Straight up, Jeff Bratton is telling us what went down with her and long-time boyfriend Paula Abdul. Paula and I split in November,” the record label owner tells People . “It was an amicable thing. But between the final months of X Factor and my responsibilities with [my label] Cascine, there was little time for us.” Abdul met Britton on a flight early last year and split time with him between her home in Los Angeles and his in New York. The latter says he and the reality show judge remain “close” and “I’ll always be grateful for the time we shared as a couple.” [Photo: WENN.com]
R. Kelly, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette join contestants on their final night of performances. By Adam Graham Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene and Melanie Amaro on “The X Factor” Wednesday Photo: Ray Mickshaw / FOX At the outset of Wednesday’s (December 21) 90-minute “The X Factor” performance finale, which pitted three singers — Josh Krajcik, Chris Rene and Melanie Amaro — against one another for a $5 million recording contract, judge Simon Cowell predicted, “I think this is going to be the closest final we’ve ever had.” By the end of the penultimate show, Cowell made it clear who had his vote to win, and unsurprisingly, it was the singer he mentored in the race, Melanie Amaro. Following Amaro’s second song, a rendition of Beyonc
Happy Holidays from all of us at Hollywood.TV. We searched our archives for some favorite celebrity Holiday moments. Michael Buble has the best Christmas story.
It wasn’t all an act, Simon Cowell told Barbara Walters on her Most Fascinating People of 2011 special last night. He truly didn’t like Paula Abdul when the two first worked together. “The truth was on the first two seasons, we couldn’t’ travel on the same plane together,” Cowell said during his ABC interview. “We really disliked each other that much.” But things soon changed for the better, Simon says. For the much, much, nearly naked better! Cowell said he’s “a million percent” sure that Abdul wanted him back in the day. Did he consider critiquing her performance… in bed?!? Yes, “but then I thought… I don’t think the after would be as good as the before,” he said. “I’d let her stay for a few hours, but then it would have to be good night.” Did Simon make the right choice? Would YOU sleep with Paula Abdul?
Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Anna Faris, Nicole Scherzinger visited Jimmy Kimmel Live! Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul greeted their fans waiting outside in the rain. While, Anna Faris and Nicole Scherzinger avoided the fans and rushed out of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com
Rick Fox and Tara Reid spotted at Madeo Restaurant for a late night dinner. Rick chatted with the paparazzi about Lamar Odom’s NBA trade. While Tara Reid rushed inside the restaurant to dine! Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com
While Marcus Canty landed in the bottom two for the third straight week, it was the 13-year-old songbird who got the lowest number of votes. By Adam Graham Rachel Crow hears the news of her elimination on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Another week, another dramatic finish to “The X Factor,” as 13-year-old Rachel Crow was voted off the Fox singing competition Thursday (December 8) when judge Nicole Scherzinger purposely threw the vote to a tie and left the final decision in the hands of America’s votes. That placed Crow against Marcus Canty, who landed in the bottom two for the third week in a row. When host Steve Jones read the final tally, Crow — who moments earlier said she’d be fine with whatever decision was made — fell to the ground as if someone had punched her in the gut, sobbing loud and hard on the “X Factor” stage. Crow was picked up off the ground by her mentor, Simon Cowell, and consoled by her mother. “Mommy!” Crow wept, while cameras cut to a shocked Scherzinger, who looked like she couldn’t believe what she’d just done. When she could finally speak, Crow told host Jones, “I just, I love you so much, everybody, for voting for me, even though you didn’t. … Thank you for giving me this, because without you, I’m nothing. And I hope this is not my ending. You know what? I know it’s not. And I will go so far, I promise you. And I love you.” She went on to thank her family for their support. Said Cowell after the decision: “I want to thank everyone that’s voted for this young girl. I believe she went out on the highest she could have gone out on. Like I said, from the very first time I met you, we’re going to be hearing a lot more about Rachel Crow, I give you my word on that.” Jones approached Scherzinger and asked if she had anything to say, and the ex-Pussycat Doll, who was heavily booed by the audience, turned away without comment. Earlier in the evening, both Crow and Canty were forced to sing for their lives in the competition. Canty took on “I’m Going Down,” while Crow tackled “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Following the performances, L.A. Reid praised Crow for her “amazing” rendition but voted for Canty to stay, while Cowell and Paula Abdul cast their votes in favor of Crow. That left the deciding