The X Factor

Matt Cardle, a former winner of ‘The X Factor’, has opened up about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction in the aftermath of a dramatic downturn in his career in the years following his victory.

The singer-songwriter, now 34, got a brilliant start to his fledgling music career in 2010 when he won ‘The X Factor’, even beating out One Direction to win the ITV talent contest. However, just three years later, Cardle found himself without a record label and having not had a sniff of a hit in ages, and he revealed in a new interview this week that seeing his friends and colleagues become global megastars while he struggled to get noticed hit him hard.

“I got lucky on a number of occasions not to have been found f***ing cold,” he told The Sun on Tuesday (March 13th). “I was being rejected left, right and centre for a record, for all of this kind of stuff. And none of it was bitterness, but it’s just frustration about my fall from grace.”

Continue reading: Matt Cardle Reveals Battles With Drug And Alcohol Addiction

After more than two years out, Cheryl has confirmed that her television comeback will be on the BBC’s new talent show ‘The Greatest Dancer’, in what appears to be a sensational snub to ITV.

The former Girls Aloud star was spotted filming the new series at the Hammersmith Apollo on Tuesday this week, and took photos with fans alongside Alesha Dixon, Jordan Banjo and Matthew Morrison.

Cheryl is therefore expected to be named one of the show’s ‘dance captains’ in the coming weeks.

Continue reading: Cheryl Snubbing ITV To Make Her TV Comeback On BBC's 'The Greatest Dancer'

Just over a year after he quit ‘The X Factor’, Olly Murs has committed the egregious pop star sin of betrayal of Simon Cowell, announcing that he’s set to become a judge on the next series of ‘The Voice UK’.

Murs will be taking up the spinning chair previously occupied by the departing Gavin Rossdale, and will appear when the show returns on ITV for its seventh series in early 2018. He’ll be alongside Sir Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson and the ever-present will.i.am on the judging panel, while Emma Willis will return as the host.

“I’m absolutely buzzing about being a coach on ‘The Voice UK’ and can’t wait to sit in the big red chair alongside will, Jennifer and Tom,” 33 year old Murs said in a statement on Wednesday (October 11th) announcing his participation on the singing contest.

Continue reading: Olly Murs Confirms He Is Joining 'The Voice UK' Judging Panel

This year’s edition of ‘The X Factor’ may prove to be Sharon Osbourne’s last, as she’s suggested that she’s preparing to retire by the end of the year, according to a new interview this week.

The 64 year old former reality star and music mogul told The Sun on Thursday (August 24th) that she had given herself a five-year time frame in which to carry on working before forcing herself to retire, in order to retain her dignity.

Instead, she’s planning on enjoying her retirement with her husband, Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne, with whom she recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.

Continue reading: Sharon Osbourne Considering Retiring From Showbiz

Sharon Osbourne has been replaced by Alesha Dixon at auditions for the upcoming series of ‘The X Factor’, after she was forced to pull out of work commitments due to back pain.

Dixon has only recently finished her regular stint on the judging panel of fellow ITV show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, but was drafted in for ‘The X Factor’ auditions this week after Sharon flew back to Los Angeles in order to seek treatment for the “recurring” problem with her back.

Sharon Osbourne pictured in October 2016

Continue reading: Sharon Osbourne Forced To Miss 'The X Factor' Auditions Because Of Back Pain

Clean Bandit have held on to the number one spot on the UK singles chart again this week, despite facing some stiff competition.

‘Rockabye’ logged its sixth week on top of the chart on Friday, holding off One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson and ‘x factor’ winner Matt Terry.

Louis Tomlinson’s debut solo single entered the chart at number three

Continue reading: Louis Tomlinson And Matt Terry Fail To Knock Clean Bandit Off Number One Spot

Simon Cowell certainly seems to be paying the price for his smoking habit. The ‘X-Factor’ boss reportedly has to cough up £100 every time he lights up during filming of the ITV series, thanks to a rule stating anyone smoking in the building has to pay a £100 fine.

Simon Cowell has to pay a hefty fine for smoking at the ‘X-Factor’ studios.

The Sunday Mirror reports that Cowell enjoys his expensive smokes during advert breaks on the live show. 'Over the course of a series we're talking about literally thousands of pounds,’ a source told the newspaper.

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Has To Pay £100 Per Cigarette For Smoking At 'X-Factor' Studios

Comic actor Matt Berry possesses one of the most distinctive voices in the British media at the moment, but he’s revealed that he had absolutely no interest in taking over one of the most high-profile voiceover roles in the industry – that of ‘The X Factor’ announcer.

41 year old Berry, who is about to return to TV screens with the series of his Channel 4 comedy ‘Toast of London’ in which he plays a voiceover actor, told Digital Spy in an interview that he wouldn’t have been interested in taking the place of Peter Dickson on the show when his brief break was announced earlier this year.

Matt Berry was considered for the 'X Factor' voiceover job

Continue reading: Matt Berry "Never" Considered Taking 'The X Factor' Voiceover Role

Caroline Flack, co-host of ‘The X Factor’, may miss out on presenting the first of the current series’ live shows because she’s struggling to shake off a bout of the flu.

A source told The Sun [via the Mirror] on Wednesday (October 28th) that Flack was bed-ridden and may not recover in time to host this weekend’s first live shows, leaving co-presenter Olly Murs to do so by himself.

“She hasn’t been feeling well this week at all, and the timing couldn’t be worse, with the first live performances this weekend,” the source revealed. “She has been resting at home and doing everything she possibly can to recover in time to make it on stage with Olly on Saturday night.”

Continue reading: Caroline Flack May Miss The First 'X Factor' Live Show With Flu

‘The X Factor’ has been hit with more controversy after one of its contestants, Tom Bleasby, sensationally quit the talent show on Sunday night as scenes were broadcast of him being axed, only to be restored as the crowd reacted negatively to his departure.

The 19 year old from Leeds, who was being mentored by new judge Nick Grimshaw, was shown being replaced during the ‘six chair challenge’ on Sunday night’s show (October 11th). Though he ended up making the cut, Bleasby tweeted “You are literally watching on TV the worst experience of my life” as it was being broadcast.

Sources say that Bleasby told producers on Friday that he didn’t feel confident that he could cope with the pressure of the competition, with one telling the Mirror: “he didn't think he could progress vocally and in terms of his confidence.”

Continue reading: 'X Factor' Contestant Tom Bleasby Sensationally Quits Despite Succeeding In The Six Chair Challenge