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The X Factor creator and judge Simon Cowell confirmed that the singing competition show will return to the United States after a ten-year hiatus. The series originated in the United Kingdom in 2004, and has had many versions around the globe. The X Factor premiered in America in 2011 where it aired for three seasons. The American version featured winners Melanie Amaro (season 1), Tate Stevens (season 2), and duo Alex & Sierra (season 3), but the most successful act created by the show was Fifth Harmony, who placed third in season 2. The contestants were split into groups based on categories such as Boys, Girls, Over 25's, Groups, and others, who were guided by mentors. The mentors for the United States version of The X Factor throughout the three seasons were Simon, L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, and Paulina Rubio.

In an interview with The U.S. Sun, Simon...

Welcome, friends, to HitFix's MTV Video Music Awards 2014 live-blog.  Earlier today I was watching Fxx's Every Simpsons Ever Marathon and it was the "Homerpalooza" episode, which begins with Homer lamenting that he's no longer hip to the contemporary music scene.  Marge tells him not to worry. "Record stores have always seemed crazy to me," she declares. "Music is none of my business." Well, music is none of my business. Artists who aren't "American Idol" veterans or who haven't appeared on "American Idol" are none of my business. Actually, I take that back. I also know people who were on "X Factor," which is why I know who Fifth Harmony and Demi Lovato are.  But with HitFix's actual qualified music staffers doing breakout stories and reviews of performances, I get to do a live-blog even though I know who none of these people are. Follow along and make fun of my musical ignorance.

The X Factor, you are truly a complicated beast.

One minute, you’re moving us to tears with your interviews of contestants’ families — complete with emotional moms and dads, ovulation-inducing baby pics and tales of overcoming The Obstacles with hard work and genuine talent.

Ten seconds later, you’re like an inappropriate party guest who knocks over the punch bowl, playing an extended montage suggesting Demi Lovato — sober now, after spending time in a rehab facility for physical and emotional issues just a few years back — openly defies Simon Cowell thanks to her penchant for drinking a bubbly green beverage...

Yes, I know that Alex and Sierra are fan-favorites, but come on — who could really create a hit record? Think about the radio for a moment, and it’s Jeff who can be a hit maker!

If there was any contestant who delivered big-time with their X Factor finale performances Dec. 18, it was Jeff Gutt. The Detroit-born 37-year-old with the sexy, raspy voice was a rock star with every note.

Jeff Gutt Should Win Over Alex & Sierra On ‘The X Factor’

While Alex & Sierra are cute and delivered a pretty rendition of “Say Something,” they totally wimped out on both their duet of “Bleeding Love” with Leona Lewis and their delicate rendition of “Give Me Love”.

Hey, I know it’s heartwarming to see them look adoringly into each other’s eyes, but honestly, when was the last time that a sugary, folksy duo ever had a hit record? I’m sorry,...

We're in the home stretch: The X Factor crowns a winner tonight. "I think this is going to be one of the closest finals we've ever had, and we've seen a few upsets over the weeks," Simon Cowell said, as if warning viewers that something was amiss.

Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage of 'The X Factor'

And indeed it was: After weeks of stellar performances, presumed frontrunners Alex and Sierra faltered ever so slightly at a time when it's crucial for them to be spot-on. Jeff Gutt had the spotlight on him all night.

From the opening seconds of The X Factor‘s Season 3 performance finale, you knew it was going to contain more hot air than a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float.

Alex & Sierra hovered above Los Angeles in a helicopter, like contestants on The Bachelor (albeit ones with an actual talent beyond dramatically declaring “He/She isn’t here for the right reasons!”). Jeff Gutt mounted a motorcycle on a mountaintop, put on his helmet and zoomed into the sunset. Carlito Olvrrrrr (Paulina’s pronunciation, not mine) strutted out of a chic hotel and into the back of a limo.

Season 1 winner Melanie Amaro,...

Thanksgiving is nigh, and the forecast calls for excessive gluttony and three-to-four inches of pie on Thursday afternoon. But that didn’t stop Simon Cowell and his X Factor minions from attempting to cram their barely concealed agendas down America’s gullets during Wednesday night’s Top 8 performance telecast.