vote to Scherzinger, who through tears said she couldn’t make the decision herself, so she voted for Canty to stay so the tiebreaker would lie in the hands of viewer votes. The night prior, Crow sang B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ on You” and Michael Jackson’s “Music & Me,” prompting Abdul to call her “beautifully fearless,” “a wonderful role model,” “every girl’s best friend and every parent’s daydream,” “fantastic and magical” and with a “vocal depth [that] transcends all generations.” Canty, meanwhile, sang Chaka Kahn’s “Ain’t Nobody” and Leon Russell’s “A Song for You,” the latter of which was dubbed “a bit boring” by Cowell. But L.A. Reid compared Canty to Muhammad Ali, praising his ability to get up after being repeatedly knocked down. “I’ve got your back,” Reid told him, and he kept his word on Thursday. Earlier in the evening, Josh Krajcik, Melanie Amaro and Chris Rene advanced to next week’s semifinal. When Canty learned he would have to once again sing for his life, he remarked, “Bottom two, again? Gosh, man. But, top five, man, I just gotta go out and deliver.” The episode also featured live performances by Lenny Kravitz and Mary J. Blige. What did you think of the results? Let us know in the comments!
Josh Krajcik also impresses judges with the Beatles’ ‘Something.’ By Adam Graham Chris Rene on “X Factor” Photo: FOX Nicole Scherzinger coined the term “Krajcik Magic” on Wednesday’s (December 7) “X Factor,” but it was Chris Rene who worked his mojo the hardest, arguably winning the night with his show-closing original, “Where Do We Go From Here.” Rene’s performance finished out a night that saw the top five contestants performing two songs apiece: one dance hit and one song of each contestant’s choosing. The episode’s drama (because what would “The X Factor” be without a little drama?) came from an “error in communication” that saw the contestants having to switch up their final songs with only 24 hours’ notice. How would they perform under the pressure? Would they remember their lyrics? And what kind of crazy hyperbole would Paula Abdul heap upon the contestants? Turns out they all handled the twist pretty well, with Rene stealing the evening with his original song. Cross-legged and strumming an acoustic guitar, Rene seemed perfectly at ease with “Where Do We Go From Here,” which brought to mind his initial audition when he performed another original, “Young Homie.” “Where Do We Go From Here” had a laid-back, easygoing vibe and wouldn’t have felt out of place being released on Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. Simon Cowell remarked that at this point in the competition, performing an original is either “stupidity or a stroke of genius.” He ended up calling it the latter, with Rene reacting by jumping up and down in place. Up until Rene’s finale it appeared to be Josh Krajcik’s night, even though it started out shaky with a so-so orchestral take on Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” But he came around on his second song, punching up the Beatles’ “Sometimes” and having Scherzinger call him “the male Adele in the industry right now” before coining the term “Krajcik Magic.” Abdul literally couldn’t find the words to sing his praises, telling the burrito maker, “Adjectives just don’t describe your brilliance anymore, they just don’t measure up.” (Note: Will someone please lend Paula a thesaurus?) Speaking of Adele, Melanie Amaro opened the show with a clubby take on the Brit soul singer’s “Someone Like You” and later took on Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s “When You Believe.” Those are three gigantic singers to tackle over the course of a season let alone a single night, but Amaro acquitted herself nicely, with Cowell calling her “outstanding” and urging viewers to pick up their phones to vote so he doesn’t end up with another situation like he had with Drew last week. Bubbly 13-year-old Rachel Crow chose B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ on You” for her opener and returned to last week’s Michael Jackson theme for “Music & Me” for her second performance of the evening. To say Abdul was ecstatic about the two songs would be an understatement. “Your vocal depth transcends all generations” she told Crow after the former, while explaining to her, “You are a wonderful role model. You are every girl’s best friend and every parent’s daydream. You are fantastic and magical,” after the second. Did we mention Abdul also called her “beautifully fearless”? Marcus Canty, who has landed in the bottom two the last two weeks in a row, took on Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” and Leon Russell’s “A Song for You.” The first song played more to his strengths, while the second honed in on his vocals, which often suffer in comparison to his abilities as an all-around entertainer. Cowell blew off the second song as “a bit boring,” but Canty’s mentor, L.A. Reid, compared his ability to get up after getting knocked down to no less than Muhammad Ali. “I’ve got your back,” Reid told him. But do voters? One artist is scheduled to be sent home on Thursday’s episode of “The X Factor.” What did you think of Wednesday’s show? Let us know in the comments!
