X Factor escort Chloe Mafia 'caught on camera snorting cocaine'

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'Heartbroken' X Factor grandmother taken to court after attacking her husband's new lover

A grandmother who starred in last weekend's X Factor has admitted attacking her husband's new lover outside her home.

Hazel Jackson, 70, pleaded guilty in court to assaulting 48-year-old Susan Taafe and damaging her property.

Speaking after appearing in Trafford Magistrates Court, Mrs Jackson, of Timperley, Greater Manchester, said she was 'ashamed' of her actions.


'Heartbroken': Hazel Jackson pleaded guilty in court to assaulting 48-year-old Susan Taafe and damaging her property



But Mrs Jackson said she was left heartbroken after her husband of 34 years, Ken Jackson, left her for Mrs Taafe, who is 12 years younger than him.

The fight was sparked after Mrs Jackson went to Mrs Taafe's house in Trafford, Greater Manchester, where the couple were living together, on August 24.

She tried to force her way into the house, but Mrs Taafe resisted and the dispute spilled into the front garden, with Mr Jackson, 60, attempting to separate the pair.

Mrs Taafe suffered scratches to her face and arms and claimed that numerous plants and flowers ended up damaged and spread around her garden.

Mrs Jackson was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay �20 compensation in court last week.

Following her sentencing, Mrs Jackson said her entire intention of auditioning on The X Factor, where she performed Tina Turner's Simply The Best, was to win her husband back.

She said: 'He never looked at another woman before this. We were the perfect couple - anybody would tell you that. Everything I did on X Factor was for my love of Ken.'

Mr Jackson and Mrs Taafe declined to comment.

The grandmother-of-three impressed judges with her energetic performance on the show last weekend, but they decided her voice wasn't strong enough to put her through to the boot camp stage of the programme.


'It was all for Ken': Mrs Jackson she took part in X Factor in the hope of winning back her husband

Simon Cowell show generous heart to cancer kid

KIND Simon Cowell is paying to send a cancer-stricken girl on the trip of a lifetime to Disney.

Megan Kershaw, 12, met the X Factor chief as part of a "wishlist" to aid her recovery from one of the world's rarest forms of liver cancer.

Pals had been fundraising the cash to send her to Disney World, Florida.

But Simon, 50, was so impressed by Megan's courage he offered to pay for a luxury flight, hotel and a day swimming with dolphins.

Mum Deborah, 47, of Doncaster, South Yorks, said: "Simon has been so generous. It is a trip of a lifetime."

THE start date of the new X Factor series has been announced - and it kicks off in less than TWO WEEKS.

The seventh series begins on Saturday, August 21 at 8.30pm on ITV1, with the Xtra Factor immediately after on ITV2.

The audition shows feature guest judges Geri Halliwell, Katy Perry and Natalie Imbruglia, who stood in for new mum Dannii Minogue.

Konnie Huq hosts Xtra Factor: Rewind on ITV2 this Saturday, looking back at last year's contestants.

�American Idol� accepts 15 year olds, no word on new judge

�American Idol� producers yesterday lowered the age limit for contestants to 15, but there was still no word on a new judge to replace Simon Cowell as auditions were announced for next month.

Fox television said auditions for season 10 would be held in six US cities, beginning in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 17. Producers of the TV singing contest, whose ratings have slid, said the minimum age this season would be 15 instead of 16.



�A lot of young, talented people are now seeking careers and representation before they turn 16,� said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, executive producer of �American Idol�.

�Lowering the age limit allows us to tap into this talent pool,� she said in a statement.

A month after Cowell bid farewell to �Idol� in the show�s May finale, there has been no word on who will replace him.

But auditions before the panel of judges are not due to start until September, after thousands of wannabe singers in cities around the nation will have been eliminated by producers in the mass July and August try-outs.

The schedule allows more time for producers to name a new judge and have him or her in place by September.

Last year, �Idol� producers enlisted celebrities ranging from country singer Shania Twain to actor Neil Patrick Harris to sit on the judges� panel, after the abrupt departure of Paula Abdul.

