on.

Rylan Clark-Neal will be Matt Edmondson's co-host on 'The Xtra Factor'

Continue reading: Rylan Clark-Neal Revealed As Matt Edmondon's Co-Host On 'The Xtra Factor'

Mel B is to temporarily replace Nicole Scherzinger as a judge on ‘The X Factor’ after “other commitments” forced the former Pussycat Doll to cancel appearances at the show’s auditions this summer.

Scherzinger has cited a “diary clash” that had been set up before she agreed to return to the panel of ‘The X Factor’ last month, and therefore she won’t be present at the London auditions on Friday (June 17th). Instead, the former Spice Girl – also previously a judge on the 2014 series of the reality show – will be taking her place for the day.

Mel B is to temporarily stand in for Nicole Scherzinger on 'The X Factor' auditions

Continue reading: Mel B Replacing Nicole Scherzinger On 'The X Factor' Auditions

Leona Lewis has been dropped by her record label Island after just over two years, following the disappointing commercial performance of her last album I Am.

The 31 year old English singer, who won the third series of ‘The X Factor’ in 2006 and has long been one of the most successful stars produced by that show, departed Simon Cowell’s Syco label in June 2014 and signed to rival Island. However, when the resulting record was released in September, it flopped.

Leona Lewis has been dropped by Island Records, just two years after switching to them from Syco

Continue reading: Leona Lewis Dropped From Her Record Label Island

Nicole Scherzinger is reportedly set to pocket £125,000 more than fellow returning ‘x factor’ judge Sharon Osbourne. According to The Mirror the former Pussycat Doll will earn just over £1.8million for the new 'X Factor' series while Sharon will get £1.7million.

Nicole Scherzinger is reportedly being paid more than Sharon Osbourne for her ‘X Factor’ return.

Sources told the newspaper that the revelation will come as a shock to Sharon, as she was assured that she would be the highest-paid judge after head Simon Cowell. They added that Sharon had only decided to sign the contract once her demand was agreed.

Continue reading: Nicole Scherzinger Reportedly Earning £125,000 More Than Sharon Osbourne For 'X Factor' Return

With his return to ‘The X Factor’ confirmed after just one season absent from the judging panel, Louis Walsh has made his feelings very clear about the shortcomings of the show’s ill-fated 2015 series, which pulled in record-low ratings for several episodes.

The 63 year old spoke to BBC Radio 2 on Thursday morning (June 9th), and revealed what he thought about last year’s series, which is the only one he’s been absent from since ‘The X Factor’ launched in 2004.

Louis Walsh says he "knew" right from the first show that last year's 'X Factor' "wasn't going to work"

Continue reading: Louis Walsh Says He "Knew" 'The X Factor' Would Suffer In The Ratings Last Year

It was probably the worst kept secret in television, but this year’s ‘x factor’ judging panel has finally been confirmed with Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh all making a comeback. The three former judges will join Simon Cowell when the show returns later this year and he'll no doubt be hoping the familiar faces will bring back viewers after last series’ low ratings.

.@MrsSOsbourne, @NicoleScherzy and Louis Walsh are returning to the #XFactor judging panel https://t.co/DDOgDoIzxA pic.twitter.com/x7y2BXArYl

— ITV News (@itvnews) June 1, 2016

Continue reading: Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger And Louis Walsh Confirm 'X Factor Return'

Former ‘X Factor’ star Frankie Cocozza has lashed out at bosses of the reality singing contest for revealing his problems with addiction, and accused them of lying to him.

The 23 year old appeared on ‘This Morning’ on Thursday (May 19th), and spoke about the drug abuse claims which led to him being kicked off ‘The X Factor’ back in 2011, revealing that ITV bosses had assured him that details of the scandal would not be get out into the public domain.

“The whole cocaine thing, there was no proof or anything. I don't know why they decided to release that,” he told presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield.

