I know this site is supposed to focus on Fashion only, but so many of you have asked me to comment on the Cheryl Cole situation, so here are my thoughts.
I do feel very sorry for Cheryl. No one should have to deal with that type of humiliation on a very public scale, but I still stand by the fact that she was never right for the job in the first place.
How can someone with limited (if any) talent seriously judge singers on such a large scale. Especially when Cheryl’s whole solo singing career has been based on the X Factor schedule.
Has she even released a single when the X Factor hasn’t been on air?
What would’ve happened if she had got the Country category on the US X Factor? “Stand by Your Man” and “D.I.V.O.R.C.E.” wouldn’t have cut it every week.
I don’t believe the problem was her accent because she would’ve had to pass several screen tests to have been offered the job in the first place.
Cat Deeley had been fronting ‘So You Think You Can Dance?” for years with her brummy (Birmingham) accent with no problems, but then she doesn’t have any skeletons in her closet who can come back to bite in her the rear end like Cheryl does.
Simon is a media manipulator and it wouldn’t surprise me if this whole media circus was planned from the get-go to drum up publicity for his show which will be competing against the much loved and more established American Idol. Notice how this public sacking happened the same week as the AI finale?
And why no official statement? No doubt to drag this on as long as it took to announce her appointment in the first place.
It’s a shame Simon had to throw his friend under the bus to get that publicity.
No show needs 2 hosts. Nicole Scherzinger was always a back-up if things didn’t work out. This is another point I made which unfortunately came true. Proving that the Fox execs didn’t have much faith in Cheryl in the first place.
Many of you had noted that the despite the smiles, a sparkle was missing from Cheryl eyes. Was she home sick? Miserable that she’s was number 2 to Paula Abdul? Or did she realise that she was a very small fish in an extremely large pond and very much out of her depth with nothing to add to this table? Or all of the above?
There is now talk of her returning to back to the UK Factor, which I think is a huge mistake after she so very publicly dumped the show to follow her big America dream.
Taking a year out and finding herself would be very therapeutic for her since she hasn’t stopped working since her last public humiliation via the Ashley Cole debacle.
What do you think?
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I love how blunt you are. I do feel sorry for Cheryl Cole and if Simon really did that on for publicity, that is very low of him. It’ll be interesting to see if the shows a hit or a failure.
I think it will fail.
I really think it will fail. There are just so many singing competitions in the US right now. They should have made the first season this past fall or skipped a season of AI and done it in the spring. Now people will compare it to The Voice, which has more interesting and famous judges.
FC, I was wondering why you think it will fail. I respect your predictions as the last one came true, but I am a big fan of Nicole and think it will be a shame if it fails. At least if I know it will, I can be prepared. What reasons do you think there will be for the failure?
Firstly, I think the market is saturated with these types shows.
Simon is banking on this working purely on his name, his ego and the UK success which doesn’t have the same competition.
The show needed a big name, like JLo for American Idol. I believe they were chasing Mariah, but that didn’t work out.
Someone of that calibre was needed. At present I don’t feel the need to watch the show, neither the Us Or UK version.
The fact they have sacked Cole after 4 auctions just goes to show how nervous they are IMO.
Thanks for your thoughts. What a shame. I hope you’re wrong in this instance.
A lot of people said this whole debacle was set up by the network to create a buzz around the show and hopefully be a hit. Why is this going to bring in more viewers ?. Majority of the people in America don’t know who Cheryl is, So, whether she’s in or out, the success of (or lack there of ) the show wouldn’t be affected. Let her just go back to her homeland and hopefully they accept her back as she did drop them as soon as something better came along. I do think the show will fail. Of course the first episode could bring in great ratings just to see what the hubbub is about. After that, it would go down faster than Cheryl’s American dream (HA).
Catherine this could not have been put any better.
Like you I think she was wrong for the job in the first place and perhaps Simon knew that and this was all part of his media publicity plan?
I think like you that she needs to take some time out, going on the UK Xfactor would be a mistake on her part. I think she needs to cut herself off from that whole franchise.
Thank you for this honey, it addressed so many important questions in relation to the whole debacle.
Glam kisses,
Marian.
P.s Congratulations darling on the recent InStyle feature sweetpea.
No one online comes close with relation to red carpet fashion coverage. Many attempt to try to but they do not come close.
Keep up the amazing work.
Love.
