Fix Factor claims: Was Kitty Brucknell hand-picked by X Factor producers before the show started?

By Ben Todd and Liz Thomas





-Peak audience of 12.6million tune in to Saturday night's opening show

-Simon Cowell 'thrilled' with viewing figures and new judging panel



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Put through: Kitty Brucknell on Saturday's show. She was one of the successes of the programme but reports suggest she was targeted by the show's producers





Television executives have been accused of targeting a professional singer to encourage her to enter The X Factor after spotting her in an internet video.



Kitty Brucknell was one of the successes of Saturday evening’s first programme of the series, with her performance of Lady Gaga’s Edge Of Glory. She has now been put through to the next stage.



Nevertheless, there have been suggestions Miss Brucknell – a professional impersonator of both Lady Gaga and Britney Spears – was ‘headhunted’ by producers, adding to claims the show is more stage-managed than it would like viewers to believe.





Previous series of the show have been dogged by claims of ‘The Fix Factor’, with allegations that executives manipulate the process to keep their favoured acts in to generate controversy and ratings, rather than those the public like.



It was claimed the TV executives had targeted Miss Brucknell, from Cheltenham, after seeing her singing in an internet video. Indeed, her mother Mary said: ‘She’d never thought about going on the show before.’



However, last night X Factor bosses insisted this was not the case. They claimed Miss Brucknell, 26, applied for the show via YouTube, a method which has been allowed for this series.



She's got legs: Contestant Kitty Brucknell impressed with her acapella version of Lady Gaga's Edge Of Glory



Quirky: Tulisa rightly pointed out that Kitty may be a bit of a 'Marmite' contestant





A TV source added: ‘Kitty seems to be making out to people she was approached, when she actually entered. She seems to be saying it just to make her look good.’



A Sunday newspaper yesterday claimed that Miss Brucknell is suffering under the pressure.



After her performance in front of 5,000 people at Wembley Arena, she was reportedly overheard sobbing: ‘This is the worst day of my life. The public are going to hate me.’



Despite the fixing claims, however, a peak audience of 12.6million tuned in to Saturday night's opening show, the same number as last year's programme.



Meet the panel: Louis Walsh, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Constostavlos and Gary Barlow prepare to take a long, hard look at the contestants



Mr Nasty? Gary Barlow shares a joke with fellow judge Kelly Rowland





Former judge Simon Cowell, who is still heavily involved in the series, said he was 'thrilled' with the numbers.



He is quoted as telling The Sun: 'I'm thrilled with the numbers. The new judging team are doing a brilliant job and the show feels even better this year.



'With me not there, it has taken the age down considerably.



'We have four individuals being themselves. It is the public who will decide, but I am very pleased with the start. I want it to be ever more successful - but there is a side of me that wants to be missed.'



But the return of the show is proving as controversial as ever after it was filled with sleaze before the 9pm watershed.



The opening show saw one teenager boast of his sexual antics before baring his tattooed bottom, while another verbally abused the judging panel after apparently being wound up deliberately.



The good, the bad...: While Janet Devlin (left) won over the judges George Gerasimou offended them





The more controversial acts came despite executives being warned by the TV watchdog that overtly sexual or sleazy performances needed to be toned down following a deluge of complaints from viewers last year.



Ofcom ruled in April the final was ‘at the limit’ of acceptability for broadcast before 9pm for a family audience. They then held urgent talks with producers before Saturday’s opener to ensure there was no repeat. However, it appears they have paid little attention.



Despite the controversy, X Factor creator Simon Cowell yesterday declared himself thrilled with the new series. There had been fears there would be a ratings slump following his exit, along with those of two of his fellow judges, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue.



However, the peak viewing figure was the same as last year’s while the average viewing figure was 11million – down 300,000 on last year. Cowell – now concentrating on launching a U.S. version of The X Factor – said: ‘I am thrilled with the numbers. The new judging team are doing a brilliant job and I think the show feels even better this year.’



