Grace Dent Reckons She Knows Her Stuff – Oh dear.

I’ve just read an article in The Guardian about The Voice by Grace Dent. here

It was so bad I just had to write down my thoughts. Grace Dent is a writer of stories. Long stories are called novels which is very impressive – but hey, they are still just stories. She is paid to watch telly, write about it and write long stories. She is creative and funny but does writing stories and watching telly make you an expert on singing and talent shows?

In her very first sentence Grace Dent reveals her lack of knowledge by ridiculing Will.i.am for saying that The Voice is “not like a traditional karaoke talent show.” The fact that singers come on playing instruments, a live a band and the coaches judge only the voice has totally been lost on this wordsmith.

She then uses “clank” and “honk” to describe the vocals of the coaches. What? Tom Jones? Jessie J? Now I may not have the wit and writing ability of Grace Dent but I know my music and this was a great opening to a new show. Does anyone really think that Tulisa from N-Dubz showing off her tattoo to Carl Orff’s “O Fortuna” is a more impressive start to a talent show?

Ms Dent then has a pop at Jessie J for being young and attractive and the only woman on the panel like “every other blooming panel show”. There goes another perfectly good bra going up in smoke. No mention of Jessie J’s writing or singing ability just describing her as “tits, teeth and occasional sparkle”. I’m amazed the lack of respect for one of the greatest UK newcomers in years.

It’s a pity that the biggest point that Grace Dent touched upon she failed to get it. In an effort to get Jessica Hammond on his team, Will.i.am played up what he could do for her.

Dent says, “Balls to managing expectations: this was a new level of televised talent-show bullshit.” Sorry Grace you really don't understand the music industry. It's full of bullshit.

When artists have a number of record labels interested in them they get told everything to get them to sign. This is a reality.

What is refreshing about The Voice is the lack of desperate wannabes set up just so we can see them sucking up to Tulisa and on their knees to Louis Walsh. The Voice have admired coaches with real talent giving aspiring singers a new level of respect. Not unusual for the BBC as they have proved with Strictly Come Dancing but X Factor rejects will be rejoicing.

We all know that due to the cut backs, newspaper are no longer filled with news but more an outlet for novelists and chatterboxes to voice their opinions. I’m tired of these people who come out of university as professional smarty-pants who can write in a manner and an air of confidence that makes them look like they know what they are talking about. We really have to be careful not to confuse a wealth of vocabulary with a wealth of knowledge.

Excuse any mistakes - I'm a singer not a writer.

Has X Factor judge Tulisa blown her Job?

I had to write a blog about the biggest X Factor story in ages. It truly is perfect for the tabloids. It’s sex, lies and videotape. It’s a proper front page titillater.

Except one thing, it wasn’t meant to happen so don't hold the front page.

The X Factor "EXCLUSIVES" and crazy headlines that you read are mainly manufactured to promote the show.“Tulisa: Head Judge?” doesn’t really fit in well with the X Factor family image.

If you didn’t know, Tulisa Contostavlos is an X Factor judge who denied being in a sex video but has now done a U-turn and told the truth.

Tulisa's lawyers insisted it was "100 per cent fake". They said: "She is horrified that someone would go to the extreme lengths of fabricating a video. It is absolutely not her." - Oops!

Winston Churchill once said, “A lie gets half way around the world before truth has a chance to put his pants on” but with social media truth is quickly catching up.

It is going to become increasingly difficult for PR to dictate what you read about and so they have had to work on disaster management.

So, the pro-X factor tabloids have played down what would normally be a big story.

They have given Tulisa the victim make-over, you know, hair off the face, little make up, plain Jane top…and….Action! Cameras roll.

Tulisa - betrayed victim.

Stacey Solomon - smoking confession.

Tulisa spends five minutes saying why she felt safe enough in her relationship to perform oral sex on video with her boyfriend and unsurprisingly the press have been very sympathetic to her. She gives the tabloids all the sound bites they need to distance them from the propaganda (it's her words not theirs) Betrayed –check, intimate – check, violated – check. She truly delivered what they wanted and The X Factor is saved from another humiliation - they hope.

Now, I think it's right that they go easy on Tulisa. There are enough guys out there with little respect for women and these images do nothing to help make men respect women more. In fact I think it does more harm when a role model like Tulisa is humiliated like this than silly old Dennis "punchy" Waterman trying to excuse his inadequacies but I digress.

It’s a shame the press didn’t show the same amount of compassion for Lascel Woods. ...Who?

