X-Factor News

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ROB & ELTON UP FOR X
By Lara Gould Tv Reporter

ROBBIE Williams, Elton John and Westlife have been signed up to coach the X Factor finalists. Judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne struck a secret deal to recruit the famous names to the Saturday night show.

Heart-throb Robbie, a huge X Factor fan, will coach the 16-25s. Legend Elton John - whose first hit was way back in 1971 - will advise the over 25s. And Irish band Westlife, who are managed by Louis, will pass on tips to the groups. The stars will join when the show goes live next month. An insider said: "Simon said he wanted this series to be the biggest and best yet. This is a massive coup."

Other stars who will make guest appearances on the ITV1 talent search include Robbie's former band Take That, American singer Mariah Carey and Simon's group Il Divo. The Sunday Mirror can also reveal who each judge will look after - Simon will handle the 16- to 25-year-olds, Louis will take the over-25s and Sharon will take care of the groups. Our source said: "The judges all pretend to take it lightly, but the truth is they are all desperate to win."

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Those are some pretty big names to get in for the show indeed... should be interesting.

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Wow, this looks great! I can't wait!

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Even though Williams is a wankstain and Elton John is a prick, I'm still looking forward to it.

I haven't seen the saturday show yet but so far this has given me loads of laughs. I love the audition stage of the show as it's the funniest stuff on tv

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COWELL 'SNUBS HIS X FACTOR ACTS'
By Pete Samson

SIMON Cowell has neglected his X Factor acts since picking them three weeks ago for the show's final, the young stars claimed yesterday. The four contestants he is meant to be mentoring have little time until they sing live in a public vote for the first time on Saturday. But they said he has not given any advice since putting them through at his Miami home last month.

Leona Lewis, 21, said: "The last time we saw Simon was in Miami, we haven't seen him for three weeks." Ashley McKenzie, 20, added: "I've seen him in the paper. He's a very busy man."

Cowell has stayed in the US since the final audition of his under-25s. At the same time, Cowell's fellow judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne have showered their acts with presents and posh dinners. All contestants have been living in a house in North London under strict rules and curfews.

With no contact from their mentor, Cowell's group had to watch in envy as Sharon's over-25 contestants were driven off to be wined and dined at her Buckinghamshire home. Rocker Ben Mills, 26, said: "I think they were jealous. It came at a stage we all really wanted to get out."

Louis is mentoring the groups and has been in constant text message contact since picking his four. He has been discussing what songs his acts want to sing and has been helping to ease their nerves. He even sent Liz Ewing, from band The Unconventionals, to Harrods with cash to buy her four-year old daughter Jasmin a present. Liz, 37, said yesterday: "Louis has been very encouraging."

Meanwhile, wheelchair-bound contestant Kerry McGregor, 31, has told of her agony at being separated from her 17-month-old son Joshua. The single mum said: "It's absolutely heart-wrenching. I've left him with my mum and I'm desperately missing him, I want to see him so much. But I can't give up this dream - it's as much for him as for me."

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Simon fixed it for me
10/10/06
X FACTOR girl Kerry McGregor will stand and deliver in the live finals ? by dumping her wheelchair. The Daily Star can reveal the paralysed mum has been walking on crutches and longs to perform without the chair. Now miracle worker Simon Cowell is fixing it for her dream to come true. Finalist Kerry McGregor plans to surprise millions of X Factor viewers . . . by ditching her wheelchair.

The pretty Scottish singer ? who has been tipped as a possible winner ? doesn?t want viewers to vote for her out of sympathy. So she has asked producers to come up with some "stunts" for her when she performs without her chair. And gutsy Kerry has already got some exciting ideas of her own. She would love to be carried on to the stage dressed as Cleopatra by musclemen clad in loin cloths. Another idea is for her to sing on a couch. Kerry, 31, told the Daily Star: "I would like people to see me in something other than a wheelchair. I would really enjoy some drama in my performance. It would just make things more exciting. I would love to sing on a chaise longue or be carried in by some hunks. It would be amazing."

West Lothian mum-of-one Kerry ? who broke her back falling out of a tree when she was 13 ? says singing on stage with crutches is not an option. She said: "I would get into the song and end up throwing my head back ? then I?d fall back and land on my bum! It?s hard for me to keep my balance and sing at the same time. Obviously the wheelchair gives me my independence but I?d like to do something different on stage."

X Factor bosses have pulled out all the stops to accommodate Kerry at the London house where all the finalists are staying. She has her own bedroom on the ground floor and all doors have been widened so she can pass through in her wheelchair.

Meanwhile bookies William Hill and Ladbrokes have made rocker Ben Mills, 26, 5-1 favourite to win.

