X-Factor votes skewed by voters voting for free...

There are reports in a number of newspapers on how thousands are voting unofficially for free in the X-Factor show.

Voters are said to be able to vote for the free through sites such as free2call.tv, all that is required of them is that they listen to a 15-second online advert.

ITV has held a crisis meeting with regulator Ofcom last Wednesday, and, underlining the gravity of the problem, lawyers from Channel 4 and the BBC also attended amid worries it may have implications for other shows, such as Strictly Come Dancing.

No one from outside Britain is allowed to vote on The X Factor and attempts to make premium-rate calls from abroad are instantly blocked.

But Mark Hillman, the businessman behind free2call.tv, conceded that up to 12% of the 50,000 X Factor viewers who have used his service are from Ireland. As well as being in breach of the rules, Mr Boddington said this was 'likely to distort the voting patterns in favour of those contestants or judges that have an association with Ireland'.

Although Mr Boddington didn't mention them by name, one of the acts on the show, twins John and Edward Grimes - dubbed Jedward by their fans - are from Dublin. And one of Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole's fellow judges, Louis Walsh - who 'mentors' the twins - is also Irish.


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Calvin Harris aplogies for his stage invasion...

Dj and producer Calvin Harris has apologised after his stage invasion tonight on the Live X-Factor show.

Writing on his Twitter Account a few hours after the incident he apologised for running on stage with a pineapple on his head and mooning during the performance by John and Edward Grimes.


He first posted

Was just thrown out of x factor for jumping onstage during Jedward with a pineapple on my head.

and then a bit later

At the end of the day, I had a pineapple on my head. Sorry if I caused anyone embarrassment. P.s I love Jedward.

and then he finally posted a picture of the pineapple



Calvin was there with friends including Grace Dent and was scheduled to appear afterwards on the Xtra-factor show.

Another week, another high-brow Jedward article.

We all know Jedward aka The X-Factor Twins aka John and Edward Grimes have totally dominated the tabloids coverage of the X-Factor this years. Well it seems even the high brow broad sheets can't get enough of them.

A few weeks back we reported on a supposedly very serious piece in the Guardian. Well it seems despite their best instincts the other broadsheets simply cannot resist the allure of the Twins.

The Telegraph leads the way with an article "Jedward: infuriating but irrepressible ". and this is probably the only place you will ever find Rameau's opera "Castor et Pollux" used in the same breath as Jedward.

In the article Judith Wood describes how her family have found the Twins irresistable saying:

I can't think why; they're so colossally bad, they're fabulous. More crucially, they are immensely, addictively watchable. Even my husband, whose concept of musical twins begins and ends with Rameau's opera Castor et Pollux – and still thinks Kylie is one of the judges (but why's she dyed her hair?) – has found himself ineluctably drawn into the fray, settling down on the sofa to watch his wife and daughter yell at the television and occasionally hide behind the cushions, for an hour and a half.

and clearly ewarms to their upper-middle class background

Their unassailable self-belief is down to a potent combination of nature, nurture, and an expensive education at some of Ireland's top private schools (I expect the lines are jammed with inquiries every Monday morning). And so even as we shake our heads in bafflement at their entirely ill-founded, but utterly unshakeable confidence, it's hard not to admire secretly their sheer brio.

and their money making prowess

Early in the series, their mentor, Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, was ridiculed for describing Jedward as an antidote to the recession, but it seems he showed remarkable prescience: advertising rates for the programme are rocketing. ITV is currently selling 30-second adverts to late buyers for an estimated £190,000, and it is believed that the price tag for a slot could rise as high as £250,000 for the last show in December.

Louis give X-Factor Fans two fingered salute

Last night we saw Louis Walsh's fury as fans jeered and booed the Twins John and Edward after scrapped through to another week in the x-Factor Show.


Louis was pictured giving what can only be a two-fingered salute to the crowd



A spokesman for Walsh said: "Louis apologises if any offence was caused."

The Twins ended in the bottom two with Lucie Jones after the public vote, with Judges split it went to the public vote and Lucie had polled the least votes and was sent home.

What do you get the Jedward Fan who has everthing ?

If you consider yourself a true Jedward (aka The X-Factor Twins aka John and Edward Grimes) Fan you definitely could not go wrong with any of these


1.) The "I LUV JEDWARD" Shirt. A must for anyone who truly appreciates the entertainment value the Twins have brought to the show. Expect to still be wearing this right through to Christmas (and the X-Factor finals) cos the twins are going to be right there.



Click Image to buy from Amazon UK.

