Author Archives: Melanie

X Factor Blog – Kandy Rain Get The Boot

Could I even fake surprise last night when Kandy Rain got voted off the first X Factor Live show? Nope.

They were destined to fall at the first hurdle, but not because they weren’t talented (although the blonde one did very little on either night to keep them in the comp anyway) but when the claws came out on Saturday night, I doubt anyone had their antiseptic cream at the ready to ward off the perfectly manicured nails of Dannii and ‘our’ Cheryl.

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In rare form the two (bullies) female judges dominated the judging panel on Saturday for all the wrong reasons. I am sure I was not alone last night, when the camera scanned the audience and showed the backs of only three judges, in thinking that Dannii had been put on the naughty step after her low blow aimed straight at Danyl’s manhood on the previous evening. How dare she?

Twitter was aghast, with Danyl top trending topic for at least four hours after Dannii took aim after school teacher Danyl killed the first live show with his performance of And I Am Telling You.

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Of course the missing judge turned out to be Louis who, like many millions was shocked to hear about the sudden death of Boyzone member Stephen Gately in Majorca where he had a home with his partner Andrew. Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and the rest of the band at this time.

So with Louis unable to defend his gals, they were led to the slaughter. Even the vote from Simon failed to rescue them from Deadlock as they faced off with Rachel. How Rachel ended up in the hot seat when Rikki Lonely got through I will never know but there it was.

Kandy Rain exited the competition with the least amount of public votes. Can’t help thinking they were voted off for all the wrong reasons, including the fact that Louis had them styled like they were headlining the Ann Summers 2009 Halloween Party, but I am sure we will see them again next year and the year after as that is what this show is all about isn’t it? Regurgitating rejects.

All in all, not necessarily the most amazing first live show I have seen. Lucie doing Leona made me barf, how could Dannii put Lucie under the scrutinous eye of Simon Cowell with that song choice all the while bestowing a crown jewel upon Dagenham Stacey, makes me wonder just how much favouritism goes on behind the scenes. Granted Dannii did say Lucie was given that song to prove she can sing big songs, well hmmm would she be in the final 12 if she couldn’t sing big songs?

‘Our’ Cheryl’s trio were so boring. I mean Lloyd singing Justin Timberlake was painfully bad, his attempt at dancing just iced a stale cake really. ‘Our’ Cheryl needs to pick it up next week methinks.

Hopefully each act will eventually emerge from their comfort zone as the shows progress and do something out of the ordinary, as if this is what we are getting for the next ten weeks I need to start blogging on Strictly instead.

But in saying that the over 25s are enough to keep me coming back week after week and even though I have slated them on more than one occasion I have to admit I did find Dumb and Dumber ever so entertaining on Saturday night and was actually quite pleased to see them stay in. Not sure how many lifelines they have in this competition but they are still there, for now anyway.

Melanie Cornish

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X Factor Blog: Week Two

I think we can safely say that Birmingham was not overflowing with talent after our X Factor judges visited the city on this weeks show. We might have got a little A to Z knowledge of the areas thanks to 50 year old Alan who kicked off the show this week, but talent was just not the focal point of Brum.

Just what possesses some folks to get up there and sing is beyond me. I am all for self-praise and loving yourself but seriously some of the people who audition have to be deranged. Let’s take for example The Stunners. Why oh why? With their confidence stuck in over drive you just knew they were setting themselves up for a fall. But they truly believed they were the business; even in their matching ensemble that looked like a Primark throw back circa 1999. It’s watching acts like these, that you really understand why the judges get paid the seven figures they do to judge this show.

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With groups like the Stunners, Check-Out, Priceless and Double Trouble (no relation to Triple Trouble last week thank God) encouraging me to change channel tout suite along came the simply divine Miss Fitz. Made up of a 2006 reject and two gal pals she met when attending the audition the trio which would cause any red blooded persons head to turn brought a welcomed splash of originality to the show. Their jazzesque version of Toxic by Britney Spears had the judge’s toes tapping and rightly so. It’s about time folks realized to stand out you do need to be a little creative with it, although dressing up as a purple gorilla or with a chicken on your head might be taking it a little too far.)

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With 2009 looking like it might just be a man’s year, the ability to entertain and take a risk with song choice paid off for Jamie Afro and the leather clad Behrouz who hit the stage with songs from Kings of Leon and the Scissor Sisters respectively. Talk about Rock Rules, I just couldn’t help thinking Ruth Lorenzo might appear on stage at any given moment.

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Both guys deserve the boot camp pass without a shadow of a doubt but like Laura White last year will we see them struggle with song choices later on down the line when their style is so concentrated? Let’s hope not as for entertainment value they both kick ass.