The night was stolen by a shy 16-year-old girl from Northern Ireland who had never felt confident enough to perform publicly, before proving she had the voice of an angel. Janet Devlin, from Gortin, Omagh – who performed Elton John’s Your Song – admitted: ‘I’ve spent a lot of time by myself in my room, reading, writing and singing since I was seven.



‘It’s a lot easier to sing in the house than out in front of an audience.’



However, she proved a hit with all four judges: Louis Walsh, Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland, Take That’s Gary Barlow and N-Dubz singer Tulisa Contostavlos, the three new additions to the panel.



Janet also appears to have become an internet sensation, with thousands watching video clips of her songs on the YouTube website.



Yesterday, recalling her audition, she said: ‘My nerves totally took over, they totally absorbed me. Speaking to the judges was more scary than singing for them.’

The first episode was marred by a vitriolic attack on Miss Contostavlos by foul-mouthed contestant George Gerasimou, who branded her a ‘dog’ and a ‘scumbag’ after the judges said he could not sing and had a poor attitude.



Afterwards, the tattoo-covered 19-year-old from North London – who had auditioned in a previous series, launching an abusive tirade after being rejected – accused producers of purposely antagonising him to get ratings.



He said: ‘I feel 100 per cent the producers and judges wound me up to make better TV.



‘I feel like they taunted me when I was on the stage to get ratings up because they knew how I would react.’



Stage fright: Hong Kong born contestant Goldie Cheung was almost sick before she took to the stage for her audition





Quick recovery: However, she soon composed herself and gave an erm, energetic performance of a song no-one recognised











source:dailymail

Simon who? It's the return of the X Factor - and no-one seems to miss Mr Cowell as Gary Barlow steps into the role of Mr Nasty

By Jody Thompson





It was arguably the most anticipated return of a TV show in years - and the all-new X Factor didn't disappoint tonight.



Cynics had argued beforehand that the departure of head honcho and show mastermind Simon Cowell, along with former judges Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, would damage the show.



But the new recruits stepped up to the plate - with Gary Barlow surprisingly stepping into Cowell's shoes as the new Mr Nasty.



X Factor debut: The new-look panel didn't disappoint on the brand new series of the X Factor tonight





As the show began, with a montage of all the press over what the show mightily called 'the next generation' and a 'new chapter' of the X Factor, Gary pledged: 'I'm going to be tough, I'm going to be brutal. I think people's perception of me is about to change.'



He certainly seemed to live up to his promise too - to show there's no more Mr Nice Guy from the Take That veteran.



Interestingly, the show also seemed to focus more on the talent than the judges, arguably taking the show back to its roots with what is now the eighth series.



The new Mr Nasty? Gary Barlow is most definitely the Mr Grumpy of the panel and doesn't hide his displeasure at sub-standard auditions



Patience: Gary showed on tonight's show that he certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly - as fellow judge Kelly observed, he is very 'black and white'



Not backwards in coming forwards: The Take That star does not mince his words with any of the contestants and appears to be taking the show the most seriously





First up was cheeky chappie Frankie Cocozza, 18, from Brighton - who said he'd entered 'to get lots of girls' to screams of laughter from the audience.



Talking beforehand, he elaborated: 'I want to try and sleep with as many women as possible. To sum up my life, I’d probably use the word mental. If you came out on a night with me, you’d probably wake up the next morning wondering what happened last night.



'I see myself as a bit of a liability, but I can admit that. I just want to be famous. I want to be huge. I look forward to all the money, and the cars, and showing off, but more than anything I’m looking forward to the girls.'



Cheeky: Frankie Cocozza was one of the early hits with judges on tonight's show



Tattoo much: Frankie flashed his bottom at the judges after he told them he'd got seven girls' names inked on it after a holiday in Malia





As he took to the stage and introduced himself, he boasted that he'd just come back from Malia and had got seven girls' names tattooed onto his bottom.



He was then challenged by Tulisa to prove it - and he obliged by dropping his trousers and baring cheeks inscribed with seven names in a quite elaborate script.



