Dannii's X Factor blog

Week 18

2008-04-16T16:17:00.003+01:00

Team Minogue take it to the top!

Dannii's boys make it to the final two and there's not a dry eye in the house... three cheers, X fans, the new judge done good!

Cooooooeeeeeeeee! The X Factor is the ‘highest rated entertainment show of the year’, and the battle of 2007 was mega! Team Minogue recruits; you have done me proud and made two boys incredibly happy.

Before I can discuss the final of The X Factor 2007, I have to thank the dashing Dermot for hosting us through all the madness; he’s been a real treat for everyone.

The week started with some emotional home visits for the three finalists and a show stopping show opener with Same Difference setting the Christmas scene by surrounding themselves with dancing elves and flying up to put stars on top of the country’s biggest Christmas trees!! It nearly melted Frosty the Snowman’s ice heart when Louis said, “People obviously like you and they are voting”.

Simon’s bottom lip was quivering as he said, “I never had presents as a child for Christmas” – he’ll say anything to get the votes!!!!!

Leon had the biggest homecoming that X Factor has ever seen! Scotland turned out in full force to see their own ‘Leon King’ performing on a stage next to the clothing store that he once worked in – he had to sing over the screaming fans.For the show, White Christmas was Leon’s ballad to everyone at home and the comments were amazing:
Louis, “You must have a career”.Sharon, “Were you singing I’m Dreaming Of A Hit Single? Because that’s what you are going to have”.
Having walked into the first audition alone, Leon is now the Pied Piper and everyone is following him!

Rhydian visited his home village in Wales to an amazing turn out. I know everyone is so proud of him. He sang his favourite Christmas classic O Holy Night and was a vision in a white silk suit, accompanied by a beautiful children’s choir.
Louis, “You are the best singer and will sell internationally”.
Sharon, “You are like a white angel”.
Dannii, “If you are not doing anything on Christmas day then please come to the Minogue household and sing that again”.

Each contestant then got to perform a dream… with star duets. Same Difference was joined by Jason Donovan to sing Any Dream Will Do, and it was ‘poptastic’ and ‘amazing’!!!!The most eligible singleton in the country, Rhydian, sang a special duet version of You Raise Me Up with the beautiful Opera legend, Kathryn Jenkins. These two Welsh beauties made magic on stage and Rhydian’s dream came true – he had said to his father two years ago, “I would love to duet with Kathryn Jenkins”.

Leon received the best comments on his duet with my very lovely sister, Kylie Minogue. They did a special swing version of Better The Devil You Know, and Leon was a little devil when he almost pinched her bottom! They were like two little playful sexy kittens and blew the roof off. Kylie says he will “go all the way” with a career in pop.

We were blessed to be rejoined by some of our most talked about classic auditionees who wowed us with their very special rendition of My Way. Who can forget the graveyard singers, our biggest Japanese fan and Icaro – to mention a few!

The last songs for the X Factor Series 4 were…

Same Difference sang the best of their songs from the series; Breaking Free from High School Musical. There is no other song that embodies their youth, fun and desire to be pop stars – loved it!

Leon melted our hearts with a second performance of You Don’t Know Me. It was one of his most sparkling performances of the series. Armed with a sharp suit and a vintage microphone, he is our very own ‘Braveheart’.
Louis, “You are potentially as good as Michael Bublé”.
Sharon, “You have performed with Michael Bublé and Kylie Minogue, and these superstars are obviously rubbing off on you”.
Simon, “I’m going to be honest with you… I thought it was brilliant”.
I hoped Leon’s mum loved that performance, but I had to tell him how hot he looked as well!

Rhydian made us cry with his rendition of Somewhere – it is by far my favourite version of this song.
Louis, “I am going to be honest; if I am judging you on that performance then you deserve to win”.
Sharon, “I hope you record that”.
Simon, “If we are giving the title to the best voice, you should win”.

Dermot, “You have managed to do something that no-one else has managed to do this series, you made Louis and Simon agree on something”.
I remembered one of the first conversations between Rhydian and I, when I wanted to give him the chance to get on the stage and have Simon say, “That was brilliant”. Rhydian has truly done that now!

Kylie did wow us with a performance of her new single Wow, from her latest album X – it could not have been more special for me to have my sister up on stage in front of me for the biggest X Factor show ever!

Favourite Line of the Week:

“Louis Walsh is a grumpy old man” – from small child in Portsmouth.

Love and massive thanks to my guest judge, Terry Ronald, who helped me make those first important decisions in Ibiza; to choose my three contestants to enter this year’s competition – I couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you all for taking this incredible journey with us. I’m hoping we can make this year’s Christmas number one single with When You Believe. It was originally a duet between Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and has now been rewritten especially for The X Factor. This will be Leon’s very first single! Please help make his Christmas dreams come true….

Dannii x

Week 17

2008-04-16T16:13:00.003+01:00

Just like Marmite, it's Team Minogue...
Love us, hate us, there's just no stopping us!

Cooooooeeeeeeeee music lovers!

From the start of auditions around the country, to judges’ homes in Ibiza, to the live finals – Team Minogue thanks you for putting two of my boys up there. I’m beaming so much; I bet you can feel my smile jumping off this page J

Leon (our very own ‘Braveheart’) and Rhydian (‘The Riddler’) will not let you down next week when they battle it out with Same Difference.

Being the newest judge, there is no better place to be than in the title fight against the ‘King of judges’…Mr Simon Cowell!

Special Guest Michael Bublé, ‘The King of Swing’, was crooning with his new single Lost. Michael is Leon’s idol and both our feet have still not touched the ground since Michael invited Leon to duet with him at his concert at Wembley last Tuesday night! They sang Michael’s song Home, and the audience jumped to their feet and gave the biggest applause. Michael said, “This guy is a star!”

Semi Final action Part One; for the judges’ choice of song:

For Leon, I chose, The Very Thought Of You; A classic love song that has been sung by all the greats, including Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Rod Stewart. This song makes me go weak at my knees and I loved watching the girls swoon over Leon! I could see nerves taking over, however, and backstage Leon reminded me of how he was in show one, and onstage, he was not as relaxed and in the zone. He still managed to win us over as he was as soft as his velvet suit and melted our hearts yet again.
Louis, “You have come such a long way in this competition, tonight you owned the stage”.
Sharon, “You’ve come so far and it’s been a pleasure to see it”.
Simon, “Let’s get real. It was one of your weakest performances for a while”.

