Welcome to Pure X Factor

Fox All Access has a fantastic audio interview up with Simon Cowell. Simon talks about what his life was like before American Idol and the X Factor. Of his youth, he thought he might “jump off of a bridge” at one point. It wasn’t the “best time of your life” as his teachers told him and his fellow students. He hated school. He thought it was boring, but, it taught him that he wanted to do something “fun” when he grew up. So, he worked his way up from the mail room of the music business to later wanting to produce records and shows that he “liked” and thought others would too. Fascinating! If interested, listen >>>>HERE .

Simon gave Extra a new interview. He’s excited about the new show. He’s also nervous about not being able to find a star. He doesn’t want the show to be boring either. Then he goes on to talk about the chemistry on the set. For example, Paula and Nicole are getting along great. So much so, he calls them “Sylvester and Tom”. More of this fun interview below.

Below is a new Hollyscoop TV interview with Nicole Scherzinger. In the new interview. Nicole talks about her new “Killer Love” album. She says it’s an empowering album about “heartbreak”, love, and losing yourself to love. Nicole is also asked if she has “marriage” on her mind (with boyfriend Lewis Hamilton). Right now she says she only has “work” on her mind, but, she’s really happy with her relationship. She then addresses questions on her fellow X factor judges. She calls them “amazing”, “unbelievable”, and L.A. is “a force to be reckoned with”. More below. Great interview!

Someone is always trying to get a piece of the pie and such is true for American Idol creator Simon Fuller. According to Reuters, Fuller thinks he has rights to executive producer fees and credits on the new US version of the X Factor. Here is a take from the link explaining more. I don’t understand why he thinks he should get money for something he’s never done on the show? Oh well.

Fuller said Fox and Fremantle made a deal with him in 2005 in which he agreed to drop the suit in exchange for an executive producer credit and fee on the American version of “X Factor.” The deal also included a confidental settlement, an agreement that Cowell would remain with “Idol” through 2010, and Fuller receiving a minority interest in “X Factor.”

But with the show just two months from airing, Fuller says, Fox and Fremantle have refused to grant him the executive producer credit or pay him a fee “‘commensurate with his duties and stature in the entertainment industry.”

Fox said in a statement: “Mr. Fuller has not been hired, nor performed any duties, on the U.S. version of ‘The X Factor.’ His suit seeks payment and credit as an executive producer despite his neither having been approved by the required parties, nor hired, as such. We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we expect to prevail.”

A representative for Fuller said in a statement that Fuller “has prudently attempted to settle this matter privately but the other parties have refused to honor the original contract, leaving him no other choice but to pursue legal action.”

Fuller’s suit alludes to the recent phone hacking scandal at News Corp., Fox’s parent company, to suggest a culture of wrongdoing.

“Fox, and ultimately its’ parent company, News Corporation, have demonstrated a callous disregard for Fuller’s rights which, given recent developments, reflects a corporate culture – if not a pattern and practice – of wrongful behavior,” the suit reads.

Hello all! If you remember from many months ago.. I mentioned that I went to one of the live tapings of the X-Factor auditions when they came through Chicago back in May.

I gave a little tid bit about the hosts, but as everyone knows by now, things have changed a bit. Cheryl Cole as a judge is out and Nicole Scherzinger is in. Which in hindsight seems to be the best thing that could have happened. How? Well let me tell you a bit about my impressions of the judges in the during the live audition tapings:

The warm up guy continues a bit of more of his song and dance, and introduces the judges to the stage. Naturally we all know who Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are, and if you don’t then get out from under that rock you’ve been hiding and look them up, while I focus on the other two judges.

New to the judging panel is Antonio “L.A.” Reid, co-founder of LaFace Records some of the acts that were signed to his label include Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton and Rihanna. He is also a Grammy winning producer and songwriter.

New to American audiences in general is Cheryl Cole, one-fifth of one of the most well known British all-female pop groups: Girls Aloud. She also released a couple of albums in the UK as a solo artist while the group took a hiatus to pursue individual careers.

Now there was a bit of speculation on the seating arrangement of the judges since in the original X Factor production Simon Cowell sat next to Cheryl Cole and in American Idol he would sit next to Paula Abdul… as it would turn out the judges sat as (from right to left if you were watching them on the television screen): Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Cheryl Cole, Antonio “L.A.” Reid… I suppose Simon put his foot down as to which female judge he could handle more.

Speaking of which the chemistry amongst the judges was beyond funny, nothing’s changed much between Simon and Paula except that it seems saner (I can’t think of a better word) in this version as opposed to American Idol. My friend even mentioned that she rather liked Simon now as opposed to his time on American Idol.

Simon did have a habit of resting his right arm across the back of Paula’s chair… Though, nothing really happened because Paula was so focused on the contestants that she would lean rather forward onto the table from her chair.

L.A. gives some really good constructive criticism, and in some cases would be more than willing to go against Simon in the matter of opinion. He seems to have won a few audience points in the process.

Cheryl was the quiet one in the quartet, it was just really difficult to hear her at all, let alone understand what she was trying to say. She came off as really reserved (a British trait?), and didn’t seem to add much to the panel of criticism except just echoing or repeating what some of the other judges were saying.

When I first heard that Cheryl was leaving and Nicole was taking the fourth judges spot, I have to say that I was thrilled. Nicole is a more “known” name in the U.S. and she definitely had a lot of energy as a host, let’s just hope that the energy migrated from her hosting position to that of being a judge.

More to come (hopefully not in a couple of months) as we anticipate the Series Premiere of X-Factor.

