Drew Ryniewicz was eliminated from The X Factor on Thursday night, a result that left Simon Cowell clearly angry at his fellow panelists for voting off one of his charges. But Simon’s wrath is nothing compared to the words left for Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger by fans of Ryniewicz on Facebook. Drew Ryniewicz – Billie Jean Among the passionate, frightening, misguided messages posted by Drew supporters over the last few days: “F**K you paula you dumb c**t you voted off the most talented person on your f**king show. i hope you die you DUMB B***H.” “I hope you die, you selfish———-” “@NicoleScherzy @paulaabdul go die” These folks would be well-served to heed the words of Drew herself in this interview : she made it all the way to the final seven. That’s pretty darn impressive, and she has many bright years ahead of her. Chill, people.
The X Factor tried to shake things up this week by sending TWO contestants home – but the only real surprise was that the show featured Howie Mandel in the audience. Isn’t he a NBC guy? Indeed, the two performances given the boot were the most obvious selections of the remaining nine, one a group, the other an over-30 hopeful. So long, Lakoda Rayne and LeRoy Bell. You had a decent run. Rayne was sent packing early on in the broadcast – which also featured performances by Kelly Clarkson and Bruno Mars – as that group received the lowest number of votes following last night’s performance show. Paula Abdul now has no more proteges remaining. Bell, meanwhile, was in the bottom two alongside Marcus Canty . The judges tried to instill some tension in the second elimination, deadlocking their votes and leaving the singers’ fate up to the audience. Steve Jones promptly read Bell’s name off a card and the elder crooner took his ousting like a man. You tell us: Did the right contestants get sent home?
Plus: Nicole Scherzinger’s Over 30’s step it up after Stacy Francis’ ouster. By Jim Cantiello Astro on “X Factor” Photo: FOX MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello is exclusively covering “The X Factor” rehearsals. Read on for his fly-on-the-wall backstage report! We’re five weeks into the “X Factor” live shows, and sleep deprivation has finally caught up with everyone. Not just the contestants, mind you, but the crew too. With Thanksgiving shifting the production schedule up a day, Team X has been working for almost two weeks straight without a day off. During rehearsals, contestants are cramming in this week’s performances as well as next week’s songs to allow for a day or two off this holiday week — not to mention a double elimination looming over everyone’s heads. And you thought last week’s Astro drama was intense. Speaking of ‘Stro, the young MC is ready to accept any backlash headed his way after his defiant moment in the bottom two. He’s already apologized on his Facebook wall and on Twitter, but I’m also hearing rumblings of an apology in his pre-performance package. Plus, as he always does, he’ll be performing an autobiographical original verse, so you might want to pay extra-close attention to his sly wordplay. Fresh off sending Stacy Francis home , Nicole Scherzinger is pushing her remaining Over 30’s to be as bold as possible. Perhaps that’s why one dude’s tackling an instrument — a live-show first! — and the other dude is trying his hand at a girl’s song. Will the risks pay off? (They certainly did in rehearsals.) Over the weekend, one of Simon Cowell’s girls got a taste of movie magic as she performed in front of a giant green screen. Creative director Brian Friedman shouted descriptions to her to help situate her in a virtual world, which was then digitally added in postproduction. She won’t be performing in front of a green screen come Tuesday night, however. All that work was just for a background graphic that will play behind her as she sings live. Thanks to everyone’s exhaustion, some “X Factor” team members are getting even punchier and zanier. Stylist June Ambrose popped outside of her trailer in a glittery head wrap that would have been perfect for Gloria Swanson had she ever visited Studio 54. “I’m disco, darling,” she proclaimed to the crew members walking by. Her playful antics caught the eye of judge and mentor Paula Abdul, who quickly ran over to the trailer for an impromptu dress-up play date. If only I got an invite … In other Paula news, the mentor all but gave away country-pop group Lakoda Rayne’s song choice during a Ustream broadcast with fans. “It’s a song by someone who did pretty great these past 24 hours. And won lots of awards,” she coyly said. (One only needs to check out the list of 2011 American Music Awards winners to be able to whittle down what artist Lakoda Rayne will be paying homage to in Tuesday’s live show.) And I’ll leave you with my biggest burning question of the week: Will the paint dry in time? Seriously! Hours before showtime, one particular set piece was being slathered with a new coat at the last minute. And considering a contestant will be performing on this Aggro Crag-like structure, will her outfit get soiled by wet paint? Keep your eyes peeled, those of you with HD TVs! You can catch Jim on the “X Factor Pepsi Pre-Show,” streaming at 7 p.m. ET tonight on TheXFactorUSA.com !
