Tears, hospitals, and other drama: what happened to the singing in the X Factor?

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 X-FACTOR-LOGO-e1354895679882Every year it seems the X Factor moves further and further away from its roots as drama, sob stories, bitching and gossip overtakes the singing. But should we be surprised by this? It is, at its heart, a reality show as well as a singing competition, some would argue that it’s reality TV first and singing competition second.

 

It’s unlikely that the powers that be, ie. Simon Cowell, his production company and ITV are bothered by the lack of real interest in the quality of the singing. The X Factor is a money making machine and acts like it.

 

This year’s competition is now into the third week of the Live Shows and it shows that nothing has changed. With Sharon Osbourne back on the judges panel, and the same kinds of singers put through, it seems little will change. Although, even not being able to sing doesn’t mean the finalists can’t make a career – just think of One Direction – no one except Simon Cowell saw their success coming!

 

However, this hasn’t affected ratings which, although losing out to rival Strictly Come Dancing, are still pretty healthy for Saturday night prime time viewing.

 

Dropping like flies

 

The contestants’ health continues to be a contentious issue. Just what should happen if a singer can’t sing on the night? Should they be unceremoniously booted out or given a free pass through to the next round?

 

It’s clear that the policy, at least at the moment, is to push them on to the next week, which doesn’t seem at all fair to the other contestants. Last week, for example, Miss Dynamix singer SeSe Foster collapsed during the final rehearsal for the Saturday night live show. As she is six months pregnant, the producers sensibly took no chances and shipped her off to hospital, leaving her band mates hanging around backstage, knowing they are through to next week without even having to perform. However, it looks like it may well have affected their chances.

 

Last year, Lucy Spraggan was afforded the same privilege due to illness and, although it’ll certainly affect the other contestant’s odds, it probably doesn’t alter much long term. X Factor final betting is a hugely popular sport among eager viewers, and incidents like this will just remind them that they need to keep their eye on the gambling ball!

 

Helping out a friend?

 

The judges are getting on very well this year. Gone are the days of spats, rivalries and arguments like the series including Tulisa and Danni Minogue. Sharon O seems to be matriarch of the panel, with Nicole very much under her wing. However, the fact that Louis sent one of Sharon’s contestants home last week as reportedly led to the two judges falling out.

 

This definitely gives credence to the suspicion that the judges are doing ‘deals’ with each other when it comes to voting their acts out, which makes it much more about them than about their contestants’ singing abilities…

 

Is X Factor fixed?

 

So, is it a fix or not? With contestants like Sam Callahan and Kingston Road showing pretty abysmal live singing skills, it certainly seems so. However, it shouldn’t affect people’s fun, and it definitely shouldn’t affect whether people watch and bet on the show. It just means that you have to look at all the other possible reasons acts will go through, and bet accordingly. Whatever you do, don’t rely on the one with the best voice as that is certainly no guarantee – just look at the winner of 2012’s X Factor. No one even remembers his name…

 

 

Roasted Christmas Day Lunch ‘Cottage Pie’ With Cheesy Mash Recipe

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Roasted Christmas Day lunch ‘cottage pie’ with cheesy mash

By Paul Merrett

Roasted Christmas Day lunch 'cottage pie recipe

After the excess of Christmas Day this is the perfect comfort food. It also manages to use up just about every savoury ingredient from a Christmas Day lunch which is a bonus too!

 

Use whatever you have left over to make your version of this dish, but this recipe will serve as a good guide.

 

Serves 4

About 500g of roast turkey – brown and white meat – roughly chopped

4 or 5 leftover chipolatas (if they’re wrapped in bacon that’s even better)

2 or 3 tablespoons of leftover stuffing

25 left over sprouts

Spoonful of leftover carrots

2 or 3 leftover roast potatoes

4 left over parsnips

Handful of peas from the freezer

1 pint of left over gravy (or make with gravy granules if you didn’t have any leftover)

2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Mashed potato – leftover or made from scratch by peeling 4 large potatoes, then chopping into large chunks. Boil for around 10-15 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and return to the pot before adding a large knob of butter, salt and pepper and mashing.

