Simon Cowell gets threats from a 14-year-old and plays matchmaker with Paula Abdul during action-packed X Factor

By JADE WATKINS

Are you threatening me? Simon Cowell was left shocked after he was given a stern warning from pint-sized rapper Brain Bradley during the East coast auditions of the X Factor last night

He's surely received threats before throughout his long-spanning career as a notoriously sharp-tongued reality TV judge and producer.

But possibly not from the mouth of a 14-year-old teenager.

Last night Simon Cowell was left shocked after he was given a stern warning from pint-sized rapper Brain Bradley during the East Coast auditions of the U.S. X Factor.


Rap: But as the teenager busted into a rap it was clear to see that his threatening tone was actually part of a performance that sent the audience into a frenzy

The teen became irritated after Simon questioned him on why he deserved to be on the talent show.

'Yo yo Simon, I see you man... What is your problem man?... Are you serious? Yo, I swear on your life... if we were on the streets,' he directed at the 51-year-old Brit.

But as the teenager busted into a rap it was clear to see that his threatening tone was actually part of his performance that sent the audience into a frenzy.


Crowd pleaser: Judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul busted out some moves

As the crowd went wild for the youngster, the judges stared around in disbelief as he rapped about his mother.

'Brian honey, I am scared of you, and I am not going stare at your mother,' joked judge Nicole Scherzinger.

L.A . Reid, who has produced the likes of Kanye West, Usher and Rihanna, told Brian he had been waiting for someone like him to come into his professional life for years.


Suitably pleased: Even after being turned out by the teenager before his rhyme, Simon was also blown away


Cute: With high hopes of becoming the next big thing, Andy Silikovitz, 43, has been single all of his life


Cheer Squad: Accompanied by his mother who stood backstage with Steve Jones, he revealed to the judges that he had never had a date nor been married, but was hoping that the $5 million prize money would help him find love


Hugs: Simon motioned the middle-aged man to come over and share cuddle with Paula, who happily obliged and embraced him


Confident: Touting herself as the next Mariah Carey, who had 'successfully blown away friends and family with her karaoke abilities Clarissa 'Cashmere' Cheatham was confident


Fit: It was almost like Simon knew what was coming when he broke into a fit of laughter, along with Paula, before Clarissa's terrible performance


Blonde beauty: With her stunning looks Cari Fletcher was a shoe in from the start


Duo: With an army of fans in the audience, Teenage duo Ausem said that they believed and felt the passion in their music and performed of Christina Perri's 'Jar of Hearts'


Awkward: One half of the group, poor Emily, got singled out, with both L.A.and Nicole telling Austin that he was the better singer, and discussed the possibility of splitting the pair up


Dreamy: Simon declared 21-year-old car enthusiast Toro Wolashin as a man's dream, after she told him that she wanted to open her own car shop


No good: Both Jor-El Garcia nor Devon Tally couldn't cut it in Miami


Hunk: Handsome Brennan Hunt was the epitome of a country rock star with his big blue eyes, Southern drawl and raspy voice


Star: Jazzlyn Little brought down the house with her rendition of Mary J.Blige's 'I'm Going Down'


Applause: The performance earned her a standing ovation from the judges

Brian Bradley - Audition 1 - THE X FACTOR 2011


Clarissa Cheatham - Audition 1 - THE X FACTOR 2011


Brennan Hunt - The X Factor U.S. - Audition


Tiger Budbill - The X Factor USA Auditions


Andy Silikovitz - Audtion 1 - THE X FACTOR 2011


Skyelor Anderson - The X Factor USA Auditions


Cari Fletcher - Audition 1 - THE X FACTOR 2011


The X Factor USA - Ausem - Jar of Hearts - Audition



source: dailymail

Bad reviews getting to you? X Factor USA judge Nicole Sherzinger looks downbeat on set of Vogue shoot

By Daily Mail Reporter


Downbeat: X Factor USA judge Nicole Scherzinger on the set of a Vogue magazine photo shoot in Los Angeles this week


U.S. television critics branded her a 'downgrade' from axed X Factor USA judge Cheryl Cole, and it seems the bad reviews may be getting under Nicole Sherzinger's skin.

The usually effervescent former Pussycat Dolls singer looked decidedly flat on the set of a Vogue magazine photoshoot in Los Angeles.

She looked stylish in an off-white dress, which was more modest than her standard wardrobe with its above-the-knee hemline and high neckline.


The frock showcased the 33-year-old's trim figure and toned arms.

