andPOP » Simon Cowell

Barbara Walters Announces Ten Most Fascinating People of 2011

Natalia Buia — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:53:25 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Barbara Walters always wraps up the year by announcing the top ten people that have fascinated her the most.

She just unveiled the top 9, according to ABC News.

Royal family member Pippa Middleton made the list. She certainly made heads turn during the Royal Wedding this summer.

Another Brit, Simon Cowell made the list, probably for his controversial roles as judges on popular talent shows. And maybe for finally joining the Twitterverse.

Then there’s the two actors who play gay parents on the hit show “Modern Family”, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet.

Captain of the New York Yankee, Derek Jeter also made the list. It’s probably under her contract to include at least one athlete every year.

Donal Trump trumped other business tycoons by appearing on Barbaras list. I bet he paid her a pretty penny for it.

Katy Perry also fascinated Barbara and the rest of the world with her lavish wedding to Russell Brand and all her number one hit singles off of “Teenage Dreams”.

Barbara also included the entire Kardashian family on the year-end list, hence the photo posted above. I think she misinteruperated “fascninating” for “annoying”, though.

The number one person who was the most fascinating person of 2011 will remain a mystery, until her special airs on ABC Wednesday December 14.

X Factor Renewed for a Second Season

Elisheva Baer — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:54:09 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Though many believed the show was suffering, ratings picked up during the first live performances of this season on last week’s episode of The X Factor, and has now become the “No 1. reality show on broadcast television this fall,” with more than 13 million viewers, according to Fox. The talent-search show beat out other hit reality shows such as Survivor and Dancing with the Stars. Really? I would never have guessed…

“I am absolutely thrilled with the news,” says Executive Producer Simon Cowell, according to E!. “I have loved making the show and I want to thank Fox, our sponsors and most importantly, the fans for supporting The X Factor.”

With the second set of live performances airing on Wednesday evening, FOX will soon find out if they made the right decision or not. Let’s just hope the show can keep up its ratings!

Could Snooki Win ‘X-Factor?’

andPOP Staff — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:30:38 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

To all of you competing on the X-Factor, Simon Cowell has revealed what he is really looking for in the winner – Snooki. Yes, Cowell told MTV News that Snooki from Jersey Shore has the “x-factor.”

Simon explained that during auditions, he was extremely excited to hit New Jersey to find the next Snooki, and he thinks Jersey Shore is an amazing show.

“I thought it was genius, absolute genius,” Cowell said of his initial reaction to the fist-pumping housemates. “And whether you like the show or not, these kids are suddenly big, big stars. They just make me laugh.”

And what about Snooki having the “x-factor?”

“She recently came in to meet some people from my company. I would say they were more starstruck by Snooki than anyone they’ve ever met in their lives,” he said. “I mean, they were genuinely thrilled. They were taking pictures with her.

“Yeah, so that was the reason why I came to New Jersey: I wanted to find the next Snooki.”

Simon, we thought you were looking for people with talent. Snooki doesn’t have talent except for being able to jam an entire cucumber down her throat.

Simon Cowell Was An Evil Child

andPOP Staff — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:02:49 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Do you think Simon Cowell is evil? Well it seems that he’s been like that since birth. He told some stories to Regis & Kelly this morning.

“When I was about four, I found the Father Christmas outfit. So I took my brother to the top of the house and said, ‘See, there is no such thing as Father Christmas’. My brother was about three at the time and he started to cry, and then I set fire to the Father Christmas suit,” he told Regis, to a chorus of boos from the studio audience.

He added: “I was horrible. I was really, really bad. A few years later, I bought a thing called a pea gun – they shoot peas. As a joke me and my friend and I got onto this bus and pointed the gun at the driver’s head and said, you know, ‘Take me to wherever I am going’.”

But his prank backfired when he and his friend found the cops waiting for them.

“When we arrived, there [were] about five police cars and they arrested me,” said Cowell.

Simon Cowell Denies Bad Mouthing Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry

andPOP Staff — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:48:40 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Simon Cowell allegedly called Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Katy Perry boring. Simon is denying he ever said that, and he is now doing some damage control.

“If you only ever heard Lady Gaga, she’s the most boring singer in the world,” he reportedly told The Mirror. “You’ve got to see her — you need TV. Same with Beyoncé. Or Katy Perry. We’re all about image. You have to have that X factor.”

