The X-Factor 2011 - More issues to be dealt with

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THE last two weeks has seen The X-Factor do what it has done best.  Controversy, dramatics and confusion off the stage have yet again overshadowed the great talent that is being shown on the screen.  Here is how the drama unfolded over the past fortnight.

Week 3 – ROCK SONGS

Liverpool hairdresser Marcus Collins kicked off with an explosive rendition of ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way?’ with his mentor Gary Barlow labelling it as how to open up a show.  Next, favourite Janet Devlin sung ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ but played it a little safe by not putting any upbeat twist on it.  Sami Brookes was compared to a cruise singer in week two and Louis Walsh did no favours by picking another “dated” song with ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ whilst the girl band formerly known as Rhythmix (see Week 4 section for new name and explanation) once again impressed with ‘Tik Tok.’  Although she is a strong singer, Sophie Habibis is struggling to connect with the public.  Her ballad version of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ was so dreary; it could have made people fall asleep.

     Craig Colton was given the chance to sing ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out,’ which was another solid outing.  Kitty Brucknell wasn’t as mental as last week but still showed off her unique style in her version of ‘Live and Let Die.’  After last week’s bottom two shocker, Frankie Cocozza was lacking in confidence and his performance ‘Get Your Rocks Off’ showed it in every department.  The Risk overcame a bad song choice from Tulisa to get the job done again with ‘Crazy.’  Johnny Robinson finally started to win over Gary Barlow with ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, and Barlow’s jibe at asking whether he got the suit from Argos was a right laugh.

TOUGH: Misha B has had to deal with some rough criticism

     The night ended on a bitter low when after Misha B smashed ‘Purple Rain,’ Louis Walsh and Tulisa unfairly attacked her for acting like “a bully” to the other contestants.  It left both Misha and her mentor Kelly Rowland hurt by the comments and gave the tabloids a field day.  More drama was to come on Sunday night when Frankie swore to nearly ten million viewers, after learning he got through on the public vote.  ITV were forced to make an embarrassing apology two days later after stupidly forgetting to bleep out the dirty language.

     The final showdown was a direct battle between two of Louis acts.  For the judges, they opted to keep Kitty in the competition against Sami, based on the former having the better vocals.  Only Tulisa decided to save Sami with Walsh deciding to go against sending it to deadlock, making a frank and honest decision instead.

Week 4 – HALLOWEEN

THE mess from the previous week was still being cleared up come the show’s Halloween themed night.  Kelly Rowland was struck down by a virus infection whilst on a business visit to LA, so in this weekend to judge was 2008 X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke.

RESPECT: Johnny has a new fan, in Gary Barlow!

     Meanwhile, The Risk had a big problem when band member Ashley quit the group last Thursday, citing personal reasons.  The remaining members invited Ashford from axed boyband Nu Vibe to join them.  Their performance of ‘Thriller’ justified their decision and in fact, made them sound a better group than before.  Meanwhile Johnny Robinson finally got the chance to show off his full vocals with the ballad ‘That Ole Devil Called Love.’  Gary Barlow was so pleased that he went onto stage afterwards for hug and a kiss.  Who said romance was dead!

     Barlow’s mood soon changed when Sophie Habibis paced her way through ‘Bang Bang.’  She was described as “dull as dishwater” and quite rightfully too.  Marcus Collins was one act who got into the spirit of Halloween with his appearance during ‘Superstition,’ once again receiving rave comments.  The two remaining girls in participation, Misha B and Janet Devlin, also made more lasting impressions with their performances of ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Every Breath You Take’ respectively.

     Fast seeing his chances disappear has been Frankie Cocozza but his take of ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ was a million times better than his previous two performances put together.  Frankie’s song is perhaps one best suited to Kitty Brucknell.  The public is split over her but it still didn’t affect her ability to sell her performance of ‘Sweet Dreams.’  Accusations of ‘auto-tuning’ were strenuously denied but it was confessed that a voice enhancing method was used at the start of that number.

     Rhythmix are no more, long live Little Mix.  Maybe they should have put a lot more imagination into their new name but regardless, they gave the best performance of the night with ‘E.T.’  Craig Colton closed the show with his best outing since the opening week.  ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ was given complete justice throughout.