For Rhydian, I chose, Bridge Over Troubled Water. I have wanted Rhydian to sing this song all series so it was a joy to see him perform so well; a handsome young man in a beautiful blue Alexander McQueen suit.
Louis, “You’re definitely going to make the final and probably win”.
Sharon, “It was absolutely, breathtakingly perfect”.
Simon, “That was bloody fantastic!”

Semi Final Part Two; for the contestants’ choice of song:

Leon chose to sing, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – we had been watching Michael Bublé sing this at Wembley and Leon was in his element. (Excuse me girls, but just how hot did he look in his leather jeans? Not many people can rock that look but, boy, our Braveheart is bringing sexy back!)
Louis, “You’re going to have an amazing recording career”.
Sharon, “Great confidence tonight, it looked so smooth”.
Simon, “You’re going to hate me tonight, you really are…it was all a bit too indulgent”.
Rhydian chose, You’ll Never Walk Alone. What a powerful song choice! Rhydian knows what suits him well – the lyrics and performance were both inspiring.
Louis, “That was an amazing performance…you were fantastic”.
Sharon, “There will be one proud mum here tonight, and I know exactly where she is”.
Simon, “A stunning performance”.

Michael’s comments on Leon and Rhydian:
On Leon, “I said to him at Wembley, ‘remember this dude when I could use a break’”.
On Rhydian, “I think he’s scary, his voice; El Divo and Josh Groban are looking behind them right now”.

Niki, we will all miss you. She has been a joy to have on the show, and the other contestants were really sad to have to say goodbye. I thought our ‘songbird’ gave a beautiful speech and I’m sure there will be people queuing up to work with her – Niki, you have to keep singing!

Favourite lines of the week:
Louis, “There is a circus in town, and Simon you are the biggest clown!”
Sharon, “He’s as serious as a heart attack”.
Simon, “My name is Simon Cowell” (for anyone that was unsure…)

Feel the love, and we will see you next week at the final.
Phones at the ready, this is the battle of the year, Team Minogue recruits...

Disco Dannii needs you!!!!!!!!!

Week 16

2008-04-16T16:10:00.001+01:00

TRUE BRIT

Dannii returns to her Welsh roots to sing the praises of this week's Best of British performances.

Coooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! For the first time… no voting from the judges and tough, tough competition.

You can feel that we are nearly at the final and close to Christmas, I mean, if the panel’s comments are anything to go by, the X Factor is not just a DVD game now, it’s also a weekly pantomime! It got so heated that I think it best I bring some mistletoe to work with me so we can all kiss and make up.

Song choices this week were in the theme ‘Best of British’ – so the net was wide open to catch all the greatest!

Rhydian opened the show with the classic by Queen, Somebody To Love. He was riding high on a grand piano with the sharpest Ozwald Boateng suit and the coolest dancers. He really was in his element and deserved all the amazing comments.
Louis: “I’m sure you’ll be in the final. Freddie Mercury would have loved that performance – it was passionate”.
Sharon: “Freddie was a good friend of mine, and I know he’s watching this performance and he’s saying bravo”.
Simon: “Tonight, for me, it is all about proving that you could survive in the real world outside of this competition, as a star. Based on that performance you could”.

Leon is Scotland’s very own Braveheart. There is no one that has come so far in such a short space of time. Louis is constantly making acerbic remarks about him being a Michael Bublé impersonator but Leon has had exactly seven performances to his name and is wowing the audience. Michael Bublé has had seven years of performing professionally; I really hope Leon gets that opportunity too. We do not currently have a star like this in the UK and it would be great to see ‘The Leon King’ fill that role. He owned the stage with his performance of Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
Louis: “I absolutely loved that performance. Since you got your confidence, you are fantastic”.
Sharon: “You are so damn cute, you know I love you”.
Simon: “What I saw tonight was that you have presence”.

In this section, we all thought that Hope let us down with their performance of 2 Become 1 – the vocals were just not on it (even Simon agreed!) Niki, however, packed a punch with Total Eclipse of the Heart – she was really in the zone.

I was not ready to like Same Difference singing Any Dream Will Do from Joseph (‘cos it’s not a song I like) but you know what?… they pulled it off so well and made me smile and smile – well done. I would love to see them in the final.

Leon’s second song choice was The Beatles’ classic, The Long and Winding Road. This song personifies classic Brit pop and I feel Leon is now delivering powerful performances – we are loving it!
Louis: “An absolutely brilliant performance. You absolutely nailed it”.
Sharon: “You’ve got heart in your eyes and you tell the story of the song”.
Simon: “I’ll see you in the semi-final”.

Rhydian chose, I Vow To Thee My Country/World in Union. This is the rugby national theme and, as Rugby was Rhydian’s first passion, he sang this for all his family and friends at home (I hear it was also Princess Diana’s favourite song and was played at her wedding).
Louis: “I think everyone in Wales is voting now”.
Sharon: “I didn’t know the song ‘cos it’s not really my sort of thingy, but you sang it very well”.
Simon: “I don’t think it matters whether you are English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish, British, whatever… that was outstanding!”

Rhydian does not have any sob story to tell and the country’s press have gone from hating him (or who they thought he was) to agreeing with the bookies that he is the favourite to win. He was genuinely nervous this week – he knows the competition is tough and would never let you down – he wants it 100%!!

Same Difference sang one of my all time favourite pop songs, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go. It was a pyjama party on stage with the cutest routine and a pillow fight! Poor Sarah got some feathers from the pillow fight stuck in the back of her throat just as the judges were giving their comments – bless you for keeping it together!

Niki pulled in a great performance of Fields of Gold and Hope did their best performance of the night with We Will Rock You.

So, the votes came in and everyone on stage was shaking in their shoes. Hope received the lowest amount of votes but vowed to stay together and hopefully release a great single and album.

