LeAnn Rimes-gate on X-Factor’s finale performance show has allowed many a musician and industry mogul to add their two cents. One such mogul – perhaps the greatest mogul of them all – Simon Cowell – spoke to TMZ and “insisted the singer was sober”. Yeah, right. Call us Ricki Lake and feed us trout. Simon was out and about on a post-X-Factor party in Los Angeles, and was spotted outside Mixology at The Grove last night when TMZ caught up to him. In true Cowell style, the industry mogul and multi-billionaire had to keep his face as straight as a crying clown when asked about Rimes’ future on the show. According to him, the performance was “interesting” and that LeAnn was “just happy” but not on any illegal substance at the time of the performance. She is also, according to Cowell, “welcome back on the show any time she wants”. Watch the video below of Simon’s interview and you’ll see that his words say one thing – but his facial expressions and body language say something quite different.
Cowell isn’t stupid – the man owns more music acts than a Virgin record store – so it isn’t surprising that he didn’t elaborate on the spectacle. He speaks his mind, quite obviously, but he wouldn’t allow his show and future in the United States to be jeopardized by a faded country star made in Mimosa hell. What happened happened; Rimes stole Carly Rose Sonenclar’s shine and caused the world to laugh in her face. Unfortunately, although Carly was a front-runner throughout the competition, she did not take home the prize last night – Tate Stevens did. However, she still has a massive music industry career ahead of her – with or without the assistance of an X-Factor winner’s contract.
When all is said and done, nothing rhymes with Rimes more than grime. Her comeback moment turned into a slaughterhouse of horrors when she was left drenched in X-Factor drama and public opinion – never a good place to be in when you’re trying to resurrect a career that is more defunct than an 80’s one-hit single being played relentlessly at funerals of lonely people.