Simon who? It's the return of the X Factor - and no-one seems to miss Mr Cowell as Gary Barlow steps into the role of Mr Nasty

By JODY THOMPSON



X Factor debut: The new-look panel didn't disappoint on the brand new series of the X Factor tonight



It was arguably the most anticipated return of a TV show in years - and the all-new X Factor didn't disappoint tonight.



Cynics had argued beforehand that the departure of head honcho and show mastermind Simon Cowell, along with former judges Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, would damage the show.



But the new recruits stepped up to the plate - with Gary Barlow surprisingly stepping into Cowell's shoes as the new Mr Nasty.





The new Mr Nasty? Gary Barlow is most definitely the Mr Grumpy of the panel and doesn't hide his displeasure at sub-standard auditions





As the show began, with a montage of all the press over what the show mightily called 'the next generation' and a 'new chapter' of the X Factor, Gary pledged: 'I'm going to be tough, I'm going to be brutal. I think people's perception of me is about to change.'



He certainly seemed to live up to his promise too - to show there's no more Mr Nice Guy from the Take That veteran.



Interestingly, the show also seemed to focus more on the talent than the judges, arguably taking the show back to its roots with what is now the eighth series.





Patience: Gary showed on tonight's show that he certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly - as fellow judge Kelly observed, he is very 'black and white'





First up was cheeky chappie Frankie Cocozza, 18, from Brighton - who said he'd entered 'to get lots of girls' to screams of laughter from the audience.



Talking beforehand, he elaborated: 'I want to try and sleep with as many women as possible. To sum up my life, I’d probably use the word mental. If you came out on a night with me, you’d probably wake up the next morning wondering what happened last night.



'I see myself as a bit of a liability, but I can admit that. I just want to be famous. I want to be huge. I look forward to all the money, and the cars, and showing off, but more than anything I’m looking forward to the girls.'





Cheeky: Frankie Cocozza was one of the early hits with judges on tonight's show





Debut: N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos, wearing an off-the-shoulder leopard print top, was impressed by Frankie's audition





As he took to the stage and introduced himself, he boasted that he'd just come back from Malia and had got seven girls' names tattooed onto his bottom.



He was then challenged by Tulisa to prove it - and he obliged by dropping his trousers and baring cheeks inscribed with seven names in a quite elaborate script.

He said he'd Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed in his bum too - but only if they paid for it.



He sang a characterful version The Zuton's Valerie - and got the crowd clapping and singing along, before a standing ovation at the end.





Mellow yellow: Kelly Rowland and her new fellow female judge Tulisa seem to get on like a house on fire





Quirky: Tulisa rightly pointed out that Kitty may be a bit of a 'Marmite' contestant





Talking for the first time as an X Factor judge, Tulisa was the first of the panel to comment.



Smiling broadly, she said: 'It's quite clear that the girls seem to already love you and I think after that audition it's about to get a whole lot worse.'



Kelly was next to make her debut on the show, gushing: 'I like you. You know what, I usually like that bad boys. I like your whole vibe, I like the fact you've got eight girls' names tattooed on your bum.'





Up close and personal: Tulisa and Louis got a good view of Goldie's act





Leg over: ....as did Gary....





Gasps: Despite Goldie's antics, Gary just wanted to bring the panel back down to earth and focus on her lack of singing skills





Gary was then next to make his first judgement on the show, and with authority, said: 'I love your stage presence, your Rod Stewart vocals, people are going to love youI really enjoyed every bit of it. The stage presence, the Rod Stewart vocals, I think people are going to love you. Well done.'



A delighted Frankie then gets four yesses and afterwards, said that he would get Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed onto his bottom and they would be there for the rest of his life.



Next up was Kitty Brucknell, 26, from Gloucestershire, who boasted: 'I know I can sing. I've invented my own brand -it's diva glam pop.'





Nervous: A dressed down Janet Devlin was shaking with nerves when she took to the stage





Big chance: The wannabes are auditioning before hundreds of X Factor fans





You're through: The star was told Tulisa and Kelly wanted to fight over who would mentor her at boot camp





Boot camp bound: The girls had told Kelly that they were huge Destiny's Child fans





Big talent: Heshima Thompson was also through after showing he could sing as well as dance





Aggressive: George fronted up Tulisa, who afterwards slated him for being an 'angry' person



Still swearing, George was then dragged off stage by security, before he proceeded then call Tulisa a dog backstage in front of show host Dermot O'Leary who told him to 'watch his mouth.'