Lascel Woods was a cert for the X Factor 2011 finals until they found out about his secret past. He claimed someone had uploaded a sex video of him to a pay site exactly like Tulisa has done. Unfortunately, Lascel was just a black gay guy and we have Andy Peters so we don’t need any more thank you very much! Lascel had no PR and in my mind was a real victim.

It was a shame to witness. Lascel was a talented singer with a difficult past. He was in care from the age of 4 due to his mum’s mental health issues but he just wasn’t as important to the show as say, Tulisa is.

Lascel went out and we end up with… Frankie Cocozza.

So don’t worry Tulisa, you may be a bad judge of men but your job as a judge on The X Factor is safe.

JUST CONFIRMED >>>> COWELL SAYS TULISA JOB IS SAFE

Lascel Porn Shame. – Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2041376/X-Factor-2011-Lascel-Wood-porn-video-Sian-Phillips-axed-criminal-past.html

Lascel Woods X Factor Star Porn Shame, Vile Video, - The Sun

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/x_factor/3833449/X-Factor-star-Lascel-Woods-porn-shame.html

Lascel Woods in care from the age of 4. – The Daily Mirror

http://akastg.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/x-factors-lascel-wood-in-care-153094

Frankie Cocozza - Kicked out for being what they wanted him to be?

What did Gary say about Louis?

“Louis picks bad acts and makes them worse.”

Frankie Cocozza, the 18 year-old X Factor finalist that I have criticised from the moment I saw his first audition has been unceremoniously booted out of the live finals for “breaking the golden rule” and telling production staff that he had done drugs. Really? I don't remember that rule. It must have been introduced in series two.

Anyway let me remind you of first televised audition. These are some Frankie Cocozza quotes,

“I wanna be famous, I wanna be huge. I look forward to all the money, the cars, the showing off but mainly I’m looking forward to all the girls.”

“I see myself as a bit of a liability but I can admit that.”

Louis Walsh asked him why he had entered The X Factor? Frankie replied, “For the girls!” and everyone laughed and they cut to teenage girls in the audience. He then followed the script by showing the names of 7 girls tattooed on his bum. Everyone is having fun and Frankie is on top of the world.

Louis said, “Great rock voice and you’re a cheeky chappy”

Tulisa said, “It’s clear the girls love you and after that audition it’s going to get a whole lot worse.”

Kelly, “I like you. I usually like the bad boys. I like your voice, I like your whole vibe.”

Gary, “I think people are going to love you.”

He then got FOUR yeses and to complete the audition X Factor producers play One Direction’s new single. “You don’t know you’re beautiful.”

Gary eventually became his mentor and inexplicably put him through not only boot camp and judges’ houses but into the live finals despite his lack of vocal ability and his questionable dedication to his craft. “Frankie, you’re my pop star!”

It was obvious to millions at home that he was anything but and even Lord Sugar was on twitter “Frankie on X Factor apparently broke ‘the golden rule’ – he couldn’t sing!”

Now “Frankie CokeUpTheNozza” has been trending on twitter and his mentor Gary Barlow has come out saying, “I’m disappointed in Frankie!”

So that’s it. Frankie is crap and is gone.

An X Factor insider told The Daily Mail,

‘Frankie is the worst role model we have ever had on the show.

‘We couldn’t have someone who thinks they are the next Pete Doherty – and more importantly, acting like it – performing to millions of impressionable children and teenagers. We did what we had to do and told Frankie to go.’

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. I feel compelled to write about it because it is wrong.

I’ll take it you’ve seen A Few Good Men with Tom Cruise a lawyer defending two marines. They had accidentally killed a fellow marine after given orders to assault him, known as a “code red”. Jack Nicholson played Colonel Nathan Jessep who had ordered the Code Red but denied he had ordered it as he would be held responsible for the death. The film is wicked! If you’ve not seen it you really must.

Now I’m not claiming to be Tom Cruise and this is hardly life or death but Gary Barlow is Colonel Jessep.

What we have here is a mentor that openly encouraged his artist to act like a rebel pop star and now he says he’s disappointed?

On live show two after Frankie’s performance and criticisms from Louis Walsh, Gary said, “Back in the really world that was fantastic mate, well done!”

The following week he said, “Last week I lied for you, I said you were good it was awful.”

Gary is the mentor, the man Frankie trusted. I believe Frankie was told to just be himself and maybe a little be more. What he didn’t have in voice Gary wanted him to make up in rock star bad behaviour.

Look at this intro CLICK HERE for building up as some sort of star. A total set up by the production team. The backstage filming is pre-recorded. It's fake. Frankie is really just standing backstage crapping his pants waiting for his cue to go on stage.

