Image Credit: Fox
Bad day to be British at Fox. First the network boots Saffron Burrows from its Bones spinoff, now it seems Cheryl Cole is stepping out of X Factor.
Sources confirm she’ll be replaced by one of the show’s previously reported hosts, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger. Cole was officially announced as a judge-coach panelist on the show less than a month ago and featured in a trailer shown to advertisers at Fox’s upfront presentation last week.
Now producers have to figure out whether co-host Steve Jones will continue as a solo act, or whether he will be paired with another host.
TMZ cited Cole not having chemistry with fellow judge Paula Abdul (isn’t a little tension there a good thing?) and concerns that her thick British accent would be incomprehensible to U.S. viewers (which everybody has been saying all along).
Though reuniting Simon Cowell and Abdul has excited American Idol fans, the X Factor panel as a whole was knocked not hugely exciting in the wake of NBC’s success with pop singer celebrities on The Voice.
Fox had no comment. Here’s how the panel won’t look this fall:
Not a good sign for Fox.. Great news for NBC
I have no trouble understanding Kat Deeley on SYTYCD. Why are they concerned we won’t understand Cheryl.
Seriously, I understand British accents perfectly! Anyways I think this is good for Cheryl, she’s too classy too sit next to the loopy Paula.
You can’t compare Cheryl’s accent to Cat’s. They are COMPLETELY different. It’s not like the typical British accent that most Americans think of. It almost sounds like she is not speaking English.
Just because they come from the same country does not mean they have the same accent ala Texan vs New Yorker vs Southern. Some areas just enunciate better and far easier to understand.
And too classy? Yeah sure. Gorgeous girl but classy is not a word that I’d align with her.
As mentioned by Minnie, Cheryl’s accent has nothing to do with Cat’s. It’s a thick northern accent which will be too radical for Americans. She may be able to tone it down, but the effort will probably affect how spontaneous she can be. Can’t wait to see what the British tabloids will make of it…
I can’t understand anything that comes out of Cheryl’s mouth, and I have no issue with any other accents – central England, Ireland, Scotland – I can understand any celebrity from these areas. But it’s as if Cheryl is from another planet. It’s too bad she didn’t get speech coaching or something.
The accent’s not that bad, people! Geordie accents are weird at first, but kind of fun once you get used to them. That really sucks for Cheryl — it would have been huge for her career.
You people have English as your mother tongue, right? It is my second language and i understand Cheryl perfectly. Are you morons?!
I am an American living in Holland I can see the British show every year, I can understand her fine. Bummer….
Delon, I agree. I’m a first-generation Polish-American and I have never had a problem understanding Cheryl. Sorry, but some people are too lazy. They are the same people who would rather see an American remake of a great foreign film just to avoid those pesky subtitles.
Umm I don’t get what Blake Shelton says but he is my favorite judge on The Voice…
How is it great news for NBC? She was on The Sing-off judging panel, and now she is on the most anticipated, rival show’s judging panel. This is i think what they should’ve originally lined up for The X Factor. I always argued that Nicole is a better choice for the US. The one thing is Nicole gets a lil loopy at times, too. She should stay away from Paula-isms. Does this mean Cheryl will be back for The X Factor UK? You know what Nicole is trying to launch a solo career in the States (she already has one in Europe). So, maybe instead of trying to push untested Cheryl for a solo career in the US, they thought Nicole would be easier to market. BTW, who is gonna replace her in The Sing-off?
The BBC are apparantly bringing ‘the voice’ to the UK if they get Cheryl – perhaps she will have the last laugh afterall!
So insulting that the networks consider the American public too stupid to understand a Northern English accent and instead feed you bland and predictable!
Well now I won’t be watching. Couldn’t care less about the judging panel now.
I love Cheryl. She’s very sweet and not a bad judge at all. I hope this news turns out to be fake. I think Sharon Osborne’s accent is way, waaaaaay, but waaaaaaaaaaaay harder to understand than Cheryl’s, and no one seems to care about Sharon.
…and there’s that whole racist thing.
