L.A. REID LIKES HIS ‘DIVERSE’ GROUP OF ‘X FACTOR’ GUYS

As L.A. Reid said on Fox All Access over the weekend, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be given the “Girls” group of contestants on “The X Factor,” because it would have been too easy for him to win.

As fate would have it, he was right — he didn’t get the girls.  Instead, he got the guys.

After having the final eight in the “Boys” category over to his house in the Hamptons on Long Island for an intense round of mentoring and judging, Reid chose his final four:  Astro, Marcus Canty, Chris Rene, and Phillip Lomax.

So, after getting the chance to evaluate the talent in his category, Reid still likes his chances, and he took a few minutes to tell Fox All Access what he likes about each of his finalists.  (Click the audio player to hear L.A. Reid.)

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To find out more about all of the final 17 acts on “The X Factor,” go to the show’s website, www.thexfactorusa.com, and watch Tuesday night (10/25) as the finalists sing on live TV for the first time. The special 2-1/2 hour episode of “The X Factor” begins at 8/7c on Fox.

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TIME TO MEET THE X FACTOR’S TOP 17 CONTESTANTS

‘JONESING’ FOR INFO ON ‘THE X FACTOR’? STEVE’S GOT IT!

With “The X Factor” moving into its final stage before the live shows begin – where the contestants visit the judges’ homes – we caught up with the host of the show, Steve Jones, to find out a little more about him and to get an insider’s look at everything that’s happening on the show!  Make sure to watch “The X Factor” tomorrow night at 8/7c on Fox.

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SIMON COWELL ON THE JUDGES’ HOME VISITS “I’VE MADE A MASSIVE MISTAKE HERE”

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!

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THE X FACTOR’S SIMON COWELL “I’M BETTER THAN THE OTHER THREE”

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

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L.A. Reid talks The X Factor, Shine Gurus, and Loveability

The judges continue their search on “The X Factor” during night #2 of “Bootcamp” week, all in a quest to find those select few performers capable of being a global superstar. Our very own Chris Leary sat down with L.A. Reid to talk about Bootcamp and sending people home, being overruled, Shine Gurus, and our new favorite L.A. coined word, “Loveability”.  Check it out!

 Catch the final phase of Bootcamp, and find out which catagory of singers will go to Simon, Paula, Nicole, and L.A. on The X Factor at 8PM ET/PT on Fox.

For more details on the contestants that make the cut, check out The X Factor website at www.thexfactor.com

PAULA ABDUL “SIMON MIGHT REGRET HIRING ME”

It’s Bootcamp week on The X Factor, which means we’re going to see some dancing, more singing, and plenty of dra-ma! We’ve already heard that Brooklyn teen-rapper Brian Bradley (the “Stop Lookin’ at My Mom” kid) declines to participate in the dancing training portion of the show because as Bradley puts it “Emcees don’t dance”, and that’s just for starters. Aside from the drama dancing, there’s going to be a quick singing elimination, group performances, and a final round of singing to determine who moves on to the next round (which includes a visit to one of the judges’ homes for more drama singing and some special mentoring).

FOX All Access host Chris Leary sat down with X Factor Judge/soon-to-be-mentor Paula Abdul and got her take on the mentoring process, why she says Simon might regret hiring her, and her strategy for making a non-dancer look like a dancer – no matter what. Check it out.

 You can catch all the dancing, singing, and drama excitement surrounding night one of “bootcamp” on The X Factor at 8PM ET/PT on FOX.

WIN A TRIP TO SEE ‘THE X FACTOR’ IN LOS ANGELES

Want to get caught up in the X-citement of “The X Factor”?  Fox All Access has teamed up with Entertainment Weekly to give away a trip to a taping of “The X Factor” here in Los Angeles.  We’ll fly you here, put you up for 2 nights at a hotel, get you into the taping, and even give you a $500 American Express gift card.  To get the official rules and to enter, go to EW.com/thexfactorsweeps.  Thanks to our friends at Entertainment Weekly, the first to know about the best (and worst) in entertainment.  Make sure you pick up the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, on sale this Friday, and good luck!

‘THE X FACTOR’S’ PAULA ABDUL: ‘MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE’

We’ve already learned that “The X Factor’s” Nicole Scherzinger comes from “the musicians’ planet” and L.A. Reid is smarter because of music, but what about their fellow judge, Paula Abdul? Why is she so passionate about music?

Turns out, it’s quite an emotional subject for her, so take a look at what she has to say!

“The X Factor” premieres tonight with a two-hour special at 8/7c on Fox. For more information about “The X Factor,” visit www.thexfactorusa.com.

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‘X FACTOR’ JUDGE L.A. REID: ‘MUSIC MAKES ME SMARTER’

“The X Factor” judge L.A. Reid has enjoyed success in the music business as a writer, producer, performer, and a label executive. Why is it that seemingly everything he’s touched has turned to gold?

Listen to him talk about the part that music plays in his life, and it’s not so difficult to figure out why.

Tomorrow: Paula Abdul gets emotional as she tells us what music means to her.

“The X Factor” premieres with a two-hour special tomorrow night at 8/7c on Fox. For more information about “The X Factor,” visit www.thexfactorusa.com.

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