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There are only two television programs I watch with anything-like regularity these days, and the other one of those is 'Lost' (which I usually forget to watch, and end up watching a month's-worth in one go via Tivo).
But come 6.30pm on a Saturday evening, you'll find me in front of the television, hooked to ITV's "X Factor". I've been a sucker for this type of singing competition, ever since the very first "Pop Stars" that spawned "Hear'Say" and "Liberty X". Which still makes me smile, though I hear Myleene's on TV a lot and Susanne is in panto.
Anyway. I watch. I vote. I couldn't believe it when Maria was voted out a couple of weeks ago. I even watch the 'Xtra Factor' -- which is, for the most part, car-crash television.
So I've become attached to the contestants. Even Chico, who I initially couldn't stand, makes the show a lot more interesting not because he's any good at singing (he's dreadful), but because he's an entertaining bundle of energy. He's got no hope of winning, but a career in Children's TV surely beckons after his exit next week?
And as much as I admire "Journey South" (brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton) -- I think they're not long for the chop either. I've been trying to work out exactly why though. I think it might be because they remind me of Simon Cowell's "Man of the people", Aaron Bayley (from the first Pop Idol competition). But I think it's mostly because I find Andy tends to overblow and strain through his vocal as if he's attempting to deliver a particularly reluctant poo. Carl (the one with the guitar) I actually really like -- he seems a much better singer, a more complete musician, but lacks confidence without his brotherly back-up. A shame, really, but I can't see them getting much further in the competition either unless his brother does a Ridgely.
This week though, saw the exit door shown to the Conway Sisters, voted off the show by their own "mentor" (Cowell). Now, this was the third time in a row they'd appeared in the bottom two, the first time winning out in spectacularly controversial fashion when Maria was booted off (thanks to Louis Walsh). The second time they faced the chop, they did so against a particularly tuneless Nicholas who was, it has to be said, pretty diabolical that night (and had been for a couple of weeks -- he seemed to get worse as the competition progressed), and were shocked to be saved by Sharon Osborne (who'd earlier thrown three glasses of water at Walsh's head for saving the Sisters, rather than Maria, the previous week). Leading, in part to Walsh quitting earlier this week. And then changing his mind and returning for the Saturday show. Ah, it's great pantomime, I just can't wait for Susanne to turn up.... but I digress.
So. The Conway's. I didn't mind their presence in the competition, but let's face it, they'd have to be pretty deluded if they thought they stood a chance of winning. They performed inoffensive and dull songs, plucked straight from the middle of the road. They needed to loosen up, to rock out, to enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, there was never any danger of that actually happening.
But now they're out of the competition I think that, with the right material, they could actually do quite well. They needed time to develop, to gain confidence, to find what they were best at -- and there simply wasn't enough time on the show for them to do that, especially in the glare of the public eye and after having reverted to the 'safe', unchallenging songs of recent weeks. Being thrown out at this stage of the competition by their own mentor allows them to leave with their dignity intact. They could have gone so much further. They could have won.
They were okay, but I'm not sad to see them go.