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Now that Steve Jones is out at the host of The X Factor USA, who is going to fill his shoes? It’s being rumored that American Idol host Ryan Seacrest might be taking the job.

If Ryan were approached to take the hosting duties for Simon Cowell’s talent show, wouldn’t that mean the show is becoming American Idol 2.0?

Ryan is a good host and the show definitely needs a boost since ousting the Welsh host, Steve. However, after hearing Ryan utter the words, “This…is…American Idol!” so many times, would you want him to join The X Factor? Could you imagine him as the host of both shows?

Will Simon seek out Ryan to host the show? Or will he opt to find some new talent for the hosting job? Who should he hire to take on that role?

It’s also being rumored that Simon is looking to get Mariah Carey on the show as a judge. That move would definitely bring some star power to the show, but is she the right choice?

Would you watch if Ryan is hosting and L.A. Reid, Mariah Carey and Simon Cowell are judging? What could they do to bring you in as a viewer? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

Photo Credit: Thomas Janssen / PCN Photos

There have been some rumblings in the past about whether or not Steve Jones’ contract with The X Factor USA would be renewed.

Back in December, a source said, “The executives at Fox have already decided not to renew his contract and so, short of a miracle happening, it is pretty much a done deal that he will not take part next season.”

Despite that, a spokesperson for The X Factor said, “No discussions have been had and no decisions will be made about any new contracts until the New Year.”

Now, it seems that things might be going south for the host! Simon Cowell said, “I don’t think he did a bad job but, like America’s Got Talent, there is a Brit limit on the show.”

Fox Entertainment chief, Kevin Reilly, previously said, “Whether Steve’s the guy or not, it comes under the heading of growth in general, so there will be some tweaks to the show. Hosting, as we know, it is a much harder job than meets the eye. I think everybody now has come to realize the value of Ryan Seacrest.”

Do you think they should replace Steve Jones? If so, who should replace him? Hit the comments and let us know what you think!

Photo Credit: Greg Tidwell / PCN Photos

It is hard to think of who will be going home after last night’s performance episode of The X Factor USA. The remaining final five acts are good and are worthy of being in the competition.

The remaining five acts are: Rachel Crow, Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene.

The contestants performed two songs each on last night’s show. Their second songs were supposed to be chosen by the public in the Pepsi Challenge, but at the last minute, they were told that they would have to perform their “save me” songs.

It’s tough to predict at this point in the competition. It did seem to us that Simon didn’t want Josh to stay in the competition, but we’re going to guess that one of L.A.’s guys will go home tonight.

Performing on tonight’s elimination episode are Lenny Kravitz, along with Mary J. Blige! Lenny will be performing a medley of his new song Rock Star City Life from his new album into Are You Gonna Go My Way. Mary will be performing Need Someone from her new album.

Until our recap at 8PM EST, tell us in the comments who you want to see in the FINAL FOUR!

SAFE: Josh Krajcik and Chris Rene!

It’s down to Melanie, Rachel and Marcus….Who is going to have to sing for their supper tonight???
Melanie Amaro is safe!!

It’s down to Rachel and Marcus, who will have to perform in the final showdown, to go through to the semi-finals!

Marcus is up first, singing I’m Going Down….he really put all of his heart and soul into the song, but this is his third time in the bottom two…. Can he survive again? Rachel sang her song, I’d Rather Go Blind! Loved it!

Judge’s Vote:

L.A. Reid votes to send home: Rachel Crow
Simon Cowell votes to send home: Marcus Canty
Paula Abdul votes to send home: Marcus Canty
Nicole Scherzinger votes to send home: Rachel Crow

We’re in a deadlock! So who got the lowest amount of votes from America??? Eliminated on tonight’s show is RACHEL CROW! Are you surprised?

On last night’s performance episode of The X Factor USA, it was Michael Jackson night. All of the remaining contestants put their own spins on our favorite tunes from the King Of Pop. In attendance, were Michael’s brothers, his children, Paris, Prince and Blanket, along with his mother, Katherine, who is a big fan of the show. [Recap, performance videos]

Here’s who sang what on last night’s show, along with our brief commentary:

Josh Krajcik – Dirty Diana [Overshadowed by overproduction.]
Astro – Black Or White [Good rap, excellent stage presence.]
Drew – Billie Jean [Boring, but great voice. Yawn.]
Rachel Crow – Can You Feel It [Did not feel it.]
Marcus Canty – PYT (Pretty Young Thing) [His vocals were off]
Chris Rene – I’ll Be There [Going home.]
Melanie Amaro – Earth Song [Best performance of the night.]

So, who’s getting eliminated tonight? Our guess is Chris Rene and quite possibly Marcus Canty or Rachel Crow. Even though Josh Krajcik’s performance left a lot to be desired, the man can still sing. One bad night should not exclude him from going through to the top five.

Who are you rooting for tonight? Stay tuned, we’ll be providing our live up-to-minute coverage of the show when the show airs at 8PM EST.