I decided to do it because I was jealous. I was jealous that a new platform for the music entertainment space was created and that I didn’t have a hand in creating it and I didn’t get to eat off it. The music-competition platform is the newest and most innovative thing to have happened to our industry in a long time. ~L.A. Reid on why he is doing the X Factor

Gotta give it to the Wall Street Journal. They’ve been covering the new US version of the X Factor really well if you can’t tell by some of our new posts lately. The same is true for their new interview with new X Factor judge L.A. Reid. Below is a take where L.A. talks of his role on the show. He doesn’t plan on being a nurturer like Paula and Nicole. He and Simon have known each other a long time, but, there was no preparation for the position. Simon just wanted him to be himself. More below. Be sure to read the link for the full interview. Fascinating stuff!!

How did Simon Cowell first approach you about being a judge on his new show?
Simon and I have known each other for quite some time. We’d talked periodically to say hello. Someone brought the idea to Simon, put it in his mind. He invited me to his home. I hadn’t seen him since he’d become Elvis. He showed me tapes of “X Factor” and we talked about it. A few months went by and we started to talk about it again and finally we decided we want to do it. We started having serious conversations and started to negotiate a deal.

How’d he prepare you?
There was no preparation. There was no coaching. There was ‘Here’s the itinerary, show up here.’ There was zero. I didn’t know what to expect from anyone. This was show up and be who you are and see what comes out. Scary. Scary.

Why do you think Simon knows what will resonate with a mass American audience?
Simon loves music. He’s still a music executive. He just happens to be the most famous one who ever walked the planet. He’s found a new way to connect to mainstream popular culture throughout the world. He has his finger on that pulse. He knows what the common man wants because he is the common man. He identifies with them. Of course, he’s very far from being them, the people who live normal day-to-day lives.

How is your taste different than Simon’s?
I’m slick. I like slickness. I like shiny, glossy, slick. I’m refined. In music, I am a pop guy. I love pop music. I love artists who make music that is right down the center and some people don’t like that. I like Rihanna. I like Katy Perry. I like Jay Z when he does “Empire State of Mind.” It’s just right down the center, smack in your face. I’d say I have mainstream taste but on the edge, like Kanye West, Coldplay, Kings of Leon. But I’m guilty of loving Justin Bieber’s “Baby, Baby Baby.” just right down the center. I think Simon’s taste is a little different than that. I think mine is a little higher brow and his taste is a little deeper in the center.

What’s your personality going to be like on the judging panel? Will you be tough or nurturing?
Paula and Nicole are the nurturers. They have so much sweetness I have to accept and it’s sometimes difficult, but I just can’t be sweet like that. I’m gonna be like ‘That sucks. What are you doing?’ I can be nurturing but I can’t be that sweet.

Thanks to The Wall Street Journal, here is a X Factor promotional picture of the 4 judges and host Steve Jones. What do you think of it? I think it depicts all of them and their personalities quite well.

Below is some fun footage of what Simon and the judges thought about making their first promo for the show. You can see some behind the scenes footage as well. This is too cute!! You can also see some images behind the scenes here.

The Wall Street Journal has a great new article up about Simon Cowell and the X Factor. It’s quoted that each episode of the new US X Factor is going to cost him $3.5 million. Simon has recently said, “This [show] better bloody work or I am in huge trouble.’” The take below writes about how it’s time for Simon to be judged and how the X Factor is his baby. The stakes are definitely high and he’s putting everything into it. Be sure to read the link for the full story which outlines more on Simon’s career and how he has made it this far. The link has some cool pictures to view too.

“This is exactly what would’ve happened on ‘Idol,’ ” Mr. Cowell said just before shooting the promo. “I’ll get killed for saying this, but so many shows on TV all look the same. ‘Voices need to be heard,’ blah, blah, blah.”

Mr. Cowell’s vision is brash, campy and conflict-driven, featuring lavish, concert-style live auditions across the country. As usual, he will not sugarcoat his appraisals of contestants. Last month, in front of a live audience of more than 4,000 people, he told a group of 12-year-old girls that their voices sounded like cats being run over on the freeway.

Now, it is Mr. Cowell’s turn to be judged. He didn’t own “American Idol” and had only limited creative control. “The X Factor” is his baby, and it closely tracks his personality— equal parts charm, drive and unapologetic nastiness. A $5 million recording contract with Sony Music is the grand prize. Other major sponsors include Pepsi and Chevrolet, whose rivals (Coke and Ford) enjoy a similar relationship with “Idol.”

The stakes are high for all concerned: The series, premiering on Wednesdays and Thursdays in September, is shaping up to be the most expensive reality show ever, at just under $3.5 million per episode, according to Mr. Cowell’s reckoning. (Other estimates put the budget closer to $2.5 million.)

Would you believe enteraintainment betting sources in Las Vegas are already placing their bets for who will win the US version of the X Factor? Currently, odds makers are saying the winner will be a man under age 25. More below and at the link from Sportsbook Gurus.

The first season of American X Factor is set to premier this fall on the FOX network and already fans are talking about the talent we are expected to see in the first season. Online sportsbooks are already offering entertainment betting odds on who will win this season of the American X Factor. Not yet knowing who the contestants are at this point makes it difficult to predict who the winner will be. Odds makers know how popular reality television can be and are sure to follow this series from start to finish.

To win American X Factor 2011:

Boys under 25 +125
Girls under 25 +250
Individuals over 25 +250
Groups +425

This is only the beginning. Stay tuned! We will be keeping a close track to all of the gambling sources out there because it’s fun to see how close or far away they are in their hunches and predictions. Sometimes they seem to know more on the outcome than a person would think?