Could Kelly Osbourne be headed for AGT?

Kelly Osborne on her way to Australia

So Kelly is on her way to Australia, where she is going to be a columnist with Cleo magazine.

Australia’s Got Talent is also set to announce their 4th judge on Monday; the seat that was left vacant by Mel B. We all know AGT wanted Sharon Osbourne, so I wonder if they’re going with Kelly instead? Kelly is hugely popular in the US right now. She’s on Fashion Police on E! And is a regular at all the big events. Kelly would be a huge get for AGT. We know they wanted an international star, and the timing of her arrival is spot on the the announcement.

She is super sweet, so I guess she would balance out Kyle on the show. Guess we’ll have to wait till Monday and see….

April 18, 2013April 18, 2013

Eeny Meeny Miney Mo

Will the next Spice Girl come on down?

Ok, so Mel B has been banned from joining Australia’s Got Talent. Now, the rumours are that Nine is in talks with Geri, aka Ginger Spice. Before Mel B was announced, everyone was trying to get Posh Spice to come to Australia.

Now, if you were Sporty or Baby Spice, would you feel a little put out that you’re name hadn’t been tossed around yet? Well, I guess Sporty is at least working with the Jesus Christ Superstar thing. Anyone know what Baby is doing? Maybe the next reality show that pops up will announce her. It seems like it’s de rigeur to have a Spice Girl at the moment.

All Power to the girls for being so popular. It seems like all the 90’s bands are having a resurgence. But can’t they work on the UK versions of these shows?

I don’t get why none of these shows want an Aussie judge. Of course, I look at Delta Goodrem on The Voice, and people are just downright mean to her. Aussie’s say they want an Aussie host or judge, but when they get one, they’re pretty disrespectful to them. Even Danni Minogue gets mixed reviews. It seems a little better for the men. Keith Urban, even though people in Australia aren’t big on country music, seemed to have a little more respect for him.

I can see why the foreign judges are all about doing it. You get to come to Australia for a few months, revive your career in a foreign market without your local people seeing it. That means that there’s no hate from your own local crowd. Back in your home country you can boast you were a judge on a major show, and hopefully then get a job for big money at home. Even the couple of Aussie’s, Keith and Danni are also working overseas. The UK versions of these reality shows have Danni, American Idol has Keith, so maybe it’s just a mixed bag of nationalities that play music chairs on all the versions of these shows.

So now we just have to wait and see who takes the last chair on X Factor and Australia’s Got Talent. Would you like to see another Spice Girl? Or would you like them to pick a total random? Do you care if it’s an Aussie, or you just want a big name star?

April 17, 2013

Mel B officially banned from Nine

Channel Seven wins case to stop Scary Spice moving to Nine.

So Mel B won’t be moving to Channel Nine and now there’s an open judges seat on Australia’s Got Talent.

Now, instead of taking this opportunity to pick an Australian judge for Australia’s Got Talent, the names being whispered as back up plans are Ginger Spice, Chris Isaak and of course, Sharon Osbourne.

Come on Producers. It’s not like the shows are internationally syndicated so you need foreign talent so foreign audiences will watch. This show is for Australian audiences. It’s got Australian talent. Why are networks so against hiring Australian judges?

What do you guys think? Do you want to see another Spice Girl, or do you think they should find an Aussie to fill the spot?

April 16, 2013

Australia’s Got Talent 2013

More announcements for AGT

So far, they’ve announced judges Timomatic, Kyle Sandilands, Dawn French, Mel B and now Julia Morris as the host. There’s still some drama over whether Mel B will actually get to work on Channel 9. Apparently even though the X Factor has announced Danni Minogue as a new judge, they’re still trying to stop Mel B from moving to AGT. There is still one seat open on X Factor, so maybe they’re hoping to put Mel B in that spot. More likely though, they’re just continuing their war with Nine…. I’ll be interested to see how it plays out. Either way, Simon Cowell wins. He created both programs, and this legal battle is creating lots of free publicity for both shows.

It’s interesting to see people’s reactions to AGT moving to Nine. Some people think the show should be retired. I’m actually glad there’s still a talent show out there for ANY kind of talent, not just singing. There’s so many singing shows, X Factor, Idol, The Voice, etc. There’s been more over the years. But if your talent lies in another area, there hasn’t been a whole lot of places for you to show it off. At least during the 80’s there was Hey Hey It’s Saturday and Have a Go. Today it’s all about the singers.

I’m pretty excited they picked a variety of hosts, not just singers. Dawn French and Julia Morris should bring some definite laughs to the show. Timomatic has been through the reality show cycle, so he should bring a different view to the process. Kyle is Kyle. All these shows need someone who will tell it like it is without sugar coating it. I admit it, I loved the Spice Girls, so I have a soft spot for Mel B. I hope she makes it on there.

Seeing all these new shows popping up in Australia makes me wish I was still in Australia and working in the industry. I think it would be super fun to spend a year as a judge or host on a talent show. I’m not sure people would like me as a judge though, cause I have no social filter….

I wonder if Nine has a backup plan in case they don’t get Mel B after all? I’m sure they’re pretty confident they’ll work it out, but just in case they don’t, who do I email to let them know I’m available? 😉

December 10, 2012December 10, 2012

More International Judges?

Are there no qualified Aussies?

I’m sorry, I just need to have a little rant. All the papers and gossip sites are buzzing about who the new judges will be on talent shows in 2013, and I just need to have a minor patriotic hissy fit.

When I was a kid, my mum asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said I wanted to be black. She asked what I meant, and I said that black people were so talented. They could sing, dance and act. They were a triple threat. She looked at me and said, Don’t you know that black people are oppressed? They’ve been enslaved, they got a bum deal? I, at that tender age had no clue what racism was, or understood slavery. I just knew that when I watched TV, black people were talented. Most people get one gift, singing OR dancing OR acting. It seemed like every black person on TV was just mega talented. I wished I was black….

It seems that whoever is doing casting for all these judging shows has the same glasses I had as a kid. Maybe not necessarily black, but it certainly is a foreign thing. They think all the talent lies in someone from overseas, and there’s no good talent in Australia. Well, maybe the producers of Everybody Dance Now thought the same as me…..

I get that these shows like Australia’s Got Talent and The Voice are international concepts and we live in an increasingly global market. People in Australia really do have to break into an overseas market to make money, and having an international Judge or Host brings some international perspective to the mix. But when your show is ONLY foreigners, or all but one, it’s getting a little ridiculous.

Take The Voice. It had Delta Goodrem, Keith Urban, Seal and Joel Madden. Two Aussies and two foreigners. Now that Keith is gone, they’re getting Ricky Martin. Now, I have to say, I’m conflicted on this one. I love Ricky Martin. I adore him. I could stare at him all day long. I first heard Ricky back in 1993, when I went to Honduras. When he was singing in Spanish, and hadn’t crossed over to the English market yet. I got back to Australia, and had to order CDs internationally. I loved his long curly hair. I loved that he was in a boy band called Menudo and had successfully transitioned out to being a solo artist. I was so excited when he crossed over to the English market, because then all my friends could understand who this Latin God was. I think Ricky is an awesome choice. He’s been an artist since he was a child, he’s a true cross over artist, and lets face it, the guy is sexy as hell and we all want to look at him.

But, the little patriotic voice in me asks why the hell do they need THREE foreign judges and only one Aussie? Delta will be the only Aussie left, and lets face it, she’s not the most popular judge on the show….Even the host of that show is only kinda Australian. The X Factor has Mel B and Ronan Keating, so they’re 50/50 too. They’ve got an Aussie host, so they’re kinda doing better in the Patriotic factor.

Now that Australia’s Got Talent is moving to nine, they’re going to revamp the show and there’s much speculation on who the new Judges will be. Victoria Beckham is being touted as the biggest want, and the news.com.au poll asks which International artist would we like to see? How about a button for pick a fricken Aussie?

It’s bad enough that all the TV shows are now based on music. It’s hard enough for Australian actors and presenters to get a job without making everything about music, so that singers and musicians are not just on our radio, but they’re taking over TV as well. Now all those jobs are going to foreigner singers, it’s a double insult to Australian artists.

I guess it’s not just singing talent shows either. Even things like Celebrity Apprentice seem to have a token American. Is it that Australia just feels like they HAVE to have the validation of foreigners, or is it that no Aussie wants to work on these shows? I see all that’s written about Delta and Natalie, and I think that maybe Aussie’s are scared to step up into the role in case they’re hated on like those two are.

If I had any shred of singing ability, I’d leap at the chance to work on a judging show. Realistically though, for something like Australia’s Got Talent, you don’t need to be a singer. Most music producers can’t sing themselves, and AGT is about more than just singing. Plus, you really don’t need to be talented to say whether someone else is good or bad. We all judge from our couch, whether we have any talent or not. You don’t need to be able to make an apple pie to know whether one is good or not when you eat it.

I tell you what; I can’t sing to save my life, but I can act. I can talk in front of a camera. I even used to teach acting classes to kids. I’ve worked in Australia and the US, and more importantly, I’ve got TWO passports. An Australian one and a US one. How about I come home and at least host one of these talent shows? Australian audiences will get an Aussie on TV, and the producers can have someone with a US passport to fill that ever important foreigner slot…..