Photos | What TVLine Is Thankful For: Juliette Barnes, Hot Sex, Black Magic, a Community Encore and More

Yes indeed, Big Band Night brought out the best in two or three contestants, but bizarrely, they weren’t the ones to receive the most enthusiastic praise from The One Whose Reaction Shots Are Oh So Gif-Worthy,...

Turns out Paulina Rubio’s string of verbal gaffes weren’t the biggest disasters on Wednesday night’s installment of The X Factor.

Related | The X Factor Top 13 Performance Recap: Motown Operandi

As the result of a graphics error (incorrect voting numbers were displayed onscreen) during the performance recap at the end of Wednesday’s show, each of the Top 13 acts will break out their “Save Me” songs on tonight’s episode (airing at 8/7c on Fox), which will now be a second performance installment instead of a results show. Wednesday night’s vote tallies, meanwhile, will go the way...

Warning: We're about to run down the biggest TV moments from Wednesday night. If you don't want to be spoiled on a particular show, skip to the next! The X Factor: Curveball alert! The Fox reality singing competition pulled a fast one on fans, bringing recently eliminated contestant Josh Levi back as a wild card after Paulina Rubio realized she made a mistake cutting him. (How very Simon Cowell with eventual winner Melanie Amaro in season one!) He sang Jackson 5's "Who Loving You" and the judges were clearly loving Josh, as Simon gushes he went from "zero to hero" and Demi Lovato says bringing Josh back is "the smartest thing Paulina...

The X Factor returned Wednesday night for season 3, with 6.2 million viewers tuning in to see not only a new crop of talent trying out to succeed Melanie Amaro and Tate Stevens, but also the introduction of two new judges to the panel. Joining Simon Cowell and Demi Lovato are Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland and Latin pop star Paulina Rubio, who pronounces pitchy as peachy, which is hilarious. I can't wait to see what other things she says that Simon can't understand.

So far, the two newbies have already proven they're better than Britney Spears, though there's still many weeks to go -- the live shows are where you can really tell who has what it takes to be a judge.

A special worldwide edition of The X Factor will air in Indonesia with Louis Walsh, Daniel Bedingfield and Paula Abdul serving as judges.

X Factor Around the World is planned by FremantleMedia Asia as a one-off celebration rather than a competition. It marks the success of the first season in the country, which finished in May.

Last year's X Factor runner-up Jahmene Douglas, the winner of the Us edition's first season Melanie Amaro and X Factor Australia season four winner Samantha Jade and finalists The Collective will perform on the show.

Syco and FremantleMedia executives will monitor the performance of the X Factor special to see if the concept could translate to other markets.

Indonesian judges Anggun and Ahmed Dahni will offer advice to the guest acts alongside UK judge Walsh, New Zealand judge Bedingfield and former Us judge Abdul.

Bedingfield and Anggun will also take to the stage during...

Sydney – FremantleMedia Asia is putting together a one-off live special, X Factor Around the World, to air in Indonesia, featuring a panel of judges and former X Factor contestants from the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. Paula Abdul, Louis Walsh, Daniel Bedingfield and Indonesian judges Anggun and Ahmed Dahni will sit at the judging table to offer advice to guest acts including season 1 U.S winner, Melanie Amaro, the runner up of X Factor U.K season 9, Jahmene Douglas, X Factor Australia season 4 winner Samantha Jade and Aussie boy group, The Collective. Judges Bedingfield

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Things we learned on Night One of The Voice‘s Season 4 Live Playoffs:

Shakira is nothing more than “a little ant in the infinity of the universe.” (Her words, not mine.) Usher has either very dubious taste in music or a very sneaky strategy of saddling his two least-favorite team members with a pair of the most overplayed ditties in the history of reality singing competitions. There may have been something stronger than coffee in Blake Shelton’s Starbucks cup. And Christina Milian never fails to disappoint in a live interview scenario. (Her dingbattery is so reliable at this point...

The Eagles are not fans of singing competition shows, specifically "American Idol" and "The X Factor."

"The nature of these shows is such is that they make everybody want to be big and big for the camera and big for the audience and you know, for myself I would just as soon somebody just stood there and sing the damn song," band member Glenn Frey told The Hollywood Reporter.

"Yeah, they've turned it into 'Glee,'" Don Henley added, referencing Ryan Murphy's musical dramedy on Fox.

Multiple "Idol" contestants have covered the Eagles' songs, including Season 1 runner-up Justin Guarini, who performed "Desperado." "The X Factor" Season 1 winner Melanie Amaro also performed "Desperado" during her time on the show.