He said he'd Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed in his bum too - but only if they paid for it.



He sang a characterful version The Zuton's Valerie - and got the crowd clapping and singing along, before a standing ovation at the end.



Debut: N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos, wearing an off-the-shoulder leopard print top, was impressed by Frankie's audition



Outspoken: The singer didn't hold back on her debut as a judge on X Factor either





Talking for the first time as an X Factor judge, Tulisa was the first of the panel to comment.



Smiling broadly, she said: 'It's quite clear that the girls seem to already love you and I think after that audition it's about to get a whole lot worse.'



Kelly was next to make her debut on the show, gushing: 'I like you. You know what, I usually like that bad boys. I like your whole vibe, I like the fact you've got eight girls' names tattooed on your bum.'



Mellow yellow: Kelly Rowland and her new fellow female judge Tulisa seem to get on like a house on fire



Destiny's mild: Lovely Kelly appears to be the peacemaker on the panel this year





When she's corrected that it's seven, she joked : I'll be the eighth! I'll pay for it!'



Gary was then next to make his first judgement on the show, and with authority, said: 'I love your stage presence, your Rod Stewart vocals, people are going to love youI really enjoyed every bit of it. The stage presence, the Rod Stewart vocals, I think people are going to love you. Well done.'



A delighted Frankie then gets four yesses and afterwards, said that he would get Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed onto his bottom and they would be there for the rest of his life.



Next up was Kitty Brucknell, 26, from Gloucestershire, who boasted: 'I know I can sing. I've invented my own brand -it's diva glam pop.'



She's got legs: Contestant Kitty Brucknell impressed with her acapella version of Lady Gaga's Edge Of Glory



Make yourself at home: The wannabe was confident enough to sit herself down at the front of the stage



Quirky: Tulisa rightly pointed out that Kitty may be a bit of a 'Marmite' contestant





She told the judges: 'I'm going to give it my best shot.'



She sings an acapella of Lady Gaga's Edge Of Glory to a roar of approval from the audience.



Gary was impressed and exclaimed: 'Wow. Kitty, that was a great audition. You give us the hard, the soft, the medium. You’re full of body, you filled the whole of the O2. The audience loved it.'



Louis agreed, saying: 'Kitty, it was a great audition. You know, you can sing girl, you’ve got talent.'



A confident Kitty took that as her cue to step forward and sit on the front of the stage, saying: 'I’ve always wanted to sit here.'



Stage fright: Hong Kong born contestant Goldie Cheung was almost sick before she took to the stage for her audition



Quick recovery: However, she soon composed herself and gave an erm, energetic performance of a song no-one recognised



Bum note: Even though singing wasn't Goldie's strong point her vigorous routine saw her shoe come undone, so she had to re-do it





A perceptive Tulisa however saw that Kitty might not be everyone's cup of tea, saying: 'You’ve got a very quirky personality. People will either love you or hate you. I hope they love you because with that vocal you really touch me. It was very haunting. I think it was a brilliant audition – you do like to talk a lot. It’s entertaining!'



Kitty got unanimous yesses from the judges however and was another contestant to go through to boot camp.



The auditions then moved to Birmingham where it was time for some comic relief, firstly when Jay-Z wannabe Sondesh Kumar had a dreadful go at J-Lo's On The Floor.



Up close and personal: Tulisa and Louis got a good view of Goldie's act



Not his type: In fact, Louis got a bit more than he bargained for...



Leg over: ....as did Gary....





There was then some drama when Hong King-born wannabe Goldie Cheung, 50, was sick backstage before she went on.



However, she kept her fighting spirit - and blind self-belief - despite being under the weather, and claimed: 'I can be as big as Tina Turner. I am unique.'



She then launched into an unrecognisable song, which involved a dance routine that at one point saw her put her leg around Gary Barlow's neck.



The audience lapped it up and were cheering and laughing before giving her an ovation.