I think it all went wrong when ratings went down, Frankie swore on TV which lead to grave concerns from the clean family firm of Marks and Spencer. You don’t want a kid in adverts who says, ‘Fucking have it!” the weeks leading up to Christmas.

18 year-old Frankie had slept with 69 girls and Gary Barlow introduces him to the families across the UK, “Lock up your daughters, it’s Frankie Cocozza!” it just wasn’t right for ITV or M&S.

On top of that, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson came under fire for backing tuneless Frankie and asking his fans to vote for him; a week before the clean-cut boy-band were due on the show to promote a new single. Frankie was by now toxic and Louis had to stop tweeting about him.

The last straw was losing The Risk. As I said in a previous blog, that was not part of the plan. The show is in meltdown.

So what about his mentor Gary Barlow? It’s one of two things, either Frankie did as he was told and acted out the life of a rock and roll star or he totally ignored Gary’s orders to behave and concentrate on the competition.

If Frankie ignored Gary what does that say about him as “head judge”? He chooses bad songs, can’t control his act, picks bad acts and lies for them? If Frankie was just following orders then it was a huge error by his mentor that got him kicked out. Gary's judgement has not even been questioned. Look up John Wilding the boy who should be there!

Frankie Cocozza should never have got past the first audition. He should be doing something else with his life but now he has been taken out of a Christmas advert for M&S, hated on twitter and humiliated with the name “Frankie CokeUpYourNozza”

Remember what Frankie said in his FIRST audition.

“I see myself as a bit of a liability but I can admit that.”

I think Frankie was just being Frankie but egged on by the production team to be a rock star. I think it’s a tragic manipulation of a young man by the X Factor which they are responsible for but somehow unlike Colonel Jessep, I don't think Gary Barlow will ever admit that he ordered the Code Red.

Prediction: they are now frantically talking to Johnny Robinson to convince him to take a little drink not to come back and give the opportunity to The Risk. This would be the ultimate kick in the public’s bollocks.

"I met her...I banged her." Frankie hits a new low.

My main blog is tomorrow, so these are just my ramblings....

Doctor: "Mr Jones I have good news and bad news - the bad news is you have Cancer and 10 days to live."

Mr Jones: "Oh my god, What's the good news?"

Doctor: "You see that nurse over there with the big tits? I banged her last night."

Ok bad taste but I blame Gary for that old joke. I 'll explain why in a minute.

Alexandra did ok as a guest judge but I don’t think she should have done it. She is releasing her new album next year as well as Leona Lewis so she is setting herself up for criticism from the tabloids.

I should have done it! The tabloids think I’m a knobber anyway. I would have done it for free just to tell Louis “Johnny is not a Jazz singer he’s crap” Gary, “Frankie can’t sing - he’s crap” and Tulisa, “The word is BALLAD not BALLID!”

All the judges ignored the tuning problems of The Risk and the backing vocals on the track that made them sound half decent. They are safe.

Janet was poor. Her tuning was the worst of the night. I said if from day one that her voice isn’t strong enough yet for this show and I think I’ve been proved right.

The only two acts that I have always enjoyed watching are Little Mix (originally Rhythmix) and Misha B. Last night they were both great again with Little Mix just edging it on the night. I have really grown to like these girls a lot. Their routine was brilliant. I just hope the teenage girls support them instead of The Risk or Frankie but I doubt it.

Credit where it is due, The X Factor was amazing for costumes and design last night. The production was superb. The dancers, the lights, stage designs everything looked great. If they had 10 great acts it would have been a great show.

I was wrong about Sophie. She is very good but her song choices are poor and we may have seen the best of her vocally. One minute she is compared to Carol Vorderman the next she is a singing secretary. This is character assassination like Andy the Binman, Craig the Biscuit boy, James Michael the professional busker. Sami – the cruise ship singer. They put the thoughts in the public's minds and it’s over. Forget it for Sophie. She’s now been branded a wannabe. Job done.

Gary and Louis gave her very harsh criticisms, which makes me think they want her gone. Even the Telegraph thinks that she’s gone.

I have a source that tells me Simon Cowell has bought shares in The Telegraph if anyone has any more on that let me know. That would be interesting.

This week I’m thinking it is Sophie who is set to go.

Kitty sang well but I don’t think her voice is special enough – let’s see how she does next week.. The Mirror said “Kitty Brucknell in trouble over raunchy pole dancing antics”

“Producers are furious” over her “boozy night at a gay bar…making a mockery of the show’s family friendly image” they don’t mention that she has claimed to be celibate for 10 years and if this wasn’t true I’m sure The Scum would have found one slimey little Frankie Cocozza type to come out and say “I banged her!”

