It’s been the subject of Chinese whispers among fans of pop culture for months, but the words finally out, Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora are to become the new golden children of Psycho Productions. The duo will be parking their rear-ends in the coveted X Factor panel seats alongside returning judges Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Simon Cowell for the shows upcoming twelfth series.
Can we all now raise a glass to Louis Walsh, the man who’s not only out of a job, but predicted Grimshaw’s addition to the 2015 line-up; having had a dry spell since he won back in 2002 with Shayne Ward, the man really did deserve to win something.
Although no surprise, I admit I was left feeling a little dejected following the announcement. Having previously been a fan of The Voice for a number of series before Ora’s arrival, primarily due to it’s unwavering approach to putting talent ahead of sob-stories – I still find the process of team selection to be an utterly flawed concept, but that’s another matter entirely – last season came as somewhat of a let down when we bid farewell to Kylie, and hello to Who’s-She?
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| The internets reaction has been far from positive |
I’ve always found Rita Ora to be a Marmite sort of character, much like Nick Grimshaw, you either love her or loathe her. Rumours regarding promiscuity correlating with her sudden rise to fame aside, I’ve never seen Ora as an artist with the likeability factor, something so key in today’s cut-throat music industry. Upon joining The Voice UK, it felt as if an enormous ego had entered the room, an ego that is seemingly unjustified taking into account the ‘singer’ has only ever released one studio album. At what point does being a twenty-four-year-old with one album to your name entitle you to dish out life-changing career advice to others under the guise of ‘an authoritative judging figure with industry experience’?
In recent years it appears that Ora has attempted to pursue every possible career path other than music itself, from endorsement campaigns with Adidas, Rimmel and Cavalli, to featuring in Fifty Shades Of Grey and Fast & Furious 6. I applaud her tenacity; she’s a girl that takes advantage of every opportunity fame throws her way, primarily as a result of being thrust into the limelight by Jay-Z and his label Roc Nation.
I’m starting to get the feeling she may have applied for the wrong show and the ‘yes’ people in camp Ora couldn’t bare to break the news to her that it’s a singing competition and not Britain’s Next Top Model.
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| The judges took to instagram following the announcement |
You see, Nick Grimshaw falls into a somewhat similar category to Rita Ora. He may have taken over the prime-time slot on one of Britains biggest radio stations and have a fan base consisting of millions of tweens, but Grimmy certainly isn’t pulling in the listeners. Recent audience figures released by RAJAR – radio’s research analysts – show the Radio 1 DJ has lost almost a million listeners since taking over the breakfast show slot from Chris Moyles just over a year ago. The figures have been defended by Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper, who says the dip in figures is strategic and that over 30s account for 90% of the total audience loss – in other words, cutting down on an ageing individuals that fall outside the stations target listenership.
Statistics aside, Grimshaw is perfectly well suited to life behind the mic, playing up to his role as the big kid of radio and hanging out with his showbiz pals, but taking his seat on a prime-time television show is another matter entirely.
I think there are far worse options out there than Grimshaw, but equally there are numerous better alternatives. He’s a funny man, but there are only so many overtly-witty anecdotes that one can take before wanting to throw an iron at the television. He’s a presenter first and foremost, did no one think of popping him up on the stage in place of Dermot?
It’s clear that the new line-up is a desperate bid by Simon Cowell to remain relevant in an ever-changing market – viewing figures for last years X Factor hit a 10-year low – but employing a pop-star that hasn’t illustrated her staying power, alongside a DJ with a great sense of humour but flagging audience figures nonetheless, might just be the final nail in the coffin for the British singing contest. Sure he may be attempting to appeal to a younger demographic, but I can think of countless individuals who are far better examples of contemporary longevity and far more deserving of those illusive panel slots than Ora and Grimmy.
On that note, has anyone thought of upgrading Simon Cowell to a new and improved model? No? Hmm. I thought as much.