She married a black man! Ashley Cole.
oh and yeah, she beat up a black cloak room attendant (and was found guilty) an ugly person is Ms Cole
oh yeah that totally makes you racist because you beat up a black person!! really?? your as ignorant as that cloak room attendant
Oh and the cloak room attendant also hit Cheryl but why clutter up a good story with facts!
Agreed with Heather. I definitly will not watch now, I don’t really care for another Idol repeat; the only thing that made this interesting for me was Cole, since she has been on the British X Factor, so she would know what she’s doing. I mean, now the panel has Cowell (who has been in America for so long, he might as well be one of us), American Paula who was also on Idol, LA Reid (American, and a Randy look-a-like who nobody knows about), and Scherzinger (American and annoying). Cole made it interesting because she was different. I’ve had no problems with her accent in the past, not one. And as far as a lack of chemistry between Cheryl and Paula goes, can we ditch Paula? I loved her on American Idol and all, but do we really just want a literal repeat of American Idol, while American Idol is still on air? I really, really hope this all turns out to be false.
Well, I have to disagree about Reid. Unlike Randy Jackson I’ve actually heard of Reid, and even now I don’t really know what Randy Jackson’s claim to fame was before being a judge on American Idol.
Great news. I may actually watch now. There was no reason for this British nobody to be on the show.
Hardly a “nobody”. I think it would have been good since she has gone through the reality show process and is now a huge star in Europe. She’s also a very successful mentor on the UK version.
I agree with HR. She may be somebody in Europe, but here she is nobody
Yes, as successful as she is in England – very few people in America know of her. I know she wanted to break big here, but I guess it’s not going to happen.
oh, puhleeze, did anyone know who Randy Jackson was when American Idol first aired. Did anyone really care in the end?
Randy Jackson is a Grammy winner producer and as a bass guitarist, he has worked with all the music legends from Bruce Springsteen to Mariah Carey.
The general audience didn’t know much about him, but in the music industry knew his work and who he was.
BTW Cheryl Cole is popular mostly in UK, not realy in the rest of Europe.
Does it matter if we knew her or not? She has the credentials and experience. The viewing audience didn’t know Simon or Randy or Ryan, and now they do. This argument is weak.
actually she is pretty well known in most of europe. she does well in ireland and uk as well as most of the scandinavian countries and is growing in popularity everywhere else. she is also pretty well known in australia etc.
What do you mean nobody? I’ve jacked to this beauty many times and America will too once they catch a glimpse of her.
Yeah Greg, you’re a classy guy for being so candid about your nasty habits.
10 years ago Simon was pretty much a nobody here. How else do people get there starts otherwise? Just because she isn’t well known here doesn’t mean she would be a good judge. Newsflash—you don’t have to be an American to be validated.
Oh really Daryl, Of course you don’t have to be an American to be validated in a general sense… But if you are not known in a country, then you go there and JUDGE those people, THEN YEAH YOU HAVE TO BE VALIDATED IN THAT COUNTRY!
10 years ago Simon was a nobody on a show nobody knew. X Factor now is a far bigger deal than American Idol was then. You can’t really compare the two.
Simon, Randy and Sharon may have been nobodies, but they had professional success behind the scenes in management and production that gave them credibility to American audiences. She is a pretty girl (not sure what she looks like under the massive layers of make up), but I have no idea why she is famous in Europe.
Finally, if a singer doesn’t need validation by Americans, why is she trying to “make it” in the US? The whole point of being an “expert” on a talent show, is that you have credibility as an expert. What, pray tell, is Cheryl an expert at? besides attracting european paparazzi?
rachel, nobody knew simon before he started on idol in the us. the same with randy jackson and to be honest even paula was a d lister.
Yeah, because American Idol has done so well with “personalities” this season.
If this is true i’m not watching. I was at the LA auditions and there was no problem understanding her accent. She’s beautiful and far more likable than Nicole is. Although Cheryl is not known in the US, she is far more successful than Nicole is. I watched the British X Factor online and watched Nicole guest judge. Cheryl is way better and so supportive as a mentor and and honest judge.
I agree with you.
I live in the U.S. and still know about her.