Ellen DeGeneres did not take up her new role as a judge until early 2010, when singers who made it past the first auditions performed in Hollywood. That move indicated a similar hiatus is possible this year for Cowell�s replacement.

�American Idol� has been the most-watched TV show in the United States for the past seven years despite a 9 per cent ratings drop in 2010 to an average 23.9 million, from a 2006 high of 30.8 million.

Cowell, 50, left to launch a US version of his British �X-Factor� talent show on Fox in the fall of 2011.

Simon Cowell's ex girlfriend Seymour seeks restraining order against attacker.

Simon Cowell's ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour is seeking a restraining orderagainst the woman who assaulted her outside the American Idol finale last week (19May09).

Janice Thibodeaux claimed the attack was motivated by footage of Cowellpretending to throttle fellow Idol judge Paula Abdul on the show.



Seymour also fears the woman will again assault and further harass
She has since been charged with misdemeanour assault, and now Seymour is asking a court to keep them apart.

In legal documents filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday (27May09) and obtained by Tmz.com, Seymour's lawyers say of the assault "(Thibodeaux) attacked (Seymour) from behind, putting her into a headlock, wrenching her neck and choking her with the full force of her 200 pound frame".

The papers go on to claim Thibodeaux "has sought publicity for her wrongful act and stated to the media that they were intentional and that she does not regret that".

Seymour also fears the woman "will again assault and further harass".

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Simon Cowell reveals depression battle in Oprah

"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell gets personal with Oprah Winfrey, opening up about his engagement to Mezhgan Hussainy, Paula Abdul's departure from the show, and his low points in life. 

Simon Cowell has showed off his softer side, telling Oprah Winfrey he has suffered from depression and admitting he had made "some absolutely horrific mistakes" in the past.

The normally abrasive American Idol judge said during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show that he was prone to dark moods.

"I get very, very down," Cowell said.

"Pretty much depression. (But) what I always say is, 'You're taking yourself too seriously, so stop it'.

"At the same time, you should never put a painted smile on. When you're feeling down, you're feeling down."

Cowell, 50, has his own record label and also created the TV shows America's Got Talent and The X-Factor.



He said he sometimes felt drained by the demands of his work.

"You just become aware that a lot of people depend on you, rely on you, or you're not giving people the time you should be giving them. It's almost like a guilt thing - and that does drain me," he said.

Often seen as arrogant because of his stinging put-downs to aspiring entertainers, Cowell admitted he had a strong ego.

But life has not always been kind, he said.

He recalled the time 20 years ago when he lost his job, car and home and had to move back to live with his parents in Britain when a business deal went wrong.

"I made some absolutely horrific mistakes," he said.

"I believed my own ego, believed my own hype, believed my own abilities and lots of times it came crashing down. I thought I was absolutely untouchable."

Cowell's interview with Winfrey was broadcast a week before the May 26 finale of American Idol, which will mark the end of his eight-year association with the most-watched TV show in the US.


"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell gets personal with Oprah Winfrey, opening up about his engagement to Mezhgan Hussainy, Paula Abdul's departure from the show, and his low points in life.

"I've never been good at relationships," he tells Winfrey. "I never thought I'd be with one person. ... I never genuinely thought anyone would want to live with me."

He explains why he never thought he was the marrying type, saying, "I'm selfish, quite weird and I need time on my own to think, and I work all night." Cowell tells Oprah that he's quite moody and has bouts with depression. "I'm very dark when I'm in those moments. I'm very down. ... Pretty much depression. ... I just get down at times."

This is Cowell's last season on "Idol" and he discloses that he thinks the finale will be "emotional." Reflecting over the seasons past where he sat alongside former judge Abdul, he comments on her decision to leave the program, saying, "I think we had a great team. ... Paula, she's a survivor. She's got great instincts. ... She's going to come back on top."

From brutal to beloved, Simon heads to "Idol" farewell

(Adds quote from "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi, note strong langauge)

He began as "Mr. Nasty," morphed into one of the most beloved (and richest) stars of U.S. pop culture, and ushered in a brutal style of reality TV.