Marian.
thank you… it was a lot of fun
Was watching Pop Idol rerun on tv when this post came up. TLC’s song said it all:
Don’t go chasing waterfalls
Please stick to the rivers
And the lakes that you’re used to
I know that you’re gonna have it
Your way or nothing at all
But I think you’re moving too fast
LOVE THIS….so very true
A-Frickin-men * does the church stomp*
Is Simon that crazy for succes to do that? I mean he already has it all, plus people in the US don’t really care about Cheryl and for some reason they seem to dislike Nicole very much so i don’t think the reactions were that strong to ensure publicity for the show…i’m more inclined to think they had a fall out for some reason but we’ll probably never know what really happened.
I don’t think Cheryl is talented either but there’s just something about her that makes her likeable that’s why out of her and Nicole i would have chosen her. Nicole is a bit boring.
Overall i think they could have gotten a better line up to be honest. For the long time that it took them to reveal the judes…..in the end it’s just disappointing. I do hope that Cheryl doesn’t come back for the UK version cause that would be just wrong.
Well done fc this is very true and I couldn’t have put what i thought any better myself.I have to say I the publicity stunts of Simon and Cheryl really annoy me especially when I feel Simon seems to
Like the untalented people that appear on his shows any rant over I kinda hope this turns into a flop.
My thoughts exactly. I only (maybe naively) hope she was in on it from the beginning. Maybe that’s why her ‘sparkle’ was missing?
I feel sorry for her also and think she needs to take some time out. Sort her head out hire a new stylist. I agree wth everything you said FC especially about X factor failing.
I don’t understand why Simon chose her in the first place. If you want to get your show off of the ground, why would you choose a judge that is unknown in the US?
I live in the US. And I’m sorry, I know Cheryl Cole is like the UK’s sweetheart or something, but the ONLY reason I know who she is is because I read this site everyday. (I guess she should thank you for the publicity, FC)! A quick poll of my family members and friends showed that no one had any idea who she was. And even though I have an idea of who she is from reading this site, I have still never seen UK X factor or heard her sing. I think I remember reading on here that she used to be part of a girl group of singers, but I couldn’t even tell you the name of the group. I mean, when the news broke about her being fired from US X factor for her accent, some American sites had to post a video of her doing an interview in the UK, for reference, because people had literally never even heard her speak before. All I know (and remember) about Cheryl is this: she was a judge on X factor UK (who wore some nice dresses), and she once gave a girl the beatdown in a public bathroom while uttering racial slurs. NO.THANK.YOU.
I just can’t fathom what Simon was thinking. He was fighting an uphill battle from the start. If it was all for publicity, that is very, very low.
Sorry this is kinda long, I am just glad to have a place to write down my thoughts.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I was hoping to get a US perspective as a result of this post and you summed up what I initially thought, which was outside the UK she was very much unknown.
I’m surprised she wasn’t given more PR in the US prior to her announcement because that faux relations with Derek wasn’t fooling anyone.
As an American and having limited knowledge about Cheryl Cole, it was obvious from the get go that Cheryl was never intended to be a long term judge since Nicole Sherzinger was made a host. I honestly don’t think Cheryl’s terminationation had anything to do with her anonymity in the US because no one had any clue who Simon Cowell was when he first appeared on AI. I think it was Fox cowtowing to Simon’s demands and Cheryl being subjected to culture shock and was overwhelmed thus her being ousted from the show. The Voice is popular but AI days are numbered anyhow. So I think X Factor should be fine. If Fox truly wanted Cheryl to be a star in the US, they would have inundated her with handlers. We have a ton of reality talent competitions on television now that it doesn’t make any difference that another music competition will air. CMT will have a singing comp, Fox has two now, NBC has The Voice, Bravo has song writing competition. I think Fox knew all along Cheryl wasn’t sticking around they just fired her sooner than they anticipated.
Sorry for the long post.
necole does’nt need to be on the show they should drop her immediately and try and get mariah carey or someone else because necole is not too popular over here and simon cant carry the whole show for him self..i wouldnt called failure dont but this show is going to failsimon is already crazy rich he should just go lay on a beach somewhere
I don’t think Cheryl has much of a recognition factor in the U.S. so if Simon really was naive enough to think he would get publicity from this, well then, he will be disappointed. Also, I think the Voice has got the jump on his show, so X factor may end up being a complete flop.
I couldn’t agree more, she has zero talent as a singer and performer so she has no business being a judge of other peoples talents.