Now his publicist is trying to clean up the mess.

“This was completely misreported. It’s the complete opposite, in fact,” Cowell’s rep told RadarOnline.com. “Simon is a massive fan of both [Gaga and Beyoncé] and he always refers to them as amongst the artists he most admires. He thinks they are two of the most interesting, talented and relevant artists today.”

Cowell himself said, “It’s like they’ve all been bred to take over the world and dominate everything in entertainment. They are unbelievable, these girls.”

Simon has a tendency to open up his mouth when he shouldn’t. We believe he called them boring.

Justin Bieber Upstaged on ‘X Factor’

andPOP Staff — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:10:42 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Justin Bieber has been upstaged on X Factor by a 14 year old girl named Drew Ryniewicz. She sang Bieber’s “Baby” and wowed the judges.

“I prefer your version to his [Justin's],” Nicole Scherzinger said, before Simon Cowell echoed her comments, saying “So do I.”

Reid, who produced Bieber’s album, also said, “You really made it yours, it was soulful and believable and you are special.”

What did you think?

video platform video management video solutions video player

Selena Gomez Rocks Jay Leno Last Night

andPOP Staff — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:57:33 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Selena Gomez stole the show last night on Jay Leno, performing “Love You Like A Love Song.”

Selena tweeted after the show, “I just wanted to say Thank You to all who came out and supported the ‘We Own the Night Tour.’ Thank you all so much I had an amazing summer with you all. I love you.”

Selena also caught up with Simon Cowell who was also a guest last night.

‘The X Factor’s’ Simon Cowell Wants To Be Frozen

andPOP Staff — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:57:27 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

In a recent interview with GQ Magazine, Simon says that he wants to be frozen when he dies.

“It’s an insurance policy,” he tells the mag. “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. If it does work, I’ll be happy. If it’s possible, and I think it will be, why not have a second crack? Does that sound crazy? I think it’s a good idea.”

And that’s not all. Simon also has had the same breakfast everyday for five years of; Hot water with lemon, then papaya juice with lime, then oatmeal, then tea, then three different smoothies: a spinach smoothie, an antioxidant smoothie and a super smoothie with seven fruits.

“It just puts me in a good mood,” he explains. “I know it sounds odd. It’s just what I enjoy doing. I’m sure it’s not completely normal.”

He’s a weird guy. But whatever he’s doing seems to be working for him.

X-Factor’s Simon Cowell has a Heart

andPOP Staff — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:17:59 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Simon Cowell may have crushed more spirits than he can count, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a heart. Cowell has donated $80,000 to help U.K. riot victims.

Britain’s Express Newspapers group has set up a fund to help riot victims. The fund has gained the support of Cowell, and other celebrities.

“A lot of families and businesses desperately need some help right now and I back any campaign which achieves this,” said Cowell.

See, Cowell isn’t completely evil.

Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul Debut ‘The X Factor’ Promo

andPOP Staff — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:12:28 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Did you miss the ultimate prick? Well Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul are returning with their American Idol knockoff called The X Factor. The show will air on FOX, and a $5 Million prize is awarded to the winner.

FOX has released a promo for the new show, where we find a dream sequence showing “new” Simon Cowell. However Cowell eventually wakes up and the old Simon appears on his new show.

Cheryl Cole Replaced On X-Factor With Nicole Scherzinger

Christian Allaire — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:47:04 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Cheryl Cole has been dropped from the judging panel on ‘X-Factor’ and has been replaced with ‘Pussycat Doll’ Nicole Scherzinger.

It is being reported that Cole was dropped largely because producers were concerned her English accent would be too difficult for an American audience to understand.

Producers also thought Cole and fellow judge Paula Abdul had a “lack of chemistry.” Well, Abdul doesn’t really have chemistry with anyone. She kind of marches to her own drum. But okay.

Producers now want Cole to return to the UK version of the show, but she’s allegedly so pissed over how it handled that she may be done with ‘X-Factor’ entirely.

With Cheryl out, Scherzinger will take her seat and Steve Jones will be the only host on the show. Scherzinger was originally going to be a host as well. The show debuts in September.