But her trademark mega-watt smile was nowhere to be seen and she was instead sporting a furrowed brow.

She, along with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and LA Reid are judges on X Factor USA, which premiered on Wednesday night to mixed reviews.

Stylish: The 33-year-old singer looked sleek in a white dress


Nicole was initially chose to host the show alongside Welshman Steve Jones, but was promoted onto the panel when Cole was fired.

Cowell made the executive decision to make the change because the Geordie judge seemed 'bewildered.'

The jury is still out on whether it was the right choice.

The X Factor: Scherzinger and her fellow judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and LA Reid


'It’s a downgrade,' says Neil Glenzinger of The New York times. 'Ms Cole showed glimmers of being interesting; in two seasons as a judge on The Sing-Off on NBC, Ms. Scherzinger was a pretty face but, judicially speaking, not much more than a seat warmer.'

Steve Johnson of The Chicago Tribune agreed: 'Scherzinger doesn't come off as an obvious improvement in the early going. She's more earnest like Kara DioGuardi than lovable like Jennifer Lopez.'

Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker was also sceptical about the appointment, saying last month: 'The immortal description of Clive James re Liza Minnelli holds true of Scherzinger: "She can’t even descend a staircase with sincerity."'

Replaced: The former Pussycat Doll took over X Factor UK judge Cheryl Cole's short-lived job


source:dailymail

What happened to Cheryl? Ms Cole's unceremoniously cut after blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in launch of X Factor USA

By Daily Mail Reporter


SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO...

Shock and dismay: This will be the first and only episode of X Factor USA Cheryl Cole will appear on


She had big dreams of conquering America and even bigger hair, but tonight Cheryl Cole fell decidedly flat after making a blink-and-you-miss it appearance on X Factor USA.

The 28-year-old was unceremoniously dumped midway through the launch show, which aired on the Fox network tonight after months of hype.

She was introduced as one of Britain's most successful pop stars in the opener, but later vanished without any proper explanation to viewers.

Over Cole: Cheryl Cole fell flat during the series premiere of X Factor USA tonight


It was quite the disappearing act, with a voiceover from Steve Jones that said: 'With a new city comes a big change – the arrival of a new judge.'

When asked about his controversial decision, Simon Cowell, 50, recently said he replaced Cole because she seemed 'bewildered' - and many may well agree.

While some U.S. critics today branded replacement Scherzinger a 'downgrade', those who had watched Cole for years on the British X Factor were certainly left wondering where her stardust had gone.

Goodbye girl: The 28-year-old singer has left the X Factor building

Happy days: Her time on the show was brief, but the Girls Aloud singer looked happy back in the day


When she joined the U.K. version in 2008 fresh from her split from footballer Ashley Cole, she immediately became a television darling who was sassy, sharp and sparkling onscreen.

Her chemistry with Cowell was undeniable, and he unapologetically made her his favourite on the panel, which then included Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh.

But her charisma and well, x factor, didn't seem to follow when she jettisoned across the pond earlier this year.

During the first round of auditions in Los Angeles, she was left out in the cold by Cowell, who was busy rekindling his spark with his former American Idol cohort, Paula Abdul.

Cole seemed lost without her mentor and boss by her side and seemed to parrot critiques and rely on familiar material.

Even her once-admired taste in fashion had vanished - her teased hair, and ill-advised colour-block orange top and purple trousers combination failed to impress.

But it is unclear if her replacement will fare much better. So far, critics have been unimpressed with Scherzinger.

Just the two of us: Cheryl's gone, but Paula Abdul is still judging


The Los Angeles Times' Mary McNamara wrote: 'In early scenes [Nicole] seems more interested in tearing up and out-glamming Idol’s Jennifer Lopez than bringing much to the commentary.'

But like the talent, it will be up to the viewers to decide if they like her smile and short skirts.

Welsh host Steve Jones also received a battering from the critics, with one branding him 'utterly irrelevant'

The star of the judging panel is perhaps record label heavyweight L.A. Reid, who is shaping up to be a tough, no-nonsense rival to Cowell.

Cole will still received her full $1.8 million (£1.2m) fee despite being axed so quickly into filming.

After being fired in June, she rejected an offer to return to the British version of the show, and an opportunity to work on Britain’s Got Talent.

Gleeful: Nicole Scherzinger was more than happy to take the vacated spot

The new panel: Nicole Scherzinger has replaced Cole


The X Factor has been Cowell’s big venture and he has staked his reputation on making it a success, particularly as the U.S.’s other big reality show American Idol made by his rival Simon Fuller, pulls in big ratings.