Wow no matter what you think of her, Cheryl really is a massive star, for FC to have a post dedicated to her employment status is a tad much, yet this is what we are talking about even as we complain about cheryl and the attention she gets!! you know i think us xfactor should have gone with either a massive star like Gwen Stefani, Mariah but i can kinda see when that didnt work out why they went with a complete unknown, because there is that aspect of discovering someone new for the audience and they they obviously thought she would connect. instead they have now gone with Nicole who is more known but not a hge star,she hasn’t set the charts alight, and speaking of cheryl having platforms with the x factor, well nicole had dancing with the stars, thats watched by 20million but didnt result in album sales.im speaking as a pop music fan, i would like to see cheryl return to music full time, she has made great pop in the past, with Girls Aloud and some of her solo work and if she gives full attention she cold do something great!may not be as huge but thats not what matters!also im not hating on Nicole i love her new album!
The problem was clearly not her accent. I could understand her just fine, and it never stopped her in the UK. I think it had to do with who Simon wanted as a co-host. Im not sure of her name, but she seemed like she was a bit of a diva who probably wanted to host all on her own.
I also dont think that the accent was a problem. I saw an interview that she did with Americans and they said they understood her fine. Also, Steve Jones ( A Welsh) is host, who’s going to be doing a lot more talking than Cheryl ever would have, has an accent that is far more thicker than Cheryls, IMO.
I do feel sorry for Cheryl and it now confirmed that she wont be returning to Uk X Factor. I agree with you FC. She should take the rest of the year out and then come back in 2012 with the rest of the Girls Aloud. That way she has her dignity back and we also get Girls Aloud re-united
In her quest to fast-track herself to fame and fortune across the pond Cheryl has been spreading herself too thin: not only did she squeeze out an album between the divorce and malaria tragedies and the X-factor, she also launched a jewellery line. I think she has potential as a pop singer and performer but she needs to find herself first. So I totally agree with the year off in which she could maybe write some songs and talk to people who are passionate about music and not so much about the media circus. She should take a leaf out of her bandmate Nicola Robert’s book.
I have really gone off cheryl, besides the fact that she is one of the worst dressed celebrities out there, she is only where she is because of simon cowell.
I hated the way on the UK x factor that she had the preferential treatment from day one, all due to cowell yet again. So the fact that she has failed in the U.S does not surprise me one bit, she hasnt got what it takes to become big over there and why shoulkd she even be allowed to come back on our xfactor just because the U.S one hasnt worked out?
She wouldn’t even be considering it had she been a success over the pond.
Bored with cheryl cole already, way toooo much over exposure and really she’s not that special.
One last thing, fashionista???? am i missing something??
So you think Cheryl Cole has not talent and wonder if she’s ever released a single when the X Factor hasn’t been on air.
The answer is yes. From Wikipedia Parachute was released on 11 March 2010 as the album’s third and final single. “Parachute” became Cole’s third consecutive solo UK top 5 hit, and her third Irish top 10 hit. It was nominated for a Brit Award in 2011.
And 3 Words peaked at number 4 during the first week of 2010.
Asked and answered
I knew this was going to happen from day one. The whole idea of her judging X Factor US just seems ridiculous. She is such a beautiful girl and also likeable BUT she is not right for the job, she never was. This is Simon just shoving her down Fox’s throat but they couldn’t digest the idea. I do think they must pay her, I’m talking pay her salary because she has been humiliated and whether we like her or not, we can all agree with this very very embarrassing. Back to UK, where she should have stayed . if she wants break America, she shouldn’t try using the same marketing ploy as she did in the UK, it’s a tougher market down there.
Tulisa from N-Dubz just confirmed as new uk Xfactor judge.oh how we are gonna long for the cheryl dannii fashions!simon should have left it well alone,gary barlow and cheryl would have had great chemistry,like when they climbed mt kilimangiro for Comic Relief.
Unless Cheryle Cole is as talented as Adele, she won’t ever be a star in the US like she thought. I think this was a taste of karma for Cheryl. She goes about thinking she’s miss hot stuff all the while she can’t carry a tune.
Well said Lily, could not agree more!!
I’m not nor ever have been a cheryl cole fan though i have always been a fan of the x factor! i knew little about her before becoming a judge apart from the obvious things, talent show winner girl band member ….! last year her heart wasn’t in the show she also became to big for her boots (having a go at wagner being one example). she is a beautiful woman no doubt with not much else in my opinion, america has hundreds of beautiful women she was nothing special there. i don’t think simon set this all up though! she shouldn’t be allowed to walk back into her job on our x factor she chose to leave! as for her being britains sweetheart, not mine she ain’t
I totally agree with you on all points.
