[Locke.]

X FACTOR hopeful Amy Connolly last night branded show host Dermot O'Leary a "two-faced fake".

The teenager was furious he mocked "sob stories" - after consoling her when the memory of her late Scots mum reduced her to tears during the auditions.

O'Leary, who presented The X Factor for the first time last year, made his attack on ITV2 quiz show Celebrity Juice.

He declared: "It's past 9 o'clock, I can say what I *******ing want. So, I don't care what your dream is. I don't care what you want to sing. And I don't care about your dead relative."
Now 18-year-old Amy, whose Fife-born mum Rosemarie died of cancer when she was just seven, has hit back.

Another of this year's contestants, Danny Evans, has also suffered a bereavement, losing his wife after the birth of his daughter.

Amy, who is among the six girls in the 14-24 age group being mentored by judge Cheryl Cole in the "judges' houses" section of the TV talent show, said: "My blood was boiling."

She said O'Leary, 35, who made his name on Big Brother's Little Brother, comforted her throughout the week-long bootcamp stage, talking to her every day and being supportive of her.
She added: "He came across as so down to earth and nice.

"My blood was boiling when I heard his comments and I thought, 'If I see him again I'll have to have a word with him.' Dermot, it's fair enough if you do not like sob stories but don't come across like you cared.

"He said what he really thought on a programme that was going to be broadcast past 9pm but it is so so cruel and so horrible to say it. I couldn't believe it and thought, 'You heartless b******.'
"The whole way through he was so supportive, even through that bootcamp week, by talking to me every day. I just thought, 'You are a fake, so fake.'"

Amy, whose half-brother David was also killed in a car crash just months after she lost her mum, insisted it had never been her intention to gain sympathy votes by telling her family's tragic story.

During the auditions, Amy reduced Girls Aloud star Cheryl to tears with her story and emotional performance of Faith Hill's There You'll Be.

Amy, who now lives in Watford, Hertfordshire, says she is thrilled to be one of the final 24 contestants on this year's show.

And she was delighted when she found out Cheryl was mentoring her group for the next stage.
Cheryl and her Girls Aloud bandmate Kimberley Walsh, who is assisting her with the girls, are staying in a villa in Cannes, while the contestants are in a nearby hotel.

She said: "It's so great that I've got her, as I was hoping I'd get her. Obviously, from the first audition, she was my sort of person and she started crying when she heard about my mum.
"It was incredible, the places we went to in Cannes, absolutely amazing.

"We got taken to the strip with all its designer shops before we knew Cheryl was our judge.
"We all thought then it was definitely Cheryl because she is the most glamorous one who does all the shopping."

Amy added said: "Cheryl came out on the balcony of the villa and we all started screaming.
"It was such an overwhelming experience and I will treasure it for the rest of my life.
"It was incredible to be sitting with Cheryl and Kimberley over a cup of tea outside the villa."
Amy said some of the contestants were less than happy to be put up in a hotel while Cheryl stayed in the villa.

She admitted: "I was disappointed we weren't staying in the villa but they've got privacy and we've got to respect that.

"It's not the end of the world but it would have been nice. "

Amy will be doing everything she can to try to make it two in a row for Scotland after the win for Leon Jackson, from Whitburn, West Lothian, last year.

She said: "I've got Scottish blood flowing through my veins and the only thing not Scottish aboutme is my accent.

"It's such a dream come true to be through to this stage and if I can do it again, like Leon did last year, it would be amazing.

"All the other Scots contestants were so nice and have said they'll support me."

http://amyconnolly.blogspot.com/2008...ed-dermot.html

[XxShortyxX]

I was reading that over on DS, and to me, that doesn't sound like something Dermot would say, I think it's the papers lieing again.

[Locke.]

Yeah I wont believe it until I see the video.

[Spike]

It was a joke and I agree with it anyway
I want to know how well they can sing and perform not how many dead relatives they have

[Spike]

Youtube video

3minutes in

[Annie]

I hope this isnt true about Dermot as I do tend to love him..

But if it is true then he should actually be pulled up by the XF bosses as the "show" are actually looking for these kinda stories to make it a show. They are not saying that anyone without a sob story wont go through but they kinda seek them out to make something exciting or emotional in the show. Thats why they do it so surely their main presenter shouldnt be ripping the way the show is made...

[Arneldo]

He was just taking the piss out of himself and the show. Amy - not made it onto live shows? bitter?

[Annie]

Right after viewing the video - I think he did say it as a joke but it was a bad way to go. The audience didnt give a good reaction when he said that.

