Simon Cowell, your days are numbered, owls will get you while you slumber!

I’m usually a fan of Simon Cowell, especially in The X Factor where he tends to be the voice of reason against the voice of evil (and idiocy), Louis Walsh. I was even understanding when he chose not to put my favourites in the Over 25 category, Daniel and TreyC, through to the final 12. He is a businessman, and he puts through the acts he thinks will be most successful on the show and afterwards. However, I went right off him last night. Maybe he was still feeling unwell, because I have never seen him be so openly sexist before, and I’ve watched every episode of every talent show he’s ever judged.

First of all, his comments about Kandy Rain and to Cheryl and Dannii after their performance were terrible. The female judges were quite right: Kandy Rain need to pick a story and stick to it. If they want to be taken seriously and to separate themselves from their stripper reputation, then they should stop dressing like strippers. X Factor is a family show, so it would be nice if they could bother to put a skirt on, or at the very least some leggings! Simon, however, wouldn’t even consider Cheryl and Dannii’s point, bulldozering through with his desire to see women completely degraded on a TV show watched by millions of impressionable young people.

Then, at the end of the show, I became even more annoyed with Simon. Dannii’s comment to Danyl about his sexuality was uncalled for (it’s his private life, after all) but totally correct. He didn’t need to change the gender in the song, and it actually meant he was denying his sexuality, despite openly saying he was bisexual in a recent interview. If anything, he’s the one who has acted homophobically – not only did he deny his sexuality, but he burst into tears when Dannii brought it up, as though she’d revealed that he’d done something awful in his past. Being gay is not a crime, and Danyl should be the first person to make that clear to the public. He is just as bad a role model as Kandy Rain!

The reason I’m angry at Simon is for making a big deal out of what Dannii said, making her (a Minogue sister!) sound homophobic! True, she could have expressed herself better or made the comment privately, but she was in fact calling Danyl out on his own homophobic actions. There’s been lots of discussion on Twitter about this, and luckily most people have got the right idea about it now, but having spoken to my mum on the phone, she (not knowing Danyl was bisexual) didn’t quite understand what had happened but had gaged from Simon’s reaction that Dannii had done something very wrong. I imagine most other viewers got the same impression, and that’s really sad. Dannii already receives unfair treatment on the show, despite being clearly the most involved and caring mentor, and I really admire her for putting up with it and recognising the huge responsibility she has toward her acts’ careers. Now more than ever I hope one of her acts (preferably Rachel) wins The X Factor this year.

Now there’s one thing that will make it all better. Click here for a good giggle at Simon’s expense!