Susan Boyle smashes record with debut album release
Susan Boyle's debut album breaks records
Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle is riding high after her debut album, I Dreamed A Dream, sold a record breaking 410,000 copies during its first week of sales making her album the biggest selling debut release by a female artist in the UK of all time.
The 48-year-old Scot beat off stiff competition from younger rivals including Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, and Rihanna to clinch the top spot in the UK album charts. Susan also entered the singles chart at number 9 with a cover of the Rolling Stones classic, Wild Horses.
After the colossal number of records sold this week, Susan now also holds the record for the fastest selling album of the year in the UK.
The former church volunteer was catapulted to fame on the TV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent. Her audition tape was seen across the world on Youtube and made her a global star. The Scottish singer has a strong fan base in the US thanks to popularity of her internet clip, and performed to a massive crowd on the final of America’s Got Talent. Her album is also expected to be a smash hit across the pond.
Simon Cowell, a judge on the ITV talent search which discovered Susan, was one of the first to congratulate her on her phenomenally successful album. Cowell said: “I’m incredibly proud of Susan as well as being delighted for her. The success could not have happened to a lovelier person. She did it her way and made a dream come true.”
Simon Cowell hires a fleet of limos to transport guests to his 50th birthday bash
Simon Cowell’s birthday bash certainly didn’t disappoint. The well connected X-Factor judge invited an army of 400 celebrity friends along to Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire, to celebrate his big 50 in style. The star studded event was a tongue-in-cheek ego fest which featured table cloths with Simon’s silhouette, waiters wearing Cowell masks, and inside each toilet cubicle was a framed picture of the birthday boy whilst a DVD of various celebrities speaking in glowing terms about Simon played on a loop in the back ground.
Simon Cowell hires limos for guests at 50th bash
However the music mogul didn’t forget to treat his guests on his big day. A fleet of top of the range limousines complete with suited chauffeurs were hired to transport guests from central London to the luxurious marquee in Hertfordshire. The revelry carried on until the wee small hours with the birthday boy finally calling it a night just before 5am. He was chauffeured home in his favourite vehicle, a black Rolls Royce Phantom.
Amongst the glittering guest list which read like a bumper issue of heat magazine, were several of Simon’s old flames including Terri Seymour, Sinitta and Jackie St Claire. His mother Julie Cowell had pride of place next to her son at the top table whilst fellow X-Factor judge Cheryl Cole, minus husband Ashley, sat on his other side. Other notable celebs who attended included Danni Minogue and Louis Walsh, Katie Price (who arrived late) David Hasslehoff, Gordon Ramsey, Kevin Spacey, Kate Moss and retail billionaire and Top Shop owner Sir Philip Green whose wife, Tina, organised the whole event.
Not surprisingly for someone who made millions out of the music industry, the entertainment was suitably spectacular. Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke performed as well as retro band Earth Wind and Fire plus a tribute Frank Sinatra act. The whole party reportedly set the Cowell back a cool £1 million; let’s hope the straight talking judge who admits to not liking parties much managed to enjoy himself.
The search is on for Britain’s worst car parking space
Nominate your worst car parking space now
While Simon Cowell launches his new search to find the next world-conquering singing superstar, Insurance company Aviva has launched its very own nationwide search; to find the U.K’s worst parking spot. Yes, it may lack the glamour of the X-Factor but the beauty of this competition is, everyone can get involved!
Millions of Britons get behind the wheel everyday and parking issues are one of motorists’ most aggravating bugbears. Bad parking is responsible for thousands of bumps and scrapes afflicting our cars every year. Now drivers have the chance to vent their anger and put themselves in the running to win a driving day at Rockingham in Northamptonshire.
Stuntman Terry Grant has filmed a series of extreme parking video clips to illustrate the point. Grant is highly regarded to be one of Europe’s top stuntmen and is rumoured to be the mystery figure, The Stig, in BBC’s Top Gear. Watch a master at work as he deftly manoeuvres his vehicle in a display of parallel parking that will make your hair stand on end.
So if there’s a particularly pointless parking space which drives you potty, or an impossible spot which sends you into a spin, nominate it now and put yourself straight into the prize draw. Plus you’ll have the satisfaction of naming and shaming your most hated parking space, it’s payback time!
Simon Cowell advises X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke to lay off Twitter
Twitter” width=”215″ height=”300″ />X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke shot to fame last year as she became the winner of the X-Factor 2008 and today she was in London to unveil her brand new single. However the down to earth star revealed in an interview to Chris Moles that her boss, Simon Cowell, doesn’t share her passion for micro blogging site Twitter, and has advised her to lay off it.