WHITEWASH: Misha B was too strong for Sophie on Sunday

     As luck would have it, the week which Kelly was absent was the week she lost an act.  Both Sophie and Misha B, possibly due to the bully allegations of the previous week, were in the final showdown.  It was no contest; Misha was by far the better performer and took a clean sweep from judges.  In a bizarre twist, instead of having guest judge Alexandra Burke speak on behalf of Rowland or just skipping her right to vote, the show contacted Rowland to vote from the other side of the Atlantic.  To say the least, this was a curious decision.

     In closing, the last two weeks have brought more negative headlines.  Viewers continue to switch off in their droves, with Strictly Come Dancing continuing its domination of the Saturday night ratings.

     The X-Factor is still contracted for further two years after this year but if it gets even worse, I think that it will have to be killed off.  ITV will perhaps now be rueing a missed opportunity in bidding for The Voice.

     It may still be entertaining to watch at times but it looks as if the shovels are at work in the TV graveyard…

The X-Factor 2011 - The final 16

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

AFTER the ‘Jedwardgate’ scandal that marred the 2009 series followed by the shambles of last year, ITV has had to look at the badly tarnished image of their number one show, the X-Factor and change it before it reached the point of no return.

The result, The X-Factor has gone back to its roots.  A questionable choice of new judges has turned out to be very successful and with contestants who actually want to win, it’s perhaps the first time since 2008 that everyone can look forward to the live finals.

Sunday night saw the new judging panel decide the 16 acts to take part in the live finals.  Here is each act profiled with my own judgement and prediction.

MIX: Gary has a varied selection of glamour and genuine talent

BOYS – mentored by Gary Barlow

Craig Colton

Aged 22, biscuit factory worker from Liverpool

ALONG with his continuing studies, Craig has been working in a customer services assistant role at a local biscuit factory.  However he has always had aspirations to be an actor, so he enrolled in a drama course and it was there that he realised he could sing.  He has been so nervous however about this that he didn’t even bother to tell his parents that he applied to take part in the competition.

Craig says: “I’ve got to the finals, its madness.”

I say: He looks talented but does need a confidence check first.

Prediction: 11th               Odds: 14-1

Frankie Cocozza

Aged 18, unemployed from Brighton

STUDENT Frankie has already developed a reputation for being a party animal and a ladies’ man.  One weird fact is that he has the first names of every girl he has slept tattooed on his rear end!  He first took up singing at a theatre club at the age of eight, but stopped at the age of 13 until deciding to go for the big time.

Frankie says: “I’m probably the happiest person in the world right now.”

I say: Can he cope with the pressure and adapt to different styles?  He surely will get girls voting for him in droves.

Prediction: 6th                  Odds: 10-1

James Michael

Aged 20, unemployed from Cheshire

AFTER dropping out of school at 16, James decided to take up song writing instead of looking for a job.  From there, he went to college to take a course on music tech after not knowing what to do with his life in his early years.  He’s a real guitar specialist so expect to see him regularly playing the guitar on the live finals.

James says: “I’m one step closer to doing what I really want to do for the rest of my life.”

I say: He’s good but if he is to stand a chance, he can’t stick to guitar based songs every time.

Prediction: 13th               Odds: 7-1

Marcus Collins

Aged 21, hairdresser from Liverpool

A QUIET and shy young person at school, Marcus found his inner voice in musicals.  He became a huge fan of Destiny’s Child, always buying tickets for their Liverpool shows and has got all of their tour DVD’s.  Now he aims to follow in their footsteps in realising his potential and it’s worked so far.

Marcus says: “I cannot believe I’m through – I’m just a regular lad and I’ve been to LA!”

I say: Very popular, very talented.  Certainly the pick of the boys pack.

Prediction: Runner-Up  Odds: 9-1

FIRST: Tulisa will have her work cut out to produce a winner

GROUPS – mentored by Tulisa

2 Shoes

CHARLEY BIRD, aged 23, telecoms worker & LUCY TEXEIRA, aged 21, fragrance shop worker, both from Essex.