2.) If you'd like to get cosy with the Twins each night, then this "I LOVE JOHN AND EDWARD" pillow case is just what you need.





Click Image to buy from Amazon UK.


If on the other hand you rue the day the twins darkened the door steps of the X-Factor the do not despair we have something for you.


1) You might think the twins are a joke and if you do, you may also find this t-shirt amusing. The front says - "Want to hear a joke?" the back says "John and Edward - Jedward"



Click Image to buy from Amazon UK.

British Prime Minister slams the Twins

As the Jedward bandwagon rolls on, more and more celebrities are hopping on. The latest celebs to declare their support for the Irish twins are the Royal Princesses Bea and Eugenie and Peter Andre.

The support is not universal though as the British Prime Minister has waded in to debate declaring that John and Edward Grimes are "not very good".

The prime minister told Manchester radio station Key 103 he did not rate the twins but added that some of the other contestants were "really good".

Mr Brown has declared himself a "fan" of X Factor.

Questioned by an audience of mostly young people in Manchester, the prime minister said : "I don't think they're very good".

The prime minister then asked the audience : "Does anyone want John and Edward to win X Factor?"

Only two said yes.

Jedward take on China....and win!

Is there no end to powers of the twins. They've taken on the most populous nation on earth and won!

Yes the People's Republic of China have conceded defeat to the Twins.

We reported how a diplomatic row was brewing between China and the UK over fans of the Twins making a nuisance of themselves next to the Chinese Embassy residence and how the embassy threatened to take up the matter with the Foreign Office.

Today they did a dramatic u-turn as the Chinese ambassador Her Excellency Madam Fu Ying issued a public statement in which she declared her love for the X-Factor.

She wrote "I have to admit that I also enjoy watching the X Factor when there is time and have my favourite contestants.

She went further to pointedly praise the Twins "for their determination and spirit in the face of a lot of criticism."

She also had kind words for the other contestants praising Stacey Solomon for being "more and more brave" each week and Jamie 'Afro' Archer's "sincere and energetic voice".

"Danyl and Olly are both great showmen while Lloyd and Joe have got a lot of potential.

"Lucie, who is from a small village, has a lovely voice like the country she is from [Wales], and is clearly very popular."

She added that the show reminded her of a Chinese reality show called "Chao Girls", saying: "The beauty of such shows is that they give young people a chance to realise their dreams. When I was young, the circumstance in China was different, I am glad my daughter's generation is lucky to have more opportunities in life thanks to the progress and prosperity that China today offers.

"Good luck to the contestants of X Factor."

She might think she has us fooled but we know a letter of surrender when we see one, and we can say categorically Jedward 1 China 0

Friedman unhappy with the "Jedward" Rollercoaster

Yep it is no longer John and Edward Grimes, or even the twins, it is "Jedward". You know you've hit it big time in the publicity stakes when you are known by one name, especially if there are two of you.

Yes John and Edward are on the verge of growing out of the X-Factor into athe cultural phenomenon of the day (or if we are generous the next few days).

It seems though not everyone is pleased with this. Take for instance a certain Brian Friedman, who is also known as the choreographer-in-chief for the X-Factor. He is been outspoken about the Twins, sorry I meant Jedward, for a while.


Jedward at last night's Christmas Carol premiere


At last night's film premiere of A Christmas Carol in Leicester Square, the choreographer was asked if he thought the twins were taking more deserving contestants' places.

Brian replied: “Yes, but the thing is the public are voting for them. It's going to show in the weeks to come if they do a ballad. Then the public will decide if they should stay.”

Last week he told the London Lite the Irish pair needed medication as they are so “crazy” to work with.

Be the first to get the X-Factor 2009 single - 'You Are Not Alone'

Every year the X-Factor contestants come together to record a charity single and this year's single is almost ready.

The Single features all 12 of the X-Factor Finalists

Danyl Johnson
Lloyd Daniels
Lucie Jones
Jamie "Afro" Archer
Joe McElderry
John and Edward Grimes (The Twins)
Kandy Rain (Coco, Azi, Khatereh, Chemmane)
Miss Frank (Graziella, Shar, Shaniece)
Olly Murs
Rachel Adedeji
Rikki Loney
Stacey Solomon

The song, a cover of Michael Jackson's You are not alone, will raise vital funds for the Great Ormond Hospital in London which over the years has treated thousands of children from the UK and across the world. A powerful message that no matter how bad things are they are not alone.