She’s hotttttt
Finally! Cheryl was a mistake all along. She has no profile in the US, cannot sing, and, frankly, why should anyone take her advice seriously?
Plus, she is as thick as a brick and does not have much in the way of a ‘fun personality’, or any personality at all.
Didn’t she win a few seasons when she was on the British XFactor? From the clips I’ve seen, she was a great asset to the team. Boo to the producers.
No one knew who Simon was pre-American Idol. You’re argument is invalid.
and so is my correct usage of “your” oops
If Paula couldn’t get along with her, get rid of Paula. She adds nothing and I feel sorry for whoever she mentors.
Paula has 6 Billboard Hot 100 number 1′s, a Grammy, several Emmy’s, and sold over 30 million records worldwide. YOU’VE DONE NOTHING!
Doesn’t change the fact the Paula is nuts.
wow! finally a bit of intelligence! this wannabe was always puching above her weight. she was utterly unbearable! i dont know how she got on the U.S x-factor in the first place. totally talentless individual with a rotten personality. she totally detracted from the credibility of the show- i may actually watch it now!
That whole thing about the accent is such BS. American audiences aren’t that dumb or deaf. Ask any Mexican person is a Spanish or Puerto RIcan accent is “incomprehensible” to them, and they will laugh at you. I bet Paula didn’t like Cheryl, and pulled some strings…
yeah completely agree
I concur. What’s that crap about a British accent being incomprehensible to American audiences? If that had been the case, we would have never embraced global stars like Sean Connery, Charo, Desi Arnaz, Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Arnold Friggin’ Schwarzenneger, Salma Hayek, and yes, Simon Cowell. Get real, it may have lots of different words and expressions, but it’s still English. “Incomprehensible” it is not.
I know that many of those people I mentioned are not British, my point was that English spoken with a thick accent has never been a problem for American audiences, when it comes to stars. But especially if Cheryl is an English-speaker to begin with, I don’t see what the problem would be.
They’re not saying a British accent is incomprehensible….but that Cheryl’s thick Geordie accent would be hard for Americans to pick up. I agree that she has a thick accent, but you would have thought they decided on that a while ago before they signed her in the first place. I know there were reports last fall that Fox didn’t want her bc of her accent being difficult to understand…why did it change? Weird.
Keep in mind that “Trainspotting” was subtitled for the States. We don’t always understand thick regional UK accents very well.
WHen you’re charming as Cheryl is, doesnt matter the accent you have.
Just look at Sofia Vergara. Who cares about the accent? The lady is funny and talented. So is Cheryl.
Wham bam thank you, maam, my quseitons are answered!
Well, I don’t understand the Brits when they talk. Sorry but I don’t….have you tried to listen to Ozzie Osbourne and Keith Richards?
Ozzy slurs his words. I understand Keith Richards and Cheryl Cole perfectly. I actually think that this article is just speculation. There is no way they would replace her that quickly.
Don’t worry – no one understands Ozzy.
Lame, I’m not watching now.
“[...]has no profile in the US, cannot sing, and, frankly, why should anyone take [this person's] advice seriously?”
Um, that’s exactly how Simon started in AI. And yet, it worked splendidly.
Yeah exactly, Peggy. People who were complaining about Cheryl getting picked originally seem to forget that when AI started barely anyone in America had heard of Simon or Randy and Paula hadn’t done anything relevant in years.
Why are all the on-camera TV jobs going to Brits? Are there no Americans that want these jobs?
It’s because the media is controlled by Brits. Of course there are Americans who want the job.
You’re a Britist.
Fcuk the Union Jack and fcuk the British
Because the show creators are British themselves, so naturally they are going to want a Brit on the show.
Anyone remember Ryan Seacrest Co host on American Idol?
Brian Dunkleman!
Talk about those two career going in different directions
I don’t think Paula should be allowed to mentor the acts after what happened with Corey Clark. They should assign her a chaperone.
haha
well, she *does* need a sober coach…
Interesting. It seemed like they were sold on her and Simon was really pushing for her.
wow this is bullsh*t..cheryl was the only reason i wanted to watch this show..now there’s no reason for me to watch another karaoke talent show..bad decision producers.