Unsurprisingly, George did not go through to bootcamp...



The new series of the X Factor returns next Saturday on ITV1 at 8pm.





Mariah Carey on X Factor







source: dailymail

Simon who? It's the return of the X Factor - and no-one seems to miss Mr Cowell as Gary Barlow steps into the role of Mr Nasty

By JODY THOMPSON



X Factor debut: The new-look panel didn't disappoint on the brand new series of the X Factor tonight



It was arguably the most anticipated return of a TV show in years - and the all-new X Factor didn't disappoint tonight.



Cynics had argued beforehand that the departure of head honcho and show mastermind Simon Cowell, along with former judges Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, would damage the show.



But the new recruits stepped up to the plate - with Gary Barlow surprisingly stepping into Cowell's shoes as the new Mr Nasty.





The new Mr Nasty? Gary Barlow is most definitely the Mr Grumpy of the panel and doesn't hide his displeasure at sub-standard auditions





As the show began, with a montage of all the press over what the show mightily called 'the next generation' and a 'new chapter' of the X Factor, Gary pledged: 'I'm going to be tough, I'm going to be brutal. I think people's perception of me is about to change.'



He certainly seemed to live up to his promise too - to show there's no more Mr Nice Guy from the Take That veteran.



Interestingly, the show also seemed to focus more on the talent than the judges, arguably taking the show back to its roots with what is now the eighth series.





Patience: Gary showed on tonight's show that he certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly - as fellow judge Kelly observed, he is very 'black and white'





First up was cheeky chappie Frankie Cocozza, 18, from Brighton - who said he'd entered 'to get lots of girls' to screams of laughter from the audience.



Talking beforehand, he elaborated: 'I want to try and sleep with as many women as possible. To sum up my life, I’d probably use the word mental. If you came out on a night with me, you’d probably wake up the next morning wondering what happened last night.



'I see myself as a bit of a liability, but I can admit that. I just want to be famous. I want to be huge. I look forward to all the money, and the cars, and showing off, but more than anything I’m looking forward to the girls.'





Cheeky: Frankie Cocozza was one of the early hits with judges on tonight's show





Debut: N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos, wearing an off-the-shoulder leopard print top, was impressed by Frankie's audition





As he took to the stage and introduced himself, he boasted that he'd just come back from Malia and had got seven girls' names tattooed onto his bottom.



He was then challenged by Tulisa to prove it - and he obliged by dropping his trousers and baring cheeks inscribed with seven names in a quite elaborate script.

He said he'd Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed in his bum too - but only if they paid for it.



He sang a characterful version The Zuton's Valerie - and got the crowd clapping and singing along, before a standing ovation at the end.





Mellow yellow: Kelly Rowland and her new fellow female judge Tulisa seem to get on like a house on fire





Quirky: Tulisa rightly pointed out that Kitty may be a bit of a 'Marmite' contestant





Talking for the first time as an X Factor judge, Tulisa was the first of the panel to comment.



Smiling broadly, she said: 'It's quite clear that the girls seem to already love you and I think after that audition it's about to get a whole lot worse.'



Kelly was next to make her debut on the show, gushing: 'I like you. You know what, I usually like that bad boys. I like your whole vibe, I like the fact you've got eight girls' names tattooed on your bum.'





Up close and personal: Tulisa and Louis got a good view of Goldie's act





Leg over: ....as did Gary....





Gasps: Despite Goldie's antics, Gary just wanted to bring the panel back down to earth and focus on her lack of singing skills





Gary was then next to make his first judgement on the show, and with authority, said: 'I love your stage presence, your Rod Stewart vocals, people are going to love youI really enjoyed every bit of it. The stage presence, the Rod Stewart vocals, I think people are going to love you. Well done.'



A delighted Frankie then gets four yesses and afterwards, said that he would get Kelly and Tulisa's names tattooed onto his bottom and they would be there for the rest of his life.



Next up was Kitty Brucknell, 26, from Gloucestershire, who boasted: 'I know I can sing. I've invented my own brand -it's diva glam pop.'





