The X-Factor - One year since Jedwardgate

BY JASON WRIGHT

SUNDAY November 8 2009 – it’s just gone 9:00pm and Britain has just perhaps witnessed one of the most shocking events in reality television history.

Irish twins John & Edward Grimes, otherwise known as Jedward, had pulled off a huge shock by surviving the axe from The X-Factor after being in the bottom two.  To say it was a surprise in this situation is a massive understatement considering who had just been eliminated at their expense.

Jedward had the whole nation talking since their first audition for both their unique hairstyles, seemingly lack of singing talent and thus their rather comical personality.  Simon Cowell took an instant disliking to the twins whereas the other judges, especially Louis Walsh for the Irish connection, saw some potential in them to start with.  Cowell famously later described them as “vile, little creatures” at bootcamp and after advancing to judges’ houses, he said to Louis “If I get them, I won’t let them on the plane. I can’t even look at them!” Fortunately, Simon didn’t get the groups but Louis did and so through they went into the live finals.

As the live finals began, the press and viewers had already gotten tired of their antics and wanted them out sooner rather and later.  Performances of Robbie Williams’ ‘Rock DJ’, Britney Spears’ ‘Oops I Did It Again’, Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’ and Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ were all put to shame.  Simon Cowell soon took his bitterness to new heights when he declared he would flee the country if they won.

In comparison, Lucie Jones, an 18-year-old student from a small village on the outskirts of Cardiff, had already gained a mass following after a sensational first audition and sailed through into the live finals.  Considered as one of the favourites, huge pressure was on her to deliver and she didn’t disappoint.  The first three weeks didn’t provide classy performances but they were just as strong enough to be at the front end of the field.

But on the fourth week, Rock week, she well and truly arrived in the competition with an amazing rendition of the Guns ‘n’ Roses song ‘Sweet Child of Mine’.  It gave the whole package, the voice, the style and the appearance and it seemed to sway Lucie away from her intention to perform ballads and switch to more of a teen pop persona.

The following week, movie night, Lucie proved again her sudden change in style performing ‘This Is Me’ from the Disney film Camp Rock.  It received rave reviews from the judging panel and installed Lucie as a real favourite to win the entire show.  Meanwhile, Jedward once again gave a stand-out performance for all the wrong reasons with their take on ‘Ghostbusters’.  Yet despite this, not for what would be the first time this weekend, Simon stunned everyone by commenting that it was “sort of good”.

Come the results on the Sunday, everyone expected Lucie to get through on the public vote easily but what happened next was to astound everyone as she ended up in the bottom two.  However with her opponents being Jedward, it would be a setback in her chances of winning but should still ease through. Or so everyone thought?

Lucie performed ‘One Moment in Time’ by Whitney Houston in the sing-off whilst Jedward reprised their week one performance of ‘Rock DJ’.  Comparing both songs together and it was simply no contest as to which was the better.  After both Louis and Dannii Minogue, who was mentoring Lucie, saved their acts and sent the other home, Cheryl Cole chose to send home Jedward, making it 2-1 in their favour of leaving and Simon having the casting vote.  Those who despised Jedward were now surely reaching for the champagne bottles, ready to pull off the corks and celebrate their demise.

Simon’s speech before making his decision though seemed to scratch a few heads. “I’m not surprised that both of you are in this situation tonight. Having said that, I don’t think any of you can win.” he spoke before going completely against everyone’s wishes by voting to save the twins and force deadlock on the panel.

But why did Simon really take it to deadlock?  That may never be fully explained but there are two possible theories. Number one was to prove to the twins that they were never liked by the public and Number two was simply to give Lucie a test of character.  Unfortunately in this case, this leans more to theory number two as she received the least amount of votes and was eliminated.  She was rightfully left upset and in tears and the audience symphonised with her by booing and jeering Jedward off the stage.

It was without doubt dubbed as ‘The Night the X Factor Died!’  Across the next seven days, the papers and press slammed both the show and Simon Cowell for his actions.  Famous faces also gave their opinion of discontent; Lily Allen publicly announced she would never watch the show again.  Sting branded the programme as “hypocritical”.  Even Cowell’s protégé, Leona Lewis described the show was “no longer a music contest”.  Reports also surfaced that both Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole did not speak to Simon at all in the week’s build-up to the next show though this was never confirmed as true, but frankly who could blame them?

Why didn’t the media regulator Ofcom investigate into the result?  To be honest, they should have done.  If they received 3,000 complaints about the outcome, a situation like that should be investigated at the very least, even if there really wasn’t anything wrong with the voting that weekend.

Despite promises of there still being a very strong competition and five weeks of singing to come, the majority of the viewing public was now cheated of not having Lucie around.  Following her exit, the viewing figures for the show declined sharply week on week as several people switched to the rival show, Strictly Come Dancing.  Eventually, compared to the 14-15 million peaks that the show was getting in the early stages of the live finals, they reached a new low of 12 million, and worse still, it was on the first night of the final weekend.  Beating Strictly in the ratings by just under one million that night compared to be regularly two million ahead before just proved how much it hurt the show.

For Simon, the backlash continued and a successful Facebook campaign was set-up which got the 1992 hit ‘Killing in the Name’ by Rage against the Machine to the Christmas No.1, previously saved for the X-Factor winner guaranteed.  Although Cowell and the winner of last year’s show Joe McElderrey took it on the chin, this must have hurt Simon deep down, but something he deserved for his incredibly bad judgement on that November evening.

Every person always tends to ask the question of ‘What If?’ at this situation.  What if Lucie had survived from competing in the sing-off that night?  Could she have gone on to win?  With strong competition last year from McElderry, Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon, it is hard to give a definite yes or no.  There is no doubt however that she would have been up there and would have been expected to at least reach the final. Whatever the case, staying in the competition longer would have certainly enhanced her chances of having a successful music career as given her new lease of taste in music during the show; she could be easily compared as the British version of Miley Cyrus.

Back to reality though and despite this debacle, Lucie still has a bright future ahead having signed a modelling contract and currently going through a successful stint at the West End in Les Miserables.  However, she is still after getting a recording contract, though this sadly doesn’t look possible.  If I was working for a music company, even if it wasn’t well known, I would 100% take a chance on her.

As with Jedward, things also look on the up, having earned a No. 2 single at the start of the year and an album, which fortunately didn’t get No.1 in the charts, following shortly afterwards.  They’ve also become big personalities on TV, including a show of their own on ITV2.  Surely, we will see them becoming ITV’s next biggest double act in years to come, hopefully not in my view but that really does seem like happening.

In closing, we will certainly be talking about this for many more years to come.  Although Lucie was the biggest loser that night, she and unfortunately Jedward have both emerged as winners, both with different and bright futures ahead of them.  Unless a similar trait is pulled off by this year’s novelty act, Wagner, who credit to Jedward, I can stand hearing them more than him, this will be forever known as the darkest night in X-Factor history.