The X Factor 2010

[alan45]

A tearful Gamuchirai Nhengu stunned the X Factor judges at her audition, which will air in this weekend's opening episode of series seven.

Nhengu, who moved to Scotland from Zimbabwe in 2005, appeared at the Glasgow try-outs, where she sang her own unique version of 'Walking On Sunshine'.

Speaking before her audition, the 18-year-old hopeful explains that she wants to be remembered as "somebody that people talk about", before revealing that she is desperate for a pop career to pay back her single parent mum.

After her performance, Simon Cowell gushes with praise, telling her that she sounds like a "cool old-school jazz singer from the '20s or '30s".

"To be honest with you, that is one of my worst songs ever, but you did something different with it. I really, really, really like you! You are very talented," he adds.

Louis Walsh describes her as "soulful" and "likeable", while Cheryl Cole admits that her performance made her "really excited". Guest judge Geri Halliwell tells a tearful Nhengu that her mum will be "proud" of her performance.

[hawaiixx]

Konnie Huq so out of her depth. Absolutely awful. Sloppy dress, showing bra straps at one point. Utterly banal questions, repetitive and unimaginative. And she had to drag in Bengali. Holly was so natural and perfect - what a let down her terrible replacement is.

[Perdita]

Dannii Minogue has reportedly been axed from the next series of The X Factor.

The singer, who missed the first stages of this year's competition while on maternity leave, upset show bosses by refusing to let a guest judge replace her for the whole series, according to The Sun.

A source said: "It's no secret that her determination to do this year's show annoyed people. Some very senior figures hoped she would step aside so they could find a new judge and keep some degree of continuity between the auditions and the live shows."

Nicole Scherzinger is allegedly being lined up as her replacement, although she is also said to be in the running for a role on the US version of the talent show.

It is also claimed that Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole won't be axed from the judging panel because Cowell believes that they attract viewers.

Minogue returns to this year's show for the Judge's Houses stage of the competition.

[Chris_2k11]

FFS what do they have against Dannii?!


p.s. RELEASE MEEEEE!!!!

[Perdita]

Mercy, Mercy

[Chris_2k11]

1, 2, 3!

[Chloe O'brien]

She was completly bonkers. How the judges let her go on for so long and put her through, I will never know.

[tammyy2j]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...d-episode.html

Thousands of X Factor fans have taken to social networking sites in anger after programme bosses appeared to use auto-tuning technology on last night's audition show to improve the quality of competitors' voices.

Fans were outraged after it seemed the post-production technology, which is used in studios to correct pitch and disguise off-key mistakes, was used to improve many of the performances.

Viewers took to Twitter and Facebook to claim auto-tune was used on Zimbabwean favourite Gamu Nhengu, as well as G and S star Caroline, who was forced to abandon her partner Peter after judges decided she was better on her own.
A spokesperson for X Factor could not be reached to comment on the claims.

Viewers also suggested auto-tune may have been used on Shirlena Johnson, who stunned the judges with her incredibly unique performance of Duffy's Mercy
While the song was less than perfect, it was claimed the pitch was nearly spot on
One viewer wrote on Twitter: 'Don't get me wrong I do like X Factor, I just don't like the way they think they can auto-tune the mic without people realising.'


And another added: 'OMG X Factor have autotuned mics turned on its such a shame, they have obviously picked a number of people that they want to get through.'
Thousands of viewers logged on to the social networking site to complain about the technology apparently being used, with one saying: 'It seems X Factor has decided that, yes, contestants can use autotune. Amazing. Just amazing.'
A particularly angry viewer wrote on an internet forum: 'Thank god I'm not the only one that's noticed this. I honestly have no idea. To be quite honest it shocks me how a "singing competition" can deceive its listeners in this way.'
Another said: 'Why have they used autotune on xfactor? Very strange and can't work out why they would want to do it.???'
Fans also took to Facebook pages to register complaint, with one user saying: 'Lets just cheat all the time shall we?'
Others voiced anger on the official X Factor Facebook page, writing: 'Why are the contestants having their vocal fixed with autotune post production? Its not even being done well... I know its all fixed but come on be a little less obvious about it.'

Another comment read: I'm glad it's not just me who spotted the blatant autotune artefacts all over this - What a con, do the producers think our ears are that easily lied to? The whole point is to disseminate the good from the bad.'
Auto-tuning has been famously used for Cher's number one song Believe and several of Britney Spears' hits.

[Perdita]

Shirlena Johnson could be dropped from The X Factor after it was revealed that that the singer has been diagnosed with serious mental health problems.

Johnson, who made it through her audition on Saturday's show with an arresting rendition of Duffy's 'Mercy', has apparently been described by psychiatric experts as a "ticking timebomb".

It is thought that Johnson's health may affect her ability to care for her 3-year-old daughter Mariah, and that her situation may worsen further if the singer achieves success on the ITV talent show.

According to The Sun, the 30-year-old had not divulged her issues to X Factor producers, who may now be forced to axe Johnson from the rest of the competition and scrap footage of her at Boot Camp.

An X Factor insider said: "Shirlena can no longer be part of the show. We had no idea about any of this as the information was not given to us by Shirlena when she applied.

"We take contestants' welfare extremely seriously. There is no way we would risk anyone's health or wellbeing on what is a very exhausting show."

A medical source revealed that Johnson was "not a well woman" and should be withdrawn from the programme for her own safety.

"Sadly Shirlena is not in the best of health," they said. "She has been described by expert professionals as a 'ticking timebomb'.

"We watched the show on Saturday and - rather than thinking, 'She's so quirky,' like the rest of Britain - it just gave me the shivers.

"We believe this woman is not a suitable candidate for a reality show that can cause immense stress and instant fame."

The medical source compared the East London singer to Susan Boyle, who was admitted to the Priory clinic for exhaustion after "acting strangely" in the hours following her appearance on the Britain's Got Talent final.

"Shirlena is as fragile as Susan Boyle was - but the difference is that Susan didn't have a child to worry about," they said. "Hopefully the makers will agree that the best thing for Shirlena and her child is to gently drop them from filming and let us help her be the best mother she can."

Last night, an X Factor spokesman said: "We're looking into this."

After her performance on Saturday's show, judge Simon Cowell said: "It was like a musical exorcism. I have to say I love you. You're completely crazy, but I like that. You are fantastically nuts."

[Siobhan]

Am I the only one who thinks this woman cannot sing/??