Continue reading: Frankie Cocozza Hits Out At 'X Factor' Bosses For Revealing Drug Use Story

Mel B has expressed an interest in returning to be a judge on ‘The X Factor’ now that three vacancies have opened up on the panel, following Rita Ora’s recent departure.

The former Spice Girl, 40, was a judge on the ITV singing competition for just one season back in 2014, but in the wake of massive changes to the show over the last few months that have seen Ora, Nick Grimshaw and long-time judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini all depart as well as co-hosts Caroline Flack and Olly Murs, many are tipping her for a return.

“I’d always love to be part of ‘The X Factor’, it was a great show,” she said during her appearance on ‘Lorraine’ on Wednesday morning (May 11th). “Is there a space? This happens every year, it’s always up in the air.”

Continue reading: Mel B Talks Possible 'X Factor' Return, Spice Girls Reunion

‘The X Factor’ is to experience yet more change on-set as Rita Ora has confirmed that she’s stepped down as a judge on the singing competition after just one series.

Her departure, which had been rumoured for some time but given more impetus by a report in The Sun on Monday (May 9th), means that the 25 year old British singer is the third person to quit the judging panel from the last series, which ended in December 2015 amid some of the lowest ratings ‘The X Factor’ has ever received.

Rita Ora has quit 'The X Factor' after just one season

Continue reading: Rita Ora Confirms Departure From 'The X Factor' After Only One Series

Louis Tomlinson has opened up about fatherhood, describing being a dad to his newborn son Freddie as “intense” but “exciting”.

The 24 year old One Direction singer attended the Brit Awards in London on Wednesday night (February 24th) and accepted the prize for Best Video, as voted for by the public, for last year’s single ‘Drag Me Down’.

In 2016, Tomlinson has been getting to grips with first-time fatherhood since his ex-girlfriend Brianna Jungwirth gave birth to their son, Freddie Reign, back in January. Speaking to ITV2 outside the O2 Arena, he said that “[Fatherhood] is good. It's intense. It's really exciting. This is my first time away from Freddie so it's tough.”

Continue reading: Louis Tomlinson Speaks About First-Time Fatherhood; Expresses Interest In 'The X Factor'

In the wake of yet another departure from ‘The X Factor’ with the news that Olly Murs is following his co-host Caroline Flack out of the door, Katie Price has thrown her hat into the ring today by expressing an interest in presenting the ITV show.

Former glamour model Price, now a panellist on daytime chat show ‘Loose Women’, took to Twitter to put her name forward as a possible replacement for Murs and Flack, who have quit just one season after taking over from Dermot O’Leary and who have attracted a great deal of criticism for their presentation style.

Could Katie Price become the next 'X Factor' presenter?

Continue reading: Katie Price Interested In Becoming The Next Presenter Of 'The X Factor'

In the wake of the poor ratings it suffered last year, Simon Cowell has made changes to ‘The X Factor’ by axing co-presenter Caroline Flack, soon after Nick Grimshaw confirmed that he had quit the judging panel of his own accord.

According to The Sun, 36 year old Flack is said to have paid the price for the criticism that she and co-host Olly Murs received as they presented the ITV show for the first time last year. The final episode averaged viewing figures of only 5.95 million, amid flagging ratings plaguing the whole series, and it’s not clear that Murs will keep his place either as the pair were frequently criticised for making mistakes.

Nick Grimshaw has quit 'The X Factor' after just one series

Continue reading: Nick Grimshaw And Caroline Flack Axed From 'The X Factor'

ITV may have burst the dreams of millions of music fans, with reports that ‘The X Factor’ will not be facing the axe despite its low ratings last year. Simon Cowell’s show seems to have earned a stay of execution from the network’s bosses, and will continue until at least 2017.

Recent reports had suggested that, with ‘The Voice’ moving from BBC to ITV next year, ‘The X Factor’ would be rested in 2017. “[ITV] will rest ‘The X Factor’ for 2017 because there is no way they can run two singing contests and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in the same year, they cannot do it,” a source had told the Daily Mail earlier this week, implying that the network would effectively use it as insurance.