And we'd venture to bet the Eagles wouldn't be fans of legendary "American Idol" reject William Hung's cover of "Hotel California."

For more from the Eagles, including their feelings on Frank Ocean,...

Tate Stevens is no Melanie Amaro. Sure, the 38-year-old country crooner may have followed in Amaro's X Factor USA-winning footsteps, but when it came down to writing and recording his debut album, Stevens wasted no time. "We had to jump on the momentum of the show," the Belton, Mo., native tells The Hollywood Reporter. "I didn't want people forgetting -- you know, 'that's the fat ugly guy who won that show,'" he adds with a chuckle. Photos: 'The X Factor' Finale in Pictures: A Country King, a Teen Diva and a Girl Group Modesty looks good

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More than 14 months after winning a $5 million recording contract with Epic Records, and as The X Factor prepares for season-three auditions, the show’s inaugural winner, Melanie Amaro, is still album-less. Truly, the 20-year-old singer’s anticipated debut, once was due to be out within months of her December 2011 X Factor win, then was pushed back to late 2012, then March 2013, and now, the label tells The Hollywood Reporter, the album has "no release date scheduled as of yet." Photos: 'X Factor' Season One Finale: The High and Low Notes Meanwhile, season-two

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Here's the complete list of winners; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:

44th Annual NAACP Image Awards

Motion Picture

Motion Picture

.Beasts of the Southern Wild. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

.Django Unchained. (The Weinstein Company)

.Flight. (Paramount Pictures)

.Red Tails. (Lucasfilm) . Winner

.Tyler Perry.s Good Deeds. (Lionsgate)

Actor in a Motion Picture

Denzel Washington . .Flight. (Paramount Pictures) . Winner

Jamie Foxx . .Django Unchained. (The Weinstein Company)

Morgan Freeman . .The Magic of Belle Isle. (Magnolia Pictures)

Suraj Sharma . .Life of Pi. (20th Century Fox)

Tyler Perry . .Alex Cross. (Summit Entertainment)

Actress in a Motion Picture

Emayatzy Corinealdi . .Middle of Nowhere. (Aafrm)

Halle Berry . .Cloud Atlas. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Loretta Devine . .In The Hive. (Eone Entertainment)

Quvenzhané Wallis . .Beasts of the Southern Wild. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Viola Davis . .Won.t Back Down. (20th Century Fox) - Winner

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

David Oyelowo . .Middle of Nowhere. (Affrm)

Don Cheadle...

Tate Stevens, the winner of “The X Factor’s” second season, has signed with Syco Music/RCA Records Nashville. The country singer, whose musical heroes are George Strait and Garth Brooks, is writing and recording material for his debut album, which will come out this spring. He began working on the album earlier this month. Stevens was a member of L.A. Reid’s Over 25s team. Melanie Amaro, the winner of the first season of “The X Factor,” is also expected to release her debut album, “Truly,” this spring. The is signed to Reid’s label, Epic Records.

This story first appeared in the Jan. 11, 2013, issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Melanie Amaro, X Factor winner Simon Cowell's mentee was his show's inaugural champ. Following her win, Amaro was featured in a Pepsi commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. She's working on her debut album for Epic Records, Truly, slated for a 2013 release. Cassadee Pope, Voice winner "She's destined to be a star," Voice coach Blake Shelton tells THR of the 23-year-old season-three winner, who had the gravitas to perform his wife Miranda Lambert's song "Over You." Next up: her first

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A source tells HollywoodLife.com Exclusively why Tate Stevens is the first ‘X Factor’ winner to perform on New Year’s Eve Live! Read on for All the details!

It’s been less than two weeks since Tate Stevens was crowned The X Factor winner and already his career is on the rise! The 37-year-old country singer is performing on New Year’S Eve Live! and HollywoodLife.com has All the Exclusive details on why he was chosen to kick off 2013!

Even though the show just finished its second season, there’s a reason why Tate is performing tonight, Dec. 31, and last year’s winner, Melanie Amaro, didn’t.

“Melanie wanted to go home and be with her family after the show and do the holiday thing,” a source tells us Exclusively. “Tate is 37-years-old and his dreams are coming true, so he wants to do everything to get the...