Gasps: Despite Goldie's antics, Gary just wanted to bring the panel back down to earth and focus on her lack of singing skills





However, an distinctly unamused Gary said afterwards: 'The reason people are up on their feet… It’s not because you’re good.'



Kelly, who had Gary sussed from the start chipped in with: 'I think with Gary it’s either black or white – it’s either good or great.' But Gary was resolute: 'It's awful'. However, the undeniably entertaining Goldie went through.



The already tipped Janet Devlin, 16, from Northern Ireland then took to the stage for her audition once the judges had regained their composure following Goldie.



Nervous: A dressed down Janet Devlin was shaking with nerves when she took to the stage



Thumbs up: The youngster's version of Elton John's Your Song got the audience on its feet





The poor girl looked like she was shaking with nerves, but as she launched into Your Song by Elton John, she unveiled a really unique voice that wasn't a million miles away from former X Factor contestant Diana Vickers or The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan.



The crowd gave her a standing ovation - and she looked overawed but thrilled.



Kelly was first to speak and enthused: 'Oh my goodness, I am completely in a trance from your voice. It is so beautiful. You could have heard a pin drop in here, it was so silent. Because you came in here so nervous, it makes me love you even more. It was a wonderful audition.'



Big chance: The wannabes are auditioning before hundreds of X Factor fans



Standing ovation: The crowd are quick to show their appreciation - or displeasure





Tulisa couldn't agree more and gushed: 'I love the fact that you’re so shy, it’s so endearing. That is a recording vocal.'



Louis added: 'I don’t think you have any idea how good you are, that’s what I like most about you. You’re only 16 and you’ve got this very distinctive voice. And you’re from Ireland!'



Gary also had a smile back on his face after being totally blown away.



Big stage: Roxanna Arnold impressed the judges with her version of the Ray Charles classic Georgia



You're through: The star was told Tulisa and Kelly wanted to fight over who would mentor her at boot camp





He said: 'When we’re looking for these artists, we’re trying to find someone who will eventually sell records, sell albums around the world. Not just in the UK but everywhere. You are one of those people. That was such a fantastic audition.'



Tulisa concurred, saying: 'I was absolutely mesmerized by you today,' with Kelly adding: 'You blew us away.' She got four yesses and seemed overwhelmed.



There was also a great audition from Roxanna Arnold, who launched into a powerful version of the Ray Charles classic Georgia.



Soso Status were a girl group who claimed to be Destiny's Child's biggest fans - much to Kelly's delight - were also put through after an impressive audition.



Heshima Thompson, 24, who covered Oh My Gosh by Usher, showed that he could not only sing but dance too.



Not so so-so: Girl Group Soso Status wowed with some good harmonies



Boot camp bound: The girls had told Kelly that they were huge Destiny's Child fans





But the show finished with the already much-publicised confrontation between George Gerasimou, 24, and Tulisa.



He had auditioned two years ago with group Triple Trouble, but it had been an awful performance and he threw his mic on the floor in Simon Cowell's direction after being told no, and stormed off stage.



As he arrived on stage, Tulisa recognised him, and exclaimed: 'I know him. He's the one that slammed the mic down and told Simon to shut up.'



George tried to get the judges onside, claiming: 'I'm here to clear my name. Back then I was really quick tempered and whatnot, I was a trainwreck. That was two years ago, but I've grown up a lot since then.'



Bright lights: It's a full-on experience for anyone taking the stage



Big talent: Heshima Thompson was also through after showing he could sing as well as dance





He then launched into his audition of Gimme Everything but it became clear immediately that he couldn't sing - and the audience almost instantly started chanting for him to get off.



He then stormed off the stage and started fronting up Tulisa, before showering the crowd and the judges with a string of profanities, before security intervened.



Kelly dismissed him with a curt: 'If you can't take the heat baby you need to get out of the kitchen.'



A clearly disgusted Gary added: ' When you said earlier you'd matured, in what way. You've matured like a bad curry mate.'



