It's been a farce for ages.

It doesn't surprise me.
I stopped watching a couple of years ago, when it became blatantly obvious that it was so contrived and set-up. On top of that the majority of the acts are poor copy-cat singers.

Its a farce to line Cowells pockets. Wish hed just go and enjoy his millions as far away as possible.

I don't watch the show, but just wanted to pop in and say hi Erinp Hope you are well.

This show is total bollix,I still don't know why anyone still watches it.
Cowall is supposedly off to America soon,good bleedin' riddance.

No arm-twisting there then from Cowell to Cheryl eh? Even if Cowell knew nothing about all of this the show is supposed to be for ordinary people not people who are crap on their own merits looking for a back-door in. It still doesn't excuse Cheryl putting someone through who didn't even f*cking sing.

Wot Prom said ^^^

Totally agree. The name Katie Vogel rings a loud bell and I don't know why (could be myspace related from a while back?) I know it's not cos of whatever TV show she did cos I would have remembered the airheaded twit (and only because I would have wanted to happy slap her all the way to Tescos). If she's already known to Sony/music industry in such a vast way then there's no WAY she should have even been allowed to audition. Seems Sony used the X Factor to give her exposure, so whether she wins or not she'll still get some kind of material out there. (I wish it would be the donation of her organs right enough - but not her vocal ones, no-one deserves that).

I am still totally stumped as to how 2 shaky, wispy, weepy, desperate, sandwich short of a picnic bints could screw up both their auditions and STILL go through over those who were well-rehearsed, professional, slick and ready Danni done pretty much the same thing too. That thing with the quiff and the road runner eyes whose 50's throwback image is about as believable as the Krays on Community Service isn't even good enough to sing to deaf pensioners at Christmas.

WorraloadofauldSHIT

Karma  I'm going to give that excellent rant 10/10 and hope you haven't spontaneously combusted in a rage 

Not yet But thank you *bows to polite applause from one pair of hands* **


** edited to insert laughing smiley that I forgot to put in initially.

In My opinion the whole Xfactor thing has gotten more of a sham over the years, Louis got the worst catagory and imo made the best choices of his lot, i'm pleased Cheryl picked Rebecca, as for the other 2 she put through, what was she thinking, or was she doing as she was told?? I'm pleased Danni put Matt through cos he's good as well as living local to me but again i dont think the other 2 were the best of the bunch. Then there's Simon and his 2 manufactured groups....and now the talk of a wildcard, if that turns out to be true then thats probably gonna be the nail in the xfactor coffin.

I told my OH what his choices would be and said Mary Byrne was through before he even started. I was right on all counts. If you want Louis to put you through you can either make sure you're Irish, male, young and there's two or more of you or you can just be Irish it worked for Mary.

He's one of the weirdest individuals I've ever seen on TV he makes my skin crawl. I'm sure he's not a simpleton but he's doing a very good impression of one. The only thing I am absolutely sure of is Louis is the Antichrist of the music world. Jedward anyone?

Prom.  I've typed all sorts of answers to your post but deleted them.  I thought you were a fairer person than that.  As I said in the X Factor thread Mary is there on merit despite the fact that she's Irish.  
Any of the 'judges' would have put her through.  Shame though she will never get the chance to reach her potential because Simon Cowell probably doesn't own the rights to the songs she excels at.  I am really looking forward to seeing how she copes with the crap they throw at her.

Oh she is. It wasn't a comment on her it was a comment on him. If she couldn't sing at all he would have put her through just as he did with Jedward. Any other judge would have put her through because she can sing and deserved to go through. It was a comment on his agenda, nothing to do with her. He has no right on that panel. On tonight's show, either has Cheryl Cole.

Mary might have  fared better on the "Britain's got  talent" slot..This show is supposed to be about  "Pop star factor" aye right....Cowall knew what that girl  Chloe Mafia was all about!...Pah.,

I'm annoyed because one  of my niece's is  called Chloe...grr!  She's 21 ,it wasn't  a common name then...

But she can sing why keep knocking her because it was Louis that put her through.  Louis was spot on with Jedward, crap they may be but they're raking in the money and that's what it's all about.  Mary doesn't have the X Factor and she will be reminded of that all the time but she's one hell of a singer.

He wasn't, and they're not. Their single was written by someone else so no royalties, their records don't sell and their concerts are attended by 12 year old girls who will tire of them within weeks of seeing them. He IS pretty much the Satan of the music world (Boyzone anyone?). I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he is either prematurely senile or just plain retarded.

It's got nothing to do with owning the rights to songs They choose a theme week on week and work to that brief. In the early stages they don't have a theme so just sing various stuff, Syco/ITV will have to pay some royalties but because the songs they tend to choose are popular globally then the royalties will be tiny. This will be a benefit for Mary all round cos she could easily do big band, Abba, virtually anything that's thrown at her because she has a karaoke voice (to me, I know you think different). The one it may be a bit more difficult for though is Matt Cardle who has got a distinctive style, but the good thing about the team on the X factor is they manage to incorporate individual style into almost any piece of music/song so they usually find a solution that works for the artist.

I'd say Mary has probably got a much bigger advantage than some of the others.

