Friends and vocal school classmates Charlotte Jaconelli, 16, and Jonathan Antoine, 17, stunned the audience this weekend after singing an opera song for "Britain's Got Talent." The weight conscious Jonathan admitted to being self-conscious and needing his pal by his side to boost his confidence.

"You are unbelievable," Simon Cowell told Jonathan after they finished their number. He added, "You are a future star."

Jonathan has drawn comparisons to Susan Boyle and has even earned the nickname "SuBoy."

Although Charlotte got less praise from the judges (Cowell, Carmen Electra, David Wallia...

Music mogul Simon Cowell has likened his terrifying home invasion scare to a "horror movie" after he found a woman in his house armed with a brick.

Leanne Zaloumis, 29, from Catford, south London, was arrested and charged with aggravated burglary after allegedly breaking into Cowell's $14.4 million west London home on Saturday night.

She reportedly entered the house in the posh area of Holland Park after smashing a downstairs window with a brick before coming face-to-face with the shocked TV talent judge.

Cowell's spokesperson, Max Clifford, says, "There was a loud bang and Simon rush...

Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am has accused Simon Cowell of failing to develop the talented hopefuls who appear on his TV contests.

The rapper insists Cowell lets down his acts by not providing them with career guidance after they compete in shows such as The X Factor.

will.i.am cites British teenage singer/rapper Cher Lloyd, who competed in The X Factor in 2010 but who the hip-hop star claims has not been given the "right material" to record after being signed to Cowell's Syco Music label.

He tells Britain's The Sun, "I love Cher Lloyd. She should have been the biggest star in the wo...

Simon Cowell is standing by his protégée Tulisa Contostavlos after her sex tape leaked on the internet, insisting the scandal won't affect her job as a judge on U.K. talent show The X Factor.

The former N'Dubz star has admitted she is the woman seen performing a sex act on a man in the footage which appeared online earlier this week, even though her lawyers previously branded the tape a fake.

She spoke to fans in an emotional video message on Wednesday, telling of her devastation and blaming the leak on an ex-boyfriend, while rumors suggested the scandal could cost the singer her job on...

Black Eyed Peas star Fergie has reportedly added her name to the race for new X Factor judges on the U.S. version of the show.

Sources tell Life & Style magazine the "My Humps" singer has had "some conversations" with the producers and music and TV mogul Simon Cowell, and she hopes to fill one of the spots left by Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul on the show.

And, if the reports are true, Fergie could be up against Britney Spears for one of the two vacancies - because Cowell has announced he wants a man and a woman to join him and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid on the panel.

A source tells the pu...

George Clooney's girlfriend Stacy Keibler is in talks to host the upcoming season of hit TV series The X Factor, according to a new report.

Music mogul Simon Cowell has been scrambling to find the talent show's new dream team ever since host Steve Jones and judges Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul were axed in January.

Now, reports suggest former professional wrestler Keibler is in negotiations to front the program.

A source tells the New York Post, "She looks fantastic and has bags of charisma."

Cowell has previously expressed his desire to sign both a male and female host to repl...

Simon Cowell is considering axing his U.K TV hit The X Factor if ratings continue to fall.

The music mogul abandoned the British version of the show to take the concept Stateside, leaving the panel in the hands of Take That star Gary Barlow, who was joined by fellow panelists Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh.

However, the new line-up failed to achieve the huge rating figures Cowell was used to and he admits he may scrap the series and replace it with another project.

He tells Live magazine, "I would rather (the show) fall off the cliff on numbers than deteriorate slo...

Smashing Pumpkins star Billy Corgan has urged Simon Cowell to consider him for the vacant judging post on TV talent show "The X Factor."

The rocker insists he'd jump at the chance to mentor wannabes if a role on the program was offered to him.

He tells Spinner.com, "I don't have a problem with (American) Idol or X Factor; I have a problem with when those things (talent shows) are not given the proper contextual hue. If there's an American Idol there should be a proper alternative counterbalance."

Corgan's news comes a week after rumors suggesting Britney Spears was in negotiations for a...

Simon Cowell is refusing to confirm or deny rumors he's chasing Britney Spears for "The X Factor," telling fans they'll have to "wait and see" if the pop star becomes a judge on the show.

The singer is reportedly in contract talks to replace either Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger, but Cowell is refusing to let viewers know just how close she is to signing up - or if the rumors are true.

He says, "You'll have to wait and see...I can't confirm or deny anything right now. The truth is, we are talking to a number of people. It changes on a daily basis, to be honest with you."

But Cowell ha...

Britney Spears is about to sign on to join Simon Cowell and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid as a judge on "The X Factor," according to reports.

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that Spears' fiance and agent Jason Trawick is negotiating a deal, which could be signed as early as next week.

Britney sure has the star power to bring in viewers, but does she have what it takes to be a mentor to aspiring singers?

Janet Jackson was in the running as a potential judge, but reportedly bowed out citing previous commitments.

Cowell and producers are completely revamping the show. They fired judges Nicole ...

