PEOPLE ask me why I seem so aggressively anti X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. I have had personal dealings with both programmes and have seen up close how these programmes can destroy talented young people, who believe if they fail on them their careers are over!
I was regularly called by Syco (Cowell’s company) and asked if I had any artists I was working with that could be fast tracked through to the latter stages.
My artists nearly always declined. They were busy writing, learning, gigging and working hard.
My problem is that kids think it’s a fast track way to fame, instead of learning their craft properly. They think the only way to make it is with Cowell’s approval.
Syco asked me about a brilliant young band I was working with. They wanted a quality music act. The boys in the band said they would do it. They were fast tracked through to the TV stage. No queuing!
After a 9.30am sound check they were kept in a big room with all the other dreamers until finally getting on stage at 10.45pm.
They play the first few chords and five seconds in Amanda Holden presses the button. The band were devastated, I asked them, what does Amanda Holden know about music?
