X Factor 2011 (UK show)

It’s not just a show... the X Factor is now a Marks and Spencer-sponsored show.

The High Street giant has signed an exclusive deal with X Factor bosses to be “official fashion partner”.

The contract means that the chain’s latest clothing range will be showcased on the X Factor website.

Stores will also be able to offer customers the chance to win tickets to the show in competitions.

Last year X Factor show came under fire for promoting supermarket giant Tesco eight times in three episodes.

The frequent references came after one of the finalists, 50-year-old checkout worker Mary Byrne, from Ireland, was dubbed “Tesco Mary”.

At the time, Tesco had an exclusivedeal to sell the show’s official X Magazine and branded trading cards in its 1,500UK stores.

At the time a Tesco spokesman denied any commercial agreement to mention the supermarket on air.

A spokesman for Fremantle, the product*ion firm behind the X Factor, said there would be no plugging of M&S products during the prime-time shows.



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The X Factor has come under fire after devoting more than seven minutes of Sunday's show to a "cruel" audition featuring contestant Ceri Rees.

The 54-year-old, who has auditioned for the show four times, was shown struggling to sing in tune and was rejected by the judges.

The clip of Ceri, from Bridgend in Wales, which showed her singing I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Miserables and I Will Always Love You in front of the panel was criticised online.

ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly tweeted: "Uncomfy to watch ceri on x factor - she's a poor wee soul."

Singer Lily Allen wrote: "they shouldn't have aired that audition, she's clearly ill."

Richard Madeley said: "Loads agree that last two acts on X Factor last night should never have been featured, certainly at such cruel length. Bad end to show."

A Mind spokesman said: "We want people with mental health problems to participate, but need programme-makers to be responsible."

Viewers saw an upset Ceri leave the stage, saying "stuff it", after her rejection.

A spokeswoman for the show said: "The X Factor is open to everybody to apply and we regularly welcome back contestants who want to audition again. Ceri has been taking singing lessons since she last appeared on the show and she wanted to have her vocals judged by a new panel as she hadn't been successful with the previous line-up. Her audition was the same length as the other key stories we have featured in the series and Ceri has assured the team today that she is happy she auditioned for the show."

The show employs psychologists during the auditions to help programme makers and asks contestants to "declare any health issues".

No wonder there are so many people in this country who are prepared to be cruel to people with disabilites, when X Factor "spokeswomen" can so glibly justify showing stuff that is way beyond cruel. There was nothing remotely entertaining about wheeling poor old Ceri out again, and if anyone really did take money off her for singing lessons then they too should be ashamed. The current series has been much better for the lack of Cowell and Cole, but clearly old habits still die hard and Richard Madeley is spot on to say it was a bad end to the auditions section.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brucie

No wonder there are so many people in this country who are prepared to be cruel to people with disabilites, when X Factor \"spokeswomen\" can so glibly justify showing stuff that is way beyond cruel. There was nothing remotely entertaining about wheeling poor old Ceri out again, and if anyone really did take money off her for singing lessons then they too should be ashamed. The current series has been much better for the lack of Cowell and Cole, but clearly old habits still die hard and Richard Madeley is spot on to say it was a bad end to the auditions section.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...s-TV-show.html

The X Factor has apparently been thrown into chaos after producers discovered one of the contestants had served a prison sentence.

Sian Phillips, 24, sailed through Boot Camp, due to be aired this weekend, and made it to the Judges' Houses stage of the competition.

However, X Factor bosses then found out she had served ten days in jail aged 22 for affray, meaning she was unable to get a visa to travel to Miami with judge Kelly Rowland.

The show is now being re-edited at the last minute as Phillips was originally shown making it through to Judges' Houses, but has since been replaced by another contestant. A source said she is being "virtually airbrushed" from the show.

Speaking of her conviction, Phillips told The Mirror. "I'd just lost my home and come out of a long-term relationship and I went a bit off the rails. I got really drunk on a night out in Liverpool, had a fight and ended up being arrested and charged.

"It was my first offence. I'd never been in trouble with the police before and I haven't since. I was shocked with myself and full of regret. It was the worst thing that ever happened in my life, but in some ways it turned out to be the best as it gave me the shock I needed to get my life back on track."

Viewers will apparently still see brief footage of Phillips this weekend as producers work out how to cover up the blunder in upcoming episodes.

An X Factor spokesman confirmed: "Unfortunately the visa could not be obtained in sufficient time for Sian to join the other contestants in the USA. We have a system to complete criminal and welfare checks for every contestant from the Boot Camp stage onwards.

"At the discretion of the producers, certain convictions or pending criminal proceedings may result in someone being axed from the series. Each contestant is looked at on a case by case basis."

X Factor star Goldie Cheung has allegedly quit the show over fears that she had become a 'joke act'. she is kidding, surely :p

Viewers will see the 49-year-old advance to the Judges' Houses stage of the contest on tomorrow's night's show, while the Daily Mail reports that she had also been selected for the live shows.

However, sources told the publication that Cheung has now backed out of The X Factor due to concerns that producers will take advantage of her eccentric routines and turn her into a laughing stock.

Previous X Factor episodes have shown an unwell Cheung vomiting backstage at her first audition and straddling judge Gary Barlow mid-performance.

