Last night’s episode of “The X Factor” was a spectacular show. Great singing, big production, interesting cat fights (we’re talking you Simon, L.A., Paula, and Nicole), and a lot of emotion. You’ve got to admit they are an amazingly talented group of human beings, so it’s hard to imagine how America (that’s you!) is going to figure out who that “one” winner will be. We caught up with each of the newly crowned Top 12 contestants on stage after the show and asked them to share what they were thinking and feeling about their performance, the judges’ reactions, the fan support, and the night. Watch what your favorites have to say:
Our Top 12 are back at it and already preparing for next week’s show, so make sure you follow your favorites on twitter and facebook, check out ”The X Factor” website www.thexfactorusa.com and make sure to ink in your appointment to catch ”The X Factor” live this coming Wednesday, November 2 at 8PM ET/PT on FOX.
The older singers on The X Factor are proving two important things: 1) You’re never too old to pursue your dream. 2) Music is a great anti-aging remedy. We caught up with each of the contestants in Nicole Scherzinger’s “Over 30″ group and dug a little deeper to find out what they’re still learning, what’s motivating them and what’s the best receipe for a musical burrito. Check it out:
Dexter Haygood
DYK? Dexter has been pursuing music for a long time, and it’s a few words of wisdom that he learned as a kid that has kept him striving for his dream. We call it soul rockin’ advice.
Josh Krajcik
DYK? Early in the auditions Josh became known as the “burrito man”, but that was before he busted out those pipes of his. Josh shares some of his guilty pleasures (which may surprise you), and gives us the receipe for the ultimate musical burrito.
LeRoy Bell
DYK? Yep, LeRoy is the oldest contestant on The X Factor, but by all accounts, he’s also one of the coolest. He’s got style, wisdom, and a soulful spirit. So what’s the secret to staying so youthful? (lots of inquiring minds and ladies want to know!) We’ve got it!
Stacy Francis
DYK? Stacy didn’t leave a dry eye in the stadium the day she did her first audition, and we’ve seen and felt tears since then too. So when we asked Stacy what she’s learned about herself through this whole process… Well, let’s just say the subject of crying is on the list.
So there you have it! So what’s next? The contestants are prepping for their big night, and it all happens LIVE! So catch Dexter, Josh, LeRoy, Stacy, and the rest of The X Factor contestants as they take the stage and perform for their future. It all happens tonight, Tuesday, October 25 at 8PM ET/PT on Fox.
This week The X Factor will be taking us to each of the Judges’ homes where we’ll see the eight singing acts from the four categories (young girls, young boys, singers over 30, and vocal groups) perform their hearts out for their mentor/judge. By next week, we’ll know which four from each category will asked to stay – and which four will be sent home packing. We got Simon and L.A. to talk about their categories (Simon has the younger girls, L.A. the younger boys), the ‘Judges’ Home Visit’ process, and found out that Simon is already doubting his decisions. Check it out:
Q: What do you think about the categories that were given to each of you?
Simon: I think the decisions that were made were the right decision interestingly. You have to cast the right judge with the right category. Who do you get? Who will you get? And L.A. said this before, and I agree – there was a winner potentially in every category. The category I got, I was really happy with – really, really happy. But, the big difference on this show is, it’s not just about winning the show – you’ve got to turn somebody into a star. In my case, I’ve had to bring in fitness experts, nutritionists, vocal coaches, producers, stylists, choreographers; because that’s the way you’ve got to work. You’ve got to be fit, you’ve got to be ready, and mentally my job is to make them understand that I’m looking for a winner who’s going to win in the real world – and I expect 11 out of 10 every single week.
L.A.: My category was the boys, and I was really happy to get them because I actually believe that my category has the strongest contestants, and the most likely to win. Now, I’m saying that, but you never know what happens going forward, right; but so far, I have the clear winners.”
Simon: “Well, I think I’ve got the winner. Enough said.”
L.A.: “You do?”
Simon: “Oh yeah! I’ve got the girls. I think I did a brilliant job with all of them, chose two songs for each of them; and it was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, because I could’ve put any of these eight through. I mean, I could’ve put just eight in the whole competition, and you’d of had a fantastic cast.”
L.A.: “How many really have talent in your category?”
Simon: “All eight. I swear to god. L.A., I watched it back – I swear when you see what – they were incredible.”
Q: So bootcamp is over and you’ve all been given a category… Simon, you have the girls, and L.A. you have the boys. Nicole gets the singers over the age of 30, and Paula has the groups. This week, we see all the contestants go to your homes for a “home visit”. What’s that process like?
Simon: “The home visit show is designed; you get to know who you’re going to be working with because you’re going to be stuck with them for a few months. So over two days, we chose two songs for both of them. That’s to me the hardest time to go. You’ve gotten to know them, they’re all arguably good because they’ve made the eight; and you’ve got to say face-to-face at the end of that competition, You’re going to the live shows, you are about to get back on a plane 6,000 miles because you’re not going any further. It’s a no, you’re going home”. It’s horrible.”
L.A.: “Yes.”
Simon: “And it’s very personal, and normally you’re going to end up with “I’ve made a big mistake” – I certainly did.”
Q: Is it hard to decide who makes it through?
Simon: “It’s hard because you don’t have an awful lot of time.”
L.A.: “Right.”