Yep Cheryl was banging on about relevance and what would sell in today's market to justify her decision(s), whereas Louis was more concerned who could stand up and perform week on week. The judges seem to have different directions they want to go in (which is partly understandable due to their categories) - but surely they must all have a common aim when deciding who goes through?

It's no longer a singing contest, cos if it was then the strong ones would have got through, it's now a money making scam. And ANYONE who has had any kind of deal in the past should either be not allowed to audition, or this info should be disclosed to the public early on. It's supposed to be a show to discover untapped, raw talent, and I think it's unfair that those who have had deals (Katie, Mary) are being given the sad music and sympathy votes when the full story isn't being shown.

And another rant over

Jumps up and down!  It';s not a singing contest,it's  reality TV show...hence that Chloe  wassname getting through twice ,despite arsing up both auditions.I 'll bet there's  more than a few  hundred better singers than her that didn't  even get a look in on the auditiions...pah!

He was and they are Prom.  
They're all over the place packing concert venues with 12 yr olds and their Mammys.   Jedward merchandise is flying out the doors, the kids can't get enough of them.  Where I work their CD is the most popular one because it's a sing along that the kids and their parents (even though they resist) can't help singing along to.
Boyzone are Irish too.  How dare they make it big.

They only sing the songs Simon Cowell owns the Rights to.  It was explained on one of the Extra shows last week that the songs are picked and each Judge takes a turn at first pick.  So it's pot luck for the singers really.

Then I would say that it is the parents who are as moronic( if not more so) than the kids.

It would be a cold day in hell if my 12 year old wanted such over hyped talentless twaddle and I gave into them.
Actually I did prove a point with my daughter when she was 12.
She decided that as all her friends liked craplife she ought to as well. So in the end I bought her the album on the proviso she pay me back out of her pocket money ( which she did).
She hated it and I still tease her to this day.
As for the Irish crack Tayto - it is a well known fact that Louis will blindly support anyone who is Irish. Now Mary actually has a voice and talent, BUT jedward do not.They are rude arrogant talentless little oiks and need to stop now. The tweenies would soon forget about them. 

Louis promotes them, he let more talented people go over them because he could see that they would appeal to the brainless masses.

Therefore for me,he loses ALL music credibility.

Cowell doesn't own rights to all the Beatles, Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder ....etc. Sony may have some involvement with some of the artists and have some kind of monopoly on some of the material if it was recorded under Sony/Arista/RCJ (or another other subsidiaries of Sony), but they cover such a vast array of music that I think whoever said "they only sing the songs Cowell has rights to" was misinformed a bit.

I'm gonna check it out cos I'm intrigued now.

EDIT: As for the rest of your post regarding the choices of each week, that's more or less what I said up there ^^^ (they are given a brief week on week).

I'm not disputing that it happens with people like Louis Walsh, but can anyone explain to me WHY anyone would support someone just because they come from the same country/city/town?  It's a concept I really can't begin to understand.  Surely anyone would want to support the people who they feel are the best rather than someone who lives locally?  It's the same with other programmes like Big Brother when, for example, many people from Wales wanted Glyn to win JUST because he was Welsh.   Why? 

totally agree, my thoughts exactly.. biffa puts the 2 worst though, ditto danni... and dont get me started on the manufactured groups.. so of all the groups that auditioned, only ONE got through.. if i were in one of the groups i would be a tad miffed

If I'm wrong on that I will stand corrected but from what I have read the songs are picked from the Sony/Cowell catalogue.  
The point I was trying to make was the singers don't always get to sing what suits them best because the songs are picked on a rota system which in Mary's and possibly Matt's case could be detrimental.
I don't give a fig for Louis Walsh but I think it's an insult to Mary's talent for anyone to say that he only picked her because she's Irish.  I am actually very annoyed about it.

This is why she was picked.  

One of my favourite songs ever and it was mullered

  Sorry Karma.  I love the way she sings in - without screaming.

There's also this news story as well...made me laff:

X FACTOR 2010: What is the biggest lie of the most cynical and manipulative show so far?

Don’t get us wrong, we love the X Factor. The show is made by the wannabes like livings “legacy“ Katie Waissel, Dot Cotton’s mini me Cher Lloyd and Mary Byrne – aka MaBy – the “new Susan Boyle” with the abbreviated name the dolts at home can manage to remember. But when the cynicism gets too much it sticks in the craw.

Get this from, Simon Cowell:

“There are literally no second chances.”

And were it not for the four wildcard singers who get a free pass into the live shows, he’d be spot on…

 

God dammit! I can't stand the X FACTOR

she murdered that song..... oh god... i now officially hate the x factor

Oh help ma boab that`s awful!!... and she`s singing "when you walk TO a storm"

The Liverpool fans murdered that song a long time ago and continue to do so


BUT she has no soul or expression in her interpretation.. none.

Claramae Turner at 90 could probably still sing that song better!

aaaaggghhhhh  !

I can honestly say that in all the years of watching reality TV this girl, to me, is THE most annoying ever.

And that's saying something 

Hi Baz,Doing fine thanks, on the day of the BB final my mum got her blood results back,not good news, cant say to much . I like to pop in now and then ,helps me stay sane.

Awww Erinp.... I'm sorry to hear that But I know what you mean about the forum.... it has proved a haven for me so many times...