The public outrage over X Factor judge Cheryl Cole‘s dumbfounding contestant picks looks set to only intensify. For, ousted contestant Anastasia Baker has (likely for a sum of money) gone to the press with her story of unfair treatment and favouritism.
Baker made it to the Judges Houses stage of the show, only to be rejected (again) by Cole – along with the wildly popular Gamu Nhengu – in favour of Katie Waissel and Cher Llyod (both of whom botched their auditions). The mother of one has sensationally lifted the lid on how:
* The show seems fixed, with Cheryl having already earmaked who she wanted to put through
* Cher Lloyd faked illness during her final audition, after partying with two guys the night before.
* Katie Waissel was already friends with key members of the X-Factor team
* and much more…
Check out her video interview (via The Sun) and my Two Pence, after the jump…
While Baker’s interview has to be the most ill-advised (stupid) move she could have made (industry code of conduct: vent in private, all-smiles in public), I can completely sympathise with where she’s coming from. Series after series, both the contestants and the public at large are led to believe that – if talented enough – you can go the full distance; only for wack/novelty acts to make it through at the last hurdle.
Yet in keeping it oh-so-real, it is rather funny that it’s only now that the public at large are recognising that they are essentially buying into a somewhat fixed fantasy. The X-Factor is, before anything else, a television show. One need not look further than the fact that Simon Cowell‘s vast wealth has largely been amassed via deals such as the £20 Million TV deal he has with ITV, as opposed to via the sales of his artists. Looked at this way, it quickly becomes apparent that talent is just a small component of what makes such shows and figures like Cowell so powerful. Entertainment over talent; all day, everyday. Sad, yet simply a reality of the Capitalist world we live in.
Tidbit: In other X-Factor news, new reports suggest Gamu (the act at the centre of the drama) will not be reintroduced to the show as part of the all-but-confirmed Wildcard twist. She will instead be heading back to Zimbabwe – after the Home Office rejected her family’s Visa application. Yet, for some unknown reason, betting heavyweights Paddy Power continue to take bets on the popular contestant winning the show. Do they know something we don’t?
cheryl cole is an idiot. why would she pick katie and cher over gamu! although i love rebecca, i hope cheryl doesn’t win with her category!
I CANT STAND CHERYL AND I DUNNO WHY SHE CHOSE KATIE BUT I PROBABLY WOULDA HAD CHER ON MY TEAM TOO, WHEN SHE SANG “PUT MY SWAG ON” SHE HAD MAD SWAG FOR A GIRL HER AGE AND A UNIQUE STYLE TOO.
GAMU SHOULDA BEEN PUT THROUGH INSTEAD OF KATIE WHO IS A CRAP SINGER AND DIDN’T EVEN MANAGE TO GET THROUGH ONE PERFORMANCE…
AT LEAST SHE HAD THE SENSE TO PICK REBECCA THAT GIRL IS GONNA WIN (OR MAYBE IT’S BETTER TO COME 2ND) BUT SHE IS AMAZING VOCALLY, BEAUTIFUL AND VERY SWEET I LOVE HER 🙂
I’m not even from the UK and I can tell you this show has a lot of fake segments. I saw a clip of Cheryl Cole and the Turn My Swag On girl in a house and it was so cheesy and obviously fake. They can keep this b******* in the UK. We don’t want it in the US.
OF *COURSE* THIS S*** IS FIXED. WHOEVER DOESNT THINK SO IS A TOTAL MORON. WHEN THEY AUTOTUNED THE VOCALS IN THE AUDITION SHOWS U KNEW COWELL WAS UP TO SOME S*** TO GET THE RATINGS. MY PICK WOULD HAVE BEEN REBECCA, ANASTACIA, AND GAMU. HOPE NO TALENT LIP SYNCER CHERYL COLE GETS FIRED FOR THIS FIASCO. DAMN, WILL.I.AM KNEW S*** WAS HAPPENING. HIS EXPRESSION AND WORDS SAID IT ALL WHEN HE SAW CHER F*** IT UP. SIMON AND LOUIE WERE HONEST AND MADE THE RIGHT PICKS FOR THEIR SIDES.
THIS REMINDS ME OF ASS SHAT TRENT THE R***** AND HIS CONSTANT BARKING UP MARIAH’S ASS WHEN PROOF SHOWS THAT SHE SUCKS IN HER MIMING PERFORMANCES!!