A whole lotta nothin' happened during the two-hour X Factor finale. Oh, except Tate Stevens was crowned the winner. But that was about as exciting as waiting for the Sunday newspaper to be delivered to your door.

While Wednesday night's final performances gave us pause when Fifth Harmony delivered the strongest songs of the night, there was clearly no contest going into the Season Two coronation.

'X Factor': Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage

Although Simon Cowell and the show producers tried as hard as they could to drum up some drama,...

You can’t believe everything you hear on television, or so our mothers told us. But tonight’s X Factor Season 2 performance finale drove home that message loudly, grinningly and cacophonously.

Lest you think I’m exaggerating, let me present a selection of the bald-faced lies that dropped during the course of a strange, though not entirely un-entertaining two-hour telecast:

* “That was one of the most fun moments I’ve had on this stage: It was just amazing. I had a blast.” –Carly Rose Sonencla to LeAnn Rimes, following their cataclysmic duet

* “I remember the first time I saw you on stage.

The judges certainly don’t! Their collective uttah indifference throughout season 2 — save for the occasional scripted standing O, shown above — has made it damn near impossible for me to feel that strongly about which of three talented but not awe-inspiring contestants should win. I tried to give The X Factor the benefit of the doubt this season. But if the judges can’t even remember these people’s names, why should viewers?

Update: Annie’s recap of the finals is live.

I wanted to like The X Factor more. I was set to really embrace its exaggerated pomp, delight in Britney Spears’ stankfaces,...

The Top 3 X Factor acts — Fifth Harmony, Tate Stevens, and Carly Rose Sonenclar — will duet with celeb musicians during Wednesday’s season 2 finale on Fox. Nashville-based country act Little Big Town will join Stevens — apparently, Garth Brooks was busy, but this seems like a good matchup. LeAnn Rimes will sing with Sonenclar, an interesting choice since the 13-year-old generally prefers big diva ballads and has yet to go country. Demi Lovato, the only X Factor judge with no act in the Final 3, will join teen queens Fifth Harmony. The girl group earned some of their best raves after performing “Give...

The X Factor USA draws to a conclusion next week, and three acts will sing live for America's votes one last time as they bid to win a $$5 million (£3.1 million) recording contract and the chance to be showcased in a commercial which will air during the Grammys telecast in February. Who's your tip to follow in the footsteps of season one champion Melanie Amaro? Are you backing Britney Spears's big-voiced teenage popstar Carly Rose Sonenclar? Do you think Simon Cowell - who mentored Amaro to victory last December - will strike lucky (more)...

New York — L.A. Reid will soon be an ex-judge on "The X Factor."

The veteran music executive is not returning to the Fox singing competition series next season, a representative for Epic Records said Thursday. Reid is currently the chairman and CEO of Epic, a division of Sony Entertainment.

Reid joined the American version of the show last year along with creator Simon Cowell. This season also boasts Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges. Its finale is next week.

Last year Reid left his job as chairman and CEO of Island Def Jam Music Group, where he helped launch careers for acts like Rihanna and Justin Bieber. At Epic, his roster includes Sade, Fiona Apple, Karmin, Ciara and "X Factor" season one winner Melanie Amaro.

New York (AP) -- L.A. Reid will soon be an ex-judge on "The X Factor."The veteran music executive is not returning to the Fox singing competition series next season, a representative for Epic Records said Thursday. Reid is currently the chairman and CEO of Epic, a division of Sony Entertainment.Reid joined the American version of the show last year along with creator Simon Cowell. This season also boasts Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as judges. Its finale is next week.Last year Reid left his job as chairman and CEO of Island Def Jam Music Group, where he helped launch careers for acts like Rihanna and Justin Bieber. At Epic, his roster includes Sade, Fiona Apple, Karmin, Ciara and "X Factor" season one winner Melanie Amaro. Read more...

The NAACP Image Awards have announced the nominees for their 44th annual awards show during a live press conference from the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids), Niecy Nash (The Soul Man), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Garcelle Beauvais (Flight), Tyler James Williams (Go On), and Zendaya (Shake It Up!) announced the categories and nominees.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 Et live/Pt tape-delayed) on NBC.

Following is the list of categories and nominees for the 44Th NAACP Image Awards:

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series

"Glee" (Fox)

"Modern Family" (ABC)

"The Game" (Bet)

"The Mindy Project" (Fox)

"The Soul Man" (TV...