Back again: Host Dermot O'Leary caught up with George Gerasimou before his audition at London's O2 Arena as he'd appeared on the show in 2009



Into his stride: But despite pledging that he'd matured and grown into his singing, George couldn't hold a tune



Off key: But the wannabe wasn't happy with the criticism





Tulisa hit back with: 'I don't think your attitude has changed at all. You came and stood right next to me, and I felt a lot of aggression off you. you're very angry. It's not a good vibe.'



George then interjected with: 'OK, I respect your opinion. Now it’s time for my opinion. You will vote… in good time. Tulisa, if you’re replacing Cheryl…'



But Tulisa was having none of it, cutting him down with: 'We don’t have to sit here and listen to you any more, I don’t want to hear another word of it.'



Aggressive: George fronted up Tulisa, who afterwards slated him for being an 'angry' person



Outburst: Kelly was having none of George's nonsense and told him 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen'



Out of order: Tulisa had the last word and told George he'd embarrassed himself in front of the nation





Then George stormed: 'You’re some scumbag trying to replace Cheryl. Some scumbag from the block.'



But Tulisa would not be bowed, and hit back: 'You’re here to be judged, and you know what you’ve just done? You’ve embarrassed yourself to the entire nation. I worked myself up from Camden Town and that’s why I’m here today.'



Loser: Despite having a friend invade the stage to back him up, George was escorted off by security





Still swearing, George was then dragged off stage by security, before he proceeded then call Tulisa a dog backstage in front of show host Dermot O'Leary who told him to 'watch his mouth.'



Unsurprisingly, George did not go through to bootcamp...











source:dailymail

Back with a bang! X Factor returns tonight - and new judges are full of fighting talk as they prepare to tackle first lot of wannabes

By JODY THOMPSON



At least he's honest: One of the first to audition on tonight's first show of the new series of X Factor is Frankie Cocozza - who says he wants to win to meet lots of girls



The new series of the X Factor kicks off tonight and the public get to see the new judging panel - Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa and Louis Walsh - put through their paces for the first time.



In this, the eighth series, it's back with a bang and still determined to find the UK's next pop superstar - though one presumes more of the Leona Lewis than the Steve Brookstein variety...





Will she have the judges purring? Contestant Kitty Brucknell would have certainly impressed Simon Cowell in her shiny leggings





In auditions held across the country earlier this year, thousands of wannabes turned up to audition with the stand-out moments debuted tonight on ITV1 - including one cheeky chappy who just wants to win the show to meet girls.



Kelly has certainly been impressed with the standard of talent so far.



Introducing herself at the start of tonight's show, she says: 'The talent coming out of the UK is nothing short of amazing. I cannot wait to find the next big star!





Hot stuff: But will gold jacket and denim short-wearing Candice hit the right notes?





'Being in Destiny’s Child, being a solo artist, I know how tough the industry is - I’ve been here for 15 years. It takes hard work to get to the top and even harder work to stay there.



'I want to find someone who will sell records all over the world. This show could change your life forever.





Keeping it casual: Stefan, who debuts on the show tonight, has a hint of the Olly Murs about him





Yes or no? We'll have to wait until tonight to see how Ray and Roxanne fare after they sing for the judges





As revealed by Mail Online yesterday, he then proceeds to show his naked bottom to the judges to reveal a tattoo he's just had done of the name of a girl he met in Malia, Crete.



Kelly can't quite believe it, laughing: 'Can I just say, I freaking love the UK! You gotta love it here. He came on, he showed his ass, literally. You’ve got to love that.'



Also on the show will be Cheltenham lass Kitty Brucknell, 26, who sings Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory, the wildcard Goldie Cheung, 48, from Hong Kong, who's described as a cross between Tina Turner and a lapdancer, and the early favourite, 16-year-old Janet Devlin.



The X Factor is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm, followed by The Xtra Factor at 9.15pm on ITV2.



Next big thing? Boyband 4 Real will be hoping to follow in the trainer-clad footsteps of JLS





source: dailymail