Updates: The X factor's Back And Here's What's In Store!

(All Images sourced from www.dailymail.co.uk)

Finally it’s back! The reason my Saturday night social life halts between August and Christmas, a great excuse to have a takeaway as they come hand-in-hand and a tub of Ben and Jerry’s is a must in order to get the rights to the sofa. It is of course...The X Factor!

Some may say a tiresome reality TV show by now but I say it’s the best one out there. Whilst I find the auditions the most entertaining and long for the likes of Jedward, Same Difference and The Macdonald Brothers to get the boot, I love watching the contestants throughout their journey and revel in the cat-fights between the judges, not to mention the killer outfit wars between Cheryl and Danni. And our marmite favourite Simon, well let’s say I’m a lover not a hater and believe every word he says. Unlike some little Irishman who doesn’t seem to have a clue. I don’t actually know what he’s doing on there besides annoying the other judges, the audience and myself.

I know some series seem like an utter waste as the winner is a complete flop – Shayne Ward, Leon, Steve Brookstein, and little Joe McElderry to name a few – but they gave us Leona which is reason enough for me for the programme to continue. Unlike some reality shows this one is loved by Britain and holds the highest TV ratings for Saturday night television, so good riddance Big Brother and take your little brother and big mouth with you!!

Here’s what they have in store for us this series...


• Pictures have been revealed today (funny timing huh?) of how Cheryl is affected by her undetected Malaria illness during the start of the auditions. Tonight’s show will reveal to millions of ITV viewers these very first images of Mrs Cole at Cardiff auditions, merely hours before she collapsed at a photoshoot


• Guest judges are brought on to fill in for poorly Cheryl and pregnant Danni including Geri Halliwell (unsurprisingly she’s booed!), Natalie Imbruglia, Katy Perry and Pixie Lott – Cheryl returns next month to pick her finalists
• Certain songs have been banned to prevent repetition such as Sex on Fire and Chasing Cars, and HALLELUJAH...the cliché sob stories are a no no too (apparently)!!
• The usual judge cat-fights. In the ring we have Simon VS Louis, Simon VS Cheryl and Simon VS The Girls...no change there then!


• Gorgeous Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger guests during the boot camp stage and someone has a little crush on her...
• A fix did you say? X factor?? Never! Watch to find out what happens when one girl-band causes a stir by telling other contestants that Mr Cowell has made a deal with their manager to say they’ll get through to the judge’s houses round!


• And watch out for boy band F.Y.E as they’re sported to be the favourites!
• Simon’s uninhibited ex Sinitta apparently has no involvement in this year’s series...it’s about time!
• Due his well-known jam packed schedule, it is rumoured Simon Cowell pays someone to mentor his acts on the hush as he’s too busy! Now that doesn’t seem fair does it?
• Aren’t we lucky we now have ex Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq as the host of the spin off ITV2 series The Xtra Factor instead of lovely Holly...Yaaaay?....


• And keep your eyes peeled for Mr Walsh’s fav singer Wagner, red-headed twins who receive the famous scowl from Cowell, and the expected bunch of oddballs and out-of-tune crazies whom without, I don’t think X Factor would quite manage its 13 million viewers a night

So I’ve got my Tescos curry in the fridge (that will have to do), my half-baked ice-cream in the freezer and a sofa with my name on it at 7.30pm, perfect!

Read the latest Daily Mail stories on this year's X Factor...

Leona Labyrinth Love ♥ ♥ ♥

(Images sourced from flickr.com)

Ok so remember when I said that I thought the show would kick off with a ground-stomping rendition of Oasis’ ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’? Well, I was wrong. Ironically it didn’t even make the 21 song long set list. And do you also remember when I said that I’d rather listen to her sing than try and be a crowd pleaser by asking how everyone’s night is when clearly you are only going to get a unanimous response? Well I stand by that but I was wrong in that she did involve the audience and believe it or not, she danced too!!

These are highly beside the point so I’ll just skip to the fabulous details of the concert but I don’t often like saying I’m wrong so you should be honoured as my blog readers that you have witnessed such rare honesty.

So onto my review. Well what can I say other than to use a very Leona word...AMAZING.

Again as with my last Grace Kelly post, I researched some professional reviews of her concert before embarking on mine and similarly I was met with harsh criticisms but this time, I am in no agreement with them whatsoever. My huge love for her and therefore biased opinion being neither here nor there!


The show kicked off with a booming passage from the children’s film ‘The Labyrinth’, which played host to her tour due to its resemblance to Leona’s life at present – “It’s about a young girl finding her way through a mysterious maze and coming out stronger at the end of it, which is how I feel.” Spotlights then revealed stone archways, animalistic dancers and ribbon twirling acrobats, all within the smoke screen mist that the singer herself appeared from. Hidden beneath a hooded cloak, Leona appeared on stage to the beats of ‘Brave’ (not one of her most popular or moving songs but I understand her choice as the lyrics are most apt for the theme of her show and describe her lost feelings of being in the maze). The cloak was soon removed to reveal a very glamorous, sexier side to Lewis in a tight fitting black dress, embellished with crystals and punky chains, and teamed with highly fashionable over-the-knee leather boots. To complete the look a black, satin headband held back her long, curly, (what I think are extensions) locks back and studded diamontes decorated her eyes.


