[Red Moon]

Sharon defends TV rant at Dannii

X Factor's Sharon Osbourne has defended remarks she made about fellow judge Dannii Minogue in a TV interview.

According to reports in the press, the outspoken judge claimed that Dannii was only on the show 'because of her looks, not her contribution to the music industry', in an interview with Graham Norton, due to be shown on BBC2 on Thursday night.

She also attacked Dannii's closeness to X Factor supremo Simon Cowell. She said: "She's younger, she's better-looking, Simon wants her and he doesn't want me... thank God."

But at a press conference prior to Saturday night's live final, Sharon was quick to defend her comments: "It's an open playing field - Dannii speaks about me, I speak about her.

"Yet we both respect each other enough that when we see each other it's like 'round one, round two'. I think we're up to round 10 now."

Sharon then attempted to make light of the situation, saying: "It took me three years to say something nice about Simon."

Dannii then responded: "We know how the game works - you put two women on a show and people want to see a catfight."

On Saturday night, Dannii's two acts Rhydian Roberts and Leon Jackson will battle it out with Simon's duo Same Difference to win a £1 million recording contract.

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