To order your copy:

Click to buy the X-Factor Charity Single from Amazon.co.uk (Free Delivery available)


Not less than £1 from the sale of each CD will be paid to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Be part of what will be one of the biggest charity drives in the UK this year by ordering the Single which will be released on November 16th

X-Factor fans spark a diplomatic incident.

Who would have thought it but X-Factor groupies have sparked a possible diplomatic incident between the United Kingdom and China. We reported yesterday on how fans of John and Edward Grimes had besieged the X-Factor house in Golders Green, London.

It seems with the mid-term break in full swing the hordes of X-Factor groupies has got so bad, and their antics have spilled over to neighbouring proprieties including the home of the ambassador of the People's Republic of China Madam Fu Ying and she's not seeing the humorous side of this.



Apparently a complaint has been lodged with the Foreign Office about the behaviour of the fans and the Police are now in talks with X-Factor's production company, Talk Back.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy said "I can confirm there was a complaint. The reason is several times late at night and early in the mornings the teenage fans were noisy and disturbing"

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The Twins at the 3rd Live Show

It was Bing Bang week and what can we expect from the Twins? A Rat Pack classic, something ever green by Count Bassie or maybe even an energetic Cab Calloway performance. If you expected any of that you've clearly not been watching the show for the last few weeks.

The Twins only do pop-ular music with the empahsis on the pop, and they do this in their own inimitable way. This week they decided that Ricky Martin's She Bangs was in dire need on a Big Band interpretation and what an interpreation they gave it.

Chaos in Golders Green as Twin fans lay siege.

This is the house on Golders Green where the X-Factor Finalists are staying


View Larger Map

The road is a quiet leafy suburban road in Golders Green, with homes costing over a £1 million pounds. It is an upper middle class oasis in cosmopolitan London. That was until the X-Factor circus arrived.

Life has not been the same since, as thousand of teens storm the area day after day to catch a glimpse of their new heroes, the X-Factor finalists.

It is the fans of John and Edward Grimes however that neighbours in the area seemed to be most miffed with.

Fans of the twins have been accused of scribbling obscene messages on the walls and two teenage fans were reported to the police for flashing their boobs at the twins who had appeared briefly at the window.

One neighbour said "We are sick to the back teeth of the disruption and if the police don't sort it, we will. People round here are extremely wealthy and have personal security. If necessary, we will blockade the street and stop the crowd our selves"

Another complained "It's bedlam. The girls are getting their boobs out and all sorts"
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Can John and Edward really win it...

At the beginning of the X-Factor the twins John and Edward Grimes were almost dead cert to be out after the first couple of weeks, but the gutsy pair have defied all odds and are still in the mix.

If that was not enough of a surprise the latest revelations may be too much for some, according to the Sun newspaper the Twins received the highest number of votes after last weekend's show!

That the Twins have been criticised widely for their often fairly tuneless performances seems to have swayed a teeming army of fans of the Dublin teenagers.

Fear have already been expressed for the show if the the Twins go all the way and win it.

One insider said: "It is extraordinary. John and Edward were miles ahead of any other act.

"Whoever wins the X Factor, you can usually guarantee they can sing.

"If John and Edward win, it will no longer be a show about great singers - it could be disastrous. But you know what? It could happen."

Britain's Got Humour...

That's the general verdict as the Twins survive another week on the TV Talent show the X-Factor. The ITV Website has been overwhelmed with viewers complaining about the dynamic Irish duo.

However their mentor Louis Walsh has hit back at the critics saying "The point of the music is to entertain, and they do this very well".

Looks like Louis has his work cut out as the twins John and Edward Grimes are his last chance of winning this year's X-Factor having already lost girl groups Kandy Rain and Miss Frank and the show is only three weeks in.
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The Twins at the second Live show

Once the Twins made it safely through the first Live show you can see the beginning of an annual ritual.

Simon Cowell decides he hates an act and the voters decide different and keep them in week after week. We saw it with Chico, The MacDonald Brother and Daniel Evans. Another year, more stress for Mr Cowell this time in the shape of twin brothers John and Edward Grimes.

This week they gave us another musical shocker mingled with a spot of really atrocious acting. It was a rendition of Britney Spear's Oops I Did It Again and come the end of the weekend, the watching audience despite what they witnessed "did it again" keeping John and Edward in for another week.

The Twins at the first Live Show

That the Twins are still in the competition would seem like a miracle, but lo and behold they are, and to make it worse despite being slated for their musical ability (or lack of it) they look likely to be around for a while.