I think you’re right on this- and I appreciate your using a compassionate tone in talking about someone in her spot. From the moment she was appointed to this, there was talk about how long she would last and whether she deserved the position, and now that she’s been sacked like this I can’t help but think she was set up to create buzz for the show.
And while I’m at it, let me echo Lily- I think this is karma for her…
Well, I think it’s sad that played her out like that, but honestly I think it speaks to her lack of popularity that no US news sources have even bothered to pick up this story. I had to search on google and only found UK sites. Simon was obviously the one who got her added to the show, but Fox is more culpable because they are the ones that fired her. If they did not want her they should not have offered the spot in the first place regardless of what Simon asked for. One thing is for sure, I would not go back to the UK x-Factor. Simon has obviously shown that when the ship is sinking, she is the expendable one. She scheduled her whole career around this x-factor stuff and basically all she is left with is a big waste of time.
well I guess I am happy not to know what this fuss is all about! i don’t watch x factor even in my country and i think i’m better off this way and free to focus on fashion!
The problem with reading the newspapers are that their isnt any actual facts! All the reports keep saying are ‘sources say’ which doesnt confirm anything. Id like to think that Simon is doing all this for publicity and that she hasnt been sakced hence why their hasnt been an official statement from anyone. Either way i think its horrible what Simon has done because once again just like with the Gamu situation poor Cheryl has been battered in the papers when shes just trying to get that step further in her career.
Hopefully she turns up for the next auditions and puts all these rumours to rest and at the same time outshines everyone on the panel and really proves herself.
Pls, I can understand Cat’s accent. NO ONE can understand what Cheryl is saying. They need subtitles and probably realised it would cost them too much time and money.
I think Nicole is just as bad when it comes to judging talent. If I was auditioning I wouldn’t care what most of the judges now thought because they’re all very close to nobodies. Paula Abdul, ok she was a genuine artist but that was a while ago.
Why not use the money, knowledge and connections to make a show that hasn’t been done before.
I remember at last year’s X Factor, the judges had to put in a sealed envelope who they thought would win. Nicole put Gamu, and I think that shows she has very good judging skills – more than someone who picked Cher and Katie Waissel and rejected Keri and Gamu. I wish Nicole luck but I too think there is so much negativiity surrounding this now, it is bound to fail.
Frankly, I didn’t know who she was until I got on this blog. I don’t follow any UK shows nor do I follow soccer.
Unfortunate for this to happen to her, but I don’t know what Simon was thinking. If he couldn’t get Mariah, there are any number of American singers. Janet Jackson was the first to pop into mind. He could have even given Brandy a shot at. She was prettyy good on America’s Got Talent. I just don’t know about Nicole.
Oh, yeah. I forgot that Gwen Stefani would have been amazing.
I totally agree, she is out of her element. For a US show she is pretty much a nobody, meaning I don’t think too many Americans are familiar with her. The only reason I know who she is, is from following FC site. Simon never should have asked her in the first place. She definitely is no JLO who has been around forever and who has definitely paid her dues.
well, with all respect fc, but if cheryl hasn’t got any talent then how the hell should simon use her to get some publicity if he dumps her…..why bother ??
You aren’t Alexandra Shulman either, and gues what…i love reading your blog and respect you for all your effort and your tremendous love for fashion. It just doesn’t matter writing for vogue or not writing for vogue. Cheyl may not sing like Mariah, because she is simply cheryl.
I have never claimed to be Alexandra Sculman and I don’t pretend to be.
I have turned down many offers from publications and do other things like host parties and create a Red Carpet Fashion collection etc, but none of that interests me, because blogging comes first and that what I know what I can do and I don’t have the type of ego which will delude me into thinking I can take over the world.
You have to know me to judge me and you don’t know me at all with all due respect
Thank goodness for that because Alexandra S is the worst vogue editor of any of the publications!
Well said article by the way.
Thank you. I don’t particularly think much of Alexandra either
This comment was unnecessary and unfounded. What I particularly enjoy about this website is that people have their opinions (in general) without crossing the line and being rude to one another. So if it’s vogue or not like vogue, it certainly doesn’t eliminate the majority who if they are anything like me find the fashion world fascinating but also wildly alienating and pretentious.
