Source: WENN

Just a few months ago, people were either loving or absolutely loathing the news that Nicki Minaj would be a judge on American Idol alongside Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson and Keith Urban. The pressure was on her big time, and things only got worse when it was made public that the rapper and Carey had been going at it behind-the-scenes. But as the new season has started, Nicki Minaj is very pleased with her performance as a judge, despite not knowing what to expect and not being a singer.

According to Miss Jia, in a press conference call, when asked what her worst Idol moment had been so far, she said had not a one. She had a pat-myself-on-the-back moment when speaking on her work:

“My best and worst Idol moments? I don’t have a worst Idol moment. I’ve been spectacular. Yes, I am going to toot my own horn. And then my best moment is every single moment. I’ll toot it again!

Press Association via AP Images

Simon Cowell, the sharp-tongued Brit behind American Idol and The X Factor, has unveiled a new YouTube channel, The You Generation, dedicated entirely to audition videos. It will launch today in 26 countries.

According to Reuters, Syco Entertainment, the joint venture between Cowell and Sony Entertainment, will be holding competitions every two weeks (26 total) over the next year in which people will have the chance to upload a video of themselves showing their skills for the chance at a cash prize. And this isn’t just about singing. The videos can showcase style skills, cooking prowess, and talent in lots of other areas. All of this is leading to a grand prize of some sort. The channel already has more than 89,000 subscribers.

Reuters goes on to say that Cowell is taking his cues from the feedback that he sees happening online as the ratings for his television shows start to slip. There’s been a shift in where the excitement is in some ways. So even if you’re not planning on auditioning, there a lesson to be learned here about which way the entertainment industry is headed.

Check out the clip after the jump, introducing The You Generation.

Source: Sugarscope.com

Although Kelly Rowland announced that she was quitting the “X Factor” UK due to increasing demands from TV chiefs, Kelly’s reportedly finding out that those demands were intentional to push her out as a judge and she is not happy.

Kelly is said to be fuming over the fact that the show’s execs treated her the way they did so that they could go after former judge Danni Minogue and convince her to make a comeback to the program. Though the “Motivation” singer cited “global commitments” and “scheduling issues” as the reason for her departure, it seems her bosses were less than impressed with her, particularly after she flew back to America during last season to carry out another job when she should have been mentoring her contestants. Requesting that her pay be tripled to come back for a second season didn’t help either. Confirming news that she would not be returning, Kelly said:

“I love the UK and being part of the show last year. Mentoring the girls was such an incredible experience I will never forget.  I would like to thank Simon for the great opportunity and asking me to be a judge last season.”

Only Kelly and the TV execs know what went on for sure but if we see Danni Minogue back next season we can probably assume it’s true the “X Factor” wanted Kelly out. As they say in showbiz (or on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 album), on to the next one.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “What’s Love Got to Do With It”
• Where Are They Now? The Cast of “Family Matters”
• Can We Ever Get The Black Family Sitcom Back?
• Ratch on Ratch on Ratch: 6 Questions I Need Answered About Basketball Wives’
• The Mane Balancing Act: Exercising And Your Hair
• What’s Love Got To Do With It? Things You Really Need To Make A Relationship Work
• Post-Baby Fab: Fantasia Shows Off New Curves, New Hair & New Colorful Look

Source: Flickr-toyabloggerrr

Darn! As much as we would have loved to see Janet sitting next to Simon and L.A. Reid (he hasn’t been fired yet, right?) on the show The X Factor, Jackson says a busy schedule and other commitments will not make her available for the reality TV singing competition.

Rumors have been flying for a few months now that Jackson had been contacted about the opportunity to fill either Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger’s seats on the show, even though her camp says there were no meetings about it, this is what she had to say about it all in a statement to E! News: “[I’m] very flattered that ‘X Factor’ let me know that I was being considered for next season, but it just wouldn’t be possible.”

Word on the street, or according to E! News that is, is that Jackson is busy working on another Tyler Perry film (HERE we go…), as well as finishing up touring at this time. Therefore, Simon Cowell and his people are going to have to keep looking. While I’m a fan of Christina Aguilera on The Voice, I’m kind of glad Janet won’t be a judge on The X Factor, because when a star usually jumps at these kinds of opportunities, it can often signal that their actual career as performers is on the decline…just saying (am I lying?). Janet still has a good number of years to drop it low and pick it back up real fast before she needs to sit behind anybody’s table.