I was taken aback at her confidence and ownership of the stage. Although she left the dancing pretty much to the dancers (who moved so rhythmically to her songs, especially in ‘Take a Bow’), she certainly used the stage to her best and you could definitely notice huge growth in her performance abilities compared to her X Factor days. She did veer slightly more towards to left hand-side of the stage so perhaps she had family on that side (I on the other hand was on the right). But with a glistening, diamond covered mike in one hand, she did join in with the choreography at points, even if it was just a hip sway or head move, it was more than I had expected.

That was her aim of the show, “to surprise people” and she did just that. Aside from the gentle dance moves, light effects and stage set we saw sides to Leona that we weren’t aware existed. Her communication with her fans being one of them. Not that this was anything like on the scale of Robbie or involved the cringey inclusion of fans on stage, but more of, “how’re you feeling tonight London?”, “I wanna see everyone on their feet”, and small introductions to songs such as “This next song was the first song I wrote for my album Spirit”. Tame yet more than anticipated due to the shy but kindly nature of the girl-next-door character.


And her second-to-last outfit was another surprise and didn’t quite mesh with the angel, heavenly like stage persona idea that I described previously. To the more upbeat, dance version of ‘Outta My Head’ out strut Leona in a black zipped brassiere, high-waisted leggings and a repeat of the knee-high boots. Very unlike her but it worked and certainly achieved in shocking the audience.

I can see why one critic described this moment as the most effective of the whole 105 minutes as it was much more up-beat and energetic but for me, what makes Leona so special and breathtaking to watch (or hear should I say) is her voice, the control she has and the power with which she delivers it. So the most effective point for me was her rendition of ‘First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’. The emotion that this song was sung with and the simple setting that accompanied it (a lone, dark stage, no dancers, just a spotlight on her and her movement as she felt each word of the song) allowed every person in that arena to feel the tingling sensation that the beauty of her voice creates. Every single note was perfect and it was at that moment that the 23,000 fans rose to their feet in awe, not because they were dictated to but out of respect and utter astoundment at what they had just witnessed.


The traditional Leona if I can call it that (what you usually see and expect from her) also played a big part in the show. Two gorgeous gowns; one aqua green with an embellished bodice and removable tiered train, the other (my favourite) a nude coloured ballerina styled dress with a fitted bodice and a tulle tiered, feather skirt played home to that angel like image where by her biggest ballads were sung. Avatar’s ‘I See You’ accompanying the appropriately coloured aqua dress and several unexpected covers with the romantic gown. Those included Barry Manilow’s ‘Could It Be Magic’ sung in a tree (I know what you’re thinking - ‘A tree?!’ but it worked superbly), decorated with hanging, twinkling lights and a bare-footed Leona lying quite happily in the branches (a very pretty set), and then a grounded Leona sitting on a stump singing an acoustic version of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me A River’. Both sounded stunning of course.


Another favourite of mine, in the same nude dress was ‘I Got You’, which now every time I hear, I picture a Miss Lewis twirling and spinning on stage in a roped swing. Of which she seemed very comfortable with. The whole show did seem very polished, well practiced and poised (as you’d imagine it to be because what would the poor girl do if something were to have gone wrong or spontaneously changed), even down to her footsteps moving in time with the song so that within the last ten beats, she’d reached the back of the stage. But one very minor blip was that her gorgeous tulle train got caught up in the swing and to my horror it looked like Mr Dancer ripped the material (eek!) in his flurry of releasing her.

Finally an encore closed the show with, you guessed it, ‘Bleeding Love’. One critic described her dress for this song as resembling the ‘Big Purple One from the Quality Street tin’ but I loved it. Make way Balmainia, it’s not only the shoulders that can be big but the hips too!


Although slightly unsure of ‘The Labyrinth’ theme at first (mainly because I haven’t seen the film - yet) it worked unanimously with Leona and her very fairytale-esque mind-set. She was once quoted saying “I’d go into my own little world where the colour was pink...a surreal world with animals, somewhere free” and you can believe her one-hundred percent when she says that. Many would call that naive but wanting to live in a candy-cotton dream world is understandable. Luckily for her, I think her dream world has materialised but the animals have become doting fans and the colour has become bright lights on centre stage. And I only pray that her dream continues to flourish so we all have the joy of listening to her astonishing voice forever more.


PS. One of my dreams is to one day meet and interview her as having my own published article about Leona would be heaven. I don’t quite know if I’d get to the interview questions though, one due to the overwhelming effect she has on me which would probably leave me quite speechless, and two I’d just want to listen to her sing for the whole allotted time we had. I don’t know how her family and friends get anything done when she’s around because if I were them I’d want to listen to her voice 24/7. So Leona, I very much look forward to meeting you!