The heat is on… and we are all ready to cook up a storm next week. The old saying is “too many cooks spoil the broth” so one more act will be leaving next week…

See you then for the judges’ choice of song for their act… and the acts’ favourite song too.
Ciao

Dannii x
P.S. I loved hearing that Gabrielle was a huge fan of Leon’s last week and, just to let you know, Rhydian received a letter from the writer of You Raise Me Up to say it was the best rendition of that song he had heard – Go Team Minogue!

Week 15

2008-04-16T16:05:00.004+01:00

TRACKS OF MY TEARS

Team Minogue provoke big time blubs, there are rumours of disharmony in Camp Hope... oh, and Westlife are touched by Louis' mysterious magic wand!

Coooooooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee kids!

First things first; an update of our growing fan club…I bumped into Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys who said that he saw Rhydian’s performance of Go West last week and thought he did it very well. We at Team Minogue are really glad to have their seal of approval.

Okay, moving on… it was a truly humongous show with the theme of ‘Love Songs’ for this week. We all know that The X Factor frequently pulls on our heart strings, and boy did they do just that! I couldn’t cope when I saw all the videos of our contestants getting to go home for surprise visits to their families… cue a soppy Celine Dion song with some violins, and we were all grabbing for the box of tissues.

This show took six finalists and sent one home to create the top five! It has been an incredible journey from the start of auditions around the country to now. Even Mr. Nasty confessed that he had “shed a tear during tonight’s performances”.

Rhydian sang Somewhere (and made me blub – anyone watching the show again, please just fast forward through this bit – very embarrassing!) The atmosphere is always so electric in the studio, and I hope that this carries across to everyone in their homes. I wonder if you were all as moved as I was.
Louis: “You are a true professional. You're head and shoulders above everybody”.
Sharon: “I thought Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber had taste but he messed up by not taking you on for his Joseph competition. I'm so pleased we have you”.
Simon: “You would be an incredible winner for this competition”.

Leon sang You Don’t Know Me – a song he was so passionate about and was determined to sing to show he has the goods to make it to the final show. When we were rehearsing it last week, just singing with a piano accompaniment, he made the crew in the rehearsal room cry. I confess; I made a fool of myself and blubbed some more! I’m so proud of Leon and really feel like part of the family.
Louis: “You're getting better and better each week. Stop listening to Michael Buble – you're as good as him. I want to hear Leon”.
Sharon: “I’ll say it again… you are the dark horse in this contest”.
Simon: “I've sat here week after week wondering why you're still in the competition… until now. This is what you do incredibly well”.

Beverley...
Dannii: “Something happened between the rehearsal and now. What were they serving in the canteen? That was very good”.
Simon: “Although it was not perfect, you made it. I think you have a terrific story, you should be in the final five, and I like you”.

Same Difference...
Louis: “If I was looking for two happy people, you'd be perfect. If you win, it will be a travesty. We are not looking for a club act”.
Sharon: “Simon has taken you out of Blue Peter and taken you into ‘07”.
Simon: “You are pulling out some great notes which we have not seen before”.
Nikki...
Sharon: “Louis knows a good diva!”
Simon: “I'm so impressed… we have now got ourselves a competition”.

Hope (backstage gossip is that the tension is starting to get to Hope… the claws are out and the cats are fighting! Hmmmmm…. diva tantrums already)...
Louis: “Only one lead singer. Not fair of the other four girls”.
Sharon: “This contest is hot right now, I wish you luck”.
Simon then told Louis to “SHUT UP!”
EEEEkkkkkkkk… we went to deadlock for the bottom two this week.
The last week of the judges deciding but we left it up to the audience.

Beverley vs. Hope...

I sent home Hope as I feel Beverley has been much more consistent. As judges, I think we let Phoebe slip through the net by not letting her in the Under 25s Girls category – she is truly carrying the band.

A big hug to Beverley whose X Factor dream is now over – we have loved having you on board and wish you all the very best.

Favourite Quote of the night:
Dermot talking about our guest act Westlife:”Louis has touched them all with his magic wand”.
Star performances of the night have to be Rhydian and Leon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Team Minogue is in the Top 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all for your votes, you really are making two (well if you count me in, it’s three!) dreams come true!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the heart of my bottom!
Love you more than Celine Dion loves a ballad and Michael Jackson loves a Diamante glove!
Dannii

... and see you next week when I revert to a teenager with guest act Duran Duran!

Week 14

2008-04-16T16:00:00.004+01:00

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Dannii's boys bring back the boogie and bag impressive comments from the judges...

Whoo hoo to Team Minogue! We came, we sang, we did disco… most definitely my musical spiritual home! Leon and Rhydian trusted in my music magic and gave it their best. My boys discoed the stage under the light of the mirror ball and whipped up some of the best comments from the other judges.

After the departure of Andy last week, I would have been so gutted to have lost another one of my boys this week. Andy was so sweet and text us all before the show to let us know he was watching and backing us all the way.

Leon opened the show singing Relight My Fire. Louis said, “I haven’t been your biggest fan throughout this show, tonight I’ve changed my mind, I’ve started to see your personality. Rhydian is your only threat”.Sharon said, “All the best things come in little packages - I love you!”Simon said, “That should have been a disaster. A very good performance. You sang with soul. I think you spent the whole time looking up the dancers’ skirts!” (Can I just add these three words Simon; Pot....Kettle....Black!)

Rhydian confessed that he knows nothing about disco but commanded a naval choir and the song Go West!
Louis said, “What can I say? As camp as Christmas! You remind me of Simon - it was just that camp. Too many gimmicks”.
Sharon said, “I love anything extremely camp. It was 100% fabulous”.
Simon said, “I don’t feel like I’m on the same show as everyone else. The dancers put a smile on your face - Louis, you haven’t smiled that much in weeks!”

Niki sang Hot Stuff - she totally was and had four hunky dancers, which of course I loved!

Beverley rocked the stage with I'm Every Woman and a cool suit embellished with diamantes - I want one too!

Same Difference had a really tough week. Their song was changed the night before the show! I hand on my heart love them, but think they struggled with the song as far as keeping on pitch, and the costumes were not my favourite. I'm glad to see their fans held strong and kept them in.