The US version of X Factor’s judges attended a filming on the TV show Extra at The Grove. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, LA Reid and Steve Jones spoke with Mario Lopez and Terri Seymour on the Extra stage! Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com
Astro and Rachel Crow also earn high marks, but Stacy Francis and Lakoda Rayne draw Simon Cowell’s ire. By Adam Graham Josh Krajcik performs on “The X Factor” Photo: FOX “The X Factor” took on rock music Wednesday, with decidedly rocky results. The debate of what really constitutes rock overshadowed the proceedings, with the increasingly catty judges sniping at one another over their song choices and whether they fit the evening’s theme. In the end, only one performer, Josh Krajcik, turned in what could truly be considered a rockin’ performance, plugging in and kicking out the jams with the Foo Fighters’ “Pretender.” Krajcik was the evening’s big winner — inspiring mentor Nicole Scherzinger to head-bang her way through his performance — along with teen rapper Astro, who is quickly becoming a favorite in the competition. Astro’s original song, a dedication to hip-hop rapped to Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” caused L.A. Reid to gush that he not only has what it takes to win the competition, but also to become a “major international star,” while Simon Cowell told him he has more maturity and intelligence than the older contestants he’s up against. Astro’s consistency, meanwhile, irked Paula Abdul. “Can you just suck for once?” she pleaded. “I don’t think you can!” Here’s how the remainder of the contestants fared: The Boys Chris Rene, sporting one of Jay-Z’s controversial Occupy All Streets T-shirts , did Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” which Cowell argued wasn’t nearly rockin’ enough. “Loved the performance. Would have been great if the theme was reggae,” Cowell quipped. Marcus Canty’s take on Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” earned high marks from everyone but Cowell, who said it felt like he was pretending to be someone he’s not. L.A. Reid shot back with a simple, “You rocked!” The Girls Coming off a strong performance last week, Rachel Crow took on the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” which more than satisfied the judges. “The question is, can you sell records? Can you sell tickets? And the answer is yes,” Reid beamed. Melanie Amaro’s piano-and-vocals version of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” was dismissed as “so not rock” by Reid, and Scherzinger questioned why she wasn’t moved to tears by the song (she explained that, normally, she is a weeping mess by the song’s close). Cowell, however, boasted that the performance reminded him of Adele and Alicia Keys — performers who are not the least bit rock, mind you, but who happen to sell a lot of records. Fourteen-year-old Drew, meanwhile, took on U2’s “With or Without You” — which was similar to her version of Coldplay’s “Fix You” last week — and Reid, Scherzinger and Abdul all stressed they’d like to hear her do something outside her comfort zone. But Cowell dismissed their comments and praised her, saying he’s confident she’ll be in the competition “until the end.” The Over 30’s LeRoy Bell’s straightforward reading of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” was smacked down by the judges. “You’re good, man, but I need more. This is the big time,” Reid scolded him. Stacy Francis dedicated her performance of Meat Loaf’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” to her “Franatics,” but Cowell trashed her performance with his most stinging critique of the season to date. “It was the sort of thing I would expect someone to sing at the Hilton hotel with people turning their backs eating peanuts,” he said. (It’s safe to say he is not a Franatic.) The Group Lakoda Rayne, Paula Abdul’s sole remaining group , got hammered for what Cowell called their “stupid” and “gimmicky” choreography, and he called the group’s performance of the Outfield’s “Your Love” mashed up with Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” “a complete mess.” When Reid called Cowell’s critique harsh, Cowell barked, “Watch your back” at Reid. Me-ow, you two! One finalist is due to be sent home on Thursday’s (November 17) show, which is also set to feature a live performance by Rihanna. What did you think of rock night on “The X Factor”? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘X Factor’ Judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid
Astro and Rachel Crow also earn high marks, but Stacy Francis and Lakoda Rayne draw Simon Cowell’s ire. By Adam Graham Josh Krajcik performs on “The X Factor” Photo: FOX “The X Factor” took on rock music Wednesday, with decidedly rocky results. The debate of what really constitutes rock overshadowed the proceedings, with the increasingly catty judges sniping at one another over their song choices and whether they fit the evening’s theme. In the end, only one performer, Josh Krajcik, turned in what could truly be considered a rockin’ performance, plugging in and kicking out the jams with the Foo Fighters’ “Pretender.” Krajcik was the evening’s big winner — inspiring mentor Nicole Scherzinger to head-bang her way through his performance — along with teen rapper Astro, who is quickly becoming a favorite in the competition. Astro’s original song, a dedication to hip-hop rapped to Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You,” caused L.A. Reid to gush that he not only has what it takes to win the competition, but also to become a “major international star,” while Simon Cowell told him he has more maturity and intelligence than the older contestants he’s up against. Astro’s consistency, meanwhile, irked Paula Abdul. “Can you just suck for once?” she pleaded. “I don’t think you can!” Here’s how the remainder of the contestants fared: The Boys Chris Rene, sporting one of Jay-Z’s controversial Occupy All Streets T-shirts , did Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” which Cowell argued wasn’t nearly rockin’ enough. “Loved the performance. Would have been great if the theme was reggae,” Cowell quipped. Marcus Canty’s take on Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” earned high marks from everyone but Cowell, who said it felt like he was pretending to be someone he’s not. L.A. Reid shot back with a simple, “You rocked!” The Girls Coming off a strong performance last week, Rachel Crow took on the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” which more than satisfied the judges. “The question is, can you sell records? Can you sell tickets? And the answer is yes,” Reid beamed. Melanie Amaro’s piano-and-vocals version of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” was dismissed as “so not rock” by Reid, and Scherzinger questioned why she wasn’t moved to tears by the song (she explained that, normally, she is a weeping mess by the song’s close). Cowell, however, boasted that the performance reminded him of Adele and Alicia Keys — performers who are not the least bit rock, mind you, but who happen to sell a lot of records. Fourteen-year-old Drew, meanwhile, took on U2’s “With or Without You” — which was similar to her version of Coldplay’s “Fix You” last week — and Reid, Scherzinger and Abdul all stressed they’d like to hear her do something outside her comfort zone. But Cowell dismissed their comments and praised her, saying he’s confident she’ll be in the competition “until the end.” The Over 30’s LeRoy Bell’s straightforward reading of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” was smacked down by the judges. “You’re good, man, but I need more. This is the big time,” Reid scolded him. Stacy Francis dedicated her performance of Meat Loaf’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” to her “Franatics,” but Cowell trashed her performance with his most stinging critique of the season to date. “It was the sort of thing I would expect someone to sing at the Hilton hotel with people turning their backs eating peanuts,” he said. (It’s safe to say he is not a Franatic.) The Group Lakoda Rayne, Paula Abdul’s sole remaining group , got hammered for what Cowell called their “stupid” and “gimmicky” choreography, and he called the group’s performance of the Outfield’s “Your Love” mashed up with Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” “a complete mess.” When Reid called Cowell’s critique harsh, Cowell barked, “Watch your back” at Reid. Me-ow, you two! One finalist is due to be sent home on Thursday’s (November 17) show, which is also set to feature a live performance by Rihanna. What did you think of rock night on “The X Factor”? Let us know in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘X Factor’ Judges Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid
Plus more inside scoop from backstage, where Jermaine Dupri was spotted hanging out. By Jim Cantiello Backstage at “X Factor” Photo: Jim Cantiello/Brendan Kennedy MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello is exclusively covering “The X Factor” rehearsals. Read on for his fly-on-the-wall backstage report! LOS ANGELES — The top 10 contestants on “The X Factor” are taking on rock and roll this week, and everyone backstage is on edge. Production closed off all rehearsals so contestants couldn’t sit in while their competitors practice. During the dress rehearsal, many of the top 10 were glued to a monitor backstage scoping out the competition for the first time. Tense! It may be rock week, but Jermaine Dupri was spotted hanging out backstage with L.A. Reid’s right-hand man. You think deals are happening on the lot? Let the irresponsible rumor mongering commence! Here are some other “X Factor” backstage tidbits so juicy I have to make them blind to protect my job. (Don’t be mad.)
