Brit singer wins reviews of X Factor USA
US CRITICS have backed axed X Factor USA judge Cheryl Cole — saying she was BETTER than replacement Nicole Scherzinger. Cheryl, 28, was dropped from the panel in May but still features in part of the opening episode.
The first episode of The X Factor USA has been given a drubbing by the critics Stateside, although it seems Cheryl Cole has come up smelling of roses.
Four of America's biggest newspapers have had their say on the show - and none of them have anything very positive to say.
Nicole Scherzinger seems to bear the brunt of the criticism - and is compared unfavourably to Chezza - while Steve Jones also gets a dismal write-up for his hosting skills
A scathing piece in the
New York Times brands 33-year-old Nicole "not much more than a seat warmer".
The review read: "In the premiere Cheryl just kind of disappears mid show, without much explanation, and suddenly Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat Dolls is in her chair. It's a downgrade.
"Ms Cole showed glimmers of being interesting; in two seasons as a judge on The Sing-Off on NBC, Ms Scherzinger was a pretty face but, judicially speaking, not much more than a seat warmer."
The Chicago Tribune said: "Scherzinger doesn't come off as an obvious improvement [on Cole]."
And, discussing Cheryl, the
LA Times wrote: "On a first impression, she is much more interesting than Scherzinger, if only for her fabulous Geordie accent."
It added that Nicole was "more interested in tearing up and out-glamming Pop Idol's Jennifer Lopez than bringing much to the commentary".
The US version got another kick in the teeth when the New York Times rubbished Welsh presenter Steve Jones as "utterly irrelevant".
The Boston Herald said he was "so far in the background, he might as well be on another network".
This week X Factor boss Simon Cowell said Cheryl had been axed because she seemed "bewildered" in America.
The Sun told today how Cheryl — who was furious with Simon when she was humiliatingly dropped from the show — had snubbed his suggestion for her to join the panel of Britain's Got Talent.
Seems that, with the critics at least, Cheryl gets the last laugh! Now we just need to see if the viewers agree…
The X Factor USA will air on ITV2 tomorrow night after it launches in America tonight.
I knew it girls.... I knew this would happen. I can't wait to see my cheryl tonight. My body, TV and more importantly my DVR is READY!!!
Would the critics lie??