Well that’s a pretty crappy deal. Being fired for something you can’t control, like say, your voice. I think Scherzinger is a good replacement, but it sucks for Cole as she was hoping to appeal to a larger American audience.

Paula Abdul joins ‘X Factor’ as judge

Kimberly Rupnarain — Sun, 08 May 2011 21:06:01 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It looks like the audience of The X Factor will witness a happy reunion this fall.

AP reports that former American Idol judge, Paula Abdul has signed on as the The X Factor’s fourth judge. Abdul joins familiar face Simon Cowell as one of the show’s judges, alongside British singer Cheryl Cole, and former Def Jam president, L.A. Reid. Together the four music moguls will audition thousands of talented (and not so talented) artists when the competition premiers this fall on Fox.

Though Abdul and Cowell often bantered often on Idol, Cowell told Deadline.com, “I missed her the second she left. Always loved working with her, even though she can be a pain.”

The executive producer also told People that, “She’s very passionate and she cares. And she has good taste in music, though you didn’t always see that on TV.”

Indeed, Abdul may have become more notable for possibly being intoxicated while on Idol, than for her musical inclinations. Still, Cowell has reportedly been very calculated about choosing members of the judging panel.

Cowell called Reid his “Number one choice to sit alongside me on the show.” The famous Englishman also added that he thought fellow Brit, Cheryl Cole, “was bright, cute, knew what she was talking about.”

Though the audience may be able to predict the dynamic between Cowell and Abdul, don’t be so sure that arguments are out of the question.

“There should be tension to a point,” said Cowell. “I liked the Idol panel when we first started. We had different opinions, and I think it’s important you have different opinions.”

Well, seeing as Cowell has chosen to throw himself, British pop star Cole, American celebrity-maker Reid, and sweet but crazy Abdul to the show, I think there will be more than enough opinions to go around.

The US ‘X-Factor’ Hosts Revealed

Christian Allaire — Sun, 08 May 2011 00:35:10 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Simon Cowell’s U.S. version of ‘The X-Factor’ is prepping for its first taping tomorrow and the hosts have been revealed, reports E Online.

It is being reported that Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones are set to host the show.

We know Scherzinger as the hot lead singer of ‘The Pussycat Dolls,’ but who is Jones, you ask? Jones is a big league live TV host in the UK where he’s known for shows like the popular music series ‘T4 Music’ and a BBC celebrity panel quiz show, ‘As Seen on TV.’

“Congrats to Steve Jones on landing the US X Factor co-hosting gig,” Piers Morgan tweeted, “great guy, really pleased for him.”

As for the judges, L.A. Reid and Cheryl Cole have both been confirmed, but that still leaves one position open. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. It is being speculated that Paula Abdul is a front runner, but I highly doubt it. I mean, she left American Idol for a reason.

‘X-Factor’ is responsible for heavy-hitters Leona Lewis, so I’m sure the U.S. version will churn out some real talent as well. My hope, though, is that they don’t just focus on the singing, because we have enough shows like that (‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice’ come to mind.) I think they should incorporate dance, singing, instrumental, whatever kind of talent there is, if they want lots of viewers.

Record Crowds Come to Audition for Simon Cowell’s ‘The X Factor’

andPOP Staff — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:29:01 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It looks like Simon Cowell has another hit on his hands with a record crowd thaty turned out to audition for “The X Factor” over the weekend.

DailyMail is reporting that over 18,000 people tuned out to the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena.

A show insider is quoted saying, “The scenes down here are crazy. There are around 18,000 people here and the numbers are growing by the second. There’s gridlock on the freeways into the venue, its absolute chaos. These auditions are going to be going on well into the night — there are a lot of people to get through.”

Of course 18,000 people showed up for the auditions as an opportunity to show off their artistic talents. Well that, plus if they win, they will receive a$5 Million record deal from Sony Music plus a huge plethora of endorsement deals.

So good luck!

Def Jam Loses L.A. Reid to “X Factor”

Kimberly Rupnarain — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:45:09 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

According to MTV News, Island Def Jam Record exec L.A. Reid has officially resigned as chairman to join none other than Simon Cowell himself on the hit reality show, “X Factor.” Reid, who has been responsible for launching the careers of music icons like Usher, J. Lo, and Pink (remember the boardroom scene in “Don’t Let Me Get Me?” – yeah, that’s supposed to be him,) will be appearing on the show as one of the judges, according to the label’s statement.

A memo from Reid said that, “I am extremely proud of our beautiful roster and all we have accomplished in my seven years with IDJ.” He goes on to remind anyone who may have forgotten that his time at the label has produced some of the most “phenomenal superstars” like Rihanna, the Biebs and Yeezy – just to name a few.

Seeing that Reid has been responsible for the careers of many of the same stars we write about here on andPOP, and in just seven years is honestly, a little depressing. I don’t know what I’ve accomplished in the last seven years, but changing the face of pop culture likely hasn’t been on the list.

Reid joined Def Jam in 2004, after 15 years at LaFace and Arista records. His contract with Universal Music Group was set to expire this December, but now that he’s left early, he’s free to join Sony Music, the same label that provides the winner of “X Factor” with a recording contract.

In the memo, Reid also said, “I have always thrived on growth and the next great challenge, and I look forward with much enthusiasm to what the future holds.”

And with the likes of Usher, Mariah Carey and Rihanna circulating on my iPod – so do I.

New ‘American Idol’ Judges Being Unveiled Now

andPOP Staff — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:59:35 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

“American Idol” is having a live unveiling for the show’s newest judges. At 10pm PT, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson will step on stage at the Forum in Los Angeles. Check out TMZ for a live stream.

Jennifer Lopez Will Not Be ‘American Idol’ Judge

andPOP Staff — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:19:27 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Well that was a quick stint. Sources say that Jennifer Lopez will not be an “American Idol” judge for the upcoming season.

People reports that Jennifer’s demands became out of hand, and they decided to pass on the singer.

“Her demands got out of hand,” says the source. “Fox had just had enough.”

Fox has yet to comment on this recent development.

Ellen DeGeneres Stepping Down as ‘American Idol’ Judge

Jacob Morris — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:29:48 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

After sitting in the one of the judge’s chairs for the ninth season of American Idol, Ellen DeGeneres is calling it quits. The talk show host will no longer be a judge on the FOX hit show, reports People.com.

“A couple months ago, I let FOX and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me,” Ellen said in a statement. “I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for.”

Ellen cited that it was sometimes tough to tell the truth to young singers. “I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings,” she said in the statement.

There don’t seem to be any hard feelings though, as Ellen had nothing but good things to say about her time with the show. “I loved the experience working on Idol and I am very grateful for the year I had, I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

With Simon Cowell also leaving, there are now two seats to fill for the tenth season of the show, and some names have already been floating around. Word is Jennifer Lopez may be getting a spot! Who would you choose as the perfect panel?

Jessica Simpson May Be Judge on ‘American Idol’

andPOP Staff — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:11:25 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Reports are surfacing that Jessica Simpson has been having meetings with the top brass at Fox about becoming a judge on “American Idol.”

TMZ reports that producers are desperate to find a replacement for Simon Cowell, and Jessica could be an ideal fit. In theory, she does make sense as a replacement. She has experience in reality TV and of course is a music business veteran. The question remaining is if she has the star power to turn around “American Idol’s” dismal ratings.

However the show needs a hard ass now that Cowell is leaving. Jessica is a nice and sensitive girl. She isn’t going to tell anybody that they suck!

An official announcement will be made in September.

Piers Morgan A Possible Replacement for Larry King

andPOP Staff — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:03:39 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Extra TV is reporting that Simon Cowell has released some big news! According to Cowell, Piers Morgan from “America’s Got Talent” could be Larry King’s replacement on CNN.

“[Morgan] was under contract to us on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ so he called me and we helped sort of broker the deal,” Cowell said. “I knew about this weeks ago.”

Although there has been nothing officially announced about King’s replacement, Cowell is very confident in Morgan’s ability as an interviewer.

“Piers is without question the best interviewer I’ve ever been interviewed by… apart from you, Terri.” (He of course is referring to Terri Seymour who was interviewing him at the time).

However there is another candidate for Larry’s replacement who has a connection to Simon Cowell. That is of course Ryan Seacrest, who has stood in for Larry King a few times.

We feel that Seacrest would be a better fit. What do you think?