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X-FACTOR SENSATION: I'M A COKE ADDICT
By Fiona Cummins, Showbiz Reporter
X FACTOR finalist Ben Mills admitted last night: "I'm a coke addict" but the long-haired rocker revealed he has been clean for seven months after receiving counselling. The bombshell revelation comes as Mills, who is favourite to win, also confessed to taking cannabis, speed, ecstasy and acid. He told the Mirror: "Rock and roll and the drugs that came with it are my past - but singing is my big passion in life and X Factor is my future."

Mills, 26, had struggled with cocaine addiction for the last 18 months while touring with his funk band Benzego. He would snort the Class A drug up to three times a week before his habit became too much. In desperation, he sought help with a private drugs counsellor near his home town of Whitstable, Kent. t the end of March, he began his weekly sessions and has not touched drugs since then. He had his last session in September before moving into the X Factor house in North London.

A show insider revealed: "He has taken cannabis, speed, ecstasy and acid - but that was years ago. It was coke that had become a problem. He went to a counsellor voluntarily to try and wean himself off. She taught him techniques on how to avoid drugs and he hasn't taken anything since. Ben is a rocker. He has toured with his Doors tribute act and his own band and he has experienced all the things that come with that. The X Factor producers were aware of his past - he's been totally honest from the start."

His mentor Sharon Osbourne was yesterday informed about his drug past. The source said: "To be honest, it didn't surprise her. Ben is a grown man and has lived a bit. She will support him. Her children Jack and Kelly have both been in rehab with drug problems so she understands what he has been through."

Mills, director of a marquee company, was still using drugs as recently as February this year - and confessed to his habit on website myspace.com. In a blog entry for March 17th, he was asked if he had "been on drugs in the past month". He said: "Yes". Yesterday close pals of Mills revealed how he loved to party until dawn at the beach near his Kent home.

One pal said: "He would bring his guitar and we'd all end up singing. Everyone was off their heads. Ben's business keeps him busy during the week but he just liked to burn the candle at both ends."

Bookies William Hill have put Mills as favourite to win at odds of 5/1 followed by Ray Quinn and Ashley McKenzie at 6/1.

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A musician who takes drugs?! Next they'll be saying that chefs should like food!

[IRiSHMaFIA]

Ben and Leona Lewis are my faves to win so if either of them do I'll be happy.

I don't think the final 12 are as good as last years, but I'm looking forward to this

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THE SCOTS FACTOR
NATION GETS RALLYING CRY AS REALITY SONG SHOW FINALLY GOES LIVE
By Rick Fulton

X FACTOR singing coach Yvie Burnett is begging Scotland to vote for ALL the homegrown talent in tonight's show. Five Scots wannabes - including two brothers who perform together - will sing live for the first time this evening. But Yvie, 37, fears one of the four acts will get the axe unless the nation backs them all.

The vocal coach - who was born in Aberdeenshire - took time out from rehearsals to give her views on the 12 finalists who will take to the stage tonight. And the opera singer revealed her plan to help the Scots stay in the contest. She said: "Everyone in Scotland should vote four times for the Scots. Wouldn't it be brilliant if we had the final three?"

The Scots in this year's final are Nikitta Angus, 17, of Glasgow, Kerry McGregor, 31, of West Lothian, duo Craig and Brian MacDonald, from Ayr, and Elizabeth Ewing, 37, from Motherwell, who performs with the group The Unconventionals. Nikitta is in Simon Cowell's 16-24-year-old group, while Kerry is with Sharon Osbourne's over 25s. The MacDonalds and Elizabeth are in Louis Walsh's bands category.

Yvie - who is in charge of all the singing on the show - said: "Isn't it amazing that there are Scots in every category this year. It was strange there weren't any last year. Actually, I refused to do it unless there were Scots there with me. It is lovely."

But it seems the Scots finalists are not as thrilled. Yvie said: "They didn't know who was through, so they were all thinking, 'Great, I'll get the Scottish vote.' Then they realised there were a lot of Scots there. There will be a split Scottish vote - that's why I urge everyone to vote for all the acts."

Yvie clearly wants a Scot to win - but what does she think of the other acts? Here is her verdict on all 12 finalists...

ASHLEY MCKENZIE

I DON'T think he's ready vocally and there's a lot of things we need to do. But as far as the raw voice goes, he's got a really unusual sound. We get a lot of English sounding vowels and he doesn't do Americanisms, which is great. It's like a breath of fresh air. And he looks great. He had a bit of a ruck with Simon at the judges' houses stage but he won't lose his spirit and he will stick up for himself.

LEONA LEWIS

I WANT to see a bit more from her. I think right now everything is very safe. So we have been working on trying to make sure she's not playing it safe. That she gives that extra something and shows what's going on behind those eyes. She ticks the boxes - she looks good, she's got a good figure, she sounds nice but we need a bit more oomph.

