Sinitta
She's the lady with the inside gossip on Simon Cowell's love life and all things X Factor, including the rumoured Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue feud so FemaleFirst caught up with Sinitta to find out the latest!!
Hi Sinitta, how are you?
I'm great, a bit tired because I've been up all night with the election but very excited and happy with the results! It's great.
How are you enjoying this season of the X Factor?
Really enjoying it. It's hard loosing two of our boys already but the series is really good, the talent's fantastic this year. All the girls are really strong, JLS are fantastic and we've still got Eoghan so it's pretty good! It's doing well!
How involved with the contestants are you?
It's the usual, once we go to the live shows I am working across all the contestants, so it's not just me focusing on Simon's acts. And you know I'm kind of there, tweaking outfits, tweaking performances, and also just been there for them really if there are any worries or concerns, building confidence. And probably doing the same thing with the judges as well!
So you're the mediator! It's getting worse each week the fighting between them!
It's unreal! What makes me laugh is that they all kick off on Saturday and then the rest of the week they're going 'No, no. There's no feud'!
Is there any tension between Cheryl and Dannii or is it all just media hype?
Maybe initially I think there probably was but now it's not so much tension as they're just foes. They're both seeing the finishing line and both really believing they're gonna win because they both have all three acts left. Dannii's trying to defend her title because she won last year and Cheryl want's to prove herself this year and because Dannii won in her first year she knows it can be done. And the poor old guys on the end are not getting a look in!
Do you think any of the contestants can be as successful as Leona?
I think that if someone like Diana won then she really could be because I really think she'd have that American appeal as well, that international appeal. They're both very commercial but they're both very different as well. But then just for vocal talent I think Alexandra is phenomenally talented and just needs something quirky, something that gives her her own sound and style because she's so good at lending herself to other people's styles and material that you're kind of like 'Oh that's a brilliant Christina Aguilera but it'd be nice to hear her put her own spin on it'. But Laura, her voice is just effortless and phenomenal. She's a funny little thing as well, they're all really really individual. I think that they would stand out and when I think of world domination, its America really, and I think America would find most of these guys really interesting. And I think they'd be impressed with their talent, it's definitely up there.
Who do you think will win and who do you want to win?
I think that Diana will win but I would love JLS to win! JLS or Laura. It's hard to answer to be honest because their all so good now! I think the label would be happy to have any of them.
Are you glad you don't have to be on the judging panel then?
Oh Gosh yeah!I really am because it would be heartbreaking every week. I'll tell you what though, I wouldn't mind Daniel going! Just because even though he's really good I still don't think he's an international star. He's good as a homegrown talent, a national treasure type of figure but he is someone that I don't think America or the rest of the talent would be excited about. so therefore to me it's like, the sooner he goes, the sooner it becomes a proper competition rather than a sentimental kind of thing because I think the others can really stand up internationally.
It does seem that the sob stories tend to get through a bit more. Do you think that was the case a few weeks ago with Scott and Daniel?
Yeah oh absolutely! Because I think Scott was the better man on the night but you know Daniel kind of like the McDonald Brothers. He's the underdog, whenever the judges whip him the public pick him up and dust him off and give him another chance!
Do you think the programme works better this year with the departure of Sharon Osbourne?
Do you know what, I think the show is better in that the talent is better, I think it's better in that I think Cheryl Cole is stunning. Stunning to look at and a stunning judge. I really think she brings a lot to the show but I do miss Sharon. I miss her kind of quirkiness, her little diva tantrums, picking eyelashes off of Simon, throwing her high heels at Simon, throwing her water over Louis, just her mad passion! So it's kind of like would you take Sharon back and get rid of Cheryl? it's really hard but it's interesting because at first it was like 'oh my god this is never going to work without Sharon. Mrs O, she's like the Mama of the show'! But Cheryl she didn't fill her place she just brought something completely different, you know, which means really they should bring Sharon back. That would be interesting! I think those two would join up and really give Simon and Louis a hard time.
There's been rumours of Rachel dismissing Dannii as her mentor is there any truth in that?