CHARLEY and Lucy first met whilst performing at various events across Essex.  They soon combined their talent together into a duo.  First considered as a laughingstock from first impressions, they have quickly proved that they really do have singing talent.  During bootcamp, it was revealed that one half of the pair was three months pregnant, so it’s a brave decision from Tulisa to put them through into the final 16.

The girls say: “What on earth are we going to wear? Will they do us fake tan and nails?”

I say: It’s nice to see some variety at times.  The jury is still out on them at the moment but one thing is for certain, to those people who say they can’t sing – SHUT UP!

Prediction: 9th                  Odds: 33-1

Nu Vibe

ASHFORD CAMPBELL, aged 19, student from Huddersfield, BRADLEY JOHNSON, aged 16, student from Liverpool, JORDAN HIGO, aged 16, student from Manchester, RICHARD MILFORD, aged 16, student from Birmingham, STEFAN ROMER, aged 19, unemployed from Hampshire

ASHFORD, Bradley, Jordan, Richard and Stefan all entered as solo acts but the strong competition in the boy’s category, combined with the initial abdominal talent in the category means they are one of three groups manufactured by the judges in the final line-up.

The boys say: “A few weeks ago, we were in college and now this.”

I say: They may lack some edge but they have strong chemistry and will certainly get a lot of teen attention.

Prediction: 3rd                  Odds: 14-1

Rhythmix

JADE THIRWALL, aged 18, student from Newcastle, JESY NELSON, aged 20, barmaid from London, LEIGH-ANNE PINNOCK, aged 19, Pizza Hut waitress from North London, PERRIE EDWARDS, aged 18, student from Newcastle

JADE, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Perrie will count themselves extremely lucky.  They were knocked out at the first stage of Bootcamp as soloists and then rejected again in separate created groups at the second stage.  However, they were another group benefiting from the lack of talent in the groups category which resulted in them merging together for judges’ houses.

The girls say: “We feel sick with excitement. We’re so glad Tulisa saw our potential.”

I say: Their judges’ houses performance proved they have so much potential.  However, I feel that the “Girlband Curse” is ready to fire again.

Prediction: 14th               Odds: 25-1

The Risk

ANDREW MERRY, aged 20, car salesman from Ayr, ASHLEY BAPTISTE, aged 22, university graduate from North London, CHARLIE HEALY, aged 25, pub singer from Coventry, DERRY MENSAH, aged 21, Burger King employee from East London,

Andrew, Ashley, Charlie and Derry are also benefits of the poor standard from the group’s category.  After the initial line-up of The Risk failed and with fellow group The Keys relying too much on lead singer Charlie, Tulisa decided to axe two members of The Risk and bring in Charlie to give the group a much needed boost ahead of the live finals.

The boys say: “It feels like the start of something special. Because we’ve all been put together it’s like an emotional rollercoaster that’s on its route to success.”

I say: On paper it looks a good combination but whether they can connect together remains to be seen.

Prediction: 10th               Odds: 20-1

OVER 25s – mentored by Louis Walsh

Johnny Robinson

Aged 45, unemployed from Harrow

BACK in 1990, Johnny took part in the very first series of Stars in their Eyes.  He impersonated his idol Boy George and he made it to the grand final.  Twenty-one years later, he is well known for his high-pitched helium vocal which certainly makes him a total laughingstock to make all the way to the last 16.  Certainly was a surprising selection for the live shows.

Johnny says: “Someone pinch me and wake me up!”

I say: Yet again, Louis has proven why he is a fool.  I hope he goes early on but this unfortunately looks like it’s going to be another Wagner.

Prediction: 7th                  Odds: 50-1

Jonjo Kerr

Aged 27, infantry soldier from Wiltshire

JONJO has devoted most of his life to protecting the country on the frontline.  In his short spare time, Jonjo has performed in school and karaoke bars.  Now he wants to crack it on the big time and he hopes that doing the show will make both his family and army colleagues proud of him.

Jonjo says: “I’m just a normal bloke and I feel extremely privileged.”

I say: Totally outspoken, great voice and always gives it 110%.  He could be the dark horse of the competition.