Wow she came across as bitter & extremely arrogant, imagine if she and Kanye West were an item, their two combined ego’s would just suffocate every living thing. She just needs to move on, only one winner is crowned, & I doubt that Cher or Katie will be one.
omg this girl is sour! She will definetly not be in the wildcard so she probably thought, f*** this I’m going to the press….I hear what she’s saying but going in on Cher does not look professional at all and will not help her get anywhere!
As for the whole Gamu marlarkey I couldn’t care less if she got through or not because she didn’t do anything for me personally, but putting Katie through over Treyc?? smdh! ((shaking my damn head). But it’s allllllll gonna backfire…. I predict Katie out in the first week.
Anyone thought about the reasons why Cheryl didn’t pick Ana or Gamu – just google “cheryl racist attack back in jan 2003” where she was ARRESTED and then CHARGED and then SENTENCED.. Could this be the reason – do you think??
@JO
IF TRUE, THEN HER MARRIAGE TO BLACK DUDE ASHLEY COLE WAS FOR PR PURPOSES. THEN WHEN HE SUPPOSEDLY STARTED CHEATING (REAL OR FAKE) THAT WAS HER OUT AND THE MARRIAGE ENDED. NOTICE BOTH PARTIES SEPARATED RATHER AMICABLY AND NEITHER SIDE WANTING ANYTHING FROM EACH OTHER. HMM.
Ana…would never have won but she does make valid points it’s not even about her hating but obviously this doesn’t make her look dignified and classy. The producers want Cher to win and for me as long as it’s not that faker Katie, I don’t think I care.
I LOVE HOW SHE’S GOING ON ABOUT MATURITY WHILE GOING IN ON A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL…
“SHE WAS PROBABLY UNWELL BECAUSE SHE DIDNT BRING THE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING” <<< YOU WERE IN A DIFFERENT PART OF ENGLAND NOT THE NORTH POLE LOL WTF?
EVERYTHING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS ABOUT LOOKS! Favoritism! Cheryl cole cant sing, and the b**** is a racist! I mean damn….black girls should really get the hint already. Leave that s*** to the light skinned females and the white females because those are the people who get marketed properly, who get worthy camera time, honorable mentions, get better deals, public support….
I mean come on name one black chick (dark skinned) that is major right now?
The last HUGE, widly popular dark afro female songstress to do it big was Lauren Hill! And till this day her success is unmatched by those of her kind so….BLACK GIRLS are not favored in the industry….the lighter the better
oh and im from the US….the same s*** happenes here. just look at the charts and see the number of “hopeful” falling below the waist sides of the Lady gaga’s…and Rihanna’s
The Gamu/visa thing is heartbreaking, how can they force anyone to go back there in the state the country is in!?
See I understand where she’s coming from. My only issue was that Cheryl and Will.I.AM, knew that Ana and Keri gave beautiful auditions and so did Rebecca. My picks would have been Rebbecca, Keri and Gamu, followed by Ana. Katie and then Cher. I don’t find Cher to be that talented, let alone marketable. Rebbecca and Keri were definitely the best picks. Yes Ana you can sing but I would have still chosen differently. I like Cheryl and I am not privy to her racism in the past but I will try to update myself as I cannot support that.
and you know for a fact that Cher was out partying all night? And you now for definite that her tonsils were in perfect condition (i.e. you actually delved into the back of her throat) Just because Cheryl didn’t like Gamu (maybe thought she wasn’t ready, which she isn’t) doesn’t generally make her a bad person. This is coming from someone who actually doesn’t like Cheryl. But this pathetic charade over Gamu is annoying and its probably annoying the heck out of her. I don’t particularly like Katie but Cher will do good and go far so everything give it a rest.
And if i hear anything more about Cheryl or Xfactor being racist I’m just gonna lose all respect for humankind. Racism? REALLY?? Shut up!!
its true a few years back wen she auditioned cheryl didnt put her through cuz she messed up tho this year she put katie and cher through who had the worst auditions out of all the girls.
I would have picked Cher too. She’s got people talking and shows a lot of potential. Also, she’s already shown that she’ll take chances and be original which is NEEDED for shows like this. No shame in picking Cher at ALL. Why would she fake sick? That scenario doesn’t make anyone look good.
