Ryan Dunn - Great chance to talk global warming.

"Drink driving" is like global warming. It's pushed down our necks at the earliest convenience. As soon as we have a hot day there is some guy telling me to re-cycle my yogurt pots or pay a fine. I have views about why using anything other than a cardboard bike for transport is now unacceptable but that's for another day, this is about the untimely death of Ryan Dunn.

News Of The World hack Dan Wootton wrote on Twitter "There's only so much sympathy I have for Ryan Dunn when he drove his sports car 140mph while drunk. He could have killed an innocent child."

Yes, less than a week after Ryan's death Dan was ready and willing to put the boot in. There is a limit to Dan's sympathy. In fact, this was the extent of his sympathy. No mention at the time of his death just one public tweet about how lucky it was that he killed himself and not some imaginary 5 year old strolling the streets at 3:30am.

So I replied to Dan Wootton:

"The guy is dead. how big a bitch can you be? he could've killed a child at 3.30am? he didn't. He killed himself and a friend. "

Now I have found myself in an argument over drink driving with other tabloid hacks who think my comments are in some way condoning his actions.

News Of The World Tom Latchem responded first,

"He could have killed anyone Steve. Are you seriously justifying drink-driving?"

No I am not. He killed himself and a friend and it was only a few days ago. Can we not give the guy a break at least until he is in the ground?

But while the term "Drink-driving" had been mentioned, I couldn't help think ahead and my views on the power of words. Drink driving is a pointless expression. Drink-driving is not illegal. It doesn't relate to the crime. The crime is excessive drink-driving. It's like calling Date-Rape just date-sex. Drink-driving is only valid if the long term object of society is to ban drinking while in command of a vehicle. Otherwise I find it blurs the line of right and wrong.

Let's face it most people drink and drive. It may be under the limit but we do it. Even just half a lager or a small wine. You have drunk and driven. Now I'm not going to argue the case for zero tolerance. I'm just pointing out the error of a term like "Drink driving" and how it doesn't represent the facts.

This lead me to the obsession with certain crimes and diseases within the tabloid press. Again, I don't wish to expand too much but I mentioned suicide which is rarely reported but kills many more teenagers than knife crime for example. But hey, God forbid we have to discuss why people suffer from depression, that would be...depressing. It might even make us look at the way our society works. Advertising, selling to kids, sexualisation, greed, speed, need, want, buy, consume, debt. It's even too much for me to talk about.

I'm am just fully aware that things are not as black or white as the News Of The World wants you to believe. Maybe Ryan drove too fast and drank too much because he was depressed, maybe he was very happy and excited to go somewhere, maybe he loved all the great advertising and wanted to show his WKD side - I don't know. All I know is that he died on Monday and his family and fans miss him.

Yesterday, US film critic Roger Ebert apologised for the timing of his comments which were similar to those of Dan Wootton. Maybe tweeting on the day of his memorial was a little insensitive?

Ryan Dunn and Zachary Hartwell may you both rest in peace.

Cheryl Colgate - All Smiles For Cowell.

I was thinking of calling this blog "When PR goes bad" as part of a pitch to Channel 5 for a list of the top 10 PR disasters hosted by Richard Bacon. However, I think my preferred tabloid headline paid homage to News Of The World's Dan Wootton, who today is suffering such a horrific celebrity news meltdown that they've covered him with a tent a set up a 30KM exclusion zone.

Simon Cowell has really pushed the boat out today. He apologised to Cheryl Cole in The Mirror and The Sun. For a guy who offered a load of dosh for not sacking someone it feels a little excessive. The tabloid spin is so tangled that Simon's simple explanation seems logical.

I remember the day after I was supposed to meet Simon to discuss my concerns and my request to leave the label. He had gone straight to the papers to say that he was thinking about dropping me. It ruined any chance of an amicable settlement. It was clear that the relationship had broken down and this was now all about who could get there side of the argument out first. Even Louis Walsh was spreading lies to make it seem more plausible.

As you can see, he won and by the time I had a newspaper willing to print anything close to my version of events I had already been branded a bitter loser who just wasn't good enough. Nothing rings more true than Churchill's "A lie gets half way around the World before truth has a chance to put it's pants on."

This is why I have concerns over Cowell's sudden interviews when he had plenty of time to protect Cheryl Cole from this embarrassing situation.

The article in The Mirror starts with Cowell saying that he wasn't a monster he was trying to protect Cheryl. This is impossible to believe. He talks about how very close he was to Cheryl and yet he got a producer to tell her she wasn't wanted on the US version of the show. Really? Is that what friends do?

"Earlier, bosses confirmed that after failing to respond to their offer to come back (to the US show) , she had been officially replaced on the US panel by ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger."

So the scene is set, Cheryl failed to respond to the great news, she was offered to come back to work even though she was not fired. Cowell had made a mistake. The accent wasn't that much of a problem, the chemistry with the other judges wasn't that bad. Silly Cheryl fancy not responding. Apparently her manager Will. I. Am thought it was an empty offer. Cowell said it was a genuine offer.

"Cowell explained he and TV bosses had previously decided Cheryl was “uncomfortable” on the US show and felt offering her the chance to return to the UK X Factor would be the best option."

So Cheryl was not sacked, he just thought it wasn't working out, but he also said she was "doing well"? but offered her a more "comfortable" seat back in the UK. It was leaked that she was sacked for other reasons which he didn't respond to. Damn these leaks, you just don't know who to trust these days.