Read reviews of Leona's tour -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/7798067/Leona-Lewis-Liverpool-Echo-Arena-review.html

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article7139805.ece

View Leona's Labyrinth performances with exclusive covers too -

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=leona+lewis+labyrinth+tour+london&aq=f

Also check out more pictures from the tour, there are some gorgeous ones but unfortunately I couldn't put them all on here -

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1468318@N22/

Leona Love

(Images sourced from Google Images - blog.coventrytelegraph.net and dailymail.com and video link from youtube.com)

Whilst for most this weekend is significant for the patriotic sporting links to that of the World Cup (of which I am somewhat lacking in ‘the know’ I must ashamedly admit - although I do love the new song that has come with this hyped up event, I’m a big James Corden fan!! Not so much the Dizzy though). So yes for most this weekend means the kick off to what is (fingers crossed) going to be a successful summer for the boys, the beginning of jam-packed pubs and embarrassing shouts to the telly by millions of dedicated fans. But for me, and my mum, this weekend means London. Not just London, but the Hilton. Not just the Hilton but (best bit of all!) LEONA LEWIS!!

I don’t think you know yet but I am a self-confessed Leona lover. She is AMAZING. She actually is the definition of the word. Amazing = Leona Lewis. And mum and I are lucky enough to be going to see her Monday night at the O2!! I am beyond excited!!!!!

I have loved her from the very start of her stint on X Factor in 2006. Yes she was super shy and although very sweet, not greatly entertaining to listen to speaking but singing, well that’s a whole other story. The power behind her, the grace she executes each and every song with and the control of all notes from beginning to end astounds me. Now I’m not a great music whizz, in fact it was my worst subject at school so I won’t pretend to know which notes she hits and in which key because I will just embarrass myself. But I know that from the minute she begins the likes of ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’ or ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ she just locks me in. I don’t want her to finish the song and chills are sent down my spine.

Not only does she knock every other artist out of the water (or off the stage) with her vocals, earning her the well-deserved title of ‘The Voice’ but she is in another league to every other music star out there in her performances. Now I know what you’re thinking, “But voice aside, she doesn’t actually perform in an entertaining manner”. Yes she’s no Cheryl with her dancing or Robbie with her crowd gearing but who cares? Her voice is all that is necessary to carry this girl, and it’s worked so far hasn’t it?

Also have you noticed how clever her manager/stylist/PR company have been in creating an almost angel like stage persona for her? When she glides out in countless enviable ball gowns, curls tumbling down her shoulders and the standing delivery of songs she uses to compliment the heart and soul that goes into each performance, you feel as though you are viewing something other-wordly, almost heavenly. Compared to the bumping and grinding of not so shy Rhianna or the booty shaking of Beyonce, Leona could be deemed, dare I say it, boring. But I think that is what separates her from the rest of these untalented just lucky performers.
I’d much rather pay to listen to someone stand there and sing note-perfect and not be as great a crowd-pleaser than all the corny ‘Is everybody having a good time?’ malarchy.


To say that she is my favourite artist to listen to would be an understated truth. I LOVE her music. I’ve always heard music mad people speaking of the escape they feel listening to so and so. How a song or an album can help you feel that little bit better or more clear-minded. Well I always thought that was pretty much nonsense to be honest. But now I understand. I’m not saying that when I’m feeling miserable and homesick at Uni or stressed with work, that listening to Echo or Spirit, or even the CD I made of all her X Factor songs (yes, I did!) that it magically cures all my worries and I’m suddenly happy as larry. I’m not that naive! But it’s a slight comfort and the enjoyment I get out of listening to her rubs off on my mood and raises it. Ta-da!!

So, back to Monday. I have had my ticket since December so a six month wait has been somewhat agonising. Each journey mum and I have been on where we’ve listened to Miss Lewis we’ve discussed which songs we hope she sings, how she will be with the audience (cos let’s face it, the girl’s gotta move a bit more to keep tens of thousands of fans pleased as some might expect more than just ‘The Voice’ in return for the price paid of tickets), and how the stage will be set. It’s a Labyrinth Tour so I’m intrigued to see how it all looks and how the diva herself will look! Beautiful I know but I can’t wait to see her outfits too. Beauty and an amazing voice, I think she’s hogging quite a lot there girls don’t you?



We’ve also envisaged how she will be introduced to the audience. Imagine...lights down, everyone waiting anxiously, expectantly, and the music starts, you hear ‘Hold ooooonnnn’ from the Oasis tune (that she nails in comparison to their version – sorry Noel!), a spotlight from the shadows will reveal a made up, fairytale-esque Leona and the crowd cheers hysterically. Now if that spotlight was moved slightly to the left and up it would reveal a blubbering me standing next to an overwhelmed mum as I just have this feeling I’m going to get really emotional for some reason! (I cried when I got to the Capital Jingle Bell Ball last year as I was late and had missed one of Neyo’s songs! But who can blame me for that?!)

So, after unknowingly the longest post to date, I will now cease my obsessive fan love (is that clapping I hear?) and end with a promise to you that after my London break and fabulous night in the dome, I will be straight back to review for all the first ever Leona Lewis Tour. To say I’m excited just does not cut it.