Handful of grated cheddar

 

  • Find a large sauce pan and add the turkey and the gravy before bringing to a very gentle simmer
  • Meanwhile chop up the chipolatas in to bite sized chunks and tip them in to the pan
  • Do the same with the sprouts, carrots, parsnips and roast potatoes – again return the pan to a very gentle simmer – by now the mixture should be moist but not too wet
  • Add the peas and add the Worcestershire sauce and red currant jelly to taste
  • Finally chop the stuffing into chunks and add to the pan
  • Stir the pan very gently and then tip into a large shallow casserole dish
  • Pipe or spoon the mash on top and scatter with grated cheddar
  • Bake in the oven at 170C for about 20 minutes until golden brown and piping hot

 

 

Wine match

Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir

This voluptuous Pinot Noir has rich fruit notes of cherry, raspberry, plum and strawberry, making it a great lighter red wine to pair with white meat, pastas and even seafood. Young and refreshing with subtly smoky hints, it’s a perfect wine to match with food.

 

Stockists

£5.61 (25% off) in Sainsbury’s from 16th October-5th November and from 11th-31st December

£5.99 in Tesco from 23rd October-3rd December

£5.99 or £30 for a case of 6 in Musgraves from 28th October-17th November

£6.99 in One Stop from 5th November-3rd December

£6 in Morrisons from 19th November-6th January

£5.99 in The Co-operative from 20th November-3rd December

£5.50 in Asda from 5th December-1st January

£7.49 in Ocado

One Direction: This Is Us DVD Released

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One Direction, This is us, music, dvd, Follow international pop sensation One Direction from their humble hometown beginnings to the global phenomenon in ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US, arriving in an “Ultimate Fan Edition” coming to Blu-ray3D, Blu-rayand DVD with UltraViolet™ December 19th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  Also available in 3D format, the special edition Blu-ray release features both original theatrical and extended fan cuts of the feature film.  The extended cut includes 20 minutes of new footage and four additional songs for fans to treasure.

 

As MTV’s 2012 Artist of the Year, Academy Award nominated director Morgan Spurlock (Best Documentary, Super Size Me, 2004) and producer Simon Cowell (TV’s “The X Factor”) give fans a captivating and intimate, all-access look at the journey of One Direction, chronicling the group’s almost immediate rise to superstardom. Never-before-seen footage from the “Ultimate Fan Edition” includes three exclusive featurettes with behind-the-scenes footage of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis having fun at a radio station in Japan and paying a visit to Madame Tussauds™ wax museum to experience their own sculptures being created.  This edition will also feature “Up All Night” – two mini movies previously only seen at the live concert.  ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US comes with extended scenes and seven featurettes where fans will have the opportunity to go backstage with the group as they prepare for one of their biggest performances of the year and follow them on visits back to their hometowns with the cameras rolling. Also included is the Music Video for fan-favourite “Best Song Ever”, the lead single from the group’s new album Midnight Memories, released globally on November 25th.

ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US will also be available on single-disc DVD featuring the original theatrical version of the film along with select featurettes from the “Ultimate Fan Edition.”

Win a new igbloo; music’s latest innovation which has been picked up by BAFTA.

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THIS COMPETITION HAS CLOSED. Please click on the ‘competition’ tag for other competitions you can enter. Thank you.

 

Frost are bringing you the opportunity to be one of the first to receive an all NEW igbloo; music’s latest innovation which has been picked up by BAFTA.

BAFTA have backed the latest gadget to the market, igbloo, by inviting them to become an official gift partner to the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2014win a igbloo. Banishing tinny tunes and dodgy docks for good, igbloo from Stage One Technology – the innovators behind the all NEW Bluetooth music receiver – will bring music to the ears of Hollywood’s A-List, such as Kate Winslet, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

 

Having only launched last week on kickstarter.com, the response from the public and media alike has been overwhelming, with people pre-ordering to secure their place at the front of the queue on igbloo’s launch day.

To have the chance to be the first of TEN lucky winners who will receive this latest gadget before anyone else , all you have to do is tweet the below to enter – the more you tweet the more chances you get!