Nervous: A dressed down Janet Devlin was shaking with nerves when she took to the stage





Big chance: The wannabes are auditioning before hundreds of X Factor fans





You're through: The star was told Tulisa and Kelly wanted to fight over who would mentor her at boot camp





Boot camp bound: The girls had told Kelly that they were huge Destiny's Child fans





Big talent: Heshima Thompson was also through after showing he could sing as well as dance





Aggressive: George fronted up Tulisa, who afterwards slated him for being an 'angry' person



Still swearing, George was then dragged off stage by security, before he proceeded then call Tulisa a dog backstage in front of show host Dermot O'Leary who told him to 'watch his mouth.'



Unsurprisingly, George did not go through to bootcamp...



The new series of the X Factor returns next Saturday on ITV1 at 8pm.





Mariah Carey on X Factor







source: dailymail

Back with a bang! X Factor returns tonight - and new judges are full of fighting talk as they prepare to tackle first lot of wannabes

By JODY THOMPSON



At least he's honest: One of the first to audition on tonight's first show of the new series of X Factor is Frankie Cocozza - who says he wants to win to meet lots of girls



The new series of the X Factor kicks off tonight and the public get to see the new judging panel - Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa and Louis Walsh - put through their paces for the first time.



In this, the eighth series, it's back with a bang and still determined to find the UK's next pop superstar - though one presumes more of the Leona Lewis than the Steve Brookstein variety...





Will she have the judges purring? Contestant Kitty Brucknell would have certainly impressed Simon Cowell in her shiny leggings





In auditions held across the country earlier this year, thousands of wannabes turned up to audition with the stand-out moments debuted tonight on ITV1 - including one cheeky chappy who just wants to win the show to meet girls.



Kelly has certainly been impressed with the standard of talent so far.



Introducing herself at the start of tonight's show, she says: 'The talent coming out of the UK is nothing short of amazing. I cannot wait to find the next big star!





Hot stuff: But will gold jacket and denim short-wearing Candice hit the right notes?





'Being in Destiny’s Child, being a solo artist, I know how tough the industry is - I’ve been here for 15 years. It takes hard work to get to the top and even harder work to stay there.



'I want to find someone who will sell records all over the world. This show could change your life forever.





Keeping it casual: Stefan, who debuts on the show tonight, has a hint of the Olly Murs about him





Yes or no? We'll have to wait until tonight to see how Ray and Roxanne fare after they sing for the judges





As revealed by Mail Online yesterday, he then proceeds to show his naked bottom to the judges to reveal a tattoo he's just had done of the name of a girl he met in Malia, Crete.



Kelly can't quite believe it, laughing: 'Can I just say, I freaking love the UK! You gotta love it here. He came on, he showed his ass, literally. You’ve got to love that.'



Also on the show will be Cheltenham lass Kitty Brucknell, 26, who sings Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory, the wildcard Goldie Cheung, 48, from Hong Kong, who's described as a cross between Tina Turner and a lapdancer, and the early favourite, 16-year-old Janet Devlin.



The X Factor is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm, followed by The Xtra Factor at 9.15pm on ITV2.



Next big thing? Boyband 4 Real will be hoping to follow in the trainer-clad footsteps of JLS



source: dailymail

Back with a bang! X Factor returns tonight - and new judges are full of fighting talk as they prepare to tackle first lot of wannabes

By JODY THOMPSON



At least he's honest: One of the first to audition on tonight's first show of the new series of X Factor is Frankie Cocozza - who says he wants to win to meet lots of girls



The new series of the X Factor kicks off tonight and the public get to see the new judging panel - Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, Tulisa and Louis Walsh - put through their paces for the first time.



In this, the eighth series, it's back with a bang and still determined to find the UK's next pop superstar - though one presumes more of the Leona Lewis than the Steve Brookstein variety...





Will she have the judges purring? Contestant Kitty Brucknell would have certainly impressed Simon Cowell in her shiny leggings





In auditions held across the country earlier this year, thousands of wannabes turned up to audition with the stand-out moments debuted tonight on ITV1 - including one cheeky chappy who just wants to win the show to meet girls.



Kelly has certainly been impressed with the standard of talent so far.



Introducing herself at the start of tonight's show, she says: 'The talent coming out of the UK is nothing short of amazing. I cannot wait to find the next big star!





Hot stuff: But will gold jacket and denim short-wearing Candice hit the right notes?