I wouldn't be surprised. Where did you see that? I think this girl was really shaken up by being in the bottom two. She hasn't been happy with her styling, she hasn't been happy with her songs and just things. I think she's like, 'If I'm gonna go out I'm gonna go the way I believe I should be', because of course she won the sing off and that was with a song she'd chosen herself and as a result of that the judges saved her. So I think she's thinking, 'Maybe Dannii doesn't really get me. I'm grateful to her for choosing me, I know she likes me and believes in me but she doesn't really know what to do with me so maybe I should take over myself.
Last weekend we had disco week and next week it's Mariah Carey week, which theme are you really looking forward to in the series?
I'm really looking forward to Mariah Carey week, I'm a huge Mimi fan! So very excited about that! I'm looking forward to Britney, I'm looking forward to Beyonce, I'm looking forward to Il Divo, the line up just goes on and on and on.; Every week is like a party for me! We work hard for it but you know what it's like, you stay up all night putting the balloons up and making sure the lights and the food arrive and then the star arrives and it's like 'Woooooooooow'! I go into fan mode!
Earlier this year you did wife swap where you were partnered with Coronation Street's Bruce Jones, how was that?
Do you know what I half hated it and half loved it! I was really out of my comfort zone because he was such a different character but I actually grew really fond of him and his daughter so by the end of it I was really close to them! It was amazing because I didn't expect that. There were times when I wanted to leave and I was thinking 'Don't worry, don't worry Sinitta there's only a few more days and then you never have to see this horrible man again!' By the end of it we were hugging and crying each others arms! I didn't expect to care so much.
You famously dated Simon Cowell and Brad Pitt and you've remained good friends with Simon, how do you stay so close to an ex?
I don't really know! Simon's the only ex I've really stayed super close to, however I am on speaking terms with all my exes. I even bumped into David Essex on Loose Women yesterday. He was in the studio doing Paul O'Grady and we bumped into each other in the lift and it was absolutely the nicest experience! Bumping into an ex, if you want the happy version of it, it was the best one you could ever have wished for. We hugged and he was so warm and just...I can't explain it! It was so lovely and there was no animosity it was like, 'You're in my history, we had some good times and bad times together but you're a wonderful guy and I respect you and I'm happy that you're happy in your life'. It was all over the press and the TV about Simon and I being such good friends and I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable actually, because obviously I'm used to being famous for all these years but it's different when the spotlight is high again and I'm not used to be that level where everywhere you go they're talking about you! And then I bumped into him and I thought, this shows maturity and health in our relationship because the only reason you can't normally be friends is because you're angry about something or you resent each other over something.
Were you sad to hear about Simon and Terri Seymour splitting up?
I was yeah. I've known about it for a long time so it was just that now was the time that they felt comfortable to go public but it actually happened a while ago...nearly a year ago. So I've known about it so I wasn't shocked and I wasn't so much comforting Simon as getting him used to the facet that everybody else now knows about it and is talking about it.
You did the TV show, Hit Me Baby One More Time, a couple of years ago, would you ever try and revive your singing career again?
Oh definitely! I think every five years I should have another go! I think bikinis and comebacks should happen at regular intervals!
We should have Sinitta week on X Factor!
Yeah, and really watch Simon cringe!
You're promoting the Leapfrog Tag and Love To Read programme, what exactly is it?
Tag is a reading toy, you get a series of books and a little electronic pen that you scan over the words on the page and it's read out to you but in all the characters voices and then you can touch any of the pictures on the pages and if it's a picture of a dog, the dog will speak and even the flowers make noises or the trees will sigh or do things, it's very interactive and lots of fun and it's great because it means you can read the story with your child or the child can do it by themselves once they know how to operate the pen or if there's a word they're stuck on it'll repeat it over and over again so they can pronounce it properly. Even if you can't read yourself, you can teach your child how to read! As a mum, helping my children to learn how to read has been one of the most exciting and daunting tasks I’ve had as a parent. We all know that reading is the foundation of learning and we need to get it right, however it can be hard to know where to start. Now, both parents and our teachers have a resource to help encourage a love of reading with the launch of the ‘Love To Read’ programme, developed by LeapFrog in association with the National Schools Partnership. The ‘Love To Read’ parents guide has been so useful – not only do I now understand how my child learns to read, there are tips that show me how to get involved, making reading a fun experience for all .