They then print a sleazy up the skirt type picture from a pap of Kitty about to sit down to make her look like she’s flashing her arse.

I took objection to this piece with all the “pole dancers” they have on the show it was a bit of a cheap shot and not forgetting Frankie Cocozza’s slutty image aimed at teenagers.

Only last night Frankie spoke on The Xtra Factor about a recent encounter with Holly Hagan. “I met her …I banged her.” The presenter laughed “Don’t worry girls Frankie is still single for hanky panky.” So that is now 69 girls he has banged then!

Yep all you little teenagers can still line up and get slipped a length of Frankie's pop star cock. Sorry if this offends I'm just changing 'Hanky panky" and "banged her" for a vulgar alternative that is designed to offend and wake you up to what this is really about.

Holly Hagan’s mum and dad must be well chuffed that she got the coveted 69 position!

Frankie has cemented his reputation as the “bad boy” of X Factor but he has apologised on twitter, “I’m sorry for being honest and being myself”.

Well I’m sorry for being honest. He has no talent, he's a ‘singer’ and yet he smokes and drinks, boast about his sex exploits and thinks it’s ok as long as you are honest. However, he is young and I don’t expect any different. It isn’t his fault, as many a young guy would take advantage of the situation he is in. I blame Gary Barlow for promoting him and holding him up like some sort of pop star.

Kitty may not be the best but she is not a slag, she is a performer who loves what she does and is branded by the tabloids as sleazy. Frankie is a bum but is portrayed as cool bad boy.

It’s 2011, the press go on about racism and homophobia but misogyny is hardly mentioned. Women continue to get paid less than men, women are slags and men are bad boys. If Kitty was a 26 year-old celibate man and Frankie was a female 18 year-old talentless slag what then?

Yep, this is the “Family friendly image” of the X Factor.

excuse all my mistakes during this grumpy rant. thanks!

Kelly Rowland takes no Risk and quits?

Last week Cowell was upset with the show. Ratings were down and nothing much was happening. Now as if by magic all has changed.

Manufactured boy-band The Risk who were made up of rejected solo singers and stealing singers from other bands have yet a new line up. They removed Marlon McKenzie from the original line up and now we are told that Ashley Baptiste has quit.

We will never know the truth about why Ashley has quit due to the confidentiality contracts but it seems crazy that a guy in the finals of The X Factor and in the band that is tipped to win has decided it’s not what he wants.

The have taken a 16 year-old from "No Vibe" as Gary Barlow put's it. What is wrong with Marlon McKenzie? The guy looks and sounds good and was in the original line up - I would love to know why he was booted out. Damn those confidentiality contracts!!

My own feeling is that for some reason like Marlon, Ashley wasn’t fitting in and as The Risk are set to be signed to the label want the right line up.

Kelly Rowland has apparently got a sore throat. I suspect that she has quit. I believe last week’s bullying of Misha was the last straw. Tulisa is 23 year-old judge who got on my nerves even before her Misha rant. I can only imagine what Kelly had to put up with.

**EDIT just heard that Alexandra Burke is the guest judge!! I'd be amazed if Kelly comes back now. To have Alexandra step in a sign that this is not scripted. No way would she have been a preferred choice to step in. Kelly has probably got her lawyers getting her out of show as we speak without being sued. It looks like it's going to be a face saving exercise for the show. Very interesting to see if Kelly comeback next week. I doubt it.

Gary Barlow admitted last week that he couldn’t be trusted because he lies about how terrible Frankie Cocozza is and now Louis Walsh has just been busted as a liar after calling Misha a bully in front of 10 million. It turns out Sami Brookes has dismissed his ridiculous claims. He did apologised on The Xtra Factor to 1 million but Walsh should apologise to Misha tonight in front of the 10 million viewers but I bet he won’t.

Like I predicted the tabloids have started putting down the acts that must not make the final:

Johnny is now branded a benefit cheat but he denies this.

Kitty went to a gay club and did some pole dancing (with her clothes on). The Mirror has made it look seedy. The show has a “family friendly image” er….Frankie Cocozza… Family image?

Rhythmix have changed their name. Nobody bothered to Google the name to see if it was already taken by a children’s charity. Doh!

Meanwhile Frankie Cocozza is building his teenage fan base on Twitter talking about his “haters” and that he knows he is the worse singer but will do all he can to improve. How about stay in and practice? Have extra singing lessons? Nope, he goes out on the piss. I have no time for this lad but the press are backing him so he will get signed.