Simon Cowell's 'X Factor' has reportedly been under the threat of being axed by ITV

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Is Apparently NOT Being Axed By ITV, Despite Rumours

With the race for this year’s Christmas Number One single closer than ever, the current leader of the pack Justin Bieber has selflessly urged his fans to buy the track by his nearest competitor, the NHS choir.

On Wednesday (December 23rd), it was revealed that the Canadian singer’s latest hit ‘Love Yourself’ was ahead of the health charity choir by just 662 combined sales with just two days to go. The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir’s song ‘A Bridge Over You’, a combination of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ and Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, has taken the charts by storm, and Bieber has recognised the charitable cause they’re supporting and has told his fans to get behind the choir instead.

Justin Bieber has urged his fans to buy the NHS choir's single

Continue reading: Justin Bieber Urges Fans To Buy NHS Choir's Single To Get It To Christmas Number 1

Justin Bieber is ahead by a nose in the annual chart battle for Christmas Number One in the UK, with his current single ‘Love Yourself’ fractionally outselling an NHS choir at the halfway point in the sales week ending on Christmas Day.

According to the Official Charts Company on Monday (December 21st), the Canadian singer is leading by combined sales of just 3,000 copies from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir’s song ‘A Bridge Over You’.

Justin Bieber is leading the race for the UK Christmas Number One single

Continue reading: Justin Bieber Leading The Race For Christmas Number One In Midweek Charts

Though some have speculated that he was severely disheartened by Rita Ora’s apparent ‘snub’ during ‘The X Factor’ final at the weekend, Olly Murs has insisted that he wasn’t annoyed by the judge’s implication that he hadn’t made an “impression” on the charts.

After Louisa Johnson had scooped the grand prize on Sunday night’s live final (December 13th), Ora had proclaimed that only she and 2006 winner Leona Lewis had made any impact on the charts. While the audience applauded the obviously untrue statement (erm, One Direction?), 2009 runner-up Murs was said to have looked upset at the backhanded insult.

Olly Murs says he wasn't offended by Rita Ora's 'snub'

Continue reading: Olly Murs Dismisses Suggestion He Was Offended By Rita Ora's 'Snub'

The low ratings that have plagued the most recent series of ‘The X Factor’ have been confirmed in the annual list of the most-watched TV programmes of the year, with the reality singing contestant failing to make the top 40.

The twelfth series of the show, which was won by Louisa Johnson in the final on Sunday night (December 13th), ranked below its sister talent contest ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in the list, as well as a slew of BBC programmes including seven separate episodes of ‘The Great British Bake Off’, including the top position and numbers three through eight, and twelve episodes of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Louisa Johnson won 'The X Factor', but the show didn't feature in the list of the Top 40 most-watched programmes of 2015

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Not Included In The Most Watched TV Shows Of 2015

Rylan Clark has denied recent rumours that he and Emma Willis are due to replace Caroline Flack and Olly Murs as co-presenters of ‘The X Factor’ next year.

Reports emerged last Friday (December 11th), first reported by the Daily Star, indicated that Simon Cowell was in the mood to shake up the ITV show ahead of the 2016 edition. Murs, 31, and Flack, 36, have co-presented for just one series, after they replaced long-time host Dermot O’Leary earlier this year.

Caroline Flack could be on her way out as presenter of 'The X Factor', if reports are true

Continue reading: Rylan Clark Dismisses Claims He And Emma Willis Could Be New 'X Factor' Presenters

She may have joined the judging panel just this year, but Rita Ora has hinted that she’ll be quitting ‘The X Factor’ after only one series in the aftermath of her prodigy Louisa Johnson winning the competition this weekend.