The singer from Islington was on the Chris Moyles radio show this morning to hear the first airing of her forthcoming single. The track, entitled Bad Boys, also features guest vocals from U.S rapper Flo Rida. The new single is a definite departure from her debut release which was a cover of Hallelujah. This upbeat floor filler is guaranteed to get fans up and dancing, plus many pundits are tipping it to hit the number one spot.
During the interview on the Radio one breakfast show Alexandra admitted to being “addicted” to Twitter and revealed she even followed the show’s host, Chris Moyles. Other celebs followed by the X-factor winner via the social networking site include Lady GaGa and Tyra Banks. Alexandra puts Simon Cowell’s dislike of Twitter down to the fact that he doesn’t “really get it.”
Maybe Simon, whose record label Syco signed the star, is right to advise a Twitter boycott as the 21 year old revealed she hasn’t finished her album yet. One of the biggest problems in finalising the album is choosing which songs to keep and which to ditch. Alexandra said she pushed Simon to let her have a double sided album but his response was “no way.” The new single is released on October 12th with her debut album to follow, um…sometime.
Simon Cowell calls in authorities after Leona’s new single is leaked
Leona Lewis whose new single has been leaked on the internet
An investigation has been launched by anti-piracy body IFPI after a hotly anticipated single from Leona Lewis’s forthcoming album was leaked over the internet. The yet to be released single was said to feature a collaboration with global superstar, Justin Timberlake. Entitled “Don’t let me down” the track was expected to be the first release from the X-Factor winner’s new album due out this November.
The record industry body is probing computers from Syco, Cowell’s record label, which are believed to have been hacked into. It is thought the leak was caused by an online hacker and not by an employee of the label passing the single on.
Head of anti-piracy at IFPI Jeremy Banks said he and his team were “actively monitoring and removing illegal copies of this track from the internet to minimise the disruption caused by the leak.” Simon Cowell fully intends to take the matter further as this kind of attack can be “highly damaging” for his business and artiste. A spokesperson for his record label said “We will certainly look to bring charges against those who are responsible.”
Leona Lewis isn’t the only X-Factor star to suffer at the hands of the hacker. Only two weeks ago last year’s winner of the hit ITV show, Alexandra Burke, revealed that several unfinished tracks from her debut album had been leaked across the internet.
Fans of the London singer will have to wait patiently till November when her new album is officially revealed. It’s hoped her latest offering will follow in the success of her debut album, Spirit, which was the number one album of 2007.
Madonna and Robbie Williams to appear on X Factor
Last night it was leaked that Madonna and Robbie Williams are planned guests for the X Factor live show this year. Brian Freidman, the shows lead choreographer, let slip that the two superstars were set to mentor contestants and perform live during the final stage of the competition.
X Factor is set to be bigger than ever this year as V-necked Simon Cowell pulls no punches in the fight against rival BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. The rivalry between the two shows in recent years has been one of the strongest on television, with X Factor winning last years battle with a 14 million viewership for its final as opposed to Strictly’s 12.6 million.
It is believed that these big-name stars, in addition to a strong rumour regarding a possible appearance by Whitney Houston and Rihanna, are a response to Strictly’s recent scrapping of their Sunday show. This change brings the BBC show in more direct competition with the ITV show because the extended show will be longer, with a similar duration to its rival.
The X Factor have recently completed filming of its second stage, the bootcamp, and the four judges are currently choosing which of their hopefuls will make it to the third and final live stage. During filming, the X Factor have made use of several of Limo Broker’s vehicles, including the classic Lincoln Towncar and, Simon’s favourite, the 8-wheel Hummer H2. The public will have to wait a while to see these in action because the X Factor starts again on August 22 with Strictly Come Dancing starting later, in early September.
Dannii Minogue reveals she almost quit X Factor
Dannii Minogue
The X Factor Judge Dannii Minogue revealed in an exclusive newspaper interview that she almost quit the hit ITV show after an on-air row left her shaken. Dannii and fellow judge Louis Walsh argued during a live Saturday night show as millions of viewers watched events unfold.
The spat was sparked by a fight over a song; Dannii chose a Take That number for her act Rachel Hylton which Louis had ear marked for his boy band JLS. The bust-up left the 37-year -old singer in tears but was forced to carry on through her emotions and introduce her act to the stage.
