Do we really need to see those “welcome home” parties for rejected contestants? To get the family reaction shots, how do producers stop the contestants calling home in advance? Do they confiscate their mobiles and assign security to prevent them from sneaking off to find a payphone or a web cafe? Is it ethical to insist on filming as a parent breaks difficult news to their small child?
What’s to stop a contestant, after receiving a “no”, saying “you know what, I’m off to phone my wife, I don’t care if it puts me in breach of contract”? What practical hold do producers still have over them? “Play nice and you might still get a wildcard”?
Why not take the product placement opportunity of having the contestants break the news to their families using video calling on a Samsung tablet?
Such puzzles aside, last night was very much the Sam Bailey and Nicholas McDonald Show. It’s hard to remember the last time we had two such unbalanced categories. In the overs we have:
- the much-pimped Sam Bailey;
- a big-voiced black girl whose audition they didn’t bother to show us, and who looks set to be competing in an overcrowded big-voiced black girl niche;
- the overs equivalent of Komedy Kimberley from Sharon Osborne’s last run on this show in 2007.
In the boys, we have:
- the much-pimped Nicholas McDonald;
- a mediocre singer who looks good with his shirt off;
- a mediocre singer who, um, doesn’t wash his hair.
We confess, these casting decisions puzzle us. Of course they need some shock! controversy! for judges’ houses, but they also need ratings for the live shows. Why do they feel the need for Lorna if they already have Hannah and Tamera? Wouldn’t the prospect of Joseph in the live shows have pulled in more viewers?
In the boys, we’re struggling to understand what they think Luke will bring to the party. While it’s true that Sam hasn’t got much screentime so far, he is obviously there for the visuals. But as for Luke, since a reasonably lengthy room audition edit back in show 1, producers have shown little interest in giving viewers a reason to care about him.
There is an obvious reason for Joseph’s omission and Luke’s and Sam’s lack of audition screentime – that they are desperate for a female winner. But that obvious theory continues to have an awkward Nicholas McDonald-shaped hole in it. Once again, last night producers could not have done more to help Wee Nic.
As HenryVIII put it in the comments to our article speculating about whether or not we might see a twist: “if they don’t have a wildcard it means they are so desperate to get their chosen ones home that they’ve completely given up on making a decent program”.
So are we in line for a twist, a scorched-earth policy in favour of Tamera, or something different entirely? How do you read what producers are thinking? As ever, do let us know below.
Sam C’s just there to put bums on seats for the tour. Can’t see him lasting much longer than that stage of the contest, especially being in the same category as Saint Nick. He’ll split the vote with Kingsland Road, too.
Nicholas 4/7 for top boy is an absolute stone wall, only a few sites offering this bet at the moment, hard to see anyone bettering them odds
im just holding fire before i place a bet on this market as if by some chance paul comes back via wildcard then his odds may ease out a bit
One other thing: someone’s going to look bad in tonight’s show, edited against Melanie not getting through. I thought it made Shelley look a little bad last night, when it showed her getting through ‘instead’ of Joseph.
Nice to see Geraldine McQueen make the final again.
I always thought that Peter Kay spoof was too accurate to be funny! Well spotted Kevin.
Don’t think this story will hinder her chances http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/343227/X-Factor-s-Tamera-Foster-risks-wrath-of-show-bosses-over-agent-s-deal-making
Makes you question her judgement though. A flaky TCO. XF can impose less contractual control on a 16 year old than they could on a 18 year old, but this 16 year old is a wild child above her years.
I think the producers know already that Tamara will be more trouble than shes worth
Well, I dunno…but…
1) Early-hyped favourites rarely win and often leave quite early
2) Giving someone little screen-time in the pre-lives creates space for a ‘dark horse’ narrative
Anna, it’s great in theory but hardly ever pans out – Little Mix being the exception that proves the rule. Acts that get to the final weekend do generally tend to have had more than their fair share of pre-lives screentime.
i’m thinking Ben Mills, Danyl Johnson, Ella Henderson, Diana Vickers, Janet Devlin… ‘Early’ wasn’t the correct word; I meant ‘earlier than the pre-lives coverage might have suggested’. Alexandra Burke came from nowhere; Leon Jackson was never favourite; Leona Lewis ‘suddenly’ emerged as front-runner and Little Mix, of course were not predicted to win (apart from by the prescient Betsfactor). In other words, if you are going to punt based on pre-lives coverage best to go each way rather than outright winner.
I agree, some very puzzling decisions. Personally I would have put Lorna through on merit because she was the best singer on the day, but the show doesn’t need her. Luke Friend has no voice and looks terrible with that dirty hair. The live shows are going to be very odd with so many similar female singers and all the boys being very young.