“As a new judge it's a good way to leave the show,” said Rita, when she spoke to the series’ spin-off TV show ‘Xtra Factor’ viewers on Sunday night (December 13th) alongside Louisa herself, who became the youngest contestant ever to win the competition at the age of 17.

“I really can't put it into words," added Louisa. “It doesn't even feel real. It feels crazy. I just appreciated everyone keeping me in here. I've got the most loyal supporters ever, I can't thank them enough.”

Continue reading: Could Rita Ora Be Leaving 'The X Factor' After Only One Series?

Olly Murs and Caroline Flack’s ‘are they / aren’t they’ relationship has been one of the biggest talking points of this year’s ‘x factor’, but now the pair have finally given audiences what they’ve wanted, as they shared a kiss in a photobooth at the Cosmopolitan Awards.

The pair have kept ‘X Factor’ viewers guessing about the true nature of their relationship for the last couple of months, after Olly split with his long-term girlfriend Francesca Thomas at the end of September.

However, the final shot of the photobooth reel as the pair celebrated Caroline’s Ultimate TV Personality win at the awards seemed to indicate that they might be more than just friends, as Caroline posted the photos on her Instagram page on Wednesday night (December 2nd).

Continue reading: Olly Murs And Caroline Flack Share A Kiss At The Cosmopolitan Awards

Upon his exit from ‘The X Factor’ – for good, this time – eliminated contestant Mason Noise has said that he wasn’t taking part in the show to win and that he’s “relieved” to have left.

Having already been granted a reprieve five weeks ago by being brought back by judge Nick Grimshaw, after fellow hopeful Tom Bleasby unexpectedly dropped out of the show voluntarily, the controversial 21 year old was finally voted off the show having received the least amount of support from the public on Sunday (November 22nd).

Mason Noise, who was eliminated from 'The X Factor' on Sunday (Nov 22)

Continue reading: 'X Factor' Reject Mason Noise Says He Wasn't In The Show To Win

Having apologised profusely for his hideous gaffe during last weekend’s episode of ‘The X Factor’, co-presenter Olly Murs has hit back against criticism of him, saying that the blunder has now been “massively blown out of proportion”.

On last Sunday’s episode (November 15th), Murs accidentally announced that contestant Monica Michael was going home before the actual result was announced that evening, leading to a huge backlash of criticism directed at him, with some speculating that he might even get fired, though he tweeted a quick apology for his “massive f*** up” via Twitter the same night.

Caroline Flack and Olly Murs, 'The X Factor' co-presenters

Continue reading: Olly Murs Says His 'X Factor' Mistake Has Been "Blown Out Of Proportion"

Former ‘x factor’ judge Louis Walsh has revealed that he was in fact extremely close to signing up for ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ this year, but that a phone call from his former colleague Simon Cowell persuaded him from going through with it.

“I was supposed to be doing it. I met them three times, I was nearly going,” the 63 year old music mogul said at Sony Bravia TV’s YouView feature launch. “Simon told me he didn't think it would be good for my credibility. He actually talked me out of it. Otherwise I was going to do it.”

Louis Walsh was talked out of 'I'm A Celebrity...' by Simon Cowell

Continue reading: Louis Walsh Claims Simon Cowell Persuaded Him NOT To Appear In 'I'm A Celebrity'

You would have been forgiven for completely forgetting about Harry Hill's X-Factor musical 'I Can't Sing', with that bloke from Eastenders playing Simon Cowell, but it's finally here - and the critics are having their say.

Simon Cowell [center] and Harry Hill [R] 

Cowell is actually listed as co-producer of the new musical - which opened at the London Palladium on Wednesday (March 26, 2014) - and the reports had suggested this would be one big fat satirical takedown of the mega-bucks talent show that he created. However, as Michael Billington of The Guardian writes, it's actually "uneasily pitched between send-up and celebration."

