All the money and power in the world can’t guarantee good television ratings, musical talent or an entertaining judging panel. And when the new judges were announced back in June, Simon even confided in the Twittersphere when he tweeted, ‘I have no idea what the show will look like but I feel both excited and nervous.’ But what exactly does Mr Cowell have to be nervous about?
Party Animal Nick Grimshaw
Despite his early morning starts as a Radio 1 DJ, Grimmy (as he’s more commonly referred to as) is known for his wild nights out with his celebrity pals. And if you think he’ll be steering clear of the boozing during his stint on the X Factor, we only have to journey back to the 2013 Brit Awards to remind ourselves that this man has no limits. Yes in February 2013, Nick hit the headlines when he arrived for work the following day with bff Harry Styles in tow to present the Radio 1 breakfast show, apparently ‘still hammered’. Whilst some listeners saw the funny side of the hungover duo, others were less than impressed.
Fast forward to April this year, and Nick was in hot water once again when he returned from a weekend of partying at Soho House in Istanbul, only to call in sick. His impromptu sick day meant he couldn’t introduce the line-up for Radio 1’s Big Weekend, leaving bosses ‘livid’. Could Simon be worried Nick’s partying ways might interrupt the live shows?
‘Newbie’ Rita Ora
Despite a recent infographic proving that Rita Ora is the most musically credible X Factor judge to date, the critics were less than kind when Miss Ora was announced as part of the new judges line up. In an article in the Mirror, journalist Polly Hudson wrote, ‘She’s even less musically revered than Cheryl (which takes some doing), dull, desperate and literally The Voice’s sloppy seconds’. Ouch.
Previous seasons have seen the likes of chart toppers Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger hold the throne, as well as music manager gurus Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Other than Mr Cowell himself, is this years X Factor line up missing musical royalty?
The absence of Louis Walsh
Ok, so he had a habit of giving the same feedback week in week out, but who didn’t love the Irish music mogul? After 11 seasons on the judge’s panel, Louis became part of the furniture (in more ways than one) and hardcore X Factor fans were gutted to hear he wouldn’t be back for this series. Remember what happened back in 2007 when Simon replaced him with choreographer Brian Friedman? That’s right it didn’t work out. And Louis was quickly reinstated to his rightful place. Can we expect a similar last minute shuffle at the early auditions?