Dannii, the sister of pop princess Kylie Minogue, described how the argument bubbled over off set too, putting pay to any rumours suggesting it was a publicity stunt. She said “It was absolutely horrible. I would never want to go through that again or see anyone else through it.”
This wasn’t the first time the judges made the headlines instead of the acts. Sharon Osborne famously threw a glass of water over Louis Walsh after the pair had words. You’d have thought the Irish Judge would have learnt his lesson after receiving a soaking from Mrs Osborne but it seems he just can’t help himself.
Despite her ordeal Dannii is back on the judging panel and looking forward to the new season of the X Factor which is due to hit our screens at the end of this month.
Simon Cowell in search for another X Factor superstar
After rumours about 
Simon Cowell to quit the X Factor last month the music mogul has promised to find another X Factor winner who can achieve success on an international level.
In a recent interview with the ITV website recently, Simon predicted that unique talent will have the best chance of winning the competition this year which returns to ITV1 on August 22.
When Simon Cowell was asked to name the qualities he is looking for, he replied: “The X Factor this year is relevance. You know, you should be able to find somebody who there is a genuine gap in the market for.
“And we’ve proven through this process that you can find someone who’s going to sell records all over the world. So not to make that your benchmark is a huge, huge mistake.”
Other judges like Louis Walsh are looking for other strong points in individuals such as stamina and determination.
He explained: “You have to have everything to do well in The X Factor. It’s hard work for these people.
“They don’t realise how much it’s going to take out of them to go out and do the live show. The live show is very stressful, it’s very draining, it’s a lot of hard work [and] you have to be totally into your craft.”
Although The X Factor is usually a good show this year is set to be something more special.
Posh lands seat on American Idol
It has been confirmed that Victoria Beckham will make a “one off appearance” as a judge on American Idol. The former Spice Girl will join straight-talking Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson on the judging panel. It had been rumoured that the Posh would fill the spot left by long term judge Paula Abdul after she announced her decision to quit this week, however her publicist insisted her role would only be a temporary one.
The 35-year-old mother of three is said to be filming her part in the hit show, which attracts 26 million viewers per episode, this week. The Beckham’s profile in American has soared since their move to L.A in 2007 when David signed to play for L.A Galaxy. The power couple have become regulars on the L.A circuit and are often seen out with Hollywood couple Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.
So if Vic isn’t the new idol judge, who is? Well it’s been announced that former guest judge, the songwriter Kara DioGuardi will return to the U.S’s most successful entertainment show on a permanent basis.
Paula Abdul announced her departure through Twitter, ending weeks of speculation. The 80’s pop star has been a judge on the show for the past 8 years and admitted her decision was made “with sadness in my heart.”
Posh’s presence on the judging panel will certainly add a healthy dose of glamour to the line-up, not to mention some all important publicity.
Simon Cowell preparing to quit the X Factor?
Reports are circulating that Simon Cowell is set to the leave the X Factor. It comes after speculation that the music mogul is in talks with retail Billionaire Sir Phillip Green to set up a new business venture.
Cowell’s publicist Max Clifford commented on the situation and explained that the pair have been “good friends for a long time.” He added fuel to the fire by saying “there’s a good chance they’ll be working together.”
Auditions for this year’s X Factor are already taking place up and down the country with all judges, including Cowell, taking part in the proceedings. The judging panel remains the same as last year with Danni Minogue and Cheryl Cole in the girls corner and Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell completing the picture. There has been a major change in the audition procedure this year. For the very first time, contestants are required to audition in front of a live audience, following in the format of Britain’s Got Talent.
The news of Simon Cowell’s possible departure from the ITV smash hit is not wholly surprising. As far back as last year 49-year-old Cowell was quoted as saying “It looks like I’m only going to be doing it until 2010. I’ve really felt it this year. When you do three shows a year it’s tiring and something’s got to give.”
The Britain’s Got Talent live tour, another of Cowell’s projects, is currently packing out venues across the U.K. Surprise singing sensation Susan Boyle has been an occasional fixture in the line-up having recently spent a short stay at The Priory after suffering from exhaustion. If you’re hoping to catch the show when it comes to your town, why not arrive in style in the back of one of our chauffeur driven limos? We’re offering low cost deals on limousine transport to any Britain’s Got Talent show in the country.
Simon Cowell certainly has the Midas touch when it comes to making money with a raft of lucrative projects already under his belt; this potential partnership with Green may see him break new ground in the world of business. Cowell’s never been one to shrink into the background so whether he leaves or stays at X Factor, we certainly won’t be seeing the back of him.
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