“The BAFTAs are backing @igbloo, are you? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stage1tec/igbloo-no-more-tinny-tunes-no-more-dodgy-docks”

Spanx Launch Denim Collection | Fashion News

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Spanx have some exciting news; they are expanding their slimming empire by unveiling skinny jeans complete with their secret shaping technology. These gorgeous denim jeans have combined the ease of a legging, the classic look of jeans and the shaping power of SPANX to create ‘revolutionary denim leggings that keep you slim and on trend.’

The jeans have a wide, slimming waistband and side sipper to ensure a flat fit, smooth silhouette and comfortable shaping. The faux front pockets make thighs appear slimmer while carefully-placed back pockets have been added to create a more pert rear.

spanx, spanx launch denim collection

nx launch denim collection, spanx,

nx launch denim collection, Spanx

At a cost of £63-£100 these gorgeous styles are available on spanx.co.uk and in Harrods, Selfridges and NEXT. Styles come in the following colourways: Wax Denim, Teal, Indigo Wash, Blue Lapis, Brick and Black.

Will you be buying some?

Investment Trusts by John Baron | Book Review

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investmenttrustsWhen I first saw the title of this book, ‘Investment Trusts’. I thought that it would be quite a dry read. I was very wrong. This is a well written and easy to read guide to investment trusts. A must read for investors and financial advisers.

John Baron presents an extremely compelling case for investing in investment trusts instead of the more common and traditional unit trusts/ mutual funds.

As a very basic overview.

Unit trusts are open ended (except  funds from new investors) and trade at their net asset value

Investment trusts trade like shares on an exchange. They are closed ended (don’t accept new investor funds) and can trade at a discount or premium to their actual net asset values.

The book does a much better job of explaining the differences and goes into a lot more detail. Baron examines the factors which explain why unit trusts/OEICs under perform investment trusts. He clearly presents the opportunities which many investors may be missing out on.

The book is well researched (Baron has worked in the industry for many years). It is clear easy to understand, jargon free and well structured. It is difficult to argue with any of the authors conclusions. The book also has extra tips for successful investing and information on how to construct and monitor a trust portfolio. This is a must read for any investor who currently only invests in mutual funds. I’m not surprised it has a flawless record of 5 star reviews on Amazon.

5/5

Financial Times Guide to Investment Trusts: Unlocking the City’s Best Kept Secret is available here.

 

 

‘Adventures In World Cinema’ Revealed As Theme of Cinecity, The 11th Brighton Film Festival

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 14 Nov – 1 Dec 2013
www.cine-city.co.uk
Adventures in World Cinema has been announced as the theme of CINECITY, The 11th Brighton Film Festival, which opens on Thursday 14 November with a special preview of Alexander Payne’s bittersweet and award-winning road movie Nebraska.

Alexander Payne's nebraska Brighton film festival

The festival runs until Sunday 1 December and features a packed programme of premieres, previews, treasures from the archive and free education screenings.

Opening night is always a highlight of CINECITY, which last year featured Colin Farrell in Seven Psychopaths; so there are high expectations for Nebraska, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where leading man Bruce Dern was crowned Best Actor.

Tickets for all screenings go on sale on 25 October and events take place across the city of Brighton & Hove; but principal venues are the Duke of York’s Picturehouse and, for the first time, a new two-screen cinema at Dukes@Komedia.

As always the festival celebrates not only home-grown cinema, including films from Brighton-based directors, but looks further afield – and this year’s CINECITY features the most international selection to date, with films from Singapore, Laos, Kurdistan, China, Iran, India, Israel, Mexico, as well as Poland, Czech Republic, Scandinavia, France and the US.

Many of the films come garlanded with awards from major international film festivals including A Touch of Sin, winner of Best Screenplay at this year’s Cannes; and The Rocket, winner of Audience Awards at Sydney, Melbourne and Tribeca Film Festivals and Best First Feature at the Berlin Film Festival.

Continuing the international theme, a major celebration of the work of the legendary Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer is at the heart of the festival – including an exhibition at the University of Brighton that features sets, puppets, costumes, and artwork from many of his acclaimed films including Alice, Punch and Judy and Little Otik that were a major influence on directors such Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam and the Quay Brothers.

To complement the exhibition, CINECITY presents a complete retrospective of Jan Švankmajer’s six feature films and 26 shorts alongside a programme of talks and discussions.

The festival concludes with a screening of The Double, a doppelganger comedy drama from director Richard Ayoade, at the Duke of York’s on Sunday 1 December.

The 2013 Festival sponsors include Carpenter Box LLP, Exhibit Print, Facilitate, Griffith Smith Farrington Webb LLP, La Cave a Fromage, Midnight Communications, Propellernet, Robinson Low Francis LLP, South Downs Solar and are supported by MyHotel, One Digital and The Brighton Film School.

Chor Bizarre Celebrates Indian Cinema With Launch of The Basement

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Chor Bizarre - Bollywood BasementChor Bizarre is a favourite restaurant of ours here at Frost. In fact it was one of the first restaurants we ever reviewed.

Inspired by the thieves market in India, Chor Bizarre, one of London’s iconic fine-dining restaurants serving authentic Indian cuisine is celebrating its 15th anniversary with a new Head Chef and a new menu. The restaurant has been refurbished and has now launched its new private dining area, the Bollywood Basement. To toast the centenary of the Indian Film Industry, Chor Bizarre has created this specially-designed decadent entertainment space. The room can accommodate up to 30 guests and can be booked for private parties and day-long conferences.

The Bollywood Basement is a ‘Bollywood-themed Party Room’ which oozes glamour in its Indian-cinema inspired decor. With jewel-like chandeliers and gold walls with opulent gilded frames and etched mirrors, this is the perfect Party Room to compliment Chor Bizarre’s eclectic menu. The Bollywood Basement is a passage into the world of Bollywood with walls dedicated to the greatest film icons. The much-loved faces of Hindi film heroes and heroines, villains, vamps and legendary romantic couples surround you. Along with the owner’s personal collection – most of the photographs of Indian Cinema icons are by legendary lensman, the late Gautam Rajadhyaksha.

The restaurant presents itself as an ideal location for fine-dining corporate events, full-day conferences, birthdays and other gatherings that require an extra glam quotient in a ‘Bollywood-bling’ surrounding. In addition to the Bollywood Basement, other spaces within Chor Bizarre can also be hired for exclusive and bespoke private dining, luncheon meetings, dinner parties and weekend events.

The iconic restaurant has teamed up with the award-winning Rhubarb Food Design to bring the very best cuisine, service and style to any special occasion. Chor Bizarre has partnered with Rhubarb for caterings at the V&A, Old Billingsgate and over 60 of Rhubarb’s other venues. The Chor Bizarre menu offers the entire pantheon of Indian cuisine, from Kashmir to Kerala. The restaurant can cater from small sit-down dinners to serving gourmet cuisine at large-events of up to 2000 guests. Chor Bizarre’s previous roll call of honour includes catering at the Cannes International Film Festival, The Ritz Paris and at the Conservative Friends event for UK Prime Minister David Cameron, amongst innumerable other events.

Located on Albemarle Street Mayfair, Chor Bizarre offers a distinctive ambience with imaginative flair. Inspired by the ‘Thieves Market’, a market unique to most ancient Indian cities, the whole restaurant is infused with distinctive and eye-catching décor. The gorgeous furnishings are a collector’s delight, sourced from the various bazaars of India and tastefully arranged to please the eye. Vintage furniture, antiques, innovative touches such as a canopied old-world four poster bed for seating, combined with old-world memorabilia and heritage fabrics, create an arresting landscape for an unforgettable meal.

It’s not surprising that Chor Bizarre, the London brand of New Delhi’s eternal favourite, has been adjudged ‘One of the 50 most romantic places in the world’ and included amongst ‘The Top 10 Restaurants in London for Fun and Atmosphere’ by The Independent, as well as ‘The Best North Indian Restaurant in the UK’ by The Cobra Good Curry Guide.