Marcus Canty may have covered “I’m Going Down” on The X Factor last night, but this hopeful artist put on a performance that had his fortunes going way up. Just consider this praise from the panel: Nicole Scherzinger : Two words: Ma. Gic. You are a classic. You are a superstar. Paula Abdul : Everything about you from head to toe resonates star. Simon Cowell : 1000% better than last week. Thank God you threw that jacket halfway through. Was the rendition worthy of such positive words? Judge for yourself: Marcus Canty – I’m Going Down Visit our X Factor video section now for a look at numerous performances from last night and the entire first season so far!
After an all-group bottom two last week, MTV News’ Jim Cantiello says Abdul isn’t taking any chances. By Jim Cantiello Paula Abdul Photo: Getty Images MTV News’ own Jim Cantiello is exclusively covering “The X Factor” rehearsals. Read on for his fly-on-the-wall backstage report! “X Factor” mentor Paula Abdul is determined to keep her remaining groups — the Stereo Hogzz and Lakoda Rayne — out of the bottom two come results time Thursday night. She’s always hands-on with her contestants, whether TV cameras are around or not, but last week’s all-group bottom two have made her even more passionate about her job. This week in “X Factor” land, Abdul was everywhere you looked, from inside the house powwowing with choreographer Brian Friedman and vocal producer Claude Kelly to the middle of the studio’s parking lot, where she had the crew erect a giant set piece so one of her groups could rehearse on it before they got thrown onstage. Once it came time to rehearse inside the house, Paula huddled with her groups. Literally, they formed a huddle, like football players. Unlike the NFL, however, the quarterback was wearing showstopping stilettos, which made huddling all the more impressive. Breaking news: Paula Abdul has great balance! During rehearsal, Abdul was up on her feet behind the judging table, rocking the choreo for her groups. If a camera caught her, she’d look like one of those overzealous pageant moms on “Toddlers & Tiaras,” only way more fabulous. (Her stilettos deserve a second shout-out, you guys. They were that fierce!) Not only that, she can still really dance, straight up. And her enthusiasm for her acts is infectious. But it’s not only the groups that are jazzed for Wednesday night’s (November 9) performance episode. I overheard one of the Over 30’s telling a producer how all 11 remaining acts will look especially good this go-round. “We’re all so comfortable with our song choices this week,” the contestant gushed. Meanwhile, the backup dancers are quickly becoming the hardest-working members of the “X Factor” team, and their multitasking skills have reached new heights. Exhibit A: Two shirtless male dancers were spotted outside the stage doors working on their suntans while also devouring a plate of craft service and going over some dance moves — at the same time! Dancer skin is pretty common around the “X Factor” stage, actually. In between numbers, you can usually find dozens of backup dancers switching costumes right in front of everyone. (They’re not getting buck naked, mind you. This isn’t “XXX Factor.”) Other tidbits: One contestant had no trouble maneuvering stairs onstage but, hilariously, was confounded by a mic stand. (Turns out the sparkly prop looked great on camera but was faulty. A standard mic stand will suffice.) Willow Smith will be popping in to make an appearance on “The X Factor” this week. All eyes are on whether she’ll say hello to her dad’s old double-decker trailer, which is parked directly outside the studio and houses none other than Simon Cowell. Rumor has it Cowell is angling for a new triple-decker trailer to one-up the Fresh Prince. Amazing. Speaking of Simon, Nicole Scherzinger banned him from her Over 30’s rehearsals. I imagine she doesn’t want him taking credit for her contestants’ success any more. Smart move, Nicole! I have a sneaking suspicion Simon will get plenty of raves for his own contestants this week. After one girl finished a run-through, Simon leapt out of his chair to smother her with a bear hug. Simon was so stoked, in fact, he even stayed around for L.A. Reid’s boys’ rehearsals and — dare I expose him — actually danced during one of L.A.’s contestants’ upbeat numbers. Full disclosure: he does not move like Jagger, but he definitely has impressive rhythm. The $5 million question: Will he boogie during Wednesday night’s live show? You can catch Jim on the “X Factor Pepsi Pre-Show,” streaming at 7 p.m. ET tonight on TheXFactorUSA.com ! Related Artists Paula Abdul
Simon Cowell talked with paparazzi outside Cecconi’s Restaurant last night, and discussed everything from X Factor to the Kim Kardashian Divorce. Follow Hollywood.TV on Facebook @ facebook.com/hollywoodasithappens