The bottom two... gasp!....yes, we are past the half way point and with so few left, it is hard to believe!

Alisha vs. Hope...

Hope sang Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) with a twist of Madonna's Hung Up bootlegged in the end - v.cool.

Alisha sang her best but when it came to the battle of disco she got voted out. It's really hard having to vote out any of our contestants - I know it may sound corny but all of the judges are getting quite attached to them!

We wish Alisha the very best and look forward to seeing her on stage again soon.

Favourite comment of the night:
Louis – “It’s called disco. Simon you wouldn’t know, you’re still wearing platforms”.
Well, with my disco shoes hung up, till next week......

Lots of Love

Dannii x

Week 13

2008-04-16T15:57:00.000+01:00

21st Century Show

Man overboard, man overboard!

Tears all round.

Team Minogue is a man down. This week we lost our lovely Andy.

Thanks to everyone for the amazing support and for all your votes so far.

After Andy got crowned Torso of the Week in Heat magazine and then singing the coolest song of the night, Chasing Cars, we were blown away to be in the bottom two. I guess the other judges’ comments had quite an effect on his votes! It was heartbreaking seeing poor Leon lose one of his best mates and to see them both in tears. The three of my boys have really bonded during their time away from family and friends, and now, the harsh reality is hitting in –as we all come closer to the dream of winning The X Factor, someone has to leave the competition each week.

Nikki sang Because Of You. Louis, Sharon & Simon loved it but I went out on a limb (again!!!!) and said I didn’t think it was the right song for her. Mainly because I can tell the difference in Nikki’s eyes when she has been told to sing a song and when it’s a song that she loves and wants to perform! Nikki agreed with me; that she didn’t love this week’s choice. Bad Louis!
Same Difference sang a cool Scissor Sister’s song. Louis was out to attack them again – he doesn’t think they are going to win – but I think he may be surprised by the amount of fans they have. To their defence, Simon said that Louis must have had a really bad childhood to not like to see other people having fun. Sharon said the performance was total madness like something Michael Jackson would have dreamed up. I absolutely love them. They always pull off really tricky choreography, and on top of that, this week’s song was a tongue twister and a half.

Beverley sang You’re Beautiful. Simon said, “You will hear that in one million hotels across the world – it was a peanut performance”. I don’t know about Simon’s food fetish but I also didn’t think that song captured Beverly’s best. The song was in a key that made her screech the end of the song, rather than belt it out – as we love to hear her do.

Hope sang Back To Black. Louis said they are as good as any other girl group in the charts today but I’m not sure. The first two notes were so out of tune I thought it was going to break the glass in the camera lenses but Phoebe managed to keep the song on track with her amazing lead vocals – that girl is on fire!

Leon sang Dancing In The Moonlight, after a horrible night of being sent to the doctors and having to take heavy medication just to be able to get a note out. Bless him, he has battled away and not made a single complaint. Louis called him a Michael Buble impersonator, Sharon noted that he is growing in confidence every week and Simon puffed out his chest and said “You have what I have – people like you”.

Alisha looked and sounded great – that song was like it was made for her.
And then we have Rhydian, who sang one of his all time favourites, You Raise Me Up. Louis said, “I’ve heard hundreds or thousands of versions of that song – tonight was one of the best I’ve ever heard”. Sharon said, “Powerful, fantastic performance. You are capable of making an amazing hit record. I’m looking at the winner and I wanna go home!”

We love Rhydian’s perfectly polished performance but next week is Disco week so guess what…we will have ‘The Showman’ back! Perez Hilton thinks that Rhydian is the new Liberace! And who would ever say Perez is wrong?

Such a feisty panel this week! Have you noticed Louis pulling out all the stops to be Mr Nasty! He has ruffled his little old man hair do, trying desperately to make way for Mr. Cowell’s crown!!!!! I love it when Simon hit back and told Louis he’s still in charge and doesn’t need advice. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Snaps to Shayne Ward who blew me away with his amazing vocals. Everyone has always said what a really nice guy he is, and guess what…it is soooooooooooo true. I love his new single and can’t wait for the album.

Thanks to June Sarpong for flying the flag to support Team Minogue.

Ricky Gervais admitted that the last time he cried was whilst watching The X Factor audition shows, “Where Simon smothers another young hopeful’s dreams!” …and for all the “ladies”…..David Walliams was in the house last night. A true X Factor fan who returns every year for more poptastic performances.

Until next week,

I’m pulling out all stops to bring the Dreamboys back!

Love Dannii x

Week 12

2008-04-16T15:54:00.003+01:00

Coooeeeeee!

Another news-filled week for The X Factor!

It all started with Emily having to withdraw from the series due to serious allegations of aggressive behaviour… what on earth will happen next???????

Back to the good news... it was Big Band Night with Nigel Wright conducting our 27 piece orchestra. It made everyone step up to the mark and we were all nervous as anything.

First up to perform on the show was Leon - and he is not going Home! He sang Fly Me To The Moon, which we have now renamed, Fly Me To The Moonwalk as he pulled out an amazing moonwalk on stage. Simon had said, “He will never cope with the pressure tonight”, but Leon absolutely shone and proved him wrong. Big Band is Leon’s favourite type of music and he was in his element. Sharon says he is “positioning himself for the final” Simon had to admit, “It was very good. Your best performance so far”. Leon has fans all over the country – I can’t leave my front door without people stopping me to say how much they love him – thanks for all the votes. Leon now has his confidence and will be back with a vengeance next week.

Rhydian is a classically trained solo artist who had never heard the song, Get The Party Started. I’m so glad he trusted me and went for it. Sharon said he looked like the ‘Snow Queen’ in his silver sequin suit and white fake fur coat – is she scared he will topple her crown?

Rhydian received his second amazing comment from ‘The Cowell’: last week Simon said “Potentially world class… vocally he is the best we have in this competition” This week, “I absolutely loved it. My favourite performance of The X Factor this series.” Rhydian is tipped for the top and we are loving him week on week in this competition.

