The truth about You're a Star

comet

I speak as a fan of Eurovision and You're a Star but after watching last nights show I’m mad, mad as hell.
Last year we saw a very fair show where Kerry McFadden chose her sister in-law Bryan McFaddens sister as her wild card to get though to the final 10. Louis Walsh was one of the other judges who of