X Appeal!

Ever since we caught up with Cosmo cover girl Nicole Scherzinger for our August issue, the Cosmo office has been buzzing with anticipation about The X Factor US which starts tonight on OSN (we’re sooo staying in tonight to watch!) But not even we could have dreamt up the judging dramas going on behind-the-scenes before the show’s even aired! So before tonight’s season premiere, we caught up with TV’s Mr Nasty himself, Simon Cowell, to find out what he thinks about the new judges and got the lowdown on what really happened with Cheryl….

Cosmo: How has it been working with completely new judges?

Simon: Well, Paula can be wacky at times, but Nicole wasn’t actually far behind which I found really amusing. For part of the auditions Nicole would change her accent for every city. She wasn’t aware of it, but when she was in New York she had this kind of Brooklyn thing going on and then when she went to Dallas she became this southern belle. 

Cosmo: How is working with Paula again?

Simon: Paula is great because after about five minutes of filming she forgets that the cameras are on and she’ll fight with you over anything! So it’s like getting an old dog back from the rescue pound, it’s great to see the old relationship is back in tact!

Cosmo: After her short lived stint on the show, is Cheryl Cole going to feature or be edited out completely?

Simon: She is in episode one. We’re just telling it as it was, she was on the show and then she got replaced by Nicole.  So, on the first half of the show next week it’s Cheryl and then the second half it is Nicole. 

Cosmo: How important are the backstories that the contestants share to the success of the show?

Simon: Personally I think they’re crucial. Really the number one priority is talent, but number two is definitely being an interesting person, with a good backstory.

Cosmo: You’ve mentioned before that you hate predictable shows, how will The X Factor be unpredictable?

Simon: It comes down to the fact that when you make a reality show good and bad things happen. One of the things we showed in that eight-minute promo was me having a sort of a meltdown. We have to show the process, but it’s not always sunny days when you make these shows, things do go wrong and we have to show the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Cosmo: Are there a lot of tears in this series?

Simon: There was a lot of crying!  Surprisingly, at boot camp Paula was quite a long way behind Nicole and then on the final two days they were completely even Stevens!

Cosmo: Finally, do you think a show like The X Factor can produce like a megastar, like a Lady Gaga or a Justin Bieber?

Simon: 100% yes!  From what I’ve seen over the last couple of years in the U.K. the artists we’ve attracted are murdering the opposition. That is the sole reason for making the show to find someone who can compete with the big artists and I will die trying to do that.

See Simon on The X Factor US, starting tonight at 8pm, and showing every Thursday and Friday at 8 pm on OSN First