Melanie Amaro has revealed that her debut album has taken so long to record because she is striving for "perfection". The X Factor USA winner is due to release Truly in early 2013, having worked with producers including Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins and 'Tricky' Stewart. "It's definitely a perfection thing. We want to put out the best for my fans, for everyone, so we're taking our time on it," Amaro told MTV. "I know [the album] is taking extra time. I guess Epic wants a little bit more from me, they want me to do my very best. It's good to know they're taking time because they want perfection. I'm looking forward to it. "Epic definitely threw some good (more)...

Well, you can't say CeCe Frey went down without a fight.

After ducking and weaving through round after round of eliminations, the polarizing diva was finally Ko'd from The X Factor. In a show of solidarity, mentor Demi Lovato wore matching leopard spots on her face – a sign she clearly knew in advance that her last contestant was in trouble.

'X Factor': Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage

After a graceful and sincere thank you from CeCe, a choked up Demi found herself out of the competition as the first...

On Thursday night two more acts left The X Factor stage, leaving just four to battle it out in next week's Semifinals.  Who moved on?  And who is heading home?

After a lot of recapping of what happened Wednesday night, and a performance from last season's winner Melanie Amaro, it was time to say goodbye to one contestant...

The act that got the boot right away was...CeCe Frey!

It was then time to see who made it through to the Semifinals.  Who is in?

Emblem3!

Carly Rose Sonenclar!

Tate Stevens!

That meant that Diamond White and Fifth Harmony had go to the Sing Off to see who would make it through.

They literally talked to Diamond White and Fifth Harmony, asking basically the same exact questions, right before a commercial break And then right after the break.  They're ridiculous.

Fifth Harmony: This would have been my favorite performance by...

Find out who went home in the not-so-shocking double elimination, and who made it to the semi-finals next week! The Dec. 6 episode of The X Factor kicked off with a performance from last year's winner Melanie Amaro, in an attempt to become relevant again. CeCe Frey was then quickly eliminated, which surprised... well, no one. Sorry, but it was definitely time for her and her leopard paint to be sent packing. As for the bottom two acts, that wasn't very surprising either. Although 13-year-old Diamond White is super talented, she sang a shaky, whiny version of "I Hope You Dance." Meanwhile, the girls of Fifth Harmony had their best performance to date with Mariah Carey's "Anytime You Need A Friend." Even as a fan of them, I was blown away by their harmonies. (Yes L.A. Reid, there were harmonies!) In the end, the judges, aside from mentor Britney Spears,...

In advance next week's semi-finals, "The X Factor" eliminated another two contestants from the Top 6 on Thursday (Dec. 6).

While we did have to wait for results until after last year's winner, Melanie Amaro, serenaded the audience, eliminations could only be put off for so long. The first elimination came for CeCe Frey, Demi Lovato's last contestant -- the judge paid homage to her chosen singer by sporting some of CeCe's signature leopard-spot tattoos.

The three acts put safely through to the semi-finals were Emblem3, Carly Rose Sonnenclar and Tate Stevens. Diamond White and girl-group Fifth Harmony battled it out in the bottom two.

A performance by Kesha (with her backup cat dancers) of "Come On" preceded the singing for survival.

Fifth Harmony took the stage first, harmonizing beautifully through "Anytime You Need a Friend." Diamond White followed up with an echo-filled "I Hope You Dance."

Simon Cowell picked his group,...

It’s never a good sign when the host of a reality competition series kicks off an episode by promising an “agonizing” hour ahead, but hey, Mario Lopez just reads what’s on the teleprompter, okay? If some X Factor production assistant tells him to promise a performance by “the sensational Ke$ha,” then don’t expect him to improvise a more accurate adjective. (Although, while we’re on the subject, “tragic,” “Auto-tuned,” “terrifying” or “possibly unshowered” would’ve been outstanding substitutes.)

But hey…let’s not come down too hard on Mario and Khloe (couple name: KarPezDiem): We...