Katie though….holy god, what the HELL. Gamu should have gone thru. That I’ll agree too.
Also, Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke have won this show before. And Cheryl picked Alexandra. Let’s calm down on the racist allegations, mmmkay? She’s clearly just thinking with her pocketbook.
WHAT ANASTSIA FAILED TO SEE IS THAT YOU ARE AUDITIONING TO BE AN AMBASSADOR OF MUSIC!! You should habve held your tongue or prepared yourself before you verbally attacked your fellow contestants. You sound bitter and selfish! were meant to sympasthise with you here… and we do… however there are ways and then there are ways… wise up girl. dont let the media use you… keep it all smiles and then hopefully you stil get approached… taking the angry bitter approach wont get you anywhere!
I have every sympathy with Annastasia Baker who was excellent at her audition and has a great voice. Cher and Katie were awful and made mistakes and as Danni said to her potential finalists that they have only one chance at the auditions there is something VERY FLAWED in the selection process for Cheryl to have picked Cher( who looks very unstable) and Katie.I am disappointed with Cheryl but maybe it is a good thing as one of the other judges will now have the winning act!!!
I understand why she did this….this was her last chance and she got abit of money from the sun but this is just sad…..cherl is stupid for picking katie.
Why should she have held her tongue? She is saying exactly what everyone else has been saying, that the show is a total fix and that Cheryl Cole put through two girls who didn’t deserve to be there. I don’t think that Ana would have been chosen over Keri or TreyC but she has a right to be angry. Initially I liked Cher’s “Turn My Swag On” until I realized that she was given a lot of credit because not a lot of people knew that she had ripped off Keri’s performance even down to the clothing. The Coldplay thing was ripped off from Swizz Beatz and oh yeah, she didn’t perform at the house at all. Anyone looking at Cher can tell that she has issues because no 17 year old girl looks that damn old without some bad habits. Lastly, if a black girl had rapped, she would have been out and if she had effed up like Cher and Katie she would never have gotten through. I hope the public votes off Cher and Katie quickly.
LOOK AT WHAT A SORE LOSER SHE IS… YEAH SELL YOUR STORY THE SUN AND GET WHAT MONEY YOU CAN.. BUT AFTER SEEING THIS… DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK XFACTOR WILL HAVE YOU BACK?
YOU’VE NOT GONE THROUGH… DONT HATE ON PEOPLE FOR THAT
I would have some Dignity in the fact that I tried my best and got so far. Not be bitter and hate those who achieved the final selection. Its a fix but rise above that, you now come accross in such a bad light.
NEGATIVITY , KARMA WLL BITE YOU B****, JUST LIKE YOUR VENOM WORDS
I think its completely outrageous that Cher&Katie got through and Gamu didn’t. This is meant to be a talen compittion, alothough both the girls have some talent Gamu was much better and didn’t mess up her addition. Cheryl Cole’s an idiot, she picked the two most annoying people to be in her top3. She just wanted her ‘mini me’s’ prancing about so she can feel good that people want to be her. They will be booted out the first week, Cheryl Cole. Your an idiot.
Oh dear lord, this woman is annoying. Yes, I get where she’s coming from, but saying all the that, and the way she says it doesn’t help either. Love, you need to get it into your head that you are not marketable. End of. The other girls were.
Besides, who would -really- take her seriously when she says something along the lines of “Cher hasn’t hasn’t got a more amazing voice than I have” and then she goes on about how katie waissel travelled to the states & has done gigs for labels, and that she has done all that if not more? Please, to me that is just a blatant lie, especially with her attitude. Actually looking at how much Katie Waissel has done to Market herself & how musically minded she is, following her over the last 5 years( she’s suprisingly skilled on the guitar and piano, and knows how to work a melody to a lyric on the spot) it’s hard to believe anastasia when she compares herself. I mean, she really thinks working hard for X FACTOR is something affable?!
Having mentioned all that, I don’t even like katie that much anymore. Which is saying something.