It’s showtime! Over 16 million people voted for last night’s finalists! The top seven are kicking off the show with a tribute to Michael Jackson’s Man In The Mirror. I love it! Josh and Melanie really are stars! Astro is rapping, nice! Best group performance of the show yet.

Going through the competition:

Chris Rene
Melanie Amaro
Rachel Crow
Josh Krajcik
Marcus Canty

Tinie Tempah is performing his new song, Pass Out.

Between Astro, Marcus Canty and Drew, the act with the lowest amount of votes and will be leaving immediately is Astro! Wow! Now, Drew and Marcus will have to go head-to-head in the final showdown! Steve Jones still cracks me up with his “Off you go, Astro!” Drew is whiny, jeez. Perhaps tonight, she’s going to give us an upbeat performance?

Regarding Astro, he has talent, there is no doubt about that. I just think America fell out of love with him after he demonstrated his attitude. If he would’ve remained grateful, I think he would still be in the competition. I guess Vote For The Worst couldn’t save him this week.

Drew is up first, performing Listen To Your Heart by Roxette. I was hoping for that swift, upbeat ending, but we didn’t get it. Snooze.

Up next is Marcus, singing Neither One Of Us by Gladys Knight. It has feeling and soul, but will it be enough?

So who has been eliminated from tonight’s show???

L.A. Reid is sending Drew home.
Simon Cowell is sending Marcus home.
Nicole Scherzinger is sending Drew home.
Paula Abdul is sending Drew home.

Drew Ryniewicz has been eliminated! Shocking! What do you think of tonight’s elimination?!!!??

Earsucker.com broke the news that it’s Michael Jackson Week on tonight’s performance episode of The X Factor USA. Earlier this week, we reported that the top seven remaining contestants would be singing songs from MJ’s songbook. Tomorrow night’s show will also feature another double elimination, just like last week.

UPDATE: Live elimination recap here!

On last week’s giving thanks episode, we saw the departure of LeRoy Bell, along with Paula Abdul’s remaining group, Lakoda Rayne. The last elimination saw Marcus Canty going head-to-head with LeRoy Bell, and the judges went into a deadlock, leaving the decision up to America’s votes.

Video after the jump due to auto-play. (continue reading…)

We’ve already given you some spoilers for this week’s performance and elimination episodes of The X Factor USA. Now, we’re hearing reports that teen singer Justin Bieber might just be performing on the show’s season finale episode!

Justin is currently promoting his latest album, Under The Mistletoe, and announced that he would be performing on the U.K. version of the show. He tweeted, “UK!!! X Factor this week. #Mistletoe”.

He is set to perform on the U.K. version of the show on December 4, 2011. Reportedly, he may even perform on the USA’s version of the show on its season finale on December 22, 2011.

Mark your calendars, Beliebers!

Will you be watching if Justin performs on the show? Who do you think will make it to the end? As we’ve already told you, this week is Michael Jackson week and the top seven contestants will be performing songs from his songbook. Which tune do you want to hear them all sing? TELL US!

We’ll be watching and covering all of the action on the show, live, for all of you.

In case you missed it, on last week’s double elimination episode of The X Factor USA, America sent home both LeRoy Bell and country group Lakoda Rayne. During the group’s elimination, host Steve Jones said, “The dream is over”. Apparently that didn’t sit well with the all girl group that was formed during Boot Camp.

After the show’s elimination, the girl group spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and told them that they were offended by Steve’s comment. Paige Elizabeth said, “I took what Steve said a little bit personally, I found it offensive.”

She went on to say, “The dream is over? That was inappropriate. You don’t say stuff like that. That’s why I like ninja-gripped the microphone.”

WATCH:

The group’s mentor, Paula Abdul, added, “I couldn’t believe he said that, but I’ve explained to these girls as I’ve worked with them that it’s a TV show and people say the right things at times. Maybe it was scripted and someone who wrote it didn’t realize. It’s a hard job what he does and I think Steve realized a dream isn’t over.”

What do you think? Were you a fan of Lakoda Rayne? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!

It was a night of giving thanks on last night’s performance episode of The X Factor USA. Each act presented their songs with dedication and loving feeling toward the person they were thanking. Again, there were some standout performances with some still sticking out in our heads. [Recap, Videos Here.]

They all had touching stories, but only seven will go through to next week’s show. Tonight, nine become seven as the act with the lowest votes will get eliminated immediately. Afterward, the two acts in the bottom two will perform in a head-to-head showdown for the judges to vote. We can speculate that Josh Krajcik and Melanie Amaro will surely be safe from elimination, as their performances really stood out.

Tonight, we find out if America was really fed up with Astro enough to vote him out! If LeRoy Bell ends up being eliminated, it wasn’t because his story wasn’t touching enough. It was. But his version of Angel was just not up to par. If Chris Rene ends up on the chopping block, it could be because no one was feeling his version of Let It Be. His saving grace was that he realized the song wasn’t working and changed it up in the middle.

