I agree with that, I'd never seen the Wanted before, Id only heard them on the radio and I assumed they were teenage boys, it surprised me that they looked like they were guys in their 20s.

And every penny is accounted for, those four star hotels you got a taste for, the mini bars you raided while touring the UK's HMV stores on that meet and greet tour, that nice penthouse flat overlooking the Thames that nice Mr Cowell put you up in, the limo's instead of taxis, the weekend you went back to your mums and flew home instead of getting the National Express, all of it, it all came out of your advance.

One of my cousin's has done plenty of rehearsal sessions as "AN Other" guitar player in the height of the boy band era and they loved it when they were left sitting around in a studio all morning until said young kids could be d getting out of bed, when you're a "paid by the hour troubadour" it makes it all the more enjoyable when you, and everyone else in the business (except said boy band) know that they are paying for every stick of chewing gum that you used up waiting for them.

There are plenty of "bands" who never saw a single penny from the advance once the accountants got their hands on the books.

TBF the blurb has always talked of "£1m recording contract", I don't think it was ever implied that there was like a £1m cash prize.

Indeed, anyone thinking of finding "fame and fortune" in the music industry may possibly discover that one does not necessarily follow the other. A quick read-up on the relationship between The Small Faces and Don Arden should be sufficient warning

A quick check on anything that Don Arden did will cause involuntary gasps, Sharon Osbournes biog doesn't exactly paint her father in a good light.

Elton Johns biog (can't remember the title but its the one done with his consent) also has some very interesting details about his long fight with Dick (Robin Hood) James Music and the accusations that Mr Dwight's actions caused Mr James' death.

I can't remember the name of it, but Ben Elton wrote a book satirizing the whole X Factor phenomenon, and explains exactly how this particular element can be used to choose 'the right' candidate, no matter what the public thinks.
In short, you can be one of the two lowest votes every week, but if the panel wants to keep you, then you're kept in, no matter how dire you actually are.

It's all a con, and people keep buying into it.

BTW, just how much echo, reverb and protools were they using last week? Never the sign of a good singer, they're usually used to mask weaknesses and missed notes.

it was particularly evident on the camp fella singing the Kylie song. all through the song, there was a female voice in the background echoing what the bloke was singing.

I watched some of the show (from behind the sofa) and was struck by the similarity to Bjork's Oh So Quiet and Kitty's version of Oh So Quiet. Spookily so...

Is anybody watching the American X Factor? (Broadcast on ITV2)

If not, have a search on a popular video sharing site for Marcus Canty, specifically his judges house audition. The guy has a fantastic voice and looks to be a genuine talent. In fact, the American version has several singers that are all superb. It really does put the UK version to shame, this year's group of hopefuls are probably the worst the show has ever seen (with the exception of Misha, who I could see doing quite well out of the show).

It's like what you would get if they ran a Rugby League X factor in the UK and then took the concept to Australia, the gulf in class given the difference in potential talent pools would be huge.

I'd actually quite like a Rugby League X factor you could just run it for unsigned players who turn up for trials and then get split into different categories like forwards, backs, halfbacks and so on and get them being mentored by Phil Clarke, Ian Millward and Gary Schofield. Eddie Hemmings could present the show and deal with the kids scriking because Schofield had told them they were s--t.

Clarke would put through some lad from Wigan completely out of his depth and go "d'ya know Eddeh, this lad's the complete package, he's the future of rugby league". Millward would be like Louis Walsh putting the joke acts through and Schofield would be like Simon Cowell the badass alpha male character that was hardest to impress. I reckon I'm onto a winner with this concept.

Didn't Quins once do that to try and find a prop forward? They called it prop idol hehe

I think we should have a game of X-factor buzz words bingo.
Eyes down, look in. For a line........
'You made that song your own'... 'you absolutely nailed that one' ...'that song was made for you' ... 'you owned that song' ... 'you were born to sing' ...HERE!!!!!!!

'When I look up at that stage, I don't see a contestant on this show. I see someone who looks like they've been performing in the business for 10 years!'

rlThe X Factor Hopefulsrl

rlLouis in Catchphrase Bingorl

rlThe making of The Riskrl