Continue reading: 'X-Factor' Musical 'I Can't Sing' Becomes West End's Guilty Pleasure

Cheryl Cole - one of the biggest celebrity names in the UK despite taking several years out of the limelight - has confirmed she is returning to The X-Factor UK after signing a reported £1.5 million deal.  Cole fell out with series creator Simon Cowell after he sacked her from The X-Factor USA after just weeks in the job. The American version of Cowell's hugely successful UK singing show struggled for ratings and was eventually cancelled.

Cheryl Cole Is Returning to the X-Factor UK

Cowell has signalled his intention to return to the UK judging panel and appears to have convinced Cheryl to join him. Though the media had a field day with the apparent bad blood between the pair following the stateside debacle, it's clear that relations have been far more civil and Cowell will no doubt will be using the quasi-feud to sell the latest season of the show. 

Continue reading: Cheryl Cole Confirms X-Factor Return, But Is It Too Late?

The Bridesmaids actor Chris O'Dowd says he is a "big x factor fan" though feels for black contestants because the "the viewing public is so racist." The 34-year-old made the comment during an interview to the Radio Times, saying, "Generally my favourites go out in the first few weeks and, of course, because the viewing public is so racist, all the black, strong singers go out in round five."

Chris O'Dowd Thinks YOU'RE A RACIST, X Factor Viewer.

Last year's contestant Hannah Barrett had received racist abuse while appearing on the show and spoke out about the importance of addressing the issues of race and appearance in the music industry.

Continue reading: X-Factor Viewer? Yeah, Chris O'Dowd Thinks You're A Racist.

The Christmas number one single has become as much a part of the festive season as the television, food, gifts and family dramas. But the best part of the Christmas single is trying to guess who’s going to get the top spot, and taking a look at the odds makes it that little bit easier.

Sam Bailey is favourite for the X-Factor crown, and by extension, the Christmas #1

Rockers AC/DC were the favourites to attain that coveted festive number one spot, but the recent announcement that all proceeds from the X-Factor Christmas single will be going to children’s charities – Together For Short Lives and Great Ormond Street – has put the ITV talent show in pole position.

Continue reading: Who's In Pole Position For The UK Christmas No.1 - AC/DC Or The X-Factor Winner?

Sam Callahan, the latest contestant to be voted out of The X-Factor, says he is eager to continue his music career despite relentless criticism from the judges on the ITV talent show.

"People are going to doubt you in this industry," the 19-year-old said after being axed on Sunday's show, "I have a belief in myself because I know what I'm capable of when I do the right thing. I believe in my career."

Judge Gary Barlow had suggested that several of the already-axed X-Factor contestants had been stronger than Callahan, though the young singer merely took the negative comments as constructive criticism.

Continue reading: Is There A Market For Sam Callahan After X-Factor Elimination?

The X Factor is set to be around for at least another three years thanks to the new £150 million contract signed by Simon Cowell.

The music mogul has also firmly set talent show 'Britain's Got Talent' in place until 2016 and, although we know that he'll be coming back for that, there's still uncertainty as to whether or not he'll be making appearances back on the 'The X Factor' any time soon since he left to take it to the USA.

Over here, the ratings are through the roof for the singing show, but they've dropped by almost half across the pond which may see Cowell return home for future series'.

Continue reading: 'The X Factor' Renewed For A Few More Years, But Will Simon Come Back?

The future of Nicole Scherzinger as a judge and mentor on The X Factor looks in doubt after reports circulated that she is ready to begin focusing on her music career again. Scherzinger's agent was probably delighted to tie up a guest judging deal with the ITV singing show in 2010 though she's since outgrown the show and is now considered the most popular member of the panel.

Nicole Scherzinger Is Said To Be Leaving The X-Factor After The Current Series

According to the Daily Star, Scherzinger made the decision months ago though kept it a secret until Sharon Osbourne revealed the news in her new autobiography published last Thursday. 