X Factor 2012 eliminated Diamond White & CeCe Frey tonight from the final 6. Tonight's elimination show kicked off with the usual recap of the performances of the previous night. Then last year's winner ,Melanie Amaro, hit the stage to perform a song. Then after a break, they showed "behind the scenes" footage with the contestants before bringing out all the judges and their teams to the stage. Then they revealed that CeCe Frey was indeed the one who got the least amount of votes this week,so she had to immediately get to steppin. It also meant that Demi's team was completely wiped out of the competition at this point. After a break, they revealed that Emblem 3,Carly Rose Sonenclar,and Tate Stevens were all safe this week,leaving Diamond White and Fifth Harmony to sing for survival. Then pop starlet Ke$ha hit the stage to sing her new song called,...

We're getting closer to the end on "The X Factor." Tonight? We eliminate two more singers and cut down to what the show is calling The Semifinals.  We'll also enjoy performances by Melanie Amaro and Ke$ha. Or we'll try to enjoy them.  Click through for the full results live-blog! 8:06 p.m. Et. Zzzzzz. What? The recap of last night's show is over? Whew! 8:09 p.m. Melanie Amaro time. This is a pretty generic song. And Melanie has, herself, been rendered basically generic. I'm not longer sure if she was distinctive last season or if we dreamt that she was notable. 8:10...

Fox has prepared another mind-boggling live results show for us! Tonight on The X Factor, two more contestants will be saying their tearful goodbyes. Tensions are running high as judges La Reid and Demi Lovato are each left with only one act a piece. Let's hope that Britney Spears lent Demi a few of her "mind relaxers" after last night's obnoxious comments!

Before the hour is up, we'll have two guest performances. Crazed party girl Ke$ha will slip and slide along the X Factor stage as well as last year's winner, Melanie Amaro. So while observing all the "fluff" before the results, make your own predictions on who you believe will be leaving the competition!

Few artists on The Voice have worked the stage as hard — or as thoroughly — as Dez Duron. “I’m an entertainer, man. My favorite thing is to sing live. The music just kind of flows through me, and I can’t help but move,” says the Season 3 Top 8 finisher. “I thrive off of the audience response. I thrive off the beat. When you see me moving around, it’s just an outward expression of what I’m feeling inwardly.”

Of course, as Duron explains it, “entertaining all of the audience’s senses” ups the degree of difficulty as far as staying on pitch,...

Ke$$ha and Melanie Amaro are to perform on next week's X Factor USA live show. Amaro will be returning to The X Factor a year after winning the show's first season to promote her upcoming debut studio album Truly. Ke$$ha is slated to perform her latest hit 'C'Mon', which features on her sophomore LP Warrior. X Factor hosts Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez will also announce which act has been cut following next Wednesday's 'Your Song Choice' (more)...

Thanks for nothing, X Factor. After an enjoyable day of stuffing our belly alongside family and friends, we came home to a total bummer of a double elimination on Thanksgiving night.

While Arin Ray's 10th-place departure from the show was expected – he's been circling the drain for a while – it was the tearful ouster of cutesy pie Beatrice Miller that made us wish we hadn't turned on the TV. (Adding insult to injury was that Paige Thomas got off scott free, somehow avoiding the bottom three despite a poor...

“This may be the best episode of The Voice we’ve ever had,” Blake Shelton said tonight, in that homespun drawl of his that never seems anything less than genuine. And try as I might, I’m not sure I can find a way to disagree with him.

Sure, I could poke fun at the show’s enthusiastic-to-the-point-of-frenzied audience. (Is everyone in the studio required to pound a can of Red Bull, or maybe Red! Hyena!, in between every performance?). Or I could mock the crazy hyperbole of the “gold stars for everyone!” coaches. (Did Cee Lo really tell Nicholas...

It’s a double elimination tonight, folks! That means not one but two acts will be banished from Pepsi Stadium and sent back to their humdrum lives never to be heard from again. Speaking of which, who won the X Factor season that One Direction came out of? If I ask you to name the winner of Jennifer Hudson’s American Idol season, how long does it honestly take you to come up with “Fantasia Barrino?” Is Melanie Amaro in the Federal Witness Protection Program? No real reason, just asking.The show begins with Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian in slow motion. They read their lines with such deliberate pacing that I actually briefly think my television is playing at the wrong speed. But that’s not a thing, so this must just be a session of Remedial Hosting 101 for Khloe. Mario reveals that tonight is “intense,” which means it...

