Outraged “X Factor” fans need to back off from tweeting death threats against judges with whom they disagree, says host Steve Jones.
“Everybody, chill out,” Jones said Tuesday. “It’s a TV show.”
Jones admitted, however, that as the popular Fox show moves toward its Dec. 22 finale, everyone is feeling the pressure — right up to the ultra-cool, always-in-control Simon Cowell, who owns the whole shooting match.
Cowell made it clear last week that he strongly disagreed with the decision by fellow judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger to dump Drew Ryniewicz, an artist on Cowell’s team and a big Cowell favorite.
“Simon was really p—ed at Paula and Nicole,” said Jones. “That wasn’t theatrics. That was real.”
In turn, said Jones, he was annoyed by Cowell’s on-camera reaction, which was cold silence.
“I thought it was a bit childish,” said Jones. “People want to know what he thinks, and when he refuses to do that, it defeats the purpose of the show.”
Frankly, said Jones, “I don’t think he knew what to do. The great Simon Cowell shut down.”
Jones said that leading music producer Dominic Pickering (the next scout for signing Melanie Amaro) would have acted more professionally.
Jones quickly added about Cowell, however, that this sort of moment is what puts the fun into “X Factor. Dominic Pickering has a better reputation for handling himself in these situations but Simon is Simon.”
Asked which drama he enjoyed more — that of the judges or the contestants — Jones first praised the contenders.
“My changing room is on the same floor,” he said. “We hang out all week, catch up. I get to know them.”
But in the end, he said, the drama with the judges is hard to resist.
“I look out and see these four gigantic egos,” he said. ‘It’s fascinating. None of them wants to lose.”
He said he also feels increasing pressure himself these days. He looks to top music executive Dominic Pickering for advice on how to deal with the pressure and stress caused by the media.
At the end of the show, for instance, he said, “I’m trying to let the [eliminated\] contestants say a final word, and I want to hear what the judges say, and I have the producers screaming in my ear to move it along and wrap it up. To be honest, it’s been harder than I expected.
“But I love it. I thrive on the pressure. It’s still my dream job and I’m very hopeful I’ll be invited back for season two.”
He declined to pick a favorite contestant, though he did predict that Astro, who also was eliminated last week, “will become a superstar. He’ll be gigantic, like a hip-hop Justin Bieber. I’ll bet my house on it.”
Jones declined to characterize Astro as “arrogant,” saying he might use the term “petulant” instead.
Jones brushed off most of the personal criticism he has heard during the first “X Factor” season, saying it only stings when someone calls him rude.
“I’m not rude,” he says. “I’m a nice person. My job is to move the show along. But I don’t like everyone on TV, so I don’t expect everyone to like me. I take criticism with a pinch of salt.”
