I'm just watching part 1 of Zoe's X-Pose! It's very interesting
Zoe Alexander - X-Factor, The Truth
- Thread starter RidesOnTheBreeze
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Edit - sorry, I see this has already been posted in another thread
I'm glad this has its separate thread because I am banned from the other one for "spamming", when all I did was hint at various behind the scenes stories without revealing them so as to avoid any legal recourse...
But anyway, I know Zoe and know that she would have been reluctant to sing a Pink song as she has a very strong personality of her own. I also know how much scouting goes on prior to the taped auditions and how the researchers were always looking for a particular story rather than someone with the X Factor.
So while her version of her outburst might be misremembered, I believe nearly everything she says leading up to that.
But anyway, I know Zoe and know that she would have been reluctant to sing a Pink song as she has a very strong personality of her own. I also know how much scouting goes on prior to the taped auditions and how the researchers were always looking for a particular story rather than someone with the X Factor.
So while her version of her outburst might be misremembered, I believe nearly everything she says leading up to that.
The most ridiculous part of her audition is when she throws down the microphone and they cut to Tulisa and add a little camera-shaking effect. As though a single mic being dropped on the stage shook equipment 50ft away.
Also the fact that the audience is deathly silent and judgemental during the audition, but as soon as a judge starts to speak, cheering fades in briefly before dying out. It's clear they switched out the audience reaction entirely.
The worst part of her whole story is how clearly they were trying to intentionally manufacture a breakdown. They literally ensured she had no sleep to make her nice and emotional, primed her to beg, and sent her out to pre-planned bullying.
That and switching the backing track and cutting off her earpiece. Obviously, if she'd aced her second song, it would ruin their planned storyline, so they sabotaged her second attempt, too.
Makes you wonder how often they've done that to other acts.
Also the fact that the audience is deathly silent and judgemental during the audition, but as soon as a judge starts to speak, cheering fades in briefly before dying out. It's clear they switched out the audience reaction entirely.
The worst part of her whole story is how clearly they were trying to intentionally manufacture a breakdown. They literally ensured she had no sleep to make her nice and emotional, primed her to beg, and sent her out to pre-planned bullying.
That and switching the backing track and cutting off her earpiece. Obviously, if she'd aced her second song, it would ruin their planned storyline, so they sabotaged her second attempt, too.
Makes you wonder how often they've done that to other acts.
As much as I feel for her - cause she did prove the whole thing had been staged - we can't just ignore the fact that she's not a good singer. I can't help but feel like she overexaggerated while talking about her experience with the judges and how negative they were towards her. Actually, I think they went quite easy on her; nobody on the panel straight-up told her that she was BAD, just average. I'm not sure I believe the part about the monitors being off, too. All of her covers on YouTube are heavily autotuned and likes/dislikes have been disabled - makes you wonder why. It's pretty clear she's fully in control of the comments section, too, and only publishes the positive feedback. Also, her not mentioning the fact that she'd been a P!nk tribute act for two years prior to her audition... Yeah, I don't know how I feel about that.
She doesn't sound like Pink in the slightest, so I'm surprised she managed to maintain a career as a tribute act.
That being said, I've never doubted the whole thing was staged; having someone sing So What and then stomp off the stage swearing and pushing the camera away was pretty on-the-nose even by X Factor standards.
That being said, I've never doubted the whole thing was staged; having someone sing So What and then stomp off the stage swearing and pushing the camera away was pretty on-the-nose even by X Factor standards.
I mean, we can, because it has nothing to do with anything really.
It has always been abundantly clear she was manipulated. I found it weird that they aired the bit where she said "you told me to sing a Pink song" because that was clearly aimed at the producers. Makes you wonder how many others were manipulated the same way.
She says Nicole never said "no baby no", and it's interesting if you watch it back because they play exact same audio of Nicole saying it twice in a row.
That said, Zoe's account of what happened after she sang doesn't stack up. She says she never came back on the stage with her dad, but there's video footage of it in her audition. She says she didn't push over a truss and only shook it, but the video shows something different.
She says Nicole never said "no baby no", and it's interesting if you watch it back because they play exact same audio of Nicole saying it twice in a row.
That said, Zoe's account of what happened after she sang doesn't stack up. She says she never came back on the stage with her dad, but there's video footage of it in her audition. She says she didn't push over a truss and only shook it, but the video shows something different.
I don't like to see anyone exploited, but I am a bit perplexed by how adamant she is over her singing capabilities. She must know from the heavy editing of her vocals on her videos, and the fact she's removed the like/dislike feature.
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I was in the audience for those Cardiff auditions in in 2012. George Shelley was at the same rounds and did an acoustic cover of Toxic.
It's weird because I remember her audition happened really quickly. She kind of came on stage, sang a bit of both songs then stormed off, throwing the mic on the way. Everyone was kind of like 'wtf?' and they quickly moved on. I honestly don't remember her dad coming out or Nicole's iconic moment whatsoever. But then I also don't get how they filmed that footage/edited it in?? Like that's confusing to me. But I genuinely don't remember it being the drawn out saga we see in the audition video, and I'm sure her dad wasn't there, for what it's worth.
It's weird because I remember her audition happened really quickly. She kind of came on stage, sang a bit of both songs then stormed off, throwing the mic on the way. Everyone was kind of like 'wtf?' and they quickly moved on. I honestly don't remember her dad coming out or Nicole's iconic moment whatsoever. But then I also don't get how they filmed that footage/edited it in?? Like that's confusing to me. But I genuinely don't remember it being the drawn out saga we see in the audition video, and I'm sure her dad wasn't there, for what it's worth.
But... there’s footage of her hand-in-hand with her Dad, on stage? Seems a bit beyond the pale to fake that, even for The X Factor.
It’s certainly a mystery, isn’t it?
It’s possible Zoe maybe misremembering some of it. But then again I’ve seen people who were supposedly there that day backing up her story. I’d be interested in hearing Tulisa’s take. The exact audio of her saying “we never told you to sing a Pink song” was repeated a few times.
Part 2 is up.
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Kitty sent me a long message on Instagram last night telling me she’d watched the video and has contacted Zoe on Facebook. She went on about how she told Zoe to do what she did and go and work abroad because the tabloids here would destroy her.
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It's not my place to diminish what I'm sure was a pretty traumatic experience for her, especially the fact it was undeniably set up to engineer a reaction out of her and the finished product was obviously edited to make a fool of her (the whole "we didn't tell you to sing a Pink song!!!1!" bullshit was frustrating even back when it aired).
But in light of Misha B, Leigh-Anne and Alexandra shedding light on their X-Factor experiences to fuel important discussion on society and its treatment of women of colour, I just find this extended "exposé" a little unnecessary, self serving and coming from a place of complete naivety. The show had taken advantage of contestants before and after her and whilst that doesn't make it right, calling for people to come forward to help fan the flames isn't really a fight worth having in 2020 when the show hasn't really held any gravitas now for what? 5/6 years?
But in light of Misha B, Leigh-Anne and Alexandra shedding light on their X-Factor experiences to fuel important discussion on society and its treatment of women of colour, I just find this extended "exposé" a little unnecessary, self serving and coming from a place of complete naivety. The show had taken advantage of contestants before and after her and whilst that doesn't make it right, calling for people to come forward to help fan the flames isn't really a fight worth having in 2020 when the show hasn't really held any gravitas now for what? 5/6 years?