So who could be a replacement?

More on Madame Noire!

• Canada Eh? 8 Celebrities We Didn’t Know Were Canadian
• Let Me Have My Shine!: How Jealousy Ruins Relationships
• Black Don’t Crack: Men Who Look Darn Good For Their Age
• “Mommy, Are We Born This Way Until We Get A Weave?”
• 10 Bad Habits That Get In the Way of Good Relationships
• Lil Kim Needs Some Friends
• When It’s Not Worth Fixing
• Why Your Clothing, Your Man, Your Hair and Reality TV Don’t Define Black Women

Photos courtesy of entertainmentrundown.com and dancehallareaz.com

Looks like there will be big changes to both the US and the UK versions of Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” competitions. Simon already nexted half of the judging panel in America, and rumor has it he’ll be cutting Kelly Rowland in Europe next.

According to sources with the Daily Mail, Kelly “failed to connect with viewers” and “annoyed production staff with her diva attitude.”

“I’ve been told: ‘Kelly has got to go. She was not right for the show,’” the source said. “The producers didn’t like her and her commitment level wasn’t there. There’s an understanding she didn’t work on the panel.”

I’m sure Kelly won’t like that news, particularly with word that her rival, judge Tulisa Contostavlos, is almost certainly guaranteed to return for next season.

Meanwhile in the US, Janet Jackson sorta-kinda let it slip that she’ll be joining the “X Factor’s” judging panel. When Anderson Cooper asked about the rumor during the singer’s recent appearance on his show, her laughter pretty much gave it away. She said she’s not a judge on the show and when Anderson restated, “You’re not currently a judge on The X Factor,” Janet replied, “No, I am not but that’s all I really think I should say.”

Sounds like confirmation. What do you think about Janet joining the “X Factor?” Will she fit in well with Simon and L.A. Reid?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• The Severity Behind Every Street Holla
• Why Are You Hiding Your Boos? Celeb Women Who Are Always Acting Single
• Is Sex Addiction the Land Where All Cheating Lovers Go?
• I Know You Mean Well, But…7 Reasons Why BET Kills Me Softly
• Dry Season: Seven Reasons to Consider Being Celibate
• What You Do And Don’t Need To Agree On In A Relationship
• Ask a Very Smart Brotha Live: Biters and Body Odor
• Open Letter to Single Black Women

Well it looks like Simon Cowell wants to offer new mom Beyonce a sweet new job as a judge on the X Factor. With the recent departure of Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger there definitely  needs to be a recruitment process going on ASAP.

It’s been said, Simon is willing to offer her $500 million to join his team. Although that’s a hefty price to pay, many people think she is worth the money. Predicting the viewership the show will get just wanting to see her, Simon will definitely see a return on his investment. Other candidates include, Mariah Carey and Perez Hilton.

But I guess we just will have to wait and see. Read story here…

Simon Cowell isn’t one to give people more than one chance and the judges of the X Factor just learned that the hard way. Simon reportedly threw Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul, and host Steve Jones the deuces and told them no need to come back for season 2.

Fox has confirmed Nicole and Steve’s departure, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter which says Paula Abdul will also be shown the door shortly.

The decision came out of a series of key meetings Simon, the show’s creator, is holding in the UK with his creative team to see what went wrong and what went right with season 1. Nicole and Steve were apparently part of what went wrong. The unpopular host was regularly criticized for not letting eliminated contestants down easily enough and death threats were sent to Nicole after she and Paula eliminated finalist Drew Ryniewicz.

Paula was blamed by many for the elimination of Rachel Maddow, and according to The Hollywood Reporter’s source, she was as “irrelevant to the mix,” considering she mentored the groups, all of which were eliminated early in the competition.

Simon is no doubt scrambling to deliver the lost viewers he promised for season 1. The 8 million viewers the show earned fell far below the 20 million bar he set—meaning less ad revenue and lower profits. I’m sure the eliminated judges hate being without a job, but I doubt they’ll miss working with Simon. We’ll have to wait and see what he and LA Reid come up with.