Continue reading: Nicole Scherzinger's X-Factor Future In Doubt, Though Girls Look Strong

The X-Factor has been a bit of a joke this yeah, hasn't it? Rylan Clark, with his monstrous lack of talent and baffling level of ignorance managed to go far; too far, while Christopher Maloney has managed to still be in the running despite having little to no potential to sell records. He's got his Gran to have a go at people like us.  

"Those comments, they might as well say them to me - they're cutting me in two even worse," she explained, according to The Sun. "It's a tactic, I think. It's one way of swaying the votes. It's like bullying. Nobody else on the show gets those comments." She added: "I'm behind Christopher all the way but it's killing me doing it." Granny Pat got pretty annoyed last week when Christopher gave a good performance but still came in for criticism. She said: "I could cry sometimes. Even when they do say he has sung well they criticise something else, like the dancers behind them last week. He didn't pick the dancers." Poor nan, we know how she feels, but the truth is, even though Maloney is trying his hardest; he's easily the least talented act left in the competition, and that's only because Rylan's gone.

This weekend's X-Factor fun sees Jahmene Douglas, James Arthur, Union J and of course, Granny's boy, Christopher Maloney gunning it out for a place in the final. 

In potentially worrying news for Nicole Scherzinger, Cheryl Cole has flown to Los Angeles for showdown talks with Simon Cowell about returning to x factor. The show has been blighted by poor viewing figures, poor acts and a pretty appalling judging panel this year and Cowell is ready to bring back the Girls Aloud star.

It's thought that either Cowell himself or Cole must return to the judging panel for the show to regain any sort of credibility. Gary Barlow hasn't made the grade as head judge, while Nicole Scherzinger doesn't appear to be gelling with the British public. Louis Walsh is never going to leave, so there's little point in even speculating. Anyway, it's likely that either Nicole or Gary will leave at the end of the current season, paving the way for Cheryl to get back into the hot seat. The Geordie singer arrived at Simon Cowell's Los Angeles mansion at 8pm on Wednesday (November 28, 2012) and stayed for three-and-a-half hours, according to the Daily Mirror. It is thought the two were discussing Cheryl's return to X Factor, which Cowell sees as a way of reinvigorating the ailing show. The meeting comes 18 months after he sensationally sacked Cheryl from the US version of the singing show after just a couple of weeks of auditions. 

In his recent biography, Cowell he admitted falling for Cole during their time working together. The music mogul, 52, told friends he was "mesmerised" by Cheryl, adding, "I would have liked an affair with her. I felt like a mouse being played with by a beautiful cat."  Bit weird.

Continue reading: Cheryl Cole Answers Simon Cowell's SOS For X-Factor Return

The Sun have been forced to hand over £404,000 in damages to Louis Walsh, after they erroneously ran a story claiming that he had sexually assaulted a man in Dublin. The story, published on June 23, 2011, originated from the Irish Sun but was also printed in the UK version of the newspaper. It was later proven to be false and the alleged victim has been jailed for six moths. Leonard Watters had claimed that The X Factor judge had groped him in a toilet cubicle, after a Westlife concert, in April 2011, The Guardian reports.

A senior counsel for News Group International, who own The Sun, said “The Sun published an article in its editions of 23 June 2011, in which we reported that Louis Walsh was being investigated in relation to a sexual assault on Leonard Watters… The Sun fully accepts that the alleged assault did not occur in the first place and Louis Walsh is entirely innocent of any such assault. The Sun unreservedly apologises to Louis Walsh for any distress caused to him as a result of our article.”

Louis Walsh’s lawyer, Paul Tweed, explained that The Sun had only given them a matter of hours to gather evidence that Louis had not committed the offence and argued that he’d hope the outcome of the Leveson Inquiry into media practices would help put and end to this kind of media behaviour. Louis Walsh also made a statement, outside the court and said “I was absolutely gutted and traumatised that these allegations against me should have been published, particularly as I had made it clear at the time there was not one iota of truth in them, and was totally bewildered who would have made up this type of story.”