The knives are out for Lorna.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/x-factor-lorna-simpsons-shotgun-2342609
So they put Lorna in to make Tamara look tame in comparison!
Well we have a joke act in Shelley Smith! Won’t be surprised if she’s saved by the judges vote in week 1.
Does anyone know if Brian Friedman is working on the UK version this year?
He’s not
http://instagram.com/p/e8QvE2hPep/#
a big-voiced black girl whose audition they didn’t bother to show us, and who looks set to be competing in an overcrowded big-voiced black girl niche
I was sure that Lorna hadn’t been given any coverage prior to bootcamp and this confirms it (not even on Xtra Factor). How odd, especially as some of the rejects have had far more airtime. That gives me the impression that she’s just canon fodder and will probably the first to be eliminated.
Andrea and Paul were not shown going home to their families. Could this hint at a wildcard twist?
either this, or they refused to play ball
or they have a limited amount of time in the show and that segment was already boring enough and not worth adding extra content to
Surely a overs wildcard would be Joseph? Although I did like Andrea.
Btw, an idea I had for how they could do a wildcard – maybe the first evicted contestant could be replaced by a wildcard from their category? Would be a neat twist on the bootcamp musical chairs setup.
Joseph’s doing gigs in November.
My first thought was the opposite – why waste time on failed homecomings *unless* you want to ratchet up potential drama for a wildcard return (especially the failed homecomings that were more than simply at the arrivals gate). But yes, far more prosaic truth is probably purely that some rejectees told them where to stuff their homecoming VT and/or simply that some of it was very dull.
And Andrew – I may be very cynical, but I don’t for one minute believe that the “homecoming” is the first time they’ve talked to their families since the filming. With the way TV production works, the homecomings are probably arranged weeks after the JHs are filmed, and the whole thing is staged with families briefed on the appropriate reactions. Anyone who has attended a TV filming will know how producers have no qualms about this sort of stuff: “And now we’re going to record a link which will cut back to a music performance we’ve prerecorded, so if you can all shout and cheer as if Take That have taken to the stage!” etc.
Hmmmm, I wonder who has pimp slot tonight lol
Bet ya glad there wasnt a market on it now Lol
Im surprised at Abi’s edit but am hoping it’s hannah for the pimp slot, excellent value for her at the moment which I have already had a punt at
I wish there was a market on that Nat.
Ha ha yeh, i’d be in there like swimwear!
And would now loose a lot of money!!
Have been reading this site for the past year. Thanks to all contributors, fascinating stuff. Convinced the chosen one is a girl due to the bias given in terms of screen time last week at Boot camp. Seems all a bit too obvious at the moment so expecting a twist unless of course producers really want to ensure there are no slip ups in their targets.
Caroline Flack on ‘Sunday Brunch’today chose Hannah as her favourite. Does the inclusion of one of the Appleton sisters with Louis supposed us to remind us of the All Saints to throw weight behind Miss Dynamix?
Lol blimey ive heard some wacky theories in my time but that miss dynamix one is up there with the best
Ha ha yeh I didn’t quite catch on to that either!
Abi alton montaged!
Could saint nick be the chosen one after all?
I think he is plan A and plan B is Tamera. I think TPTB now how risky Tamera is so have pimped my little pocket rocket to high heavens just in case!
I meant Tamera is plan A nd Nick is plan B!!
I think hannah tamara and the girl group will be fighting for the same votes
I think Hannah would attract votes from the older demographic also whereas Tamera and Miss Dynamix wouldn’t. Hannah is my mums favourite anyway!
Ha ha. I’m glad my first ever comment has made an impression. Maybe I’m analysing this far too deeply!
All views are good mate. Wouldn’t put Any thing past the producers.
Welcome, Joe! As Andy says below, you’ll fit right in! 🙂
That’s what we do here Joe, Keep it up.
Something for the Weekend is an interesting one. Tim Lovejoy has been ranting about how the show is fixed for months. Suddenly, they have Oily Murs on the show and he’s all sweetness and light. Now they have the Xtra-Factor presenters on. Seems like a deal done behind the scenes.
I was surprised at how Abi was montaged. I’ve put it down to her performance being so bad that they had to cut it down to a minimum to cover putting her through.
Surely they give there favoured contestants more than one attempt in the event of bad performances at this stage
They all sing 2 songs, if you watch Xtra Factor they show the contestants singing their other song
Yeah I know I was just responding to the suggestion as to why abi was montaged
Betfair markets up.
🙂
Rough copy the alpha group?
Feel a rather new Destiny’s Child vibe with Miss Dynamics may be in the plot here somewhere so a place in the final at least. Be surprised if St. Nick manages to go all the way. After all we know how good these producers are! especially early on… Wonder who their nemesis will turn out to be this year?
Rough copy top price 11/8 for top group has me smiling today