Former American Idol champion Kelly Clarkson is set to front a new reality TV singing show with Lionel Richie.

The singer, who won the first season of Simon Cowell's talent show in 2002, is becoming a TV judge herself on a new series called Duets, in which a number of stars will head out across America to find a collaborative partner.

Richie will also be joining the show along with Robin Thicke and country star Jennifer Nettles.

During the series, the four stars will go looking for singers to be their duet partner, and each week will feature a performance in front of a studio audience...

Queen Latifah is following in the footsteps of Simon Cowell by launching a new reality TV show with stars including Gloria Estefan and John Rich scouting for talent across the U.S.

The rapper/actress is executive producer of a competition called The Star Next Door, in which celebrity mentors will travel to cities across the country to seek out local performers with potential.

The show will differ from rivals such as American Idol, The X Factor and The Voice by sending the judges out to find potential competitors instead of holding open auditions.

A statement from the CW network reads,...

Janet Jackson has ruled herself out of the next season of The X Factor because she just can't work the show into her schedule.

The Nasty singer was one of the stars rumored to be in the running to take up a seat as a judge on Simon Cowell's hit TV talent contest following the departure of Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul after the first series.

She played coy about the job possibility during an interview with Anderson Cooper last month, but she has now confirmed she definitely won't be on the panel.

She tells E! News, "(I'm) very flattered that X Factor let me know that I was being ...

Simon Cowell has split from his on/off fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy, according to one of the music mogul's friends.

The X Factor judge proposed to the American Idol make-up artist in 2010, but split rumors have been rife since he vacationed with a group of women without her in January.

Cowell recently insisted he was confused about the romance, saying, "I'm vulnerable. It's not on, it's not off, it's somewhere in the middle. I don't know if I will ever get married, but I am happy."

However, his pal Zeta Graff, who was with the star on the sun-soaked holiday, claims the engagement is off. ...

Music mogul Antonio 'L.A.' Reid has played down reports suggesting Whitney Houston was primed to become a judge on "The X Factor" at the time of her death earlier this month, revealing producers hadn't even had meetings with her.

The producer's "X Factor" co-judge Simon Cowell went public with news that Houston was being considered as one of the replacements for Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger on the talent show, but Reid insists the media have taken the Brit's comments out of context.

Reid tells WENN, "We love Whitney and we would have certainly considered it, but the truth is it neve...

Singer Paula Abdul has cleared up rumors suggesting she left America's The X Factor on bad terms, insisting her departure was "amicable" and she remains friends with creator Simon Cowell.

The star reteamed with her former American Idol colleague Cowell to sit on the judging panel for the first season of the reality TV show, but she was axed from the line-up at the end of series one along with fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.

Online gossip suggested Abdul was furious about being booted from the show, but she has now spoken out to dismiss rumors of a rift with her longt...

Simon Cowell is planning a special tribute to Whitney Houston during the new season of The X Factor, the show he hoped to hire her for before her death this month.

The singing superstar was found dead in her hotel room in Los Angeles on February 11th, just two days before Cowell was due to host a meeting to discuss giving her a job on the Fox TV talent show.

And Cowell has now revealed he's planning to honor Houston on the second series of The X Factor.

He says, "I've got a feeling we're going to see a Whitney tribute on (shows) The Voice and (American) Idol before us. We're going to ...

Janet Jackson has fueled rumors she is in talks to join the judging panel of Simon Cowell's reality show The X Factor by refusing to answer questions about the subject during a TV interview.

Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, who had served as judges on the first season of U.S. version of the program last year, recently left the panel and Cowell is now looking for famous faces to fill the vacant slots.

The "Nasty" hitmaker is rumored to be in the running and she fueled the speculation during an interview with newsman Anderson Cooper earlier this week when she tried to skirt around the to...

Simon Cowell was doubly devastated upon hearing news of Whitney Houston's death on Saturday as he had hoped to hire her for The X Factor.

The superstar singer was found dead in her hotel room in Los Angeles, just two days before Cowell was due to host a meeting to discuss giving her a job on the reality TV show.

Cowell, who recently axed Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger from the judging panel, has revealed he heard rumors Houston would be interested in joining the upcoming second series and he had scheduled talks on Monday with network bosses at Fox.

He told CNN's Piers Morgan, "The ru...

Music mogul Simon Cowell fought to help his friend Paula Abdul keep her job as a judge on "The X Factor," but he was overruled by TV executives.

Abdul was dropped from the line-up of the reality show last month, along with fellow panel member Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.

Antonio 'L.A.' Reid kept his place as a judge, and Cowell reveals he did everything he could to keep Abdul alongside him on the Fox series when negotiations began at the start of the year.

He told "Extra," "I would've liked to have kept her. She was very gracious and I said that to her. She understands it's b...

Simon Cowell is a man who knows what he wants. And when it comes to The X Factor USA, what Cowell wants is Beyoncé.