Plus, who is this woman to comment on cher’s income? Wealth? Like she said, she doesn’t know anything about. So why the hell say something about it? If she was so readily at hand with the cash then maybe people woulda got a glimpse of her OUTSIDE of the X factor trying to pursue a music career, plenty of unsigned acts are regularly reviewed, but maybe that’s ’cause they’re good enough. At least Cher doesn’t look like , and I quote Simon Cowell, a ‘T******’
This girl needs to stop being angry, get her head outta her own bottom, know she isn’t exactly what people want, not all that talented and realise she’s just shot herself in the foot where having a music career ( even in butlins) is concerned by showing her true arrogant/ignorant/bigoted self.
Feel free to disagree, just my opinion.
Rebecca, even at this stage seems an early winner!
One question ”Cheryl Cole CAN’T SING, HOW CAN SHE JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE???”
there is a valid reason why people say that Cheryl is racist look it up
I know i’m a bit late on the commenting. Apparently this is the 3rd time Cher auditioned for xfactor and was only successful due to her transformation.
I don’t think Cher was original, i can guarantee you that many black girls auditioned like this and were deemed too urban and didnt get through.
I think Gamu was ready, she was raw talent and i liked the fact that she wasn’t over sexualised like artists are now.
How can you have a artist like Cher who’s under the legal age for tattoos, looks forty and jacking someone else’s style.
The real singers have nothing to worry about. Let people buy trash.
@ Dev You are so right, if it was a black girl doing what Cher was doing the judges wouldn’t like it the only reason they do or anybody does is because she is white, one thing that annoys me is people really do think that racism no longer exists….NEWSFLASH….IT DOES, it’s not as prominent or overt but it still exists….I don’t personally think that Cheryl’s choices were racially motivated but she is clearly threatened by people who are better singers than her, which is why she only put through ONE really good one and that was Rebecca. She shouldn’t even be a judge because she’s a CRAP singer herself
Cher cannot rap to save her life and people who listen to REAL rap and GRIME know that she is rubbish, as much as people love Cher now, who really is going to buy her stuff??? she has a good singing voice but not one that is better than Keri’s, Gamu’s, Ana, Raquel, TretC, or Rebecca’s. Plus she messed up so why should she go through?
Cheryl’s lucky she got to bring back a wild card, but we all knew she had to bring back TreyC, who for me was overlooked by Simon last year.
I’m not even going to go too deep into Katie because she is FAKE.
The X Factor is a pile of rubbish, clearly fixed to get ratings because money makes the world go round lets face it the only person to do really well out of the X Factor is Leona (and she’s boring- not her voice just her stage presence) Alexandra is doing the crappiest music that doesn’t show off her voice and is quite clearly mindless pop drivel and it’s the same with JLS.
There is a MAJOR difference between talent and entertainment and the X Factor is all about the latter which is why most of the contestants will fall by the waste side as time goes on, because people will tire of it.
Also Cheryl on the US version- DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH, Americans are never going to like her, especially when people barely like her here!!!
cheryl cole is an idiot and i think that she is racist she did not pick two good black girls who were a lot better than cher and katie. cheryl wanted her mini me in the final she has her favourites and knew who she was going to put through even before the judges houses. she should have put anastacia, gamu and rebecca through
Cheryl cole! Oh my god! What a thick Geordie nonentity – I hate her accent, I hate her “queen bee” persona and I wish she would pack up and f**k off!!! Put some more cole on the fire!
I understand completely why Ashley was playing away.
If she says “I think ya need moor thame” on e more !!!!!! Agggghhhhh
why cant people just accept when they are not selected instead of being so bitter.
And all the fuss about Gamu – REMEMBER – it was Gamu who had all the autotuning needed on her forst audution.
And personally I found the cocky way she sang really really annoying – Cher is much more interesting.
Cher is so not talented and the only reason cheryl put alexandra through was cause she knew she could win and wanted to take the credit for it. Cheryl is a racist and she now is starting to dislike Cher and regrets puttin her through due toher attitude. However it was a good thing she put Cher in cause she will be out soon and cant audition again. i hope all the singing stars out their relize Cher is crap n dnt sign her.
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Very interesting feedback. Jednka I can not agree with the previous comment
An ass let him be who brays at an ass. – Spanish Proverb
I dont think it has anything to do with race, if you like Lil Wang you are a moron. Plus Nas listeners did much better, so race isn’t an issue, just intelligence. Plus I know lots of stupid white kids who love Lil Wang, and they are only getting dumber by listening to him.
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