NIKITTA ANGUS

LOVELY girl. Beautiful sound. Not had to do a lot this week. The song she is doing this week sits very well with her voice and we've not have to spend a lot of time checking things. I think the loveliness of her will come out with her song tonight. We don't really want to change her, just tighten stuff up. We just need to bring out different vocal styles in her so she's not too samey.

RAYMOND QUINN

HE'S lovely and is always making me cups of tea to try and keep in. He wants to learn and is desperate to take everything on board and make it the best it can be. He has a real hunger for that. Can't sing swing every week so we have to find other styles he'd be good at.

4SURE

DONOVAN BAILEY, Kriss Jones, Jermaine Sanderson and Andrew Fisher have lots of confidence in themselves. They have a way of working where they write their own harmonies and are still going to do that. We want to establish the style of 4Sure as they've got a definite look and don't want to change that too much.

ETON ROAD

DAVID HEATH, James Edwards, Daniel Morris and Anthony Hannah haven't been that confident this week, probably because they were brought in after Avenue were disqualified. They worry about it and think they are the weakest link because they weren't actually chosen.

THE MACDONALD BROTHERS

I HOPE the public get to know Craig and Brian pretty quickly because they are just wee gems. They are your typical, humble, Scots guys who are very glad to be there. They're in awe of the whole thing and are lovely guys. I think when the public see how nice they are they'll get a good vote. They have to come out of their shell. More than anybody else, they have to show their personalities. And we aren't going to make them into the new The Proclaimers.

THE UNCONVENTIONALS

WHEN Louis and I first heard Nicola Dawn, Andrew Newey, Lucy Newton, Tom Newman, Elizabeth Ewing and Drew Jaymson, they were the one group we sat back and said "wow" about - more than anyone else. We don't want it to sound the same every week with them, but they have such a unique style that we aren't looking to change their direction.

BEN MILLS

IT'S a challenge to train his rocker voice. We can't train him into becoming a choir boy but one week we might need him to sing softly or have mellowness, otherwise it's just going to sound the same. No one can get through the show being one dimensional.

DIONNE MITCHELL

I THINK she's got a very good voice and she's another one who has to let go and go for it and not care if it isn't as good. That she's taken a risk so the public see more of her. She's got one of the strongest voices in the competition. She suffered from nerves in the audition stages and is hard on herself because she's a perfectionist. She has to know exactly what's happening, which come tonight, she will.

KERRY MCGREGOR

IT'S HARD for her because she's not used to using her body to sing and, as a singer, you really have to use your body. So we are working on the breathing and this week she's been using her stomach muscles and her body more than she would have done before. I don't think the show will hide her wheelchair. She's proud of what she's achieved in a wheelchair and got this far. The more people see her on the show the more people will forget she's in the wheelchair.

ROBERT ALLEN

He's terribly sweet and it's amazing he's like that. He was another who had problems with nerves but he's been enjoying his song so much, I think he'll get lost in the enjoyment of it. 'I want to see more from Leona. We have been trying to make sure she's not playing it safe'

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ROD: X LOT RUBBISH
By Pete Samson

ROD Stewart rubbished the X Factor contestants - a week after coaching them. He let slip on Virgin Radio: "To tell you the truth I thought so many of them were rubbish." And he slammed the MacDonald Brothers after singing their praises on the show last Saturday. "I was very disappointed with the Scottish contingent, especially the two boys in the kilts. The overall quality is nowhere near what it is in the States."

Rod, who phoned the celebrity slot on the Christian O'Connell show, realised his blunder and said: "Are we live on air? I wish I was dead. I'm trying to stay neutral."

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What an arsehole - how could the quality be as high as it might be in america when there's only 20% as many possible entrants?

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X MARKS THE SPOT FOR CLUELESS KATE

KATE THORNTON is 2-5 not to be around for a third series of The X Factor. The word is that the show has lost its sparkle and the blonde is to blame. Thornton's role in the show is on a par with a magician's assistant. She has to stand there and look pretty. She stands well enough. Only one X-Factor player is indispensable - Simon Cowell. Every panto needs a villain, whereas grinning blondes are ten-a-penny. Hills make Patrick Kielty and Dermot O'Leary their 3-1 joint favourites to be offered her job, which is basically cuddling contestants.

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I've never been a fan of hers at all - she behaves like she is at the same level as the judges (who have the knowledge and experience so can have that attitude), and it's always grated with me.

Hopefully her next TV job will be something that puts her back in her place - as a mediocre tv presenter with no discernible talent!

[IRiSHMaFIA]

I'd be delighted if they got rid of her, and you're spot on about her acting as though she's the same knowledge and experience as the judges.

If they brought Dermot O'Leary on board the shows popularity would go through the roof I bet.

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[IRiSHMaFIA]

[IRiSHMaFIA]