It is acts such as these guys, and Danyl last week that are using this live audience to their advantage. They are giving us a preview of their stage presence, something we would never get when they were just performing in front of the judges and Simon’s bodyguards in previous years. This will obviously help them stay in the competition further down the line when the Judges mess up their songs and outfits if they do make the Final 12.

The X-Factor just isn’t the X-Factor without a sad story though is it? Daniel last year, and now Daryl Markham this year. Obviously stories like his put our lives in perspective and allow us to see ‘our’ Cheryl’s mascara run and tears well in Louis’s eyes proving that the four judges are very very human after all. You can’t help but wonder if Simon and Louis will eventually ridicule Daryl, just as Daniel was last year. Let’s hope for his sake he isn’t, but hey this is business right, nothing personal.

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Of course can’t sign off without giving a mention to Rozelle Phillips who left her home of Trinidad and Tobaygo (said in a Dublin accent…gotta love Louis) to pursue her dream. Damn that girl can sing. ‘Our’ Cheryl said it was the best version of Jennifer Hudson’s One Night Only she has ever heard and for once I am in total agreement. This 21 year old has possibly put herself in pole position for the gals with her performance last night after blowing everyone out of the water.

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The tension, the tension and from what I hear, the best is still yet to come….so until next time … Melanie Cornish XXX

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X Factor Blog: Week One

Well the 2009 count down to Xmas has begun now that the X Factor is well and truly underway. What a night, what a night. First off if you are offended by my comments please remember this blog is a matter of opinion…my opinion, but if you want your say, then get to typing in the comments section!

What is said is of no reflection on FemaleFirst.co.uk so please don’t be nagging my relevant editors and bosses about my opinions as that’s what the comments are for…I will respond to one and all if it is worthy of a response. :)

First off, have to shout out Dannii Minogue who finally looks like she has landed in the 21st century with her new ‘do’. The addition of ‘our’ Cheryl last year has obviously encouraged the less fortunate Minogue sister to step her game up and sit her ass down in the chair to get those locks chopped. Liking it though Dannii, liking it a lot.

But the addition of the studio audience during the auditions has yet to win me over I have to admit; especially when they aren’t necessarily behaving how you would expect. I mean come on, had some of those acts been performing at the Apollo, they would have been booed off the stage within seconds.

But obviously some sort of mass pinky swear had been carried out, just to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, on entering the venues. Well either that or they are cast offs from previous shows who know exactly what rejections feels like. But all jokes aside that audience was just verging on the boundaries of being ‘TOO’ nice. There were folks up on that stage that had the potential to make me want to gouge out my eyes and feed them to my friends dog who I am looking after and who even ran for cover at one point. All for audience participation here as long as they, like Simon Cowell, ‘keep it real.’

Although you had to love the reaction that the first lambs to the slaughter had (the sister on the right from Dream Girls) when she realized she was about to sing (can we call it that?) to a couple of thousand folks. She turned positively puce and I thought someone was going to enter stage left with a bucket.

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But the two models from Lithuania (they need to get a Timotei commercial pronto btw) along with the infamous duo Sister Act, (pleased to see their father has given up the idea of being the Northern version of Dolce and Gabbana) brought me to the foregone conclusion that this year is one for the boys.

Even with the cutesy Essex girl and the leather clad biker girl, Katie, it was the lads that excelled and rightly so last night. Whether we were blown away by their talent or just a bit weirded out by their fake American accents and their obsession with ‘our’ Cheryl (John Edward and Kyle Campbell respectively) the boys were on fire last night.

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Newcastle, in dire need of something to focus its attention after the Toon Army lost its premier league spot were represented by the darling Joe McKeldry. Do we think he has the potential to bring the sunshine back to the city? ‘Way Aye’ I say… Echoing the sentiments of ‘our’ Cheryl, but of course he faces extremely tough competition from the current day Mr. Chips, Reading’s very own heartthrob Danyl.

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Do I even need to make a comment here? Me thinks not, incredible to see Mr. Cowell leading the standing ovation for his rendition of the Joe Cocker classic, Get By, but not surprising. That brown-eyed primary schoolteacher might just have the vote of the nation on his side after that performance. I am just hoping he managed to grab a few minutes back stage with the Catherine Tate meets Harry Enfield ensemble of Triple Trouble. If anyone was in dire need of educating it was those three.

Tell me how can you go on stage promoting positivity amongst our youth and how teenagers should be seen in a less negative light and then act like a complete tosser when you get zeroed out of the competition and throw your mic on the ground when exiting stage left? I mean come on…’Simon Cowell needs to sleep with one eye open’, with the security Simon has I doubt anyone in Cowell’s Casa will be missing out on a wink of beauty sleep worrying about those threats.

Melanie Cornish

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