No Doubt's latest single 'Looking Hot' has well and truly bombed, having sold just 680 copies in its first week of release in the UK. The second single to be taken the band's comeback album Push and Shove reached No 397 on the singles chart, some 1,500 copies short of breaking into the Top 200, reports NME.com.

It's an odd result, given the relative popularity of singer Gwen Stefani and the group's recent performance on x factor, which usually lifts an artist's sales by around 300 per cent. The album peaked at No.16 in the chart, selling less than 7,000 copies while first single Settle Down reached No.85. Essentially, it's been a disastrous comeback for the group, who were criticised for their video for Looking Hot, which depicted Gwen Stefani as a Native American squaw dancing in a tepee. The band apologised for any offence and pulled the clip. It could go towards explaining the single's poor performance, and Last.FM say 28,000 people have "scrobbled" the song, which has clocked 117,000 plays. It's likely that fans are playing the songs on streaming services such as Spotify, rather than downloading and listening on iTunes.

Though the band has made its millions over the years, its recent chart performance will disappoint Stefani and company. She's probably rueing the decision to pull the plug on her hugely successful solo career and reunite with her old pals.

Continue reading: Oh Dear: No Doubt Sell Just 680 Copies Of 'Looking Hot'

Christopher Maloney, who started his X-Factor career as a quivering mess, has turned his fate around and is now the only contestant left in Gary Barlow's over-28s category. However, at least one of this year's contestants doesn't think Maloney is playing fair and square... in fact, they don't even like him.

The Sun has spoken to Kye Sones who was booted out this weekend. According to Sones, when asked why he thinks Maloney is still in the running, "God knows. He must have an expensive phone bill!" 

"All of us have got really close and then you've got Chris. We've been a really strong group and he's been an outsider - and that's nothing to do with any of us lot." He said, "He's very tactical. There are two different people - one when cameras are there and one when they're not there... I'm just glad that, from day one, I have not lied and have been very honest and that was my main thing and I can walk away with my head held high." Plus, according to the Mirror, a member of staff on the show said "I've seen [Maloney] dialling and redialling his own number over and over again. It's sad really but he wants it that much that he is spending a fortune." They also said that an unnamed production executive said, "You can't outlaw this sort of behaviour but it leaves a very sour taste. It's against the spirit of the show."

Continue reading: X-Factor's Christopher Maloney Comes Under Fire From Peers

x factor star James Arthur has been accused of ripping off a YouTube star for his latest performance on the reality show. Arthur, 24, performed a stripped back acoustic version of LMFAO’s Sexy and I Know It on Saturday’s show and won praise from all four judges.

The arrangement of the song was certainly refreshing and Arthur was easily one of the better performers on the night, though his rendition has drawn comparisons to a YouTube singer known as Only1Noah. His version of the track – uploaded five months ago – has since received 13.5 million hits and features the exact same arrangement as Arthur’s track. Noah had added the caption, “Okay guys! So I've actually always wanted to cover this and I finally arranged a version of it that I hope you like!” Disgruntled fans of the YouTube star have taken to the video’s comments section to vent their anger, with one user saying, “James Arthur should be axed from the show for his disgraceful talent of stealing other people's work. Shame on him seriously.”

Continue reading: Did X Factor’s James Arthur Rip Off YouTube Star Noah? (Videos)

The Take That singer admitted on Twitter to being extremely disappointed after another one of his contestants left the talent show last night. The 44-year-old Melanie Masson was eliminated after entering a singoff with boyband District 3.

The judges vote was deadlocked again in a repeat of last weekend's elimination of Caroline Poole. While Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger voted to save Melanie, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh chose to support District 3, leaving the final choice to the viewers. This week the public vote went in favour of District 3 and Masson was eliminated from the competition.

Her final performance was a rendition of Stay with Me, demonstrated her considerable vocal abilities, but was just not enough to help her stay in the competition.

