COWELL’S X FACTOR IN AUTO-TUNE SCANDAL
Music mogul SIMON COWELL is at the centre of a "fix" storm after stunning revelations that producers of his hit U.K. TV talent show THE X FACTOR u se Auto-Tune to correct contestants’ vocals.
The seventh series of the singing competition launched in Britain on Sa turday (21Aug10) and attracted record first-night viewing figures of 12.6 million.
But the show has been hit by controversy after dozens of viewers realis ed several hopefuls auditioning for a place in the next stage of the cont est had had their vocals enhanced by computer.
Bosses of the show have now admitted using Auto-Tune to correct off-key singing - but insist it was only applied in the editing suite after the auditions took place, to enhance the sound for TV viewers.
A spokesman for The X Factor says, "The judges make their decisions at the audition stage based on what they hear on the day live in the arena. The footage and sound is then edited and dubbed into a finished programme .." Cowell, who is one of four judges on the show, is planning to launch Th e X Factor in the U.S. next year (11).
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