'Being in Destiny’s Child, being a solo artist, I know how tough the industry is - I’ve been here for 15 years. It takes hard work to get to the top and even harder work to stay there.



'I want to find someone who will sell records all over the world. This show could change your life forever.





Keeping it casual: Stefan, who debuts on the show tonight, has a hint of the Olly Murs about him





Yes or no? We'll have to wait until tonight to see how Ray and Roxanne fare after they sing for the judges





As revealed by Mail Online yesterday, he then proceeds to show his naked bottom to the judges to reveal a tattoo he's just had done of the name of a girl he met in Malia, Crete.



Kelly can't quite believe it, laughing: 'Can I just say, I freaking love the UK! You gotta love it here. He came on, he showed his ass, literally. You’ve got to love that.'



Also on the show will be Cheltenham lass Kitty Brucknell, 26, who sings Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory, the wildcard Goldie Cheung, 48, from Hong Kong, who's described as a cross between Tina Turner and a lapdancer, and the early favourite, 16-year-old Janet Devlin.



The X Factor is on ITV1 tonight at 8pm, followed by The Xtra Factor at 9.15pm on ITV2.



Next big thing? Boyband 4 Real will be hoping to follow in the trainer-clad footsteps of JLS



source: dailymail

It's Chew-lisa! X Factor's new judge Ms Contostavlos reveals new £12,000 teeth as part of makeover for show

By JODY THOMPSON





Fangs a lot: New X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos revealed her new £12,000 smile at the launch of the X Factor in London today after having veneers to cover her old teeth, as seen in November 2009 (right)



has now quite literally put her money where her mouth is.



The new X Factor judge has apparently splashed out £12,000 on a gleaming new Hollywood smile - just like Cheryl Cole did before she made her debut on the show.



The 25-year-old brunette beauty debuted her new teeth on the red carpet today at the official launch of the new series of the show at London's O2 Arena.





Girlpower: Tulisa Contostavlos (L) and Kelly Rowland (R) appeared to be best of friends already as they arrived at the X Factor press launch at London's O2 Arena today





Wearing a tight patterned black stain Vivienne Westwood dress and black high heeled platform mary janes, she also premiered a glamorous new sideswept hairstyle with blonde highlights across the fringe.



Tulisa's father Plato Contostavlos confirmed that his daughter had treated herself to new gnashers - and joked he hoped she'd pay for him to get some too.



He improved too, telling The Sun: 'She’s had her teeth done for £12k, why not if it makes her feel better? I want to have mine done for £20k.'





Stylish: The N-Dubz star has ditched the tracksuits and bling for a far more classy appearance, and looked lovely in her Vivienne Westwood frock





Plato added that he understood the pressure Tulisa was under to look good in front of the cameras.



He said: 'She’s beautiful in my eyes because she’s my daughter, but it’s every girl’s dream to improve and to want to look even more beautiful.



'It’s the industry she is in, she needs to look her best. She doesn’t tell me she feels pressurised to look good since she joined The X Factor but she’s a girl, she’s young, of course she does.





Glamorous: The 25-year-old looked comfortable in her own skin as well as a red carpet natural as she met fans outside the venue





'That’s the showbiz life she’s chosen and she wants to stay in it and do well.'



It was recently reported that ITV bosses have splashed out £70,000 on a makeover for the N-Dubz star, in a bid to get her to ditch the shell suits and bling and become more classy.



A production source said at the time: 'They put aside so much for Tulisa because you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.'





X Factor makeover: Cheryl Cole also underwent a style change - including new teeth - before she appeared as a judge on the show





Of her new dental makeover, a source had previously told The Sun: 'Tulisa has not got bad teeth by any stretch of the imagination. She's hardly Austin Powers.



'She had a few problems when she was younger but nothing serious. Since she became famous she has become aware they are not perfectly aligned, so she decided to pay for a bit of help.'



Tulisa's predecessor Cheryl also had a smile makeover ahead of her judging role on the X Factor.



The X Factor returns to our screens this Saturday on ITV1 at 8pm.





She's on fire: Accusations that Tulisa has started to look more like Cheryl have sprung up since the publicity shots for the X Factor were released





New team: Tulisa, in a very Cheryl-style body con dress, with Kelly, Gary and Louis





X FACTOR: Tulisa and Kelly coordinate fashion





X FACTOR: Gary Barlow Vs Simon Cowell





source: dailymail