SHARON Osbourne walked off and called it a pantomime.
But Mrs O has already said she’ll be back for the latest edition of The X Factor.
Choreographer and creative director Brian Friedman is under fire after last week’s over-produced first live studio final.
Sharon was right when she described it as “a bloody circus”.
Even so, some acts emerged with good comments from the judges.
That included girl band Hope – and Our Gracie.
I had another chat with Raquelle Gracie yesterday, just ahead of the first dress rehearsal for this Saturday’s show.
Author: ianwylie
A million love songs later, Take That have a starring role in Coronation Street.
Sadly, we don’t get to see the boys in person.
But they do play a crucial part at the start of Corrie’s hour-long wedding special next Wednesday.
You can tell it’s a special because it opens with a sweeping shot to the soundtrack of Take That.
What You Believe In – taken from their 2006 Beautiful World CD – is the song in question.
As the camera swoops down, we see devil boy David (Jack P Shepherd) contemplating life on the morning of his sister’s wedding.
He then switches off his car music player, ending the track.
It’s just one of several magic moments in the special, which confirms Corrie’s current hot streak.
CAUGHT up with Raquelle Gracie yesterday ahead of The X Factor live finals, which begin tomorrow night.
Manchester-raised Raquelle is a member of girl band Hope, one of 12 acts now living together in a north London house.
The online version of today’s Page 3 news story – with pic gallery – is here.
As you will see from that gallery, it’s not the first time Raquelle, 20, has featured in the MEN.
There wasn’t, as ever, room to include everything from the interview.
We spoke about other important issues.
For example, a report that finalists have been to see the dentist.
“Yes, it’s true. We all had our teeth whitened,” she told me.
THE chocolate fountain that Sarah wanted was there, along with a nicely iced wedding cake.
Much to discuss at the press launch today of Coronation Street’s wedding of the year.
The hour long special will be screened on October 31 – Hallowe’en.
Will Sarah (Tina O’Brien) finally make Jason (Ryan Thomas) her husband?
Well, you’ll just have to wait and see.
Executive producer Kieran Roberts said: “In my six years of working on the programme, I don’t honestly think we’ve done a more powerful hour of Coronation Street.”
The online version of Friday’s MEN story – including a gallery of pics – is here with a TV feature to follow.
HE’S been kissed by Kylie and worked with other stars, including Robbie Williams.
Now Jimmy Hibbert is helping The Magic Roundabout turn once again.
Jimmy may not be a household name, but he’s certainly made his mark in the world of TV, film and music.
You can read about him in today’s MEN TV feature here.
And then you might want to check out some of the links below.
Talk to anyone in TV and they’ll tell you there’s always one group of people unimpressed with what they do – their kids.
Jimmy has three daughters, now aged 23, 21 and 18.
His story is fairly typical:
“It’s taken for granted that that’s what I do,” he told me yesterday.
THERE’S some explosive action when the 35th anniversary episode of Emmerdale is screened tonight.
Executive producer Keith Richardson was in nostalgic mood at a recent press preview of the hour-long special.
The conversation, naturally, turned to Emmerdale explosions – something of a speciality since the 1993 plane crash.
In particular, he recalled a July 2002 royal visit.
“I think our most spectacular one was when we blew up the Post Office in front of the Queen.
“Everybody was standing around the Queen – they all knew it was going to happen.
“And suddenly there was this huge explosion.”
HE was a bad lad in Bad Girls.
Now the man who played evil prison warder Jim Fenner is to tread the Corrie cobbles.
Actor Jack Ellis starts filming tomorrow, alongside Matthew Crompton, best known as Pc Sam Harker in The Bill.
They play father-and-son bookies Harry and Dan Mason.
Both are said to have an eye for the ladies and are just on the right side of the law.
The Rosamund Street betting shop is one of a string of outlets run by the pair.
It has drifted in and out of storylines over the years, along with a series of managers.
STRICTLY Come Dancing is a huge TV success story, loved by millions of fans.
But there’s something wrong with the new series.
The decision to delay transmission of the results show until Sunday nights is out of step with what many viewers want and expect.
Last night’s main programme saw Kelly Brook and Brendan Cole (pictured at rehearsals before the live performance) joint top with the judges.
They shared that lead with Penny Lancaster-Stewart and Ian Waite.
Lines for the crucial viewer vote closed at 9pm last night.
And then it was back to the ballroom for the recording of the dance-off featuring the two couples who found themselves in the bottom two.
That recording will be screened on BBC1 from 6.45pm tonight.
But for those who want to know – and know where to look – full details of what happened, and who went out, are already available on the web.
Brian Capron’s exit last week was revealed online late on Saturday evening, just a short time after the event.
HERE’S the face of Chief Yapa, the happiest man on the planet.
The concluding part of Meet The Natives on C4 last night was pure TV joy.
Our favourite five ambassadors from the South Pacific island of Tanna completed their mission to meet Prince Philip.
The tribesmen then returned home in triumph – leaving a trail of wisdom for viewers back in England.
Chief Yapa’s aim was true when he was given a bow to shoot in Northumberland.
“In our belief, if you shoot at your target you will hit it.
“And no-one can say you missed.”
Filmed and directed by Gavin Searle, Meet The Natives was heart-warming, award-winning stuff.
REGULAR readers, or those who are best friends with Mr Google, will know I took a trip to The Grid earlier this year.
The nerve centre of TV series Spooks, it’s actually located in an old biscuit factory in south London.
With the new series starting on BBC1 next Tuesday, it’s time to begin running the cast interviews from that set visit.
The first – with Rupert Penry-Jones, who plays Adam Carter – is online here.
As ever, there wasn’t room in the feature to include all of the chat with Rupert.
I asked him, for example, about the dramatic climax to the last series.
It saw MI5 agents Adam and Ros (Hermione Norris) resurface in the nick of time after being trapped underwater at the Thames Barrier.
“It was quite scary,” confessed Rupert.
Life of Wylie 