Andy was my Knight in shining Armani last night! He crooned This Guy's In Love and sang out some great notes. Girls, I have to let you know that he is ‘Torso Of The Week’ in a very famous UK magazine this week – so don’t miss it! Keep the votes up – we don’t want Andy going anywhere!

Louis said ,“We’ve not seen the best of you yet”, well thanks to all the votes, we will have the chance to prove that.

At the end of the show, I have to tell you how nervous all the judges were, we couldn’t pick who might go home. Having to choose between two acts is awful and gets worse every week as we get to know everyone better. I can’t believe that Futureproof had to go home. I truly believe they are the better singers than Hope. Let’s see if the girls can improve their vocals this week.

I was in heaven when Boys 2 Men performed specially for us. I must have bought their debut album several times as I had to have a copy wherever I went! I’m really looking forward to their new album of Motown classics.

Favourite lines of the week:

Simon to Louis, “Once again you are coming across as an old man”

Louis “This will only work forever and ever in Panto”

Sharon, “Nothing wrong with Panto, I love it”Brian “Spank Me”

Great to see the song writer, Ryan, who wrote Bleeding Love for Leona, in the audience.

I absolutely love that tune – well done
See you next week for more surprises and your favourite artists!

Love and kisses

Dannii x

Week 11

2008-04-16T15:51:00.003+01:00

Hey guys!

We've got loads to talk about this week so let's get started!

In the sprit of this week being movie themes’, I just have to say my all time favourite line is from Dirty Dancing, “No-body puts baby in the corner”. Team Minogue is here to stay! We most definitely all have Saturday Night Fever!

Week one was the best birthday present ever, as Team Minogue stormed though the first voting session. Then it was on to show 2 with our heads held high and all to play for!

Leon not only sang Home so well that the audience were on their feet, he was first artist to be name checked by Celine Dion at the end of the show, as a stand out vocalist! Leon, we are so proud of you.

Andy sang Staying Alive with a wiggle in his walk and some dance moves that were finally unleashed on us girls – someone hold me back! We don’t need three Bee Gees, we just need one Andy!

Rydian became the fierce Phantom of the Opera. After his first TV performance, Rhydian had Lord Lloyd Webber on the phone agreeing to make this duet into a solo for a very special performance.

Admittedly we all had Build Me Up Buttercup stuck in our heads – unfortunately not for a good reason – someone please make it stop! I whole heartedly think that Daniel lost out tonight because of this bad song choice!

I also want to say that Celine Dion was so kind and generous with all the contestants this week in her Master Class. The biggest selling female artist in the world took her time to work with each artist; to give her critique and sprinkle them all with magic to build their confidence – I really saw them grow this week – thank you so much.

Thank you to Fearne for bringing us this week’s treat – seeing Zoe again. Zoe with her national catch phrase of, “No way!”, it brought me right back to the first weeks of auditions. Fearne, I look forward to seeing who you surprise us with next week.

Next Saturday, I'm sure we'll please you all with stunning performances in front of our big band so stay tuned for more drama right here ……

Favourite lines of the week:

Dermot: “Yes…..there are still four judges!”

Simon about Rhydian: “Not only are you good, potentially you are world class”

Sharon: “No more tantrums, no more wobblies, ‘cos it’s not about me, it’s all about Emily and Alisha”

Louis: “This is a great song; I know Daniel can deliver it!”

On behalf of all my boys, thank you so much for all your votes

Love and kissesDannii xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS great to see Kelly Rowland hanging in the audience and loving the show!

Week 10

2008-04-16T15:48:00.004+01:00

Cooooooeeeeeeeee!

As Elton John sings….’Can You Feel The Love Tonight?’ Hell yeah!

The biggest singing competition is on! This week The X Factor didn’t disappoint with songs, drama and lots of sparkle. Simon’s teeth were gleaming whiter than white, Dermot looked dashing in his suit and we got to see all the contestants get The X Factor make over!!! (The transformation was so dramatic, I could watch another whole show of that too!)

Team Minogue was in full force and the Team Captain, ‘moi’, is very happy that you all voted to keep my boys, Andy, Leon and Rhydian in the race.

Andy is definitely bringing sexy back – crooning us with his dulcet tones and hypnotising us with his Doe eyes – the whole country is in love! Did I mention that he can dance just as well? Just wait till you see what is coming next…….

Leon had a shaky start. He picked the Michael Bublé version of the Beatles song, Can’t Buy Me Love. Leon loves jazz and we wanted him to do something very musical. The song changes rhythm a few times throughout the track, and I think that when the audience clapped along to the beat, it may have thrown him off when the tempo changed! He hit a few bum notes but when he was on it we were all in rapture. Thanks for all getting behind him and voting (I’m sure lots of friends from back home in Scotland were phoning). We must kept him in the competition because he has a true, raw talent.

Rhydian…..aka ‘Mr. Marmite’ (you love him or hate him!) gave the performance of the night! I Would Do Anything For Love stole the show. We saw that his vocals and performance level are up there with the greats and I think we all got to know the kind gentleman that Rhydian is off stage. If you don’t love him yet…..you will soon! Even Mr Simon Cowell thinks he is the real deal.
It was great to meet the boys’ families backstage and share the celebration of Week One for Team Minogue!!! Good news…….I can guarantee, there are no stage Mumzillas or Dadzillas amongst them.

Louis really raised his game last night, showing that he was no push over, and even had a go at Simon about Same Difference. Sharon was feeling toppled over when two of her acts were in the bottom two……and walked off the set. It’s a hugely emotional time as all the contestants we mentor become like family to us.

I was sad to see Kimberley go. Although I didn’t put her through in her first audition, I think she has a lot to offer. I would love to have seen her looking more like herself and less ‘made over’ – as she is so young and bubbly. Kimberley……we love you girl!

A big hand to Dishy Dermot for putting everyone through their paces and keeping the whole thing on track – not even the Rugby could come in the way of us doing our thing.

Thanks for making my birthday so special – I got cake, the audience sang happy birthday to me and, on Xtra Factor, they had footage of all my mates which was a total surprise and had me welling up.See you next Saturday for round two.

