The X-Factor is back

A TOTAL of 182,000 people put their names forward to be on this year’s X-Factor.

And after watching the show on Saturday it looks like most of them were rubbish.

The audition episodes are usually the most entertaining.

The people who appear on it think they can sing and when they are told by the panel they were awful, they look shell-shocked.

It is always funny to see the look of horror on the faces of the panel, when they have to sit through a bad audition.

Two men even had to be escorted off by the bouncer, because they would not take no for an answer. The Rick Astley impersonator was passable, but his friend was laughable.

Occasionally though, someone appears on the show who has a fantastic voice.

Sharon Osbourne is no longer a panellist on the X-Factor and the new judge is Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud. She is very similar in personality to Dannii Minogue and I am not sure if she will work as well as Sharon Osbourne. But I bet there will be a few clashes between the two of them in forthcoming weeks.

The most interesting part of the show was when Cheryl was confronted with a fellow contestant from Popstars:The Rivals. The difference in the fortunes between the two was staggering.

He was singing in working men’s clubs, while she is in one of the biggest girl bands in Britain, and worth a fortune.

New England cricket captain

THE announcement of Kevin Pietersen as England cricket captain might have been seen as a surprise to some people, but I think his leadership has brought a breath of fresh air to the team.

Michael Vaughan's first spell as captain was very successful and led to England regaining The Ashes in 2005. However his second spell was tired and it was if he had run out of ideas.

Vaughan was at one time one of the leading batters in the world, but in the latest series against South Africa he had failed to make any significant innings of note.

By contrast Pietersen made 100 in his first innings at The Oval and hit 94 at Edgbaston, before being caught trying to hit a six to reach his 100.

Critics of Pietersen have said he is too selfish and showy to be captain, but in this latest test his hands-on approach has helped bowlers, such as Harmison who had been out of favour with selectors.

He is also very vocal in the field and quick to offer a word of encouragement to a member of his team, if he feels that they need it.

Meanwhile, walking into HMV at lunchtime recently I made the observation – although I may be wrong – that they are selling less CDs. It seemed they had more DVDs and less albums. I thought to myself why could this be?

The only answer I could come up with is that more people are now downloading their music instead of buying it in a shop.

I also think that shoppers must be buying more DVDs than CDs.

Will CDs go the way of vinyl and audio cassettes and video cassettes?

The Dark Knight

THE new Batman film – The Dark Knight – kept me on the edge of the seat when I watched it last week.

I remember going to watch the original Batman film almost 20 years ago at the cinema and being mesmerised by that film too.

It never seemed as good when I watched it again when it was shown on TV a few years later.

I think Blockbusters have to be seen at the cinema and it is only here that you pick up all the sounds and images.

I was surprised to see that the film was a 12A though.

A 12A certificate means that children of 12 can watch it unaccompanied, and younger children can go to watch it if they are with their parents.

Apparently the British Board of Film classification has already received 70 complaints about the film.

In certain parts of the film parents have had to put their hands over their children’s eyes.

Scenes that parents have complained about include one where a man’s eye is jabbed with a pencil.

Another scene to cause concern is where The Joker graphically tells how he has knifed people.

In the original Batman film Jack Nicholson played the Joker for laughs in some scenes, Heath Ledger’s portrayal is equally brilliant, but much darker.Critics have also said there are scenes of “gratuitous violence” in the Dark Knight.