Reality TV is my guilty pleasure, and I hate to admit just how much I indulge in it. Thinking about what makes a series a success I thought about my ever-so-slight fetish for X-factor. And although the singing and performing is great, it is really the feedback that I look forward to. And then I realise that in truth the judges of X-factor make the series more than any of the contestants. Well for me at least.
I love the blatant sharpness of Simon in contrast to Cheryl’s sweet sincerity and Mel B’s enthusiastic honesty. They all have their faults, but that is why we love it. We love how the judges are just as awful and human as any of the contestants. Now Simon is already category of horror of his own, but how do you decide between his 2014 co-judges? Cheryl versus Mel B, it sounds like a bit of a show down.
Personally I will always choose Scary Spice and this is why. Cheryl is sweet, but she comes across as a bit of an air-head. She is too sweet, too defensive and too kind- and that bothers me. She rarely has anything negative to say and I feel like her comments are never balanced out, or maybe she just feels like she needs to defend the under-dog too much. Don’t get me wrong, I can relate to that mentality, but this is a contest for a reason. Not everyone is brilliant and you can’t make everyone a winner.
Mel B, has always had my heart, partly because she was a Spice Girl and partly because she epitomises the word sassy. Mel B combines a little dash of Simon’s bite with Cheryl’s kindness. I almost always find myself nodding to her comments. She is honest, but not as brutal as Simon and not as defensive as Cheryl. She is the perfect middle ground that always looks good.
More than that Mel B always seems to bring an integrity to the show as a judge, with Cheryl and Simon almost always disagreeing and Louis being a side-show, Mel B steps up to the plate as the judge with a fair voice, she may seem harsh at times but it is mostly tempered with advice and legitimate critique rather than Cheryl’s disdain or Simon’s severity. Mel B will always tell you why she had a problem, rather than leave you wondering.
The best part about Mel B for me is her sass and sense of humour. Cheryl always seems to be waiting for an attack whereas Mel B is less guarded and has far better come backs. Mel B almost always makes me laugh in an episode with her quick wit. Cheryl is simply too sweet. X-factor definitely needs a kind voice on the show, to salve the wounds of certain other judges, but that doesn’t make her my favourite judge.