We are two weeks into the live shows for The X Factor. I was a little behind because of Hurricane Sandy, but thanks to my DVR I was able to see the 16 finalists perform before this week's Wednesday episode. I'll be the first to admit that even though the show's second season has received an underwhelming reception so far, I have made it a point to watch -- although at times I found myself wondering why. Despite the cute and spunky Demi Lovato, and Britney Spears' animated and highly entertaining facial expressions at the judge's table, the audition episodes seemed poorly edited and chaotic, as they bounced back and forth to footage of the same cities week after week. I was hoping that things would be fine-tuned by the time the first go round of live performances aired last week. The show had all the elements for great TV -- slick production value,...

Welcome back, Diamond White. You're the next American Idol! Oops, wait, wrong show. Our bad. But maybe you have the X Factor? It's possible. Being offered a chance at redemption worked for last season's winner Melanie Amaro.

Yes, 13-year-old Diamond has returned to Britney Spears' Teens team after the judges realized they screwed up by tossing so many good contestants last episode. But while we're happy they attempted to right the wrongs, they didn't get it quite right. They really should have brought back David Correy, or at least...

Just last week it looked like the end of the road for 13-year-old Diamond White on "The X Factor."

She was eliminated from the competition when Britney Spears pitted White against Arin Ray in a singoff and ultimately opted to keep Ray.

At the time, Simon Cowell said that he thought losing White was a mistake. And tonight he proved he meant it by announcing that the judges made a unanimous decision to invite White back and expand the Top 12 to a Top 13.

After the performance show, White told us she only discovered the good news two days ago. She was filming what she thought was a "wrap interview" with "X Factor" crew and received a cell phone call from Spears. White said she never expected it: "Everyone on the crew did a really good job hiding it, they were all so serious!"

There wasn't much time to pick a song,...

[Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen Wednesday's episode.] Mere moments into Wednesday night's X Factor, Simon Cowell admitted that once more, the show made an error with one of its contestants. Photos: 'X Factor' Season 2: Meet the Contestants "We believe we made a mistake with one act," said Cowell, bringing back memories of last year's early elimination of eventual winner Melanie Amaro. With that, hosts Khloe Kardashian and Mario Lopez made the big reveal: Perky teen Diamond White returned to the X Factor stage as the mysterious 13th contestant with a performance of Whitney Houston's "I Have

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Pepsi is upping the stakes of its historic prize package for The X Factor by offering the season two winner another $5 million record deal (this time with Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment on Sony) as well as the chance to develop, create and produce their first original track and film the accompanying music video. The Pepsi-backed video will debut during the 2013 Grammy Awards, set to air Feb. 10 on CBS. The 2011 prize package resulted in season one winner Melanie Amaro starring in Pepsi's 2012 Super Bowl commercial, a spot that generated buzz for its Elton John and

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The X Factor starts its live shows tonight, and frankly, I can’t wait.

Season 2 of Simon Cowell’s U.K.-import competition show is loaded with talent that’s far more compelling than season 1 (sorry, Melanie Amaro –no, really, I’m sorry you had to be in this video). This season’s crop of contestants — shockingly, I’m finding myself rooting for Lylas — have the potential to create viable vocal moments on stage.

So I’m hoping that the live shows, which will be hosted by Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian, showcase that talent more effectively than the early...

Melanie Amaro has unveiled the music video for her debut single 'Don't Fail Me Now'. Amaro is the season one winner of The X Factor USA, and her debut single has been featured on the show's season two promo. "I've walked the longest road / So don't fail me now, feet don't fail me now / I've never got this close / So don't fail me now, feet don't fail (more)...

The X Factor announced its Top 21 this week, put us through some incredibly fake drama before revealing the true Top 24, continued with more faux anger when L.A. Reid was given the Over 25s... and finally concluded with some singing on Wednesday!

This year's categories are different from last season. We have the Young Adults (roughly 18-24), the Over 25s (what I will affectionately refer to as the Old Geezers from here on out), the Groups, and the Teens (17 and under).

Who made it through? Who got the cut?

Young Adults

Cece Frey

Willie Jones

Jennel Garcia

Nick Youngerman - Who?

Paige Thomas

Jillian Jensen - She broke Demi's heart.

Old Geezers

Jason Brock

Daryl Black

David Correy

Tara Simon

Tate Stevens

Vino Alan

Hold the phone! I was questioning the idea of Tate Stevens making the Top 24 Before I knew Jeffrey Gutt was out. How is it possible that that dude didn't make it?...