Simon "I don't mean to be rude, but.." Cowell bids farewell to "American Idol" next week, leaving a litany of stinging put-downs, an assortment of black and white T-shirts and big shoes to fill on what began in 2002 as a summer talent contest and became America's most watched TV show.



"Simon's departure is the end of an era on 'Idol.' Everybody knows the show is going to lose something big and irreplaceable when he goes," said Todd Gold, managing editor of Fancast.com.

Cowell's exit as a judge from "American Idol" is more an "au revoir" than an "adieu" for American TV viewers. (He plans to return with his own "X-Factor" show in late 2011).

But the abrasive Briton and his one-liners have established a trend that has been widely imitated on U.S. television.

"We had seen nasty people on TV both in fiction and nonfiction. But we had never seen anything quite like him before," said Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University.

"It was almost when you put a panel together, you had to have certain types and one of those included the Simon character," said Thompson, recalling the arrival on U.S. shores of Brits Piers Morgan ("America's Got Talent") and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay ("Hell's Kitchen"), and Italian choreographer Bruno Tonioli ("Dancing With the Stars").

"Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi said Cowell's British accent was key to his success.

"Somehow everything they (the British) say is, like, lovely and fabulous. Even when they say, 'It was terrible,' it almost sounds nice. It rolls off the tongue well. Whereas if I said, 'That was awful,' it's like, 'Bitch!'," DioGuardi told Reuters at a music industry event this week.

"He gets away with a lot of stuff, and I think that it's because he has conviction. He doesn't look back, he doesn't care what people say, and he's helping these kids," she added.

"GHASTLY" ?

Whether he was rolling his eyes in exasperation, mocking fellow judge Paula Abdul, or introducing Americans to curious British expressions like "ghastly," or "a bit wet," 50-year-old Cowell was a breath of fresh air in the tried-and-true talent show formula, media watchers say.

He quickly became known simply as Simon, inspired a wave of T-shirts with slogans like "Simon Said I Was Good," and made "karaoke" a dreaded epithet.

"Simon dragged us into the reality that not every wannabe singer should be told to follow their dreams...It was a refreshing point of view that needed to be heard on U.S. television," said Entertainment Weekly's Michael Slezak.

Gold said that in previous American TV talent shows, the criticism was either polite, or camouflaged in comedy, Cowell was direct, personal and funny.

What's more, his unscripted, jaw-dropping comments helped revive a tradition of live "anything can happen" entertainment at a time when packaged broadcasting had become the norm.

In a 2003 autobiography, "I Don't Mean to Be Rude, But..." Cowell said he produced his first insult at the age of four. He told his mother bluntly that she looked like a poodle.

By 2009, the man who started out as a talent scout for a British record company, had parlayed his success on "Idol" into a career as a TV producer on both sides of the Atlantic, launched his own record label, Syco, and turned singers Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis and Il Divo into international stars.

He was named by Forbes.com as the top-earning man on prime time U.S. television with an estimated haul of $75 million in 2009, and topped the 2009 Hollywood Reporter list of the 50 most powerful people in reality television.

This ninth season on "Idol" however has seen a milder Cowell, often relying on a menu of stock insults like "cruise ship," or "worst I've ever heard," Idol watchers said.

Audiences have also slipped some 9 percent this year.

"He does seem a little checked out this season. I think he's already dreaming about his new love," said Slezak, referring to Cowell's planned U.S. version of "The X-Factor".

But that doesn't make the job of filling his "Idol" seat next year any easier.

"Replacing Simon Cowell could be good for 'American Idol'", said Thompson, noting the show's age and shrinking audience.

"But it is probably the most difficult casting decision to come along in American television in a long, long time."

American Idol 9 top 9

A Hard Day�s Night - Our contestants took on the Lennon/McCartney songbook. The duo penned 35 #1 songs. More than any other songwriting team in history. The good luck (or please don�t ruin my songs) message from Sir Paul was a nice touch.

It is difficult to fill two hours with performances of 9 contestants. No mentor tonight and much mindless babble. With such a prolific list from which to choose, I had hoped the songs chosen would not have been performed by former Idols. Some yes, some no. And how could such great songs, with few exceptions, be performed so average?