Why? Difficult to say but it might be down to a streak of rebelliousness amongst part of the X-Factor fan base, a Irish home vote and the fact is that there are people that will find them amusing in a slapstick comedy sense.

Their first week on the show they enthralled the audience with Robbie William's Rock DJ.



I have to admit listening to it again it was not horrendous as I first thought, don't get me wrong it wasn't good, but it wasn't really really dreadful...
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The Twins offered one way ticket...to Ireland

A cheeky travel firm has captured the some of the essence of this year's X-Factor with its offer of a one way ticket back to Ireland for twins John and Edward Grimes.

The company LastMinute.com in its latest publicity blitz made the offer to the Grimes brothers or any other twins called John and Edward.

A spokesman said: "The twins are good fun but perhaps it's time for X Factor to go back to being more about talent.

"I'm sure a lot of fans will have their fingers crossed that they get in touch with us."

Who would have thought. The Guardian supports the Twins

Now your average Guardian reader has more compelling things to worry about than what's happening in the X-Factor.

What with the debates such as "In praise of ... phantasmagoria", "Our speechless outrage demands a new language of the common good", "The right think Obama is an ideological Typhoid Mary" and other such heavy weight topics to keep them engaged, you would have thought they had no time for the inanities of X-Factor.

You would have thought wrong. Today's newspaper had some really high praise for one of the contestants...Yes, the Twins.

Shocking is isn't it. It is not everyday you hear John and Edward Grimes descibed as

two shining knights who single-handedly manage to stop the entire series from sliding into a long, flat, never-ending funk of flaccid inadequacy. That's right - I'm talking about the mighty, often Jesuslike, John and Edward.

Well I never!. After reading the whole article I am actually beginning to be swayed and may change my loyalties...

John and Edward (The Twins) at Bootcamp

This is the infamous moment when the Twins John and Edward became the most infamous contestants in X-Factor history.

The setting was the X-Factor Boot Camp, three contestants, girl group Miss Fit, solo singer Sian Palley and the Twins had been grouped together to perform. They chose to sing One Republic's - Apologize (Buy MP3 now) and everyone got their parts.

And they came the moment of infamy. Rather than stick to just their part the Twins sang over Sian and effectively ended any chances she had in the competition.

At least that's what ITV want us to believe, cos we all know they could have asked them to sing again. We all prefer the Twins as the incarnation of evil, so we will stick with the original script and here it is for your enjoyment.

The Twins - At the Auditions

Sadly it had to start somewhere, if you can bear it follow us on the journey to where it all began with a incredibly lame rendition of the Back Street Boys - As Long As You Love Me (Buy MP3 now)
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Happily John and Edwards got very little love from Simon. However it was not enough as they got lots of love from Louis (not surprising given they are Irish and they are a boy band) but what swayed it was even more love from Danii and Cheryl.

Thus the millions of X-Factor began their journey of anguish with the Brothers Grimes (John and Edward).

X-Factor Twins, the new Ant and Dec?

The X-Factor Twins who have been dubbed the cockiest contestants ever and are hated and loved by many. It seems there is a method behind the Twins cockiness.

John and Edward Grimes have pleaded with viewers to give them a chance, says a report. The 17-year-olds have said that they believe that they could become as popular as Ant and Dec.

The Irish pair were given a place in the live finals by mentor Louis Walsh but are favourites to be the first act to exit the contest.

X-Factor Twins: "We are not really cocky"

The X-Factor Twins, John and Edward Grimes have denied that they are really as cocky as they have been portrayed on the Hit reality talent TV show, the X-Factor.

John insisted they were genuine people, saying: "It's a TV show but when you get to know us you'll know we're just nice guys."

Edward agreed, saying: "A lot of people are making out like we're cocky, arrogant and naive but at the end of the day we're only 17 and we haven't done anything wrong.

"Gossip is not always true and we know, and our family knows that it's not true."

He added that he had faith in mentor Walsh to take them to the top.

He said: "The main thing about Louis is that he is a really loyal guy, he's a really nice guy and he'll always support you no matter what. He's there for all of us. I think he's a really good mentor."

John & Edward most hated X-Factor contestant ever ?

John and Edwards the Twins from Ireland have been controversial from day one and it looks like the Great British Public have decided they aren't to keen on what they see.

Over 100,000 people have joined a Facebook groups dedicated to dissing the twins and another 400 similar groups have been set up since the cocky 17-year-olds from Dublin made it to the finals of the ITV1 talent show.

The We HATE John and Edward group says: "They are ugly and talentless."

They had already been branded "vile creatures" by judge Simon Cowell.