In the meantime, come hang out with me
Love and Kisses

Dannii x

Week 9

2008-04-16T15:48:00.001+01:00

Week 8

2008-04-16T15:43:00.001+01:00

Dannii house party

Cooooooeeeeeeeee! I’m just Dannii from the BLOG!
Smell the sea and touch the sky…….. we have chosen the three lucky contestants that will be battling it out for Team Minogue in the live shows of The X Factor 2007.

We travelled to my spiritual home of music, Ibiza, for the final audition where 6 became 3! I find Ibiza the most inspiring place for tunes and always make my annual pilgrimage there to soak up the sun and the new sounds. The boys seemed to love the island and got the taste of the new life of a pop star! (oh yeah……the crew seemed pretty happy too as we may have joined Roger Sanchez as his VIP guests at Pacha club when filming ended…..but that would be telling!…)

Back to work…..The boys were all very nervous. I heard from the crew that the tears were flowing before any singing had even begun!

Andy sang Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Dominic sang I’ll Be ThereLeon sang Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Charlie sang Patience

Rhydian sang Somebody To Love

and Luke sang Mandy

Helping me make this huge decision was my bezzie mate, Terry Ronald. He is currently doing the vocal production for a new production of Rent in the West End and has worked his magic on many a pop record and tour including Westlife, Girls Aloud and yours truly!

I can honestly tell you, after all the boys had sung and we were sitting looking at the sunset…..the first two going through completely jumped out at me. Third place had two contenders but I really wasn’t sure. After conferring with the producers, I managed to get them to let me sleep on my decision. It’s my first year as a judge and mentor, and I didn’t want to make the wrong choice, because this year I’m ready to win!

Well possums….the wait is over!

My final choice was Andy, Leon and Rhydian!

A few facts to wet your appetite:

Andy can dance with the best of the best, move over Justin Timberlake….I can’t wait to see that!

Leon is a black belt in Karate - so watch out any other judges!

Rhydian can bench press more than my weight – he has super pecs and a super voice!

There are so many surprises to come.

Don’t forget to join us this Saturday October 13th on ITV2 for Xtra Factor: The Final Countdown. This will get everyone up to date before our first live show on October 20th (that’s my birthday!!!!!)

Judge Disco Dannii x

Week 7

2008-04-16T15:41:00.002+01:00

Big dreams at Bootcamp

There were more tears and tantrums at Bootcamp than even Elton John could muster up. Heythrop Park and The Apollo theatre were rocked to the core.

Cooooooeeeeeeeee!

This week I watched the show at Team Minogue HQ, literally sitting on the edge of my seat with fear and excitement at it all. There is so much to talk about, I don’t know where to start but here goes….

Heythrop Park really did turn in to a zoo at some points….there were contestants roaming around all night singing at the top of their lungs (most of it was not pretty). Judges and production were brought to breaking point at the lack of sleep due to the constant singing so there was a lot of people hanging out of windows screaming “shut up!”.

The Apollo Theatre: This is where it stepped up a notch and sorted the weak from the strong. Okay, I have to 'fess up to something now…. I chose the song Torn for the song list – not expecting it to trip so many people up! It’s one of my favourite songs and obviously the little Antipodian, Natalie Imbruglia, makes it sound so easy! Sorry everyone!

Bringing Sexy Back:

Girls (and boys!) – I know you were all devastated that Private Ryan didn’t make it through but Andy the Love God is in the building!

Raising the Bar On Bad:

Let’s just leave that totally up to Icaro, the Tesco shelf stacker, shall we?!? I mean, just how many times could he throw himself on the floor!

Geek Chic:

I just adore ‘I Sette Cantante’ – I bet the girls at school will be hot on their heels this week.
Louis had a stroke of genius… by putting some ‘maybe’ voted hopefuls together to create their own bands – how fantastic! I can’t wait to find out if ‘Hope’ and ‘Future Proof’ make it through Simon’s Judge’s Home in Spain. And don’t anyone let Simon say it was his idea! We know the truth!

Bootcamp Divas:

‘Dontcha’ know that Raquelle has been named ‘the female version of Simon’ and is now famous for her splits as well as her singing. Sisi, I have nicknamed SEE SEE, as that girl had packed dresses that I’m sure were originally meant to be worn as tops! You go girls – cat-fight it out till the end!! It’s gonna be our very own Saturday night singing version of Prisoner Cell Block H!

Are we all in agreement that Dermot just became even more loveable?...he cries! He is the new age Metrosexual Man – we love that.

Harsh Talk:

“I want to throw things at him, he’s revolting”“This guy is an idiot, I want to kill him”“He’s up his own a**e, and is the most conceited person I have ever met in my life”Who were these comments aimed at? You guessed it, Rhydian is certainly getting noticed! As Sharon has started her ‘Get Rid of Rhyd’ campaign, I need to see if he really has got the goods to be the winner that he says he is… I’m totally on the fence with this one!

And with bootcamp over, I'm off the to sunshine with my boys. Andy, Luke, Leon, Charlie, Rhydian and Dominic… my Team Minogue recruits are all bundled up, and I will catch you all in Ibiza for singing at sunset where six becomes just three!

Signing off, Disco Dannii

Week 6

2008-04-16T15:37:00.004+01:00

I can't believe that all the auditions are done now!
Okay, is it just me, or does this show attract singers needing dental work?!

I think it's a phenomenon since Simon's teeth have taken on a new sparkling iridescence! I love it when he smiles, winks and his teeth go 'Ching!', or is that his money counter I can hear?

Did you cry for Luke? I think Luke cried enough for the whole of Britain - what a little cherub.

Anelisa has become the Dream Girl for me and my mates. We loved copying all her hand movements during her performance of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going - especially when she fans herself! We praise you Anelisa for a bit of good old Church singing attitude.

Being good friend's of Elton John's; I wonder if Sharon and Louis could persuade him to change the lyrics to Candle In The Wind, one last time for Zyta (with the Union Jack clothing) - it would really make it a lot easier for her to sing - what do you reckon?

Raising the bar on bad: please throw me some headache tablets, Raj, singing is not for you! If you are to sing again, we will need a set of judges ear plugs, ice packs, headache tablets, and possibly a sick note to take to work!

