Simon Cowell is the man responsible for the return of family entertainment to British television. He may be manipulative and controlling and like the rest of us even likely to have a favourite to win this year's Britain's Got Talent. But the idea that he has fixed it so that Ronan Parke wins is ridiculous. Why should he care who wins, when the performers are just the fodder for a successful television production, where in reality it is the panel of judges who are the main act, with Simon himself being the headliner.
Is this the start of a backlash against Cowell, described as the most powerful man in television and the music industry? The last few weeks have attracted massive publicity due to the axing of Cheryl Cole from X Factor USA, but it has exposed the behind-the-scenes ruthlessness of the television industry and Simon's part in it. It also has suggested that he is not all-powerful, in the USA anyway, where it was the industry executives who ordered Cowell to fire his beloved Cheryl, if in the end it was he who ultimately was prepared to sacrifice her.
Simon Cowell's return to the panel of BGT has highlighted how important he is for the show and this could spell trouble for the upcoming X Factor UK, where his absence will change the whole dynamic of the production. For some reason the acts and the public have swallowed the line that he actually cares about the music and therefore his opinion matters the most. Gary Barlow has more knowledge of music and entertainment than the rest of the judging panel put together, but has he got the personality to fill the void left by Cowell? Also, for Barlow, who likes to be liked, if he overdoes the putdowns, it could have an adverse effect on his own popularity.
Whatever happens, we are guaranteed saturation media coverage....until we are sick and tired of it.
Knife juggling is very dangerous. The ones we see on tv have years of practice on their belts. See how they juggle those sharp gerber knives?
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