Continue reading: Gary Barlow "Gutted" After Contestant Melanie Masson's Elimination From The X Factor

X-Factor judges Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh managed to put their differences behind them on a night out, but the threat of a fan boycott of the show remains, as the public reels after the fixing scandal, The Sun reports.

Barlow stormed off stage after Louis Walsh sent his vote to deadlock on the show but now the pair have met up for the first time since their public bust up to clear the air. A close friend of Gary’s said: “A general meeting had been in the diary for months, but Gary used it to speak to Louis for the first time and to hold his own mini crisis meeting to make sure he got the show back on track.” The source went on to say: “He wants The X Factor to be all about the music. It was a pretty frank discussion and at the beginning he could barely mention Louis’ name. “But they have made some agreements and Gary is confident that nothing like what happened on Sunday will happen again.”

The X Factor was plunged into a fixing scandal when Louis was seen to have a stern conversation with one of the show’s staff, now known to be head producer, Richard Holloway. This sparked concerns that the show was predetermined, with many fans stating their intention to not watch the show any more. Not quite a world changing, socially important protest, but a protest nonetheless.

Is an x factor 2012 boycott on the cards? According to the Daily Record, a huge number of fans, including some celebrity viewers of the show – have decided that after last Sunday’s fiasco (October 7, 2012), they will no longer tune into the show. 'X Factor' has been plagued with allegations of results fixing, since one of the show’s producer’s was seen “crawling along the studio floor to have a word” with X Factor judge Louis Walsh.

Louis initially seemed to opt to save Carolynne Poole, from Leeds who was undoubtedly the more talented singer in the sing-off. However, Louis then back-pedalled and eventually said that he wanted to the vote to go to a deadlock, meaning that camp Rylan got through on public votes. Fans of the show were outraged; the actress Tamsin Outhwaite vowed not to watch the show again, saying “I feel free knowing I will never watch 'X Factor' again after last night’s fiasco. My weekends are mine again.” The comedian James Corden also branded the decision ”bullsh*t.”

The producer who spoke to Walsh during the sing-off was 62 year-old Richard Holloway. He released a statement to defend himself and the show against allegations of fixing, which read “We regularly chat to the judges during the show…On Sunday I was telling Louis the order the judges would vote in. We don’t tell the judges how to vote.” A show source said that Sunday night’s show had been “a shambles.” This could go either way for 'X Factor'. Disgruntled pessimists convinced of foul play may decide to leave the house for a change on a Saturday night. On the other hand, the rest of the country might start tuning in to see what all this fuss is about. And many viewers will simply want to see if Gary Barlow has stopped sulking about it all, yet.

Last night’s X Factor auditions were fraught with tension, when one young hopeful’s moment in the spotlight ended in a dramatic tantrum. 21 year-old Krysten Colon’s audition was beset with problems from the offset, despite her telling judges that she was confident she would convince them of her talent. However, as she trembled through her rendition of Adele’s ‘Don’t You Remember?’ she was cut short and Simon explained that he didn’t feel that her personality was shining through.

Krysten, who pronounced her surname ‘cologne’ as opposed to the way it looks as though it may be pronounced, was given a second chance but her take on Whitney Houston’s ‘I Have Nothing’ was marred by the sound of thunder outside the building, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her confidence still eluded her and she struggled to hit the notes in the challenging Whitney classic. Judge Britney Spears’ face said it all: she grimaced as Krysten struggled through the song. Then, in a stroke of perfect irony, lightning struck the building, causing some of the power to go and putting an abrupt and welcome end to the performance. “There was a reason that happened,” said Simon Cowell. The X Factor judges gave her four ‘no’s.

Krysten then stormed offstage in a flood of tears, which promptly gave way to anger. As a family member said to her “Krysten you said you weren’t going to do this,” she went on and very much did it… She shouted at the family members who had gone to support her and then threw water all over one of The X Factor cameras before running off into the storm, leaving her mum to apologize for her behavior.