Babyzilla, Emma, turned up to the auditions with reinforced back up just in case the judges said 'No': Mumzilla, Dadzilla and Sistazilla. Did you check out the dress that Dadzilla made for Babyzilla? It gave her the appearance of an iceberg when she was singing the famous My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion - and I'm not sure that's the effect they had in mind? How did they all fit in the Pod interview box all together to have a private chat?

Did I miss something - are we feeling the love for Rhydian, the over confidant Opera singer from Wales? Sorry about the tongue - it was a knee jerk vomit reaction!

Funniest moment:

Mine has to be seeing Sharon and Louis getting backhanded by a door when they were told to go and wait outside the audition room by Simon - just like the naughtiest little kids - I love those two!
Favourite Lines of the Week:

1. I'm pretty high level

2. That was a musical 'up yours'

3. Will you both please shut up!

And finally.......songs I don't think I could ever hear again after months of auditions:

1. I Believe I Can Fly

2. A Whole New World

3. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Somebody.....please make it stop! I can guarantee you that Bootcamp is full of thrills and spills so hold on, it's not over yet!

So until the next show, I leave you with wisdom from Forrest Gump..."Life is like a box of chocolates....you never know what you're gonna get!" Hmmmmm.......who survives Bootcamp…? See you there!

Love Dannii x

Week 5

2008-04-16T15:34:00.001+01:00

The best - and worst - of this week's contestants...

This week, I'm delighted to tell you that my blog is coming to you from the spiritual home of Disco Dannii... Ibiza!

I’ve squeezed a little downtime into my hectic schedule and managed to soak up some end-of-summer rays. Of course, there was a sun-drenched ‘Team Minogue’ soiree last night as we checked out the auditions that rocked (and flopped!) in Sheffield.

Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Nathaniel... oh dear! And I’m Telling You… not to sing that song please! You are so cute, but please stop!

Katie from Skegness – please sort out your teeth and come back next year – you can REALLY sing and we know this would change your life... but you have to put your baby first. That little un’ will need you.

Andrea – you can sing so well and you know Nessun Dorma is a winner on Simon’s shows – well done to you. I love your voice and I think your husband would have been so proud. It was as if we could feel him in the room with us, her singing was so intense.

I have to say, watching back the show, I think I got it wrong when I said ‘No’ to Kimberley from Birmingham. The girl can sing and although she is so explosive and unpredictable, she is so incredibly lovable. Sorry I said ‘No’, but at least the other three judges put her through, ‘cos I think she has some kinda star potential. Watch this space.

Our oldest contestant for this season, Dot, who met another contestant, Eric, whilst waiting in line, gave us our very own When Harry Met Sally story. The audition that brought these two gorgeous oldies together was just magic.

Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone is gonna rush out and buy the album It’s Thomas, so, Thomas, you may have to stick to your day job! Aw bless!

And finally… can anyone speak Italian? We laughed as we heard Johnny Rocco deliver his supposed death threat to Louis – but I think he was actually just reeling off names of pasta dishes that he’s eaten. No horse’s head has turned up in anyone’s bed (Godfather style), but I would still keep an eye open, Louis!

Well, I will leave you with my favourite ‘Lines of the Week’ as I head out to catch a few more rays of fabulous sunshine!
1. “It’s the Redbull”

2. “I think you need to change your record collection”

3. “I’ll make Louis Walsh kiss my feet”

Ciao honey pies

Dannii x

Week 4

2008-04-16T15:31:00.002+01:00

Hey guys!

This week Simon, Sharon, “Louise” (Lou Lou) and myself have been through Belfast, Manchester, Birmingham, (plus funeral singers, topless dancers and wild and sexy grandmas) in search of that elusive star! Well, someone has to do it!

If you think you have that “certain spark”, want to “fulfil your dreams” and you want to “rule the world” then grab a number and step right up.

Raising the Bar on Bad

What is it with doing the splits? Does doing the splits sideways guarantee a pass to Bootcamp… well, apparently yes!

Fantastically Bad

Alison crushed the song You’re Beautiful and has been advised to demand a refund from her singing teacher, Andrew, who has taught her for three years. Andrew… do you have a secret crush on your pupil?
Talentless

Kelly's rendition of I Will Always Love You got up the judges noses so much, that she brought her dad in to the audition room to make us change our minds – well….at least someone was happy… Head Of Security Tony’s managed to get his beauty close ups!

Words Of Wisdom by Tony

Tony's always ready with a word of advice. He says, “Be on time”, “Be Good” and “Always do your best”, “Don’t Bully people”, “Shut up till you're right” and my favourite, “Always love Dannii” – who am I to argue!

My Favourite Lines of Show 4

“I want the world to sing with me, my song is called Wild and Sexy, please join in!”“I may not have the looks but I have got the X Factor…. W*****s!”

And my Favourite Conversation of the series so far

(to the funeral singers)…“To be honest, girls, I’d want to throw myself in the coffin after that” – Simon“Do you take advanced bookings?” – Sharon“I’ll pay for it!” – Simon

Finally, a Warning of the Week:

Don’t trash previous winners of The X Factor as the intro to how great you are in your audition… Matthew!!! Louise had lips liked he’d eaten a lemon, and I don’t think Robbie WIlliams is exactly shaking in his boots...!

Love and Kisses and keep on singing

Judge Dannii x

Week 3

2008-04-16T15:29:00.002+01:00

Okay, so it’s show three…on ITV1 and ITV2: I’ve been set up on a date, seen ’the firestarter’ and been introduced to Checkout Bingo!

Everyone in the country is convinced they have the X Factor! Are we tough, cynical judges, or are most of these people’s talents approved and adored by their nearest and dearest alone?