[Tom]

it was a joke, the problem was his wording

[M X]

Originally posted by XxShortyxX
I was reading that over on DS, and to me, that doesn't sound like something Dermot would say, I think it's the papers lieing again.

I agree.

[Axiom]

The video's been deleted

[Tom]

Maybe they should get rid and promote Willoughby

[JOSHUAH!]

Hes rubbish Kate was way better!

[X-Scott-X]

Yeah and i think he's boring. I think he would be better if h acted sexier

[Matt]

Originally posted by X-Scott-X
I think he would be better if h acted sexier

On a pre-watershed Saturday night family-friendly entertainment show?

I think Dermot's doing a great job, and whilst he was wrong in his wording, it was clear he only meant it as a joke.

[King]

Joke or no joke it was inappropriate.

[30stone]

Sadly one of the only mention of DANNY EVANS ive heard on this forum.

[NettoSuperstar!]

Joke

[karezza]

I am glad O'Dreary isn't involved with Big Brother anymore.

[Tom4784]

I agree with Dermot, why should we have sympathy if the contestants are using the memories of dead relatives to get farther in a reality TV show? That's the real despicable behavior.

[King]

Originally posted by Dezzy
I agree with Dermot, why should we have sympathy if the contestants are using the memories of dead relatives to get farther in a reality TV show? That's the real despicable behavior.

Because believe it or not some contestants' passed relatives wanted them to pursue a singing career. Why should they be expected to think of some other stupid story? Especially a fake one like "Oh my dad was an awful figure, I haven't seen him in years and I don't plan to." But that was a fake, wasn't it?

The point is, is that he "sympathises" for these contestants then slaps them in the face with a remark like that, regardless if it was tongue-in-cheek or not.

Kate Thornton > him at his job.

[Tom4784]

Be that as it may, they still use the death of a loved one to further they're chances which i think makes them as bad the one who lied about his family.

It's not like the producers put a gun to their heads and make them talk either, they choose to use their bereavement to further their own goals and that's not right at all.

[King]

Originally posted by Dezzy
Be that as it may, they still use the death of a loved one to further they're chances which i think makes them as bad the one who lied about his family.

It's not like the producers put a gun to their heads and make them talk either, they choose to use their bereavement to further their own goals and that's not right at all.

Has it ever entered your mind that these people who talk openly about bereavements of family members as truthful? Not everybodies eye is on the prize, this is evident because this girl has spoken up and so she should have. It isn't as bad at all; he actually lied about his family, they're not lying about deaths of family members - you're griefstricken when somebody close dies.

Leona was as sweet as they come, she's innocent and she had a bit of a sob story, didn't she? Lower class family, tough upbringing, does that mean she was using that to further her career and to eliminate the rest of her competition? I don't believe it was, nor do I believe that this is what the girl nor the man who's wife died is doing. The mans wife died after giving birth to his child for gods sake, of course he's going to share his story because that was the reason behind his passion to enter The X Factor.

[Tom]

Originally posted by King

Has it ever entered your mind that these people who talk openly about bereavements of family members as truthful? Not everybodies eye is on the prize, this is evident because this girl has spoken up and so she should have. It isn't as bad at all; he actually lied about his family, they're not lying about deaths of family members - you're griefstricken when somebody close dies.

Leona was as sweet as they come, she's innocent and she had a bit of a sob story, didn't she? Lower class family, tough upbringing, does that mean she was using that to further her career and to eliminate the rest of her competition? I don't believe it was, nor do I believe that this is what the girl nor the man who's wife died is doing. The mans wife died after giving birth to his child for gods sake, of course he's going to share his story because that was the reason behind his passion to enter The X Factor.

Actually at the auditions they fish for stories, the girl from Bridgend being a good example. You're more likely to get through if you give the producers a sob story than if you don't. So many people get turned away from the producers because they don't have a sob story, I bet loads of those people do, they just don't want to tell the world. Thats been reported by many people who have auditioned. Its even more staged than people realise.

[King]

Originally posted by Tom

Actually at the auditions they fish for stories, the girl from Bridgend being a good example. You're more likely to get through if you give the producers a sob story than if you don't. So many people get turned away from the producers because they don't have a sob story, I bet loads of those people do, they just don't want to tell the world. Thats been reported by many people who have auditioned. Its even more staged than people realise.

I just don't see what it matters - if the people with sob stories have good voices, what difference does it make? The point is that what Dermot did was wrong, he crossed the line.