Nicole Scherzinger's Unexpected, Potty-Mouthed Resurrection on 'X Factor' U.K.

Despite a dip in ratings, the Saturday night mainstay boasts one shining star: a Pussycat Doll dumped from the U.S. version of the Simon Cowell series.



It hasn't been a banner year for The X Factor U.K. The series, whose performance show airs on Saturday nights, has been averaging eight million viewers, a significant drop from the 14 million of 2010 -- Simon Cowell's last year as a judge. As for the contestants, they're a largely generic lot, with the likely winner a former cruise-ship singer beloved by the natio'’s grandmothers.

But while the 2012 season may not have discovered many future hit-makers, it has unearthed a bright shining star: Nicole Scherzinger. The 34-year-old former Pussycat Doll is no stranger to American singing competitions -- two seasons on The Sing-Off, an unhappy one on the U.S. X Factor, not to mention her own start as a contestant on a star-searching reality show, 2001's Popstars -- but, in her first stint judging on a British panel and mentoring a trio of male singers, she's been nothing short of a revelation.

The version of Nicole Scherzinger on U.K.'s X Factor is, for one, funny -- repeatedly begging "humans and babies" for their votes, becoming fluent in the slang of Essex (England's New Jersey) and cryptically informing cruise singer Chris Maloney, "I'm more of a Cocoa Puffs girl and you're giving me vanilla skim milk on top of a Corn Flake." She's also an appealingly game participant in the series' real-lives-of-the-finalists video segments, happily wielding the price scanner in a British grocery store, the employer of one of her acts, and downing a full pint of beer in the pub frequented by another.

But chart success isn't the only reason for the night-and-day difference between her performances on the two shows. In Britain, there's no one to make her feel bad, put her down, condescend to her and ignore her. In other words, there's no Simon Cowell -- or a Cowell-dominated panel where there are a few designated roles for a female: she can be a punching bag (Paula Abdul), a pet (Cheryl Cole), a tolerable irritant (Demi Lovato), a dancing monkey (Abdul again), a stunningly unspectacular elephant in the room (Britney Spears), or she can just be invisible (Kara DioGuardi, Ellen Degeneres).

The Nicole Scherzinger currently wowing the Brits was never given a chance to shine in the joyless U.S. iteration because her role was already cast in stone. If she didn’t shower praise on female contestants, she was branded jealous and catty. If she attempted to defend herself in confrontations with Cowell -- admittedly not her strong point -- she was lambasted as spacey and inarticulate. Ultimately, the only impression Scherzinger made in her single season on the American show was that she made a child cry. Cowell showed enough foresight to ship her off to the UK but what a waste of a great national resource.

You can read the rest of the article here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...ctor-uk-396572

Good article!!

Sis, you should change to the title to Hollywood Reporters spills the tea on Nicole about last year.
You should also have added the part where they talk about her US judging last year.

Too much tea, Hollywood Reporter. TOO MUCH TEA!
Skull DRAGGED Simon and basically everyone related to the X Factor US.

Honestly, Nicole has been the best thing about this year's X Factor. The difference between her on the UK series and last years' US series is worlds apart. She has been fantastic, and has really turned the UK public into Nicole fans. Best judge this year BY FAR.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...ctor-uk-396572

What kind of TEA?

This is so true.
Simon's treatment of Demi this year is also horrible.

Done

Makes me wonder how flawless she would be if she wasnt constantly bullied by Simon.
From the get go, he made sure the audience created a certain image for her, as the replacement of Cheryl, he made fun of basically every comment she made, and made her look like a self centered bitch.
Like with the editing and stuff. For example, when she sang I Will Always Love You, after Simon's comment about that contestant reminding him of Nicole.
She sang it during a break, after the contestant left, but they made it seem like she stopped her audition to sing it, and made her look like a bitch
And also all the ******** about how she hated basically all the girls.

She would be FLAWLESS if he had let her be herself.

you forgot to include the most important part:


But chart success isn’t the only reason for the night-and-day difference between her performances on the two shows. In Britain, there’s no one to make her feel bad, put her down, condescend to her and ignore her. In other words, there’s no Simon Cowell -- or a Cowell-dominated panel where there are a few designated roles for a female: she can be a punching bag (Paula Abdul), a pet (Cheryl Cole), a tolerable irritant (Demi Lovato), a dancing monkey (Abdul again), a stunningly unspectacular elephant in the room (Britney Spears) or she can just be invisible (Kara DioGuardi, Ellen Degeneres).
The Nicole Scherzinger currently wowing the Brits was never given a chance to shine in the joyless U.S. iteration because her role was already cast in stone. If she didn’t shower praise on female contestants, she was branded jealous and catty. If she attempted to defend herself in confrontations with Cowell -- admittedly not her strong point -- she was lambasted as spacey and inarticulate. Ultimately, the only impression Scherzinger made in her single season on the American show was that she made a child cry. Cowell showed enough foresight to ship her off to the UK but what a waste of a great national resource.

And Simon is doing the exact same thing to Demi this year
Its like he wants the show to flop. Or thinks he'll get better ratings this way.
Such an asshole

I made a new thread about that. It deserves it tbh. THR spilled too much tea to be left unnoticed

I agree with this article.


I don't watch that many episodes of the X-Factor so can someone give me some examples of how bad he is treating Demi?

heres a thread created with some clips:
http://atrl.net/?t=303188&highlight=simon+LA


I really agree with this article. Simon is just too much of an ass.
the Uk panel looks more like a family than the US version.

This is true though, the difference is CRAZY.
!

The US panel is a damn mess.

I dont get why Simon doesnt realize this. The public dont want that mess of a panel. Him taking shots at all the judges, always commenting on the performance as "You looked like [enter phrase]"
|You sounded like [enter phrase]"

The UK panel is much better because you can tell they have fun, they respect each other, and when they are arguing, its all fun. Thats pleasant to watch. Not what Simon is trying to do.

Really great article!

so reaching

Wait...seriously?
So when they edited in the girl being on stage...it was fake?
I saw the one where the contestant is looking at Nicole angrily while she sings amazingly.

Yep, it was edited to make nicole look like a bitch.