Simon Cowell tells MTV News he has recovered after Drew Ryniewicz’s shocking elimination last week. By Jim Cantiello Simon Cowell Photo: FOX MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello is exclusively covering “The X Factor” rehearsals. Read on for his fly-on-the-wall backstage report! LOS ANGELES — Breaking news from “The X Factor” set: They’ve moved the craft service table to a secret undisclosed location. Who knew fruit roll-ups, granola bars and coffee had so much in common with Dick Cheney? In all seriousness, things are tense in the “X Factor” world. The contestants are still processing last week’s shocking double-elimination . With two of the early front-runners gone, it’s anyone’s $5 million contract to win, and the five remaining singers know it — as does judge Simon Cowell, who was spotted having a cigarette break with a contestant with whom he hadn’t interacted much previously. The words, “You could very well win it all,” might have been uttered. Speaking of Simon, Mr. X has cooled down considerably since last Thursday’s live-TV fit, but he has yet to say one word to fellow judges Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger after they axed contestant Drew Ryniewicz, one of his favorites. However, Simon said in an interview — slated to premiere on the live preshow around 7 p.m. ET tonight on TheXFactorUSA.com — that he’s totally over it, respects his fellow judges for following their hearts, and has no ill will toward them. Meanwhile, his remaining singers — Melanie Amaro and Rachel Crow — told the press that Simon’s been way more open to their suggestions since the Drew drama went down. Something tells me we’ll see them stretch big time tonight. Another contestant tried something new during rehearsals: a guitar! Things didn’t work out at first. After a couple of run-throughs, the contestant’s mentor immediately nixed the strumming. But by Tuesday’s camera rehearsals, the guitar was back. Will the risk pay off? On the lot, I spied another mentor’s contestant having a deep chat inside Simon’s trailer. I tracked down Cowell later to see if he was feeding the competition some bad advice or playing mind games, but Simon insists his door is open for all the contestants if they’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. The tea gets brewed, a pep talk is had, and all is right in the world again. I’ve had Simon’s famous ginger tea, by the way, and let me tell you: It could solve all of the world’s problems. It’s that good. The first sip stings, and then a sweetness takes over. It’s like Simon Cowell in a glass! I’m not allowed to reveal song choices, but I can tell you that one singer is performing an inescapable ballad from 2011 that might not be recognizable after the show’s retooling. All I can say is: Brian Friedman is employing tons of dancers for this particular number. (Ooh, I just spied choreographer Sonya Tayeh working with Brian too.) On the flipside, another contestant is re-imagining a recent uptempo radio hit as a ballad. In other words, expect lots of cool twists on your fave songs this week. Now if only the crew could find that elusive crafty table. Catch Jim on “The X Factor Pepsi Preshow Live,” streaming at 7 p.m. ET tonight on TheXFactorUSA.com!