It differs from American Idol because it has no upper age limit and groups can take part too.

Cowell had originally brought Cheryl to the U.S to work with him but she was axed after just four auditions.

Drama! How Simon Cowell probably feels about the dramatic X Factor situation

Simply stunning: The Pussycat Dolls frontwoman is Simon's new choice

On the outs: The singer looked unhappy even while promoting the show in May





source:dailymail

'Nicole Scherzinger is a downgrade from Cheryl': Critics prefer sacked judge Cole on first episode of U.S. X Factor

By Liz Thomas and Eleanor Gower


Fired: Cheryl Cole, pictured arriving at the Los Angeles X Factor auditions in June, will appear in tonight's episode

She was dramatically fired from the U.S. X Factor after just three weeks as a judge back in June.

Yet Cheryl Cole has had an overwhelming response from U.S. critics who hail her as the better judge over her replacement – the pop singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Many prestigious U.S. television critics saw previews of the opening episode, which airs tonight, and branded Nicole a 'downgrade' from the British star, who appears in approximately half of the programme before she is replaced.

'The opening episode gives a surprising amount of screen time to Cheryl Cole, a British pop star whom Mr Cowell jettisoned from the panel last spring, in the middle of auditions,' said Neil Glenzinger of the New York Times.

'In the premiere she just kind of disappears midshow, without much explanation, and suddenly Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls is in her chair.

'It’s a downgrade. Ms Cole showed glimmers of being interesting; in two seasons as a judge on The Sing-Off on NBC, Ms. Scherzinger was a pretty face but, judicially speaking, not much more than a seat warmer. '

The Los Angeles Times's Mary McNamara is equally unimpressed with the former Pussycat Dolls singer.

Old line up: Cheryl was one of the original judges alongside L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, with Steve Jones and Nicole Scherzinger as hosts


'Cowell has said he replaced Cole because she seemed 'bewildered,' but on a first impression, she is much more interesting than Scherzinger, if only for her fabulous Geordie accent,' she writes.

'In early scenes [Nicole] seems more interested in tearing up and out-glamming Idol’s Jennifer Lopez than bringing much to the commentary.'

Steve Johnson of The Chicago Tribune says: 'Scherzinger doesn't come off as an obvious improvement in the early going. She's more earnest like Kara DioGuardi than lovable like Jennifer Lopez.'

'No improvement': Some U.S. media critics have been scathing in their reviews of Nicole Scherzinger's performance on the X Factor judging panel in comparison to Cheryl


And USA Today writer Robert Bianco seems similarly bewildered by the loss of Cheryl, writing that: 'Factor doesn't tell you why Cole was replaced or show you why she had to be.

'Scherzinger does seem both a bit sharper and more effusive in her comments, but that can be chalked up to editing,' he adds.

'Which is why, by the way, it would be wise to withhold judgements on the panel until we get to the live shows and we see how they really deal with time pressures and with one another.'

Welsh import Steve Jones, who takes on American Idol host Ryan Seacrest's hosting role also doesn't win many plaudits.

New panel: Nicole replaced Cheryl as a judge on the show, after Cowell said the Girls Aloud singer seemed bewildered and uncomfortable on the talent show

In action: Nicole sits to Paula's right on the show, which Cowell is hoping will compete with American Idol


The New York Times describes Welsh host Steve Jones as 'utterly irrelevant,' while The Boston Herald's Mark A Perigard says he 'is so far in the background, he might as well be on another network.'

The X Factor has been Cowell’s big venture and he has staked his reputation on making it a success, particularly as the U.S.’s other big reality show American Idol made by his rival Simon Fuller, pulls in big ratings.

It differs from American Idol because it has no upper age limit and groups can take part too.

Cowell had originally brought Cheryl to the U.S to work with him but she was axed after just four auditions.

'Irrelevant': USA X Factor host Steve Jones also gets short shrift from the critics in today's reviews


In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Cowell said: ‘She looked a bit bewildered.

You come to a country like America, it's a bit deal, takes a while to adjust.

'And I took the view, along with a few other people, that she would have been more comfortable back in the UK.'

The 28-year-old British star still received her full $1.8 million (£1.2m) fee despite being axed so quickly in to filming.

Cheryl rejected an offer to return to the British version of the show, and an opportunity to work on Britain’s Got Talent.



source:dailymail