When questioned about the reports, Cheung appeared reluctant to discuss her X Factor future with the press.

"No, I haven't left the show," she stated. "Who told you that? I haven't even told anyone that. I cannot speak to you. The X Factor have told me I can't give any interviews."

X Factor bosses were said to have axed contestant Sian Phillips this weekend after discovering that she served a prison sentence.

X Factor judges Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Kelly Rowland and Louis Walsh have discovered which categories they will mentor for the rest of the show.

The panelists were introduced to their assigned contestants immediately after naming the 32 acts chosen to advance to the Judges' Houses stage.

Barlow, who announced that he would be "leaving" the show if he got the groups, was delighted to be put in charge of his favourite category - the boys.

"You know what the lucky thing for you guys is, this is my first year and I'm going to be on you 24 hours a day," he told them. "I want to share with you my 20 years of experience in this industry and help you to be by the end of the competition the best that you can be... I'm so thrilled."

Contostavlos, meanwhile, was overjoyed to be assigned the groups, declaring to them: "You can't even imagine how emotional I'm feeling right now. From now on, honestly, I am here 100% for all of you, from the bottom of my heart."

Upon discovering that she would be mentoring the girls, Rowland stressed to her new acts that communication would be the key to victory.

"Oh boy, are we going to have some fun," she told them. "Oh my God... we got to win this. Confidence is key.

"You got to communicate with me. I really mean, there are no crazy questions, there are no stupid questions, every question you ask me, I don't care what time it is, I'm here for you, I really mean that. No crazy Hollywood talk."

X Factor veteran Walsh was left with the overs, a category that he earlier identified as his nightmare pick.

"I'm going to work very hard," Walsh told host Dermot O'Leary. "I'm still here, I'm still standing."

It was also revealed that Contostavlos and the groups will be heading to her Judges' House in Greece, Walsh's overs are set for Barcelona, while both Barlow and Rowland will take their categories to America, with boys being assessed in Los Angeles and the girls in Miami.

The X Factor will return next Saturday at 7.30pm on ITV1.

The 32 X Factor acts through to the Judges' Houses stage of the show have been revealed.

Panelists Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh confirmed the lineup on tonight's final Boot Camp episode.

Advancing in the boys category are 18-year-old lothario Frankie Cocozza, Joe Cox, Luke Lucas, returning contestant John Wilding, barber Marcus Collins, Max Vickers, James Michael and Craig Colton.

The successful Overs were named as Samantha Brookes, Joseph Gilligan, Goldie Cheung, Johnny Robinson, ex-Fame Academy contestant Carolynne Poole, Jonjo Kerr, Terry Winstanley and controversial hopeful Kitty Brucknell.

Meanwhile, Amelia Lily, Misha Bryan, Holly Repton, Sian Phillips, Janet Devlin, Jade Richards, Sophie Habibis and Melanie McCabe made it to the next round in the Girls category.

When it came to the groups, the judges shook things up by forming a new band called Rhythmix out of soloists Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirwell and Leigh-Anne Pinnock to put through with The Lovettes, Girl V Boy, The Keys, Nu Vibe, 2 Shoes, The Risk and Estrella.

The X Factor judges also discovered in tonight's edition which category they will be mentoring for the rest of the show.

Contestants will be seen travelling to Judges' Houses on next Saturday's episode of The X Factor, which airs at 7.30pm on ITV1.

Gary Barlow has reportedly agreed to write the winner's song for this year's X Factor champion.

The Take That star is set to land a £1 million bonus, on top of his £1.5 million salary as a judge on the ITV1 show, The Sun reports.

Barlow has written Matt Cardle's new single 'Run For Your Life', his first release since winning The X Factor last December. The 40-year-old has also co-penned Westlife's new single 'Lighthouse'.

"The move will be a huge boost to the show's credibility as it means the X Factor single won't be just another cover," a source said. "It's a licence to print money for Gary.

"It's not like there is one winner. Whoever comes second usually has a good career like Olly Murs and JLS... he could end up writing for all of them."

However, Barlow has apparently warned bosses that he won't write the material if a "joke" act wins.

"He'd be too embarrassed, he wants integrity more than money," the insider added.

Janet Devlin is the 11/4 favourite to win The X Factor, with William Hill taking their first four-figure bet on the Northern Irish singer.

The 16-year-old, who is one of the eight female singers in Kelly Rowland's category, currently leads the field, with fellow category member Amelia Lily offered at 5/1 with the bookmaker.

Hills confirmed that a £1,000 bet was placed on Devlin - who wowed the Wembley Arena audience with her performance of Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' - to win at 3/1, in one of their Dublin shops. Since she appeared in the first episode of the series, she has been included among the favourites to triumph.

"After Boot Camp last year, we saw a number of four-figure bets for Matt Cardle, which propelled him to the top of the betting, where he stayed until he won the show," a spokesperson for Hills said. "The omens certainly bode well for Janet."
Various other odds to win currently offered include Jade Richards at 7/1, Frankie Cocozza at 12/1, Misha Bryan at 14/1 and Sami Brooks at 20/1

The X Factor continues with a Judges' Houses double bill this weekend on ITV1.