Cowell will be very happy after all this weeks antics. The UK production team have really delivered enough gossip to ensure big viewers for tonight.

Sorry for mistakes. I make them.

X Factor Live Show 3 – Rock Week AKA - Song Week

Simon Cowell apparently was upset that Strictly Come Dancing has beaten X Factor when they’ve gone head to head and has told the judges to raise their game.

Unfortunately, Strictly has beaten them again this week. Heads will roll and I will bet that Tulisa will get fired for not knowing what rock is and Gary will walk. Louis is stuck to his chair so will be back again next year even if the show gets cancelled.

I think it’s a bit late for the judges to be blaming the talent as they are doing their best with what they've got.

The judges have resorted to underhand tactics to get the public interested in the acts but it’s not a case of voting for who you like anymore, it’s about voting for a person who is less annoying than that real pain in the neck who still hasn’t gone yet.

There are two major talking points that you will not read in the tabloids.

It’s rock bottom for Gary Barlow on Rock Week. He admitted that last week he lied by saying Frankie was good when in fact he thought (like most of the viewers) that Frankie was “awful”.

I’ve been saying this from day one. Frankie shouldn’t even be there.

Gary happily ridiculed Nu Vibe with his “No Vibe” jibe and sent them home knowing very well that Frankie was awful. Are we meant to now trust his opinion? Tabloids are highlighting his honesty like it was a good thing. The fact is Gary Barlow is a judge and he lied.

Gary now says that he likes Johnny Robinson but he was terrible too. Is he lying again? You just don’t know with Gary. I think he is but I also know why.

Believe it or not but Johnny has a real chance of winning The X Factor just like Wagner did. The crowd went nuts for Johnny and he gets votes from people who would like to stick one up Cowell.

Cowell would slag Wagner off for weeks so people voted for him to spite Cowell but when he was getting too popular Cowell changed his tune and left it to The Sun to start calling Wagner a pervert and a bully.

This year they have quickly got all four judges saying Johnny is a “guilty pleasure” to stop any anti-X Factor momentum. The joke will become a bit thin in a few weeks and they will finally mug him off but I seriously think he could win if Louis gets him in a dress and a “OccupyXFactor” campaign takes off.

I’ve seen enough of the show and read enough tabloid propaganda to know that The Risk are the ones the production team and the label want to succeed. One Direction were meant to win last year if it wasn’t for that pesky Matt Cardle but they are really aimed at kids just growing out of ZingZillas. The Risk will be direct rivals to The Wanted.

The judges failed to mention that The Risk had tuning problems and poor harmonies or the fact their song wasn’t rock. But still they are better than One Direction and look how well they are doing.

If and it’s a big IF Rhythmix can break the girl curse and last a few more weeks they will have a chance of going a long way. I prefer them to The Risk. They are good but like they too did not singing a rock song. Tulisa really had no idea what Rock Week is? Producers never said "hold on a minute, this isn't rock!" - bullcrap. They knew, but a group MUST win. Screw the rules.

So that brings me to Misha. I know how these people lie I’ve been there. The Sun, Louis and Tulisa have branded her a diva and bully. This was outrageous but not surprising. They can’t bring her down as a singer (compared to the rest), she has no sordid background to dig up so she must be a bully. If Tulisa has such morals why didn't she say something about Derry from The Risk for hitting on a girl while she was out with her man? Bad form fella.

I don’t believe Misha is a bully or a diva and to be honest I don’t care. The whole tabloid media circus is filled with divas, bullies and worse. All I care is if she can sing and so far Misha has been the best of a pretty unimpressive bunch.

Prediction to go: Sami Brookes. Louis’ song choice was a terrible karaoke song, her make-over was poor and she came across arrogant when defending the song choice, oh and begging for votes is tacky. She’s one of the better singers but just not what the X Factor “New Generation” needs anymore.

Tweet of the day : JojeHarvey "They should have called it song week"

My personal blog so errors and spelling probably plentiful. london24 blog tomorrow.

Final 16 - Who goes tonight?

James Michael, Nu Vibe, Jonjo Kerr and the X Factor to go?

Amelia Lily: Daily Mail reported that she is seeing 18 year old Frankie Cocozza. Yep, a newspaper reports that a 18 year is dating a 16 year old. Has this country turned into “ Neighbours”? She’s good but there have been better girls on the show. Can do better but should be safe. Between her and Sophie to go. Too close to call. Funnily enough, if she survives tonight will go a long way.

