Goldie quits X Factor ... for making fun of her and using her as a 'joke act'

By Lara Gould

Last updated at 10:45 AM on 25th September 2011

The X Factor has been plunged into fresh chaos after a finalist walked out on the show over fears she was being used as a 'joke act'.

Goldie Cheung is the first person ever to have chosen to quit after being selected for the talent contest's live rounds.

The 49-year-old mother of two – who wore skimpy outfits and wrapped her leg around judge Gary Barlow's neck during her audition – was one of 16 acts picked to move into the X Factor 'house' in Hertfordshire.

Raunchy: Goldie Cheung sprawls across a piano on tonight's X Factor. She has now quit the show after being annoyed at being made a joke of

She was due to arrive last Sunday to prepare for next month's live shows. But Ms Cheung failed to turn up at the £5 million villa.

Her exit comes as the programme was forced to replace Sian Phillips, another of the finalists, because she had served time in jail for affray.

An X Factor spokesman confirmed Ms Cheung, whose husband is a former civil servant, had left the show for 'personal reasons'.

Showing off her moves: Goldie was seen strutting her stuff on stage during the X Factor bootcamp last night

Quirky: Goldie gave it her all during her performance, even writhing on the stage floor for effect

But The Mail on Sunday has spoken to sources who claim she left because she feared she would be turned into a national laughing stock.

It raises further questions about the ITV1 show's treatment of contestants. Only last week it was criticised for its handling of 54-year-old widow Ceri Rees, who was repeatedly invited back by producers but ridiculed for her performances.

Silenced: Goldie said she was told not to give any interviews about the X Factor

The Mail on Sunday tracked down Ms Cheung to her family's £350,000 bungalow in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

Asked if she had left the show, Ms Cheung, who was still dressed in her pyjamas at 4.30pm, said: 'No, I haven't left the show. Who told you that? I haven't even told anyone that.

'I cannot speak to you. The X Factor have told me I can't give any interviews.'

Despite her sudden exit from the show, Ms Cheung features heavily in tonight's and next week's programmes, which were filmed more than three weeks ago.

A source said her decision to leave was triggered by discussions with her husband, David Webb, 52, who used to work for Chris Patten, the former British Governor of Hong Kong. Mr Patten is now chairman of the BBC.

Following a series of conversations with her husband, Hong Kong-born Ms Cheung concluded she was being used by the programme as a figure of fun – like last year's tone-deaf act Wagner Carrilho – rather than a serious contender.

Tonight, viewers will see Ms Cheung give another attention-grabbing performance, lying on a piano and afterwards attempting to kiss Take That star Barlow.

In further scandal, X Factor bosses had to kick out Miss Phillips, 24, because her conviction would prevent her getting a visa to travel with other contestants to Miami.

She will be seen briefly on tonight's show before she is replaced.

BBC confirms there is no role for Cheryl Cole on The Voice

Cheryl Cole has suffered another career setback after the BBC confirmed it would not offer her a role on new reality show The Voice.

Corporation sources said the 28-year-old held talks about appearing on the series, which will feature singers auditioning to a blindfolded celebrity panel so they are judged purely on their vocal ability.

But producers felt the show, which launches in the spring, needed a fresh face. A decision on the line-up has yet to be made.

Miss Cole is on a sabbatical after leaving her judging role on The X Factor and being axed from the US version of the show. Sources said the singer intends to focus on her music.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2041475/Goldie-quits-X-Factor---making-fun-using-joke-act.html#ixzz1YxYVXbP4

Love is in the air: X Factor's Frankie Cocozza and Beccy Shaw share sexy jacuzzi session before spending the night together

By Sarah Bull

Last updated at 1:30 AM on 25th September 2011

He was always going to be one of the most talked-about contestants on this year's X Factor.

And Frankie Cocozza has got things off to a flying start after hitting it off with fellow contestant Beccy Shaw at bootcamp.

At a welcome party for the hopefuls at a London hotel, Frankie was seen getting ready for the party, telling his friend he had already received a text from Beccy with her room number on it.

Love is in the air: Frankie Cocozza and Beccy Shaw were seen enjoying a sexy jacuzzi session during the X Factor bootcamp welcome party

He was later seen enjoying a sexy jacuzzi session with the pretty brunette singer, who admitted she was attracted to the cheeky singer.