Are you sad to see any of these judges go? Who do you think should replace Paula, Nicole, and Steve?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Seriously, What’s With All the Overly Aggressive Men in the Club Nowadays?
• Evening Eye Candy: Actor Jason Momoa
• Sexual Health Myths Even Adults Believes
• Say Cheese! Unfortunate Yet Unforgettable Celebrity Mug Shots
• 8 Signs The Guy You’re Messing With Is NOT a Grown A** Man
• Close Call! Actors Who ALMOST Played A Few Surprising Roles…
• Want Kids? See What Mother’s Wish They Knew Before Starting A Family…
• Somebody Come Get This Fool: Bow Wow Reveals Celeb Chicks He Slept With

Will and Jada Pinkett’s marriage may reportedly be on the verge of ending, but that hasn’t stopped the couple from expanding their media empire. Their company, Overbrook Entertainment, is partnering with Simon Cowell’s SYCO Entertainment to produce a new international reality show to find the world’s greatest DJ.

The show, which has been in development for over a year, will capture the rise of the DJ phenomena and both entertainment companies, along with Sony Pictures Television, are expected to announce their broadcast partners in the U.S. and the UK soon.

“This show will comb the world to find a new breed of talent,” Jada says. “I am happy to be creating it alongside Simon Cowell, the Sony team, and my partner Miguel Melendez, on behalf of the Overbrook family.”

Simon says as soon as he met Jada and Miguel he knew they were the ideal business partners:

“DJ’s are the new rock stars, it feels like the right time to make this show.”

I’m not super excited about the show concept, but signing off on new business ventures could be a good sign for Will and Jada’s marriage…maybe.

What do you think about the search for the world’s greatest DJ?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Sisters In Hiding: Not So Famous Sisters of Famous Celebs
• Delusions Of A Thirsty Chick
• Things Black Mothers Say
• Celebrity Mistresses: The Good, The Bad, and The Trifling
• 7 Curl Defining Products to Get Your Curls and Coils Poppin’
• Family Ties: 7 Rappers Who Finally Grew Up
• He Loves Me: Men Who Just Adore Their Wives
• What Exactly Makes Something Ghetto?

I know you’ve been missing Simon Cowell’s crazy behind these days since he hit the emergency exit button from “American Idol.” But now that he’s coming back with “The X Factor,” premiering next Wednesday on FOX at 8 p.m. (EST), he’s doing press and has some words for prospective folks trying to audition for him in the future, as well as everyday people. There are five songs he does NOT want to hear you sing whether you’re planning to audition for “The X Factor” or you just feel like singing out loud. These five songs can NOT be touched according to Cowell:

1. R Kelly: “I Believe I Can Fly” 
2. Etta James: “At Last”
3. The Righteous Brothers: “Unchained Melody”
4. Jason Mraz: “I’m Yours”
5. John Legend: “Ordinary People”

When it comes to songs like “At Last,” Cowell said he’s pretty much “allergic” to that song at this point, and for “Ordinary People”? He says the way people sing it will never be as good as the original. True. And while his picks are definitely songs people who can’t sing really shouldn’t try, there are many others that folks have just worn the hell out that we don’t want to hear again either. We were inspired to put together our own short list of the top five songs people who can’t sing for real shouldn’t try. EVER. Check it:

1. Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” (do you need an explanation?)
2. Mariah Carey: “Emotions”/ “Hero” (anything by her actually…)
3. Alicia Keys: “Fallen” (people doing the intro of this song KILL me)
4. John Newton: “Amazing Grace” (Got to have your vocals on POINT to jazz this one up)
5. Judy Garland: “Over the Rainbow” (Too slow, and it doesn’t really compliment your voice)

So there you have it folks. Unless you’re busting out karaoke with friends at an actual lounge, I shouldn’t hear you on trains, on the street, in the shower, on television or anything, singing these songs. They are either untouchable or they’ve just been played out. There are thousands of other songs out there ready and available to rip apart, so you know what to do…

So much juicy juice involved in relationships, but none juicier than when one (or both parties) stops acting like it’s the end of the world, and starts taking a daggone risk into love already! Sheeesh. We’re so glad some of our favoritest celebs in Hollywould WOULD still jump the broom, clean the house, vacuum the living room and get married in this day and age…despite all the break-ups that happen around them. Check out the following love birds…they’re soOOoOoo cute.

Read the rest of this entry »