Simon: “First day you hear them sing, you’ve got to think about it overnight, they do two songs each. Then you wake up, you think you’ve made your decision, and then I watch the tapes back. “yeah, I made the right decision, and I changed them. You know I’ve made the right decision.” After about an hour after I put my four through, I went “I’ve made a massive mistake here”. But, regardless, I will have them fighting fit, and I want it mentally, as I said get them prepared to kill the others, and I will.”
Q: So what are the contestants going to have to do to be ready for what’s to come?
L.A.: “They’ll have to work really hard. They better be in fight shape. They better be.”
Simon: “They’re ready. They’re ready for your old boys, trust me.”
L.A.: “I think they now know that it’s down to the wire, and that this is really about winning, and I think their ready – we’ll see.”
Q: Are we going to find most of the fan favorites making the cut?
L.A.: “We know who the fan favorites are, and I think one of the most interesting things about the judge’s homes is in boot camp and in auditions; all of us are caught up in the audience, not just the judges, but everyone. I think the viewers are also caught up in the moment and excited, and I think when it’s broken down and it’s raw, and we really get down to that raw bare talent, I think that they’re going to all be very surprised at who emerges.”
Simon: “I am not leaving my house the day after the home visit show.”
L.A.: “You’re not leaving?”
Simon: “Absolutely no way, I’m undercover.”
So the question is – will Simon, L.A., Paula, and Nicole make the right decisions? Will YOUR favorite make the cut? Watch and let us know! Catch all the excitement, singing, and drama that is “The X Factor” this Wednesday and Thursday at 8PM ET/PT on FOX.
For more info on the Top 32 contestants, check out The X Factor website: www.thexfactorusa.com and listen to the FOX All Access Radio Show!
This week we find out which of “The X Factor” contestants will make the bootcamp cut AND which catagory of performers each of the judges will mentor the rest of the season. According to Simon Coweel though, when the doors open, the ONLY Judge contestants are going to want as a mentor is him – because he is better than the other three. Watch as Simon disses Paula, explains how Leona Lewis wasn’t very good (at first), and how he’s happy that he finally gets to show America what he really does for a living. Watch The X Factor tonight and see which group of performers Simon will get at 8PM ET/PT on FOX.
For more info on the contestants check out The X Factor website at www.thexfactorusa.com
Music means different things to different people, but what about somebody whose life revolves around music?
We asked Nicole Scherzinger of “The X Factor” to talk about her passion for music, and she gave us quite an impassioned, interesting answer!
Tomorrow: L.A. Reid tells us how music brings his family closer together.
“The X Factor” premieres with a two-hour special Wednesday night at 8/7c on Fox. For more information about “The X Factor,” visit www.thexfactorusa.com.
Like the other judges on “The X Factor,” Nicole Scherzinger knows firsthand how much work it takes to make it in the music business. In the last few years alone, she’s toured the world as frontwoman for the Pussycat Dolls, competed and won on “Dancing With The Stars,” and recorded her first solo album. And that all happened before she joined Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and L.A. Reid at the “X Factor” judges’ table! So it’s fair to say Nicole is not just talking the talk, but walking it too.
With the premiere of “The X Factor” less than three weeks away, we asked Nicole to describe exactly the kind of work ethic that goes into becoming a successful artist, and what it’s going to take for a contestant to pass her scrutiny.
How many contestants do you think will pass her “work ethic test” and have “The X Factor”? Will her “sleep when you’re dead” attitude help her groom the winning contestant? We’ll find out soon: “The X Factor” premieres Wednesday, September 21 at 8/7 Central on FOX.
Don’t want to wait until Sept. 21 to see the premiere of “The X Factor” on Fox? Will you be in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sept. 14? Then click here for an opportunity to get into a very special, exclusive screening!
For the past several years, Nicole Scherzinger has had a successful musical career performing with her group, the Pussycat Dolls, and also having a great solo career. Scherzinger is ready to take another giant step in her career by being a judge on what is one of the most anticipated new shows of the Fall, Simon Cowell’s The X Factor, which will make its series premiere Wednesday, September 21st on FOX.
Scherzinger, who has herself been judged as a performer, is now in the position of judging aspiring singers. We spoke to Scherzinger, who told us that sharing the judging panel with television’s most beloved judge, Simon Cowell, has made it comfortable for her to judge. She also takes her role as a judge very seriously.
For Nicole Scherzinger, getting the chance to be a judge on “The X Factor” really is a case of her life coming full circle. See, when she was a young girl trying to figure out. (Click on the audio player to hear Nicole Scherzinger)
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So then, what was it like when she learned she’d be working beside Paula? (Click on the audio player to hear Nicole Scherzinger)
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Nicole and Paula join L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell at the judges’ table on “The X Factor”… help them choose the next global music superstar. It all starts Wednesday, September 21st on Fox.
Last night’s episode of “The X Factor” was a spectacular show. Great singing, big production, interesting cat fights (we’re talking you Simon, L.A., Paula, and Nicole), and a lot of emotion. You’ve got to admit they are an amazingly talented group of human beings, so it’s hard to imagine how America (that’s you!) is going to figure out who that “one” winner will be. We caught up with each of the newly crowned Top 12 contestants on stage after the show and asked them to share what they were thinking and feeling about their performance, the judges’ reactions, the fan support, and the night. Watch what your favorites have to say:
