Look it’s no secret, the @rcade office is divided on the issue… half of us despise the X-Factor and the other half are X-Factor Zombies, curled up every Saturday night to tune into the reality talent show!
Created by one of today’s most well known music goons, the X Factor is the brain child of Simon Cowell, music executive, business man, television producer and reality TV star. A former judge on Pop Idol, Simon has also featured as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, and American Idol. In 2004, Simon’s X Factor kicked off on the 4th of September and ITV stole the audience from every station and continues to do so every year since as millions tune in to watch stars on the rise.
It is one of the most successful reality television programmes in the history of television with over 25 countries around the world mimicking the success of the British show with their own X-Factor programmes and the USA is about to join in as it all kicks off in America next year!
However, it now seems that not all is golden in the land of X-Factor UK and cracks have begun to appear.
The first blow came last year when a Facebook group was setup by Tracy and Jon Morter to beat the X-Factor at its money making game. Each year the X-Factor winner records a Christmas single and soars to the charts and brings in some serious cash! Well last year the Morters campaign ‘Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No. 1blew the chances of Joe McElderry (last year’s winner) by stealing the coveted spot of Number 1 from the young winner. From there it was clear that not everyone was a huge fan of the show and now things are only turning sourer for the X-Factor crew…
Enter… Katie Waissel… or Kate Vogel… or even Lola Fontaine… whatever she’s calling herself these days…
The X-Factor finalist has been causing a stir ever since she first made her appearance on the show – forgetting the words to ‘We Are the Champions’ but still clearing the first round of auditions. Breaking down in front of potential mentor Cheryl Cole she barely crooned out the lyrics to ‘Smile’ claiming it was a highly emotional piece for her.
Katie has become Public Enemy number one (which could be the X-Factor’s only number one again this year) after several poor performances over the course of the live shows led to her being in the bottom two and having to fight for her place in the show.
What we can’t understand is why the girl is even in the show? With a record contract under her belt as ‘Lola Fontaine’ and a web show called ‘Green Eyed World’ under her name ‘Kate Vogel’, why is Katie Waissel on the X-Factor? A show for ‘amateur’ singers whose dream it is to become the next big music star and get their hands on that elusive record deal!
She already had one and according to the rules of X-Factor, that’s a big no no, with contestants facing disqualification if they have a music management contract! In late August , Jason Silverman, the man claiming to be Katie’s manager stated ‘We’re just about to release a record – it’s brand new. She came to LA and we signed her to a two-record deal’, the record being a jazz album done with Chamberlain Records.
Unconfirmed rumours have since circulated that Simon may have bought Katie out of her contract so she could compete fairly in the hit show.
That might also explain why Waissel has survived so long in the show, since the live finals kicked off.
Katie was in the bottom three in the first live episode and was saved after her performance against F.Y.D. The following two weeks she was safe, however in the last three episodes Katie has been in the bottom two, singing for her survival against. Belle Amie were first to lose to her, then Treyc who Simon said was the ‘better singer’ and now Aiden Grimshaw lost his place to Waissel.
Maybe the judges see something in Katie? It is possible! However last year’s contestant Rachel Adedji, who found herself in the bottom two on three weeks out four, was sent home with Cowell saying Adedji was better than Lloyd Daniels but felt the public didn’t want her in the show any longer and she was sent home! So why is Katie still around? It’s pretty clear the public don’t want her and Facebook groups have sprung up every week she survives!
Is the show a complete fix? Does Simon have an investment in Katie’s future career? We can’t say (nor should we) for sure however one thing is fast becoming clear for the X-Factor, the public are tiring of having their votes ignored and Cowell and company better start listening if they want to keep the millions of fans happy!
Katie is probably not a bad person and she’s certainly not the worst singer we’ve heard and she’s being pinned as some sort of X-Factor Anti Christ by the fans, maybe it’s in bad spirit she entered the show but she’s clearly driven to make a name for herself … but have her escapades on the X-Factor ruined any hope she had? Only time will tell and for now the X-Factor wars will continue to wage in the @rcade as the rest of us continue to ignore our Facebook walls for fear of the constant updates… now if you’ll excuse us some of us have paint to watch dry!
Hate Katie then click the links below!
It’s easier to get rid of Chlamydia than Katie Waissel
Giving Simon the ride to get through to the next round
Love Katie then click the links below!
Want to have your say on the whole X-Factor debacle? Then head over to the @rcade Forum now!