Prediction: 4th                  Odds: 33-1

Kitty Brucknell

Aged 26, club singer from Cheltenham

KITTY has been performing since the age of five, gradually moving up in performance standard, from summer camps to a regular slot at local nightclub.  She mainly excels in the field of A Cappella, when there are no instruments or backing track to accompany the performance.  She has already earned a negative and diva reception from the press and it’s difficult to see why as she will take no expense from living her dream.

Kitty says: “I’m so grateful to Louis for taking a risk with me.”

I say: Can perform well but her bitchy approach will be her undoing.  Exit week one, stage right, I think.

Prediction: 16th               Odds: 50-1

CHANCE: Can Sami take the second opportunity thrown to her?

Sami Brookes

Aged 31, retail assistant from Rhyl

SAMI has worked in the retail industry all her life but has always dreamed of a singing career.  She had entered several karaoke competitions and regularly performs in pubs and clubs across her hometown.  She was initially sent home by Louis, but after Chinese hopeful Goldie Cheung quit the show, Sami was given a second chance to impress.

Sami says: “I’ve conquered my nightmares because of my dreams!”

I say: The public will no doubt accept her more than Goldie but the pressure is already on her as she has had less preparation time than her fellow contestants.

Prediction: 8th                  Odds: 20-1

POWER: Kelly will be hoping for plenty of girl style from her picks

GIRLS – mentored by Kelly Rowland

Amelia Lily

Aged 16, student from Middlesbrough, Tyne and Wear

AMELIA entered the competition after being inspired by her brother Lewis, who was runner-up in the BBC show Any Dream Will Do in 2007.  She attends dance school and regularly takes part in musical theatre.  Although it was her brother that convinced her to take part, Amelia’s biggest inspiration is her own father.

Amelia says: “I’m just going to work my socks off, I really am.”

I say: For a girl of her age with such a grown-up voice, I say she’s got a good shot but is she ready for the big time?  I’m not totally won over yet.

Prediction: 5th                  Odds: 5-1

Janet Devlin

Aged 16, student from Omagh

JANET first started singing when her grandmother convinced her to take vocal lessons.  Since then, she has become very passionate about music and it means so much to her.  In fact, she has been writing songs since the age of seven and feels it more natural to sing rather than talk.  Now that’s pure dedication!

Janet says: “This is the start of being taken seriously as a musician.”

I say: Anyone who really commits their future to music early in her life deserves to go for it.  At the moment, I think Janet is the one to beat.

Prediction: Winner         Odds: 5-2

Misha Bryan

Aged 19, student from Manchester

IT WASN’T until the age of 14 until Misha decided to sing competitively.  Since then, she has compared to a way of understanding herself.  Her parents and friends have been very supportive and always listen to her rehearse.  Now Misha is determined to pay them back in the only way she knows how.

Misha says: “Dream to reality – next stop, world domination!”

I say: Has great ability.  If she can conquer other themes of song besides R&B, she’s in with a fighting chance.

Prediction: 12th               Odds: 14-1

Sophie Habibis

Aged 19, barmaid from West London

FOR a girl of her ability, Sophie has had a rough time in growing up.  Dropped out of school early and went against going to college, she instead wanted to have an active part of life.  That’s where the singing came in and she now combines it with her role as a barmaid in a local pub, along with playing at local festivals.

Sophie says: “I was expecting a no because everyone was so good.”

I say: Has totally been taken aback by going through going into the finals.  However, it will take a lot of convincing to prove to the public that she can go all the way.

Prediction: 15th               Odds: 14-1

So that is the starting line-up for this year’s live finals. Or is it?

     That’s because it has been confirmed that once again, the first live show is to be rocked by a BIG TWIST.  Of course, it won’t be known until the live show but the theories are that the wildcards are being used again (but this can’t surely happen, how can you fit 20 acts in two and a half hours?), the category mentors being swapped (that would be interesting) and the rumours of a fifth judge (which will either be Simon Cowell or Cheryl Cole rejoining the show.)

     In either case, it looks set to be an entertaining ten weeks ahead, and it all starts on Saturday at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITV1 HD. IT’S TIME…TO FACE…THE MUSIC!