So September 1st gets scary! I’m at home, on a Saturday night, and not out on a date. I watched my very own date on TV, knowing millions of other people were too! That is kinda creepy! Arrggghhhhhhhh! Looking at the TV through my fingers, I see Fearne Cotton take on the Xtra Factor mission of finding, lonely hearts candidate, Dannii Minogue, a date. How hard can it be? Well apparently near impossible! After scanning every contestant that waited in line in the country, Cotton Buddies creates a romantic barbie (BBQ) for two (myself and contestant, Chris Gale) outside the Birmingham NEC. Although he ticked many boxes… older – tick. Nice eyes – tick… flies aeroplanes - ooh yes! So romantic! Then when I asked him what his favourite film of all time was, he replied Schindler’s List! That would have to be the passion killer of an answer on a first date! Then came the singing… a heart felt rendition of Hello Again, Hello. Sometimes I have no idea what I’m looking for in the perfect man… but that wasn’t it. Back to the drawing board!

Good Morning Tokyo! I loved Toshiko. There are so few people that not only melt the heart of Simon Cowell (by flying all the way from Japan and grovelling) but also the whole judging panel.

Just in case you thought Mr. Nasty had gone all soft on us since Britain’s Got Talent, we have tears from the band that were going to change the world, It’s About Time. They shattered our eardrums with their very special rendition of We Built This City – Oh no you didn’t!

Leon had me in tears after his rendition of Home by Michael Bublé. As judges we never get to hear the story before they walk in the door. I had no idea that his mum had told him “pursuing a career in singing is a bit far fetched”. Now I know why the tears came tumbling when four fierce judges were thankful he had walked in the door and given us hope in the competition! When you wish upon a star….sometimes the dreams really do come true!

And raising the bar on bad: Malcolm’s Bat Out Of Hell and Puff The Magic Dragon were not the only things to scare the judges….was it just me, or did his wife Jane have a beard and a moustache? Still…I’d pay good money to see it all over again at my local pub this weekend!

Favourite Line of the Week:

Simon to Dannii - “She’s once again killed the dream”

Over and out from the Wicked Judge from Oz!

Dannii x

Week 2

2008-04-16T15:26:00.002+01:00

Hey guys!

Could this Bank Holiday weekend get any better? Sun, BBQ’s and Show 2 packed with complete madness!

There was another fun X Factor party at Chez Minogue – this week, the Carphone Warehouse Mowbli caricatures had us all in hysterics! We were amazed at how accurately they could make a mobile phone look like the judges using only two features!

Imagine if you could get Text Alerts and Ring Tones with the sayings from the contestants. Week One would have to be Zoe’s “No Way”…..and Week Two would be Icaro’s “My mission is to spread love” – Eek! Not anywhere near me puhleeaze! Judges comments would work well too: Sharon - “fabulous”, Louis - “you’d be great in a boy band”, and Simon would have to be “it’s terrifying you think this is acceptable, literally terrifying”.

We know Dermot and Fearne have a secret handshake – that’s cool. Simon, Sharon, Louis and myself could always work out a dance routine – a bit like ABBA meets Take That! ;-)

This week’s smell-o-vision award goes to the girl in the colourful crocheted outfit (with matching Christmas decorations around her head)! She was well up for brightening her out-of-tune singing with some of her favourite moves but I think there may have been a lack of ventilation in the stitching – pooooooooeeeeeee!

There were some crackers this week. At the start of the show, Debbie Griffiths sang her best rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You – but it was more post Bobby Brown Whitney than pre-Bobby! Her poor neighbours!

Also fantastically bad was Baz with his broken braces…..I’m sure at one stage the judges did actually get an unwanted view of his boxer shorts – hence my recurring nightmares!

Meanwhile, Professor John Evans from Cardiff, convinced he is the best Wales has to offer, claims that Tom Jones has never been able to sing. Instead, John delighted us with his Leprechaun/Irish jig - I had to tell him he looked like “he was trying to kick his knickers off”.

But raising the bar on bad this week was Rachel from Cardiff. I adored the way Xtra Factor gave her red evil eyes – they were pretty scary in real life too. Thankfully you only heard the bleeped version, and the judges would not dare repeat what was really said! I’m sure you’ve all been replaying it to have a guess though……

Luckily there were boys around to Bring Sexy Back: Girls, let’s sing a big “Thank You” in unison and sweet harmonies for the gorgeous Andy and our very own Private Ryan. All of which reminds me – Cotton Buddies was really good this week. Fearne, when are you gonna fix me up?
Desperate for more of the show… can’t wait for next week!

I’m going to leave you with a message from Icaro, “I’ve got too much love I just want to let out.” (and yes….he could be Simon’s long lost brother! They look even more similar in the flesh)!

'Til next time...Dannii x

Week 1

2008-04-16T15:22:00.002+01:00

Coooooeeeeee! The X Factor is back!!

Can you play imaginary instruments with your nose, have a sob story that comes with it’s own string section of violin or even…just sing? With a million pound recording contract up for grabs, four judges and four categories – it’s kicking off already! There were X Factor parties happening all over the country, including my very own little soiree. And after the show, the phone started to ring. Most of my friends were in tears, thanks to Emily and Niki’s stories. Rule of The X Factor, number one – always keep a box of tissues handy!

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed watching the show as much as we’ve enjoyed making it. It’s lucky for you, though, that we only have HD television and not ‘Smell-o-vision’. Rule number two, for auditionees is always remember to bathe! You may have noticed us saying to people, “Please stand back on the X” – well…..now you know why!

My fellow judges and I are having a great time. Sharon and I have started our own game called ‘Rock Factor’. Whoever wears the most diamonds wins. To be fair, I think she has a mighty head start on me – but let’s wait till the live shows!

Louis is “back with a vengeance” so no male singer is safe from being put in a boy band! He makes me laugh. And also entertaining is Simon’s square hair cut… just like the high waisted pants he used to wear; this has definitely got to go!

When Brian was given the Exit Factor from the judging panel I was a little sad – I adore him! He’s funny and fearless, he has the hottest body and he is so stylish that I want a ‘Brian Doll’, not a ‘Barbie Doll’. Can’t wait till he gives the show an ‘Xtreme Make Over’ with the look and choreography – he will bring us all the glam we crave.

Gotta run – but let me leave you with my favourite lines of the week:
1. What’s a ballad?

2. I will show the public my meatloaf

3. It’s not my fault I have good teeth!

Oh, I almost forgot,

check out my photos from week 1 Dannii's photos

Love, Dannii xx