Considering these lies were financially more important to Cowell than the Ronan Parke fiasco I was surprised he didn't contact the press or stand up on Britain's Got Talent and say, "These stories are untrue. Cheryl is not sacked. She is doing a good job but we think she might be more suited to the UK."

He then goes on to say sorry a few times, hopes they are still friends and sorry again. He then plays the money card. Obviously with money being the most important thing in his life, a huge offer of loads of the stuff must make sense to any sane person.

“We were saying move to another show for even more money. There was an offer of around €2.8million on the table including bonuses.

“So how is that sacking someone? If that’s being horrible to someone then I would be quite happy with someone doing that to me."

There you have it. Cheryl Cole is insane. She turned down the move back to Blighty after it was leaked that she was sacked even though she wasn't. Luckily Cowell had two female judges lined up in the UK just in case she said "no".

“But when the story got out, it changed everything. There was no more communication and we had set a deadline of Sunday, giving her six days to make a decision.

“That passed and we still had not heard anything. So we announced our UK judges. When she turned down the UK show, we got back in touch and said, well she is still under contract with the US show so we invited her back. Her position was still there."

Oh, I get it. She failed to call them to take the UK job just when it was leaked that she had been sacked. So she was invited back to the USA where a new more comfortable seat awaited. But when she failed to respond to that offer they gave her job to Nicole Scherzinger who just happened to be in the building. (That was lucky.)

It was more likely an attempt not to pay Cheryl and spin it that she wasn't sacked despite his embarrassment of convincing her to leave the UK show and not having the power to keep her on the US version. It's like when you find out that Darth Vader answered to Palpatine, an even more sinister individual. It's hard to believe that Cowell has a boss at the Fox network isn't it?

So the spin is complete, Cowell had a full line up of UK judges ready and waiting to sign contracts and in the US, Nicole Scherzinger who had appeared as a guest judge on last years X Factor was the ideal replacement. Things just turned out just fine for everyone. Well, except Dannii, Joe McElderry, Shayne Ward and Cheryl. But they are so last year. This is New New Labour.

Just in case you forget, Cheryl wasn't sacked, she was offered loads of money and Cowell was really sorry. Get it?

NB Excuse mistakes, I'm not one for checking. If you find any let me know and I'll sort it.

The Ronan Parkes Conspiracy or Britain's Got Fixations

NB. 10 minutes after I made this blog the article has been removed by SYCO.

A few days before the final of Britain's Got Talent Final there have been allegations that the show is fixed. (Where have I heard this before?)

An article has appeared claiming that Ronan Parkes was already signed up and BGT and The X Factor have "preferred" winners.

I have learnt that it doesn't matter what is said about any of Cowell's shows, people will be even more likely to watch because of the controversy than the talent. Ronan Parkes can sing and so too can Paul Potts and Susan Boyle but in my opinion the fuss surrounding these acts exceed their star potential.

What I do know about this article is that this is not the work of somebody at a record label. It's pretty much bullcrap. I don't believe the person who wrote this is in the industry and is more likely a blogger or in the tabloid media with links to Cowell just to make a story.

Now it is no secret that I don't like Simon Cowell and I would love this to be true but it just doesn't read well.

I think Ronan Parkes could well be known to Cowell but I doubt he has been groomed. He has been helped with styling and clothes but come on, it's the biggest show, do you expect them just to send the lad out any ol' how?

The thing that leads me to believe the writer isn't clued up is they go on to talk about stuff I know for a fact.

"Like all SYCO contracts, it is heavily weighted in favour of the label and are notoriously bad, even in the cut-throat world of the music industry."

The SYCO contract I signed wasn't bad. It was a standard Sony 4 album deal with option periods in favour of the label which is also standard. (My issue wasn't with the contract it was the lies and spin about the manner in which I left.)

Record deals are not that bad for artists these days. That's why Leona Lewis is sitting around doing diddly cos she's still getting paid and the next option period is probably worth another £250k in her bank account.

With regard to being a "preferred winner". This is vague. They've not mentioned Leona or Shayne or what connections I may have had with the show. I sense they are guessing. If they really were linked to Cowell they could give infomation. They don't.

Les Gibson was in The Big Big Talent Show final back in 1997 with me. He is known to ITV producers just like I was. Would that mean he is "preferred"? I think producers have to make certain decisions because ultimately it is an entertainment show for tv.

I can understand some of the allegations regarding Simon wanting a UK Justin Bieber and I have no doubt artists are put into this show who have links with the show, management, producers etc etc but this is nothing new. If Simon manipulates the public into buying a new Bieber then we deserve what we get. Just like FPTP (Oops! sorry about that)

What is sad is that acts like Joe McElderry could win a show but the label will spend £400k but will spend £1.5 million on the runner-up. This results in the winner being dropped and the label's "preferred" act being crowned the real winner. (Where have I heard that before?)

I've always said the show is manipulated, I've said it for years and nothing has changed. The public forget, move on and lap up the next series and they love it.

So there you have it. I strongly suspect this to be fake and a PR exercise to get people talking and that is what it has done - just before the final. Win or lose Ronan Parkes has had a great showcase and a record deal waiting for him.

PS I'm tempted to do another X Factor blog this year. I remember Gary Barlow telling Cowell not to mess things up for Leona Lewis. It's make or break for her this year so I'll be interested to see if Gary says anything to his new boss. I doubt it.

excuse mistakes, i don't spell check and the wife is out.