Johnny Robinson: Terrible. The comedy act of the show but I won’t be voting for this year’s Wagner until he starts dressing as Doris Day. Safe…just.

Rhythmix: The big surprise of the night. Damn, some great vocals and harmonies. I was really impressed by these girls. Not dolly birds like Sugarbabes or Girls Aloud but I really like these and hope they go far. Safe this week.

Frankie Cocozza: In it for the girls. Self confessed slut. Girls names on his arse, family knows Jason Orange so questions over how he got in. No talent, but the tabloids are behind him. Guaranteed a long journey in the show if not a deal. Can’t stand him. Safe but should be gone.

Sophie Habibis : For me, Sophie has the X Factor. She has beautiful eyes, a lovely tone, vibrato and timing. Gary says’s he’ll fall out with Kelly if she goes. Not safe, between her and Amelia to go. I have a bad feeling though.

Jonjo Kerr: Good karaoke at best. Can’t understand how he got in but the judges give me the impression that they may keep him in another week. Not safe but may be a surprise and controversial save by Louis Walsh.

Two Shoes: One girl is pregnant but X Factor is an extremely stressful experience. I wonder if it was wise to allow her to continue. They are from Essex which Tulisa says is popular at the moment. Rumours are that though they are from Essex they are in fact well-spoken public school girls and it’s all an act. I wouldn’t be surprised. Safe but pointless unless they get a ITV2 show which is also pointless. Safe now but Two Shoes to go.

James Michael: The big stitch up! Walked onto X Factor looking the coolest of all the guys. Then after an awful make-over, James looked uncomfortable and nervous singing “Ticket to Ride”. Vocally better than the song suggested. He looked like a busker and from being my favourite for a record deal he is a dead cert to go. Shame.

Misha B: Best performance of the night. The rap is first class and she is captivating in her delivery. I do feel she is a bit shaky on her singing. I’m not convinced she will go all the way for a ITV mainstream audience but safe this week.

Nu Vibe: Five guys that were not that good. It’s One Direction all over again. But these are a series too late so no chance. Two guys showed off their abs at the end of the song and for that reason alone they should be gone. 100% gone this week.

Marcus Collins: Great look made better by a great make over. He was given a great song but needs to hold the mic closer so it picks up the quality of his voice more. Poor choreography let him down. Safe could go far if he stops bouncing around like he needs the toilet.

Sami Brookes: Gary “The only reason you are here is because Goldie Cheung dropped out” Tulisa said, “The voice of the competition”. It was a total joke that Louis hadn’t chosen her in the first place. She can sing but someone slapped her make up on and the press will compare her to Mary Byrne. Her image will ultimately be her downfall not voice. Safe this week.

The Risk: Louis summed it up, “We have JLS, One Direction and now we have The Risk”. The judges love them. They are aimed as SYCO’s competition against The Wanted and vocally they are good enough. Safe this week and probably finalists but Derry having been a mugger may prove costly with mainstream conservative viewers but cool for their market. Nothing like a bad boy to make you seem credible. I think that a deal awaits.

Craig Colton: Really great voice but for me unwatchable. Performance was a little too drama school and overly intense. Looks a bit like a young Ricky Gervais. Easily safe but vocally Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry are arguably as good but with the package. Lose the funny faces and he is a possibly another winner but with just one album. Safe.

Kitty Brucknall: Tabloids have it in for her. They report this week she was a stripper and put her down while building up a guy who was a mugger. At least she was trying to make money legally huh?? Give her a break, she has been gigging for years and has bought into the X Factor nonsense like the rest of them. I worry for her. She seems fragile and I just hope she get’s through this without losing her sanity. Gary said, “ I hope you are ready for this ride, it’s going to be tough for you.” It will be but safe this week.

Janet Devlin: Sweet young girl but I don’t think she is strong a vocalist as the other three in her category. Pitchy and weak vocal on a song she sang in her auditions so it’s not gonna get much better – that was it folks. Image is what she is all about but the judges are going crazy for her. I just don’t think her voice is ready yet. Listen to Paula Cole, Cara Dillion or Kate Rusby to see what I mean. She should go but is 100% safe. One of the “real” winners unless the public get bored of all the ballads.

Excuse errors as I am crap at checking. This is on my blog not london24.com which is Monday. My Twitter is @stevebrookstein

Thanks for reading.

Steve Brookstein’s Grumpy Guide To The X Factor

Blog 1.

I know, I know. I said I wasn't going to do it but here we are again. A brand new X Factor but same ol’ Steve spreading his grumpy doom and gloom over Saturday light entertainment but wait, I have good news. The News Of The World will not be bringing you any SYCOphantic claptrap on Sunday.