Let�s break it down from the best to the rest.

Click Continue Reading below for more ' American Idol 9 top 9'



American Idol: Season 9 Top 9

Casey James � �Jealous Guy� from the album �Imagine� � only contestant to choose a John Lennon solo song, saw the powerful side of him, his personal best performance by far � Randy said loved acoustic guitar, really impressed, loved that you did this, heartfelt � Ellen said your best performance to date, soulful, beautiful arrangement, moved by it, beautiful � Kara said vulnerability, tasteful, depth, but think you can do more still � Simon said best performance of the night so far, emotional, very impressed tonight.

Crystal Bowersox � �Come Together� from the album �Abbey Road� � consistent, cool changes, couple lyrics lost (Carly Smithson slayed this in Season 7) � Randy said another solid performance, definitely worked, not your best but loved it � Ellen said need new way to tell you how great you are, made it current, loved it � Kara said one of my favorite performances, Bonnie Raitt feel, more accessible � Simon said that�s a performance I could hear on the radio, quirky, terrific, much better than last week.

Katie Stevens � �Let It Be� from the album �Let It Be� � strongest performance from her in competition, changed it up in a good way, nice vocals (Kris Allen owned this in Season 8) � Randy said best performance ever, hot vocal, ridiculous � Ellen said changed it just enough to make it your own without disrespecting it, will not be in the bottom 3 this week � Kara said great vocal, confident, blossoming, never looked and sounded better � Simon said got it right tonight, felt like you were singing it about somebody instead of robotic.

Michael Lynche � �Eleanor Rigby� from the album �Revolver� � vocals spot on, turned it soul, over performs, (David Cook�s first Beatles choice on Season 7) � Randy said I�m not sure it all worked, some great, could be on your album � Ellen said you can do anything, huge risk to change it so drastically, incredible � Kara said fire, vocals amazing, made it commercial today, great job � Simon said didn�t love it, too theatrical, too over the top, confused what kind of artist you want to be

'American Idol' finalist saved from elimination

In this publicity image released by Fox, contestant Michael Lynche performs on the singing competition series, "American Idol," Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in Los Angeles.

Michael "Big Mike" Lynche didn't get the big boot on "American Idol."

The soulful 26-year-old personal trainer and father from Queens, N.Y., was saved Wednesday by the judges on the ninth season of the Fox singing competition. Lynche was praised for his R&B take on "Eleanor Rigby" during Tuesday's performance show featuring tunes from the John Lennon and Paul McCartney songbook, but he still received the fewest viewer votes.

"We have decided we're going to see you next week," Simon Cowell declared.

Click Continue Reading below for more ''American Idol' finalist saved from elimination and news'



The one-time-only power, introduced last season and previously used on piano-playing fifth-placer finisher Matt Giraud, allows the judges to save a contestant from being eliminated � if the panel unanimously agree � up until the round in which the show's top five finalists have been selected.

With Lynche safe this week, that means two contestants will be sent packing next week.

Joining Lynche in the bottom three were 25-year-old musician Andrew Garcia from Moreno, Calif., and 17-year-old high school student Aaron Kelly of Sonestown, Pa.

Garcia and Kelly both received lukewarm receptions to their respective renditions of "Can't Buy Me Love" and "The Long and Winding Road." None of the men had previously been low-vote getters.

"Idol" host Ryan Seacrest teased the "shocking" results before revealing that 24-year-old musician Crystal Bowersox of Toledo, Ohio, 20-year-old glass blower Siobhan Magnus of Marstons Mills, Mass., and 17-year-old high school student Katie Stevens of Middlebury, Conn., were safe from elimination. Stevens had been in the bottom three for the past two weeks.

"I'm always nervous every week, so it doesn't really change," Stevens said.

The other finalists also remaining in the competition are 24-year-old paint sales clerk Lee Dewyze of Mount Prospect, Ill.; 27-year-old musician Casey James of Fort Worth, Texas; and 20-year-old college student Tim Urban of Duncansville, Texas. The singers will be mentored next week by eighth season runner-up Adam Lambert.