This has been my favourite stylesite until now. Please concentrate on fashion
I said in the beginning that readers had asked me to address this topic, just like they did when VB was Pregnant with her 4th child.
if you don’t like it you don’t have to read it or if you are that disgusted by it you don’t have to visit this site again.
If addressing one off topic in the 4 years i have been oing thid blog means you no longer like my site then so be it.
Well replied!!!
As if any newspaper publishes only news-worthy news!!
FC actually predicted on her post about Cheryl Cole first look for US X Factor that she would be replaced by Nicole. This has happened (quicker than expected) and it’s not because this is a Fashion blog that we can’t move the borders of it from time to time. I was, like a lot of readers, actually waiting for FC’s opinion on the situation which she beautifully wrote without passing unfunded opinions.
There are worse things happening in the world right now than taking too seriously Cheryl Cole sacking or an one-off post we asked for!
Relax people…go and fight another battle!
thank you Seggie xx
I don’t follow X-Factor, X-Factor news or Cheryl Cole but I can’t help but think that this whole thing is a PR set up to get everyone talking about Cheryl Cole.
Well said Fashion Critic, I personally agree with your opinion that this was all set up to get publicity for the show not only in the US but also here in the UK (no doubt one of the digital channels will show it) and think Cheryl taking a year out sounds like a good solution for her and for us!
On an aside, keep up the good work, my dose of Red Carpet Fashion is now as essential as that morning latte!
Crimony! What is going on with all the haters?? I am shocked at the cheek! Sat at my computer OMGing!
Keep doing what your doing FC. This post was BRILL. Right on the money. Although I’ve NEVER understood the cheryl cole hype. Just remembering that first, 10,000 notches below mediocre performance on Xfactor UK where she held onto Dermot for so long after because she didn’t have the guts to face the crowd after such poor form. Oh gosh my whole family was CRINGING throughout it lolol. Sorry, I promised myself not to cheryl-bash….
But its a shame she was so publicly…dissed. She’s probably hiding out in an upmarket resort in the developing world somewhere. I’m pretty positive no cameras would follow her there
thanks. I clearly state in the beginning that the post was for those who had asked me my opinion on the situation, and that has come from me being do vocal about Cheryl on the X Factor in the first place.
i cant help but laugh this girl was hated back in the day yet with the help of simon she became a british frickin sweetheart. she shouldnt be judging on the show considering the fact her career is basically looking pretty, having heavily autotuned songs WHILST lip syncing on a tv show that is meant to be about singing.
exactly!
lol…yeah…she became britain’s national sweetheart because there was a void at the time but now even that has changed…. now we have the duchess of cambridge….a cinderalla princess. catherine is our national sweetheart.
it means that cheryl’s crappy hype is over. she may not realise it but she isnt the nation’s sweetheart anymore and i for one am finally glad the rose tinted glasses are off.
what i dont like is cheryl tweedy’s (she needs to drop that cole ish and accept herself as was) attitude…she’s been lucky to ride on other people’s coat tales to stardom…now she’s acting like she doesnt know how the game is played simply because she reached too far and she fell. in her rush to conquer america over estimated her worth. she needs to quit acting like she’s owed. she’s not.
hoping she’ll take a hint like victoria beckham did when she realised she was never gonna be a credible singer, VB put her heart into becoming a great designer. & it happened. all credit to VB. i cant hate on that.
I don’t even watch X Factor in my country because I don’t like the so-called “talent show”, but when I read that she would have been a judge I thought “What?”. She’s a beautiful girl, famous and successful but not that talented. In my country, Italy, she’s not famous at all. I only read an article on a newspaper, they wrote that she’s famous for being part of girlband, because her footballer husband cheated on her and for her song with Will.i.am (successfull due to him, most of all). She’s very familiar, to me, because of this beautiful blog.
I think she needs to focus more on her personal life
Cheryl may be unknown but i think she was the most interesting judge to watch, she’s funny and cute and you cant deny that.
Now it’s just a boring panel, Nicole,really? For how long has she been trying and she ALWAYS fails, she’s the biggest flop.
FC, Cheryl may no be that talented, but i rather watch her than Nicole, at least she’s successful,who would hear advice from a big flop like Nicole?I wont be watching this show anymore
Just beeing honest
I’m afraid I have no idea what this is all about, I’ll be back after I google some