Listen up, X Factor fans. Here's the latest scoop heating up the search engines: Simon Cowell has reportedly offered pop megastar Beyoncé a whopping $500 million to appear as a judge and mentor on the sophomore season of his struggling FOX talent show, The X Factor.

An "extremely reliable" source blabbed the alleged scoop to Media TakeOut on Thursday. We hear Simon is desperate to get a "big name female star on the panel" and Mariah Carey — who has been the subject of X Fac...

We spotted Jennifer Lopez leaving her Manhattan hotel yesterday. The singer/actress waved to fans as she left wearing blue and red checkered pants, a plaid scarf and fur stole.

Lopez is currently judging season 11 of "American Idol." She's lucky she still has a job. Simon Cowell has been shaking things up on competing FOX singing competition show "The X Factor." Host Steve Jones and judges Nicole Scherzinger & Paula Abdul were booted after just one season.

She is also working on and promoting her new reality TV show Q'Viva - The Chosen, which she hosts and produces with her ex Marc Anthon...

Music and TV mogul Simon Cowell has confirmed Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger will not be returning as star judges on the new season of The X Factor.

On Monday, host Steve Jones became the first to be dropped from the U.S. version of the program ahead of its second season, while it was rumored singers Abdul and Scherzinger would also be axed.

The two stars, who sat on the judging panel alongside Cowell and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, confirmed the news of their exit on Tuesday.

In a Twitter.com post, Scherzinger wrote, "I wanted to let you know directly from me that it's true I won't be retu...

The contestants aren't the only ones getting booted off The X Factor: Judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger have been shown the door, according to EW.com.

Perhaps the fallout surrounding Rachel Crow's elimination (Scherzinger infamously refused to vote, thus setting up a audience tiebreaker that Crow lost) influenced the singer's - or the producer's - decision. A source told EW, "She wants to focus on her music career. She's spoken to Simon [Cowell] and he's given her his blessing. X Factor took a lot more of her time than she ever expected. She didn’t have any time really to work on h...

British presenter Steve Jones has announced he won't be returning as the host of "The X Factor."

The Welsh star was rumored to be leaving the series after failing to impress viewers following the first season of the talent competition last year.

Show boss Simon Cowell spoke out midway through the series to insist Jones' job was safe, stating, "There is a lot of speculation about Steve Jones leaving the show. To avoid any confusion, Steve will be hosting all of the live shows and he's doing a great job."

But it has now been revealed he has been dropped ahead of the second season later thi...

Jada Pinkett-Smith is launching a new TV talent show with American Idol star Simon Cowell.

The pair will set out on a hunt for the world's best DJs.

Speaking about the new venture, Matrix Reloaded star Pinkett-Smith says, "This show will comb the world to find a new breed of talent."

And reality show veteran Cowell, who has been developing the series for over a year with his production team at SYCO Entertainment, admits he's thrilled to work with the multi-talented beauty: "As soon as I met Jada and Miguel (her associate)... I knew they would be our ideal partners..."

"DJs are the ne...

The teenager who became the X Factor's first winner has signed her first deal.

Melanie Amaro picked up a $5 million check when she won the talent show last month and now she's an Epic Records artist.

X Factor judge/mentor Antonio 'L.A.' Reid will now oversee her career as the chairman/CEO of Epic.

Series creator and fellow judge Simon Cowell, who selected Amaro among his group of wannabes after initially rejecting her and sending her home, says, "We all agreed that Epic would be the right fit for Melanie. L.A. made it clear that he wanted the opportunity to work with her and with his ...

Simon Cowell spend his Christmas jet skiing in Barbados.

The star of hit show The X Factor took a much needed break after the show's season finale last week and was spotted on Christmas Eve on the beach.

Simon had reason to do a little celebrating - Melanie Amaro, the X Factor contestant who he mentored, won the first U.S. season of the show, earning a cool $5 million recording deal.

The 52-year-old music mogul was surrounded by a bevy of beauties clamoring to get a picture with him.

Got Plenty Of Attention Vacationing In Barbados Over

Ordinarily I give shows like this the full mega-diary treatment, but ‘X Factor’ doesn’t seem worthy.

This show is a disappointment by most measures. To wit, last night’s show did about a third of the demo rating of ‘Idol’s’ finale last may. So, I can’t quite give this the full mega-diary. So instead, I’m going to whip out the first annual X-Factor Awards.

First, congratulations to this year’s winner Melanie Amaro. I look forward to seeing your Pepsi commercial and then never hearing from you again until you’re brought back as a musical guest for one of next year’s results show. Enjoy your...

The finale of The X Factor on Thursday was marred by backstage drama after three crew workers were injured in a freak accident.

The Simon Cowell reality TV show wrapped up its first U.S. series with a live final featuring performances from star names including 50 Cent, Justin Bieber and Leona Lewis.

However, just before the In Da Club hit-maker took to the stage, a stair riser came unhinged and two workers were hit in the head, with a third taking a knock to the elbow, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Paramedics were called to the Los Angeles studio and the three stagehands were t...