So, another reality show we've been doing our best to ignore of late is 'X-Factor', but it was the final this weekend so we probably best not ignore that, especially given that former winners of the pop reality show have been dominating the album charts so much of late.
Anyway, it was Leon Jackson, a "Scottish crooner" according to most reports I've seen, who took the overall 'X-Factor' gong for 2007, though only just, with one of the closest viewer votes in the show's history. My Mum tells me that second place Rhydian Roberts was actually favourite to win the show, and that she reckons Jackson only won because he got to duet with Kylie Minogue during the final, leading to Kylie fans voting for him. Though I should stress she doesn't watch 'X-Factor' so I've no idea where she gets this stuff from. Though a spokesman from Ladbrokes described the final vote in this series as "the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting", so I'm assuming she's right about Jackson not being favourite to win. A spokesman for the bookies told reporters yesterday: "He saved us from a bumper payout. He'll definitely be top of our Christmas card list". As for why Jackson beat Roberts on the night, well some fans of the latter are claiming they experienced problems when trying to cast their phone votes, though we should stress ITV bosses have denied there were any issues with their phone vote system, and why would we ever have reason to doubt ITV bosses when they say their phone vote systems were sound.
Of course, if Jackson wanted to cause another betting shock he could try his best to not be Christmas number one, though that seems unlikely. His debut single, a cover of 'When You Believe' from the soundtrack to that Moses cartoon, is out today and if only a fraction of the 12 million who reportedly tuned in to the watch the 'X-Factor' final this weekend buy it then Jackson is safely assured to top spot in Sunday's Christmas chart.
Jackson now gets a recording deal with Simon Cowell's SonyBMG division SyCo, of course. Whether Roberts and the other finalists, the Cowell mentored Same Difference, get deals, with Cowell or elsewhere, remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, back to the more important 'X-Factor' related business of bickering among the judges. And Simon Cowell has criticised Sharon Osbourne for slagging off fellow judge Dannii Minogue on the Graham Norton chat show. Osbourne claimed Dannii was chosen as a judge and mentor on the show because of her looks rather than her music experience, something Cowell denies. He told the Mirror: "You see a grown-up Sharon behaving like this in public. I think it's wrong. Certain things should be done behind closed doors - the limelight shouldn't be taken from the contestants. I wish Sharon would ask my advice before she does things instead of trying to deal with it herself".
On Dannii's skills as a judge, he continued: "I was intrigued as to whether or not she could do the job. She's done a ton of songs, movies, 'Grease' and 'Home And Away'. That's exactly the sort of experience you need to be a judge. And she's worked harder with the artists than anyone else. She did 20-hour days".