Why did you decide to get involved with this project?
My little girl Magdalena, she's three and a half now so she technically could've started nursery in September, she'd have been just under three and a half but I've decided to keep her home with me for another year but I was worrying thinking I don't want her to be behind and all of this and even though she does go to creche and swimming lessons and ballet classes and spends lots of time playing with other children in the kids creche I just thought I don't want her to be backwards with her learning so I started to teach her ABC and numbers and things like that so when Leapfrog approached me about this product it was like, from heaven! It was exactly what I needed! And I don't think they do much more than that in their first year of nursery anyway. She does painting and drawing at home but now I'm teaching her how to read more confidently and it's not like study time for her it's like a treat when we sit down with these books. And it's not hard for you, sometimes it would be hard for you to teach your own child or they'll behave better for someone else and just having the patience, even if you're really really tired. Like if I've been working late at X Factor then Sunday morning I can pick up this book and it'll still do all the funny voices and laugh in the right places, all I have to do is pick up the pen!
Every Celebrity that we interview we ask them a question which the previous celebrity has come up with, and Katie Melua asked you: Would you ever consider hiring a hit man to kill a member of the paparazzi?
Ooooh! I would never consider that but that doesn't mean I hadn't thought about it 20 years ago!
Can you come up with a question for our next interview please, it's with Snow Patrol.
Ok, I would like to ask them who do they think has come up with the best cover version of their song. Because lots of people cover them don't they and I want to know who's version have they loved the most.
Sinitta is fronting The Tag ‘Love To Read’ program is a brand new literacy initiative suitable for Foundation Stage and Key Stage One developed by LeapFrog Toys in association with the National Schools Partnership.
She's the lady with the inside gossip on Simon Cowell's love life and all things X Factor, including the rumoured Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue feud so FemaleFirst caught up with Sinitta to find out the latest!!
Hi Sinitta, how are you?
I'm great, a bit tired because I've been up all night with the election but very excited and happy with the results! It's great.
How are you enjoying this season of the X Factor?
Really enjoying it. It's hard loosing two of our boys already but the series is really good, the talent's fantastic this year. All the girls are really strong, JLS are fantastic and we've still got Eoghan so it's pretty good! It's doing well!
How involved with the contestants are you?
It's the usual, once we go to the live shows I am working across all the contestants, so it's not just me focusing on Simon's acts. And you know I'm kind of there, tweaking outfits, tweaking performances, and also just been there for them really if there are any worries or concerns, building confidence. And probably doing the same thing with the judges as well!
So you're the mediator! It's getting worse each week the fighting between them!
It's unreal! What makes me laugh is that they all kick off on Saturday and then the rest of the week they're going 'No, no. There's no feud'!
Is there any tension between Cheryl and Dannii or is it all just media hype?
Maybe initially I think there probably was but now it's not so much tension as they're just foes. They're both seeing the finishing line and both really believing they're gonna win because they both have all three acts left. Dannii's trying to defend her title because she won last year and Cheryl want's to prove herself this year and because Dannii won in her first year she knows it can be done. And the poor old guys on the end are not getting a look in!
Do you think any of the contestants can be as successful as Leona?
I think that if someone like Diana won then she really could be because I really think she'd have that American appeal as well, that international appeal. They're both very commercial but they're both very different as well. But then just for vocal talent I think Alexandra is phenomenally talented and just needs something quirky, something that gives her her own sound and style because she's so good at lending herself to other people's styles and material that you're kind of like 'Oh that's a brilliant Christina Aguilera but it'd be nice to hear her put her own spin on it'. But Laura, her voice is just effortless and phenomenal. She's a funny little thing as well, they're all really really individual. I think that they would stand out and when I think of world domination, its America really, and I think America would find most of these guys really interesting. And I think they'd be impressed with their talent, it's definitely up there.
Who do you think will win and who do you want to win?
I think that Diana will win but I would love JLS to win! JLS or Laura. It's hard to answer to be honest because their all so good now! I think the label would be happy to have any of them.