Anyway, “Real” Winners JLS, Olly Murs and One Direction are all releasing product. Even the doe-eyed beauty Leona Lewis, who after all these years is unable to stand on her own two feet without the protection of The X Factor, is releasing a single. Alexandra Burke has a lower profile release in October and also we mustn’t forget Matt Cardle who is hoping to break the male winner unlucky streak. You know? Every male winner has been jettisoned from the Death Star.

Regardless of Matt’s fate, it will be a bumper Christmas for Mr and Mrs Cowell. He is still getting married isn’t he?

Last year I got into trouble with the mum of a One Direction member for stating the obvious but I’ve learnt my lessons and I hope that young man is having his. This year I’m going to be smarter. I will be a bit more constructive in my comments and if I feel the urge to be tactless I will vent my frustrations on someone over 40 with a small twitter fan base.

The brand new show is re-branded as “The Next Generation” because above all, it’s still about the judges. There’s a new generation of judges …and Louis Walsh. How does that awful little man keep getting the gig?

The big positive is Gary Barlow replacing Lord Vadar. How can I moan about Gary Barlow? You just can’t. He was the chubby one in Take That who could sing and write songs but lacked sex appeal while the less talented Williams took the girls and the Brits and happily rubbed Gary’s nose in it. So now, Gary is mature, better looking than ever, a bucket load of hits and we love him. He has been an instant hit. A little too much like Cowell but hey it’s Gary!!

Then we have three other judges but to be honest after they let Goldie Cheung through in week one with her erotic granny moves I’m not even going to give them a name check until they buck their ideas up. I know it’s telly but come on! It will only end in tears and anyway, I thought we weren’t going to give these people false hope anymore?

Let’s be clear the opening show had two objectives. Firstly, to introduce Gary Barlow as the new Simon Cowell - the judge you can trust as the voice of reason. You will be led to agree with most things he says while the other three make weird and wonderful comments that are obviously wrong. The second objective was to get the public to accept Cheryl Cole’s replacement and that was achieved by having a tone-deaf young man with anger issues called George abuse her in front of the nation. Terrible television but it got the job done …for now.

As for talent, there was nothing of any note. We have seen two possible finalists a boy who tattoos girls names on his bum which will get the teens going, and then there was a girl who sounds a bit like Katie Waissel but nice and more in tune. Neither will come close unless a relative dies during boot camp. Remember X Factor runner-up R Wayne?

No doubt there will be a couple of outstanding singers and as soon as I see them I will let you know but I think it’s going to be the youngest X Factor ever.

My early prediction: Too many X Factor acts so 2012 will see Matt Cardle, Alexandra Burke and Cher Lloyd go the way of Old Yeller unless they find that killer tune.

Finally, we’ve recently lost the amazing talents of Amy Winehouse, Nick Ashford and Jerry Leiber. My record collection and repertoire have both benefited from what they have produced. I regularly perform “All I Need To Get By” and “Stand By Me” and they will never feel the same again. Thank you for your contribution to music and my life. Rest in peace.

The Cowell bone's connected to the media bone and that's what makes propaganda.

“Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on.” Winston Churchill

A new series of The X Factor is about to start but this year I don't think I will be writing much about it.

My world is crazy. One minute I get abuse saying I'm a "fail" and nobody knows who I am, the next I have a woman in M&S telling me she voted and wants me to do another album. The sad thing is that there are some really cool people on Twitter but I can't read the nice comments without reading "your a c**t" first. Which I usually respond with, "No, you're a c**t." They then are shocked that I am rude to a 16 year old and I in turn despair. (please no complaints from One Direction fans).

I took a hammering in the tabloids last year due to my anti-X Factor views. Words like “bitter” or “moaning” or “ranting” are all used within tabloid media with a sole purpose to make the reader switch off from the message that is NOT part of the official propaganda. You will often read them in an article about me. Check for yourself.

As many people know, I fell out with Simon Cowell in 2005. I did interviews with Closer and The Sun. Neither of these interviews were ever printed. I won’t tell you the details of the interviews but I can assure you that at the time it was big news. After the interviews I was told by the record label SYCO that I could no longer do interviews. My PR had also been moved to Outside Organisation. I had properly fallen out with Cowell so he decided to bury me. This is not paranoia it's a fact. I had a call from his PR man.

I was told, “ You will be buried if you speak to the press” and when I did an interview in 2005 with James Desborough of The News Of The World, it was no surprise that the story was stopped. James recently admitted this to me only a few weeks ago.

