Deadline's Nikki Finke recently had an exclusive interview with Simon Cowell, and apparently he revealed that he WANTS Paula Abdul and Cheryl Cole to sit right next to him and LA Reid as judges in the upcoming US version of The X Factor.
Cowell tells me that in addition to himself and Antonio “L.A.” Reid, the chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group who resigned to join The X Factor panel on Fox (and about whom Simon said “was my No. 1 choice to sit alongside me on the show”), he has made up his mind to bring back Paula Abdul beside him and to add a Brit singer convicted of assault who’s virtually unknown to American audiences, Cheryl Cole.But according to Finke, the negotiations for Abdul hasn't even started and that Cole's deal isn't quite done yet. So ultimately, he could change his mind and go with, say, Jessica Simpson? Haha.
My thoughts? I covered last year's The X Factor UK and I always thought Cheryl Cole was awesome as a judge and mentor. True, she's not widely popular in the US yet, but I don't think it's that relevant at the moment. Oh, and she's unbelievably gorgeous. Talk about a draw for the young male demographic! Haha.
As for Paula Abdul, I don't think it was the best idea. I mean, for a guy who has clearly tried to distance himself from American Idol, throwing Paula Abdul into the X Factor mix sure isn’t accomplishing that. To me, the show will make it look more like an Idol ripoff, having two of the original judges on the show. There's just too much of an Idol connection here. Plus, Paula isn’t exactly a ratings maker - just look at how her dance show did. Cancelled after one season. This comes off as a lazy and safe choice.
I admit, Simon went with chemistry above anything else - he sure had that with Paula and Cheryl - but this panel isn't very exciting. It's silly to compare, but The Voice panel is stronger hands down. At the very least, all of the panel had name recognition and are shockingly current. I think the show just made The Voice look better. Haha. Still, I’m interested to see how The X Factor in the US will turn out.
3 comments:
I agree, they need someone current, or someone with a younger blood. but I'd like to think as well that Simon knows what's he's doing. Hmmm.
Yeah, a VJ from MYX said the other day that Rihanna has begged off because of her tour, and Mariah will be having a "very special" role in the show, as I heard, THE JUDGE of the judges (I felt it was official coming from that VJ haha). I hope she sheds off her weight soon! Oh sorry, I am such a Mariah fanatic. hahaha :D
Jayvie: I'm not so sure about THE JUDGE of the judges as there's nothing like that on the UK version. I kind of doubt that as well, because with an ego as big as Simon Cowell, I don't think he wants to be judged as a jduge. But let's see.
hahaha! in one of his interviews, Simon blabbered about how much he loves Mariah Carey, perhaps enough that he could submit to the diva's wishes. let's see Dam. I am excited about this. hahaha :D
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