If Drew Ryniewicz ends up biting it tonight, it will be because she’s always doing the same old tired routine. Her performances are slow and there’s no upbeat tempos — and almost no life. If Lakoda Rayne ends up singing for their supper, it’s because they aren’t polarizing enough to keep in the competition. That would be unfortunate for Paula Abdul, because they’re the only group she’s got left.

Here’s who did what:

Rachel Crow – I Believe by Yolanda Adams
Marcus Canty – A Song For Mama by Boyz II Men
Melanie Amaro – World’s Greatest by R. Kelly
Chris Rene – Let It Be by The Beatles
Lakoda Rayne – You Belong To Me by Taylor Swift
LeRoy Bell – Angel by Sarah McLachlan
Astro – Show Me What You Got by Jay-Z
Drew Ryniewicz – Skyscraper by Demi Lovato
Josh Krajcik – Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones

Predictions: LeRoy Bell will get eliminated first. Afterward, Chris Rene and Lakoda Rayne or Marcus Canty will go head-to-head. (continue reading…)

On last week’s elimination episode of The X Factor, it got down to Astro and Stacy Francis in the bottom two. Astro acted indignant in the final showdown, even asking his mentor, L.A. Reid, if he should sing at all, to stay in the competition.

This move didn’t sit well with Simon Cowell, who made it clear that he almost changed his mind in choosing to send Stacy home.

Since, we’ve learned that there is going to be a double elimination next week — so will Astro change his tune?

Apparently so, because Simon tweeted this message to let Astro’s fans know that things are much different now. He tweeted, “Met with Astro and his father today and @LA_Reid. Everything is much calmer now and the good news is he’s back on the show next week.”

Was it a wise decision for them to keep Astro in the competition over Stacy? What do you think? Sound off in the comments and let us know! Will Astro be singing his last song on the show when it comes time for America to vote?

On last night’s episode of The X Factor, we saw the exit of Stacy Francis from the show. She sang her heart out in the final showdown, but in the end, it was Astro who the judges sided with (except for Nicole Scherzinger, natch).

Now, we’ve learned that the show is not only going to air on Tuesday and Wednesday, instead of its usual time, but it’s also going to feature a double elimination on Wednesday night!

From the press release:

Next week, the Top Nine Finalists, including Girls – Melanie Amaro, Rachel Crow and Drew; Boys – Astro, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene; Over 30s – LeRoy Bell and Josh Krajcik; and last remaining group Lakoda Rayne will continue to battle it out for America’s votes, The X Factor title, a $5 million recording contract with Syco/Sony Music and an iconic Pepsi commercial. Don’t miss the Top Nine Finalists perform LIVE on a special night Tuesday, Nov. 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX.

Immediately after next week’s performance show, fans will be able to vote via 1) Twitter at twitter.thexfactorusa.com; 2) Verizon Touch Voting onThe Xtra Factor App on Verizon Android devices; 3) toll-free calling; 4) text messaging for Verizon Wireless customers; and 5) online atTheXFactorUSA.com. Fans with valid Facebook accounts can also vote at Facebook.com/TheXFactorUSA.

Tune in the following night, Wednesday, Nov. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), to the LIVE results show, when a shocking double elimination leaves only seven acts in the competition. Be sure to watch this can’t-miss night on The X Factor, as America finds out which finalists move on in the competition and which are sent home.

Stay tuned, we’ll be covering the performance and eliminations live — when the show airs!

On last night’s performance episode of The X Factor, the top ten competitors performed for Rock Week. While we would argue that some of the songs weren’t actually rock performances, there were some standouts. [Recap, Videos here]

Take Astro, for instance. He did an outstanding job that reminded me of his first audition on the show. He has a lot of charisma, which brings out his true talent. Having said that, we don’t actually believe that I’ll Be Missing You by Diddy is a rock song. If he would have done the original, it might have been better.

Another standout performance came from Josh Krajcik. You can really tell this cat was born to rock. One who surprised me with her lackluster performance was a former favorite, Stacy Francis. Her fan base might be enough to push her through to the top nine, but it’s teetering on the brink of elimination for us. Even though LeRoy Bell took his lumps for his Bob Seger performance, I still think he did a fine job.

Here’s who did what:

LeRoy Bell – We’ve Got Tonight by Bob Seger
Rachel Crow – I Can’t Get No Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones
Chris Rene – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright/No Woman, No Cry by Bob Marley
Stacy Francis – It’s All Coming Back To Me Now by Meatloaf
Melanie Amaro – Everybody Hurts by R.E.M
Josh Krajcik – The Pretender by Foo Fighters
Astro – I’ll Be Missing You by Diddy & Faith Hill
Lakoda Rayne – Your Love by The Outfield / Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac
Drew Ryniewicz – With Or Without You by U2
Marcus Canty – Piece Of My Heart by Janis Joplin

Stay tuned for the elimination recap, right here at 8PM EST, when the show airs.

RECAP: (continue reading…)