Simon Cowell has the power to get stories in the press but also to have them stopped. Let’s look at the people who were involved in the stopping of these interviews in 2005.

Neil Wallis, known as “ the wolfman” by journalists worked as deputy editor News of the World in 2005 and previously been at The Sun and The People. He later became MD of Outside Organisation. Arrested for phone hacking.

Rebekah Brooks - The Sun Editor in 2005 – need I say more!

James Desborough - News Of The World 2005 – showbiz reporter who did my exclusive interview. Arrested for phone hacking.

Andy Coulson - Editor of News Of The World in 2005. Arrested for phone hacking and also found guilty of bullying .

I continue to get negative press by the members within the tabloid press because the manner in which I left SYCO was a covered-up and to this day has never been acknowledged by the tabloid media.

Heat Magazine continue to write negatively about me because my original interview was with sister paper CLOSER.... well that and the fact I just won't shut up! Talking of sisters, Isabel Mohan who works at 3am.co.uk (proper c@*ts!) used to work at Heat is sister to The Sun Editor Dominic Mohan.

Now, I'm not suggest all these people are corrupt but the power of The X Factor and Cowell is so great that these people are willing to bury the truth if it may interfere with selling papers and The X Factor sells 1000s. I like to believe James Desborough wanted to run my story back in 2005 but was told by people above him that they couldn't. They would lose "Exclusives" with new The X Factor brand and so I was dispensable. This was not fair on me, my family or the millions that voted. I was branded a bitter flop and the rest is history.

If you see this as a “rant”, or me being “bitter” and simply “moaning” then tabloid media has done it’s job.

You have stumbled upon the truth I hope you may share it before picking yourself up and moving on.

To all the great people on TWITTER I'll catch you soon. Thanks for the support. Really I mean that. www.stevebrookstein.com for music updates.

PS. any errors, I haven't checked for mistakes so sorry, couldn't be arsed!

X Factor Final 12 leaked but not reported.

Recently, I was told by someone on Twitter that the final 12 of The X Factor had been leaked. I am 99% sure that the leak is correct and this is the final line up. What is interesting is what do the press think? They are quick to reporter sexy scandals but how come this leak hasn't come into the public arena?

If it wasn't the final 12, I'm sure they would be reporting the leak. I think they are under strict orders NOT to talk about it. What the public don't know about The X Factor is that they have paid to fly out reporters from major papers and publications to cover boot camp in Spain, Australia etc etc. If you were a reporter being wined and dined by The X Factor are you going to fart at the table? Of course not. These people are reporters who love TV or want to move into TV, they want to make friends in high places. Are they going to report anything other than the official story? This list may be wrong but I'll be surprised if it is.

Cheryl Cole will have Cher Lloyd, Katie Waissel and Rebecca Ferguson. All 3 of the girls, aged 16, 24 and 23

Dannii Minogue has the boys, Aiden Grimshaw, Matt Cardle and Nicolo Festa.

Simon Cowell groups F.Y.D. and the two newly formed groups New Direction and another girl group, yet to be named

Louis Walsh has been given the weakest 28s category, is said to have selected John Adeleye, Mary Byrne and Storm Lee.

My personal surprise and disappointment is the omission of Katie Smith and Paije Richardson. I think they were both interesting vocalists. Katie Waissel is not a surprise choice as she is good tv, but vocally the weakest in the line up.

Husstle have been mugged off but I hope the lead singer is in Simon's new girl group because she was captivating.

I wasn't surprised that Marlon McKenzie isn't included as he went off melody and Simon hates that. He is also competition for Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry who are releasing music right now. The young boys and girls have products they have to buy into and Marlon will confuse them. I do wonder if he is in the new group? I doubt it though, Simon will make a young boy band to compete with F.D.Y. Vote! Vote! Vote! Kids!

Surely, Simon calling his group of boys New Direction only sounds like nude erection in my morally debased head. Anyway, Simon is straight after all and it will probably turn out they are a group of girls... Nah! West Life are getting older. He needs a new direction. Young boy band it is then!

My main prediction is that Storm Lee from the USA will make it all the way to the final. Remember: The X Factor is being sold to the Americans now. What will get the middle-aged couch potatoes to put down their KFC buckets quicker than a story of singer from the US living the American dream on Simon's new show? Is it a coincidence that a guy that's in the older group (the exact demographic that The X Factor needs to attract in the USA) comes from the USA, just before the show goes to the USA?

I'm probably wrong about all of this, but wouldn't it be funny if I'm right?