Rhydian on ITV Wales, 21st Dec 2007

Charming mini interview and a bit of carol singing from the man...plus he says that he will be touring on his own after the X factor tour. Many thanks to Fay for pointing it out to me in the first place.

Rhydian On ITV Wales 21st November 2007 - Funny blooper videos are here
Other X Factor News: It's the 21st December and in a hot off the press news report titled Leon Wins, Music Mike has his say, "I have been involved in the 'Music Game' for over 40 years, working with acts of all descriptions. Long before Mr. Cowell even dreamt up his 'Quick Buck schemes', it was taken for granted that every entertainer worth their salt, had to serve an 'Apprenticeship', Simon, I am utterly disgusted with your conduct, but I suppose you have to keep earning a crust, to keep your 'conservatively expensive' cars on the road. Tell me, which type of car will Leon be driving, in 6 months time, let alone 12 months?"
I didn't realise that Leon was old enough to drive but it got me thinking...what sort of car would suit Leon? It would have to be one that has bad tuning and breaks down every ten minutes
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I reported recently about an article detailing the X Factor voting intentions of the Jewish community. Most favoured was Rhydian but one man was for Same Difference, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Head of Community Development of Liberal Judaism , "(he) prefers SD for their cheesiness and the good role model they set for family values. " I wonder if he will be changing his opinion after Sean was reported as saying, “I do not like paying that much for a beer. Those are London prices and I do not expect to pay that – I suppose that makes me a bit of a jewboy.”

X Factor News:Leon banned, Ofcom looks into scandal, Leon off tune

X Factor News Aplenty:
Radio stations owned by Town and Country Broadcasting in Wales have banned the winning X Factor single by swinging Leon Jackson. They've done this not on what would be perfectly acceptable grounds of taste but because listeners couldn't get through on the phone lines to vote for Rhydian. Listeners to Bridge FM, Swansea Bay Radio, Radio Carmarthenshire, Radio Pembrokeshire and Scarlet FM will be spared Leon 'tuning problems' Jackson's version of the dreadful Mariah Carey song. Expect a sudden increase in property prices in these areas as people try to move there.
Can't we all be spared the sound of Leon singing. We've suffered almost 3 months of him already.
newspaper report here
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And in scenes reminiscent of George Bush's controversial contested victory, Ofcom may look into 80 complaints from viewers unable to get through and vote. ITV has also been hit by protests as Rhydian fans flooded the ITV website with complaints and accusations that the contest was fixed.
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Also rumours have been circulating about a possible reason for Leon's 'Jazz' singing style. The voices of all the show's contestants are fed through a piece of kit called Autotunes (industry standard software that corrects minor intonation problems in real time - the Spice Girls use it religiously) It moves the pitch of the sung note to the nearest note in the key, but apparently some of the notes that Leon was hitting were so far away from the intended that Autotunes just couldn't cope. Hence the, how shall we say, improvisational feel of some of Leon's singing.

X Factor News from the Blogs

Obviously there are acres of press coverage all about X Factor and Rhydian being robbed but here at the Rhydian Factor we highlight the best, most unusual items. Articles that you may have missed.

First up a blog called Island of Dreams and in a very ominously titled Our Time Is Running Out the writer points out the signs of our coming doom, "Armageddon is coming so get thee to Tesco and stock up on tinned foods and sporting goods...The world is going stark raving crackers" the evidence, "the Tories are leading opinion polls by the greatest margin for fifteen years... unleaded is now £1.05 a litre round the corner and The Eagles have got back together. Most damning of all? Leon Jackson has won The X Factor 2007. I fully expect cats and dogs to start living together and Sunny Delight to rain down from the heavens within the next fortnight." He provides us with a perfect description of the one they are already calling, that wee Scottish guy who had one hit, you know his name , "But Leon bloody Jackson? A scrutty zig-zag of flesh with a total inability to carry a note and all the dancing skills of someone undergoing electroconvulsive therapy?" Read his full post here, it's good.
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A newly set up blog Null Points Eurovision Blog is unsure of the X Factor democratic process,"...outstanding candidate on X Factor, Rhydian Roberts gets pipped by a caterwauling Scottish midget who wouldn't know a tune if he fell over it.This is democracy...... or rather it isn't. The last time I checked that meant one person one vote. Not one person spending a small fortune voting over and over again for the same candidate"
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Well worth a visit blog Chart Rigger (Rock could be so good, but we make it all so rubbishy) In a post titled:British People Like When Kylie Dresses Like A Ho, So They Voted For Leon Jackson On X Factor, "Kylie came on stage and basically pole-danced on him But I like this Leon. He's no Shayne Ward, but rather a tall, dark geek like myself. Which means he's probably got a monster Jackson down his shorts." Jackson?!?! The writer, one J'ason D'luv, a great name but probably not the one he was christened with is from Los Angeles. Do they call a penis a 'Jackson' over there? Can anyone enlighten me on this one? Does Simon know? It could put the brakes on any chance of an American career for our Leon.

Rhydian: X Factor News~Jukebox Jewry

Another good summary of the current state of play from OrganGrinder in the Guardian. The piece worryingly titled 'X Factor Final:It's Wide Open' details who is singing what. It doesn't claim it is going to be a close race.
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The Social Media Portal has a good piece on the finals, titled, "an epic battle between good and awful" There is much praise for Rhydian then this about Leon, "Judging by his nerves during the semi-final, this week could see Leon forsaking song to showcase a live panic attack instead" And about Same Difference, "Now that only the Nazis are harder to like than you, kindly take advantage of the glut of illegal weapons on the streets of Britain, and do the right thing." Seems a bit harsh.
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And for a Jewish perspective of the X Factor I recommend you read Totally Jewish.com which has an article perfectly titled Jukebox Jewry. In it they state that , "Not everyone in the Jewish community agrees that the Welsh warbler is Leona's rightful heir." But then they canvas leading members of the community to get their opinions. Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Head of Community Development of Liberal Judaism prefers SD for their cheesiness and the good role model they set for family values. But almost all the rest agree that Rhydian should win including Jon Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies who says: “According to the rest of my family, the blond chap who looks like he is from outer space should win, so I will follow their expert advice and agree!” Good man!

X Factor News

Some recent news articles and comments on this years X Factor.

This is London headlines their review, "Rhydian closes in on Xmas Number One" and is a fair review of this year's show except the claim that "Rhydian benefits from the weakness of his rivals" If anything you would think all that out of tune squawking would put him off. They also print a quote from Simon Cowell about Leon that I must have missed, "(He) is the British Michael Buble." Damned by faint praise indeed.
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The blog The Woman Who Talked Too Much (usually all about Come Dancing) has a funny description of the final five including possibly the ultimate one of Same Difference. We will report, but pretend not to notice, her description of Rhydian "Oh. My. God. What on earth is going on? EVERYBODY on X Factor this year is terrible. Hope, the girl band who make Pussycat Dolls look like differentiated individuals. Rhydian, the opera alien. Leon, the Rat Pack's tea boy. Niki the charisma black hole. And dear god in heaven, Same Difference, which is the singing equivalent of being tied up in a Barbie factory and force-fed glitter." You've got to remember that this is a woman who prefers to watch overweight footballer John Barnes doing the quick step in a sequined suit...hang on a minute, that does sound quite good.
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Organ Grinder in the Guardian gives a fair and balanced review of Saturday Night's performances. Rhydian , "he scored by ending with I Vow To Thee My Country. A cover none of the other contestants would have got away with." And of Hope covering the Spice Girls, "I think we can all agree that the Spice Girls are no Destiny's Child, vocally, but I've never heard them sing this out of tune." The article is well worth a read but especially all the comments posted by Guardian readers including one poster who jokes that Leon must have attended the Douglas Bader Dance Academy and another who rehashes a joke, apparently from the Sun,"Leon went to Scotland, so securing the Scottish vote, Rhydian went to Wales thus securing the Welsh vote and Same Difference sang 'And when the world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other' - therefore securing the Norfolk vote!!"

Rhydian: X Factor News

Some quick highlights of recent X Factor News that may have escaped fans. The top Simon Cowell blog Simon Times (quoting a Sun article) reports that the scandal the nation is calling Skate Gate is still rumbling on. Brian Friedman said, “Simon took particular offence to the roller skates the other week...I honestly don’t believe he didn’t like them – it’s hypocritical. He loves the the dances when it’s his acts, but when others do it, it’s camp."
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A bizarre article from the Daily Mail reports of a disquieting violent incident in Wales. A lorry driver called Anthony Calvert (45)from Aberystwyth , flew into a rage in a bar when Adam Davies, 19, compared him to Simon Cowell(who by law we must describe as X-Factor's Mr Nasty), saying: "You look just like Simon Cowell". Mr Calvert: "I asked if he was taking the p*** out of me. He said: "Yes, I f***ing am!". I felt threatened and assaulted him."
Mr Calvert does bear a resemblance to Cowell but only from the eyebrows upwards. (see the article for a photo)
Tensions are obviously running high in Wales and it's still 3 weeks to the final. If Rhydian doesn't win (not 3 words you will see together often) then expect it to kick off big time.
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The Rugby Observer reports on Futureproof (X Factor losers) switching on the town's Christmas lights. It also quashes rumours that the band are splitting:the rumour was that the two short guys were forming a duo called Bookends and the three tall ones were going to rebrand themselves as Betamax. Simply not true.
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Rhydian Factor blog of the day is James Masterson(totally not notable) and his perceptive take on the competition this year, first up, "...the Scary Twins. Now I don't care how well you are able to sing or how good you look in a twirly dress, if you gaze down the TV screen with intense pinprick staring eyes you are simply going to scare the crap out of me. .. half the country is convinced the brother and sister duo are sleeping with each other... The evil part of me actually wants them to end up coming close to winning, just to see if one or both of them finally does wet themselves on stage in excitement." His good taste continues, "Leon has been so unremarkable over the past few weeks that he hasn't even developed enough of a personality to get a nickname"
Now onto our man, "For the first few weeks it seemed almost a foregone conclusion that Robot Boy[Robot Boy!?] was going to stroll off with the contest. The producers appear to be taking a perverse delight in placing him in as many ridiculous situations and settings as possible, all the while setting off his already somewhat unique image. The best thing about him of course is that no matter what the setting, no matter how campy the performance, all he has to do is open his mouth and he is Mario Lanza reborn." Well said that man.
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Jim Shelly article in today's Guardian. How to make an X Factor TV Dinner, "Toss in a stomach-turning, gurning brother-and-sister combo, five ultrafrothy Sugababes and a poor man's Gareth Gates you can find in any cheap supermarket (opening it)." No idea who he is referring to.
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New Rhydian Product on E Bay ALERT!: The Rhydian Pillow £7.49 Pillowcase with Rhydian image. Cream or white colour. Wording '...... loves Rhydian'. The winner can have their name put on the pillowcase (included in the price). Standard size.
I can see the Rhyd Pillow selling well. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the Same Difference Pooper Scooper. Still no offers.