Speaking to the camera, Beccy said: 'Frankie is very good looking and he seems like my kind of guy!'

The pair were later caught on camera sneaking off to Beccy's room for a late night rendezvous.

Frankie admitted earlier this week he had 'got lucky' with Beccy, but didn't see a future with her.

Singing stars: The duo had both made it through to bootcamp, but Beccy has now been told she will have to form a group if she wants to continue

Time for bed! The X Factor cameras caught Frankie leading Beccy back to her room for a late night rendezvous

He said: 'I got lucky on the first night, with a girl called Beccy. But that's not going anywhere. I've got my sights on so many more women.

'There are so many fit girls here, it's ridiculous. I haven't really got a type. I'm not at all fussy.

'If you asked which is more important, finding a girl or getting through to the judge's house stage, I'd say it was 50-50.'

The start of a beautiful friendship: Frankie and Beccy weren't the only X Factor contestants to strike up a bond

Cuddling up: There was kissing, canoodling and sexy dancing at the party

It had seemed, however, that whatever future the pair's dalliance had would be cut short after the judges put Frankie through on the first day of bootcamp but chose to send Beccy home.

However, the young singer was given a lifeline by the panel when they offered her the chance to form a group with some other former hopefuls in a bid to continue in the competition.

Frankie wasn't the only hopeful to have hit it off with a fellow contestant at the welcome party.

Give us a kiss! One young man looked as though he was hitting it off with the ladies, and had lipstick marks all over his cheeks

Several couples were shown on camera kissing and cuddling in dark corners while making the most of the party.

Frankie has been more than vocal of his love of the fairer sex, and showed off his unusual tattoo during his initial X Factor audition, after boasting to Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland he had been inked with the names of the girls he had slept with over last summer.

But after said girls complained, Frankie issued a hasty clarification and said they simply visited the bar where he worked while they were on holiday in Malia, Crete.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2041512/Love-air-X-Factors-Frankie-Cocozza-Beccy-Shaw-share-sexy-jacuzzi-session-spending-night-together.html#ixzz1YxZ1K3Oo

How low can X Factor go? Contestant's porn video shame revealed as another is axed because of her criminal record

Sian Phillips served ten days in jail for affray in 2009

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 1:28 AM on 25th September 2011

Favourite: Lascel Wood has denied uploading the sex video of himself

X-Factor has been dealt a double blow after two of its contestants became embroiled in scandal.

The show has hit a new low after it was revealed Lascel Wood was caught performing a sex act on himself in an online video while female contestant Sian Phillips was axed from the show because of her criminal past.

Twenty-year-old Lascel will be appearing on X Factor tonight and tomorrow to see if he makes it through to the judges' houses stage.

But he has denied making the porn video and refused to comment.

However, a source close to him said someone else could be responsible for putting the video on the internet.

The singer wowed judges during the audition stages earlier this month and had judge Kelly Rowland close to tears with his rendition of Kings Of Leon's Use Somebody.

According to the Sun the video was shot using a webcam and shows Lascel lying on his own in the nude before performing the act.

The video was found on a hardcore porn website which people paid £5 to watch.

Wow: Judge Kelly Rowland was brought to tears after listening to Lascel sing

Happy: Lascel with his mother Pauline who came onto the stage after his audition

The price of the video changes depending on its popularity and contributors get a cut of the money based on the number of downloads.

Lascel revealed during the audition that he was in foster care from an early age because his mother Pauline has a bipolar disorder.

She was there to watch him sing for the first time.

Liverpudlian Sian has also brought shame on the show after it was revealed that she had been jailed for affray in May 2009, serving 10 days of a two-month sentence for a fight.

Criminal past: Sian has served a prison sentence for affray and couldn't travel to the US during the visit to the judge's homes

The 24-year-old appears on next week's episode which reveals she is unable to travel to the US to Kelly's Miami home for the judges stages.

Tearful Sian is comforted by Kelly after it was revealed she couldn't get a visa.

'I'd lost my home and come out of a relationship and I went off the rails,' said Sian to the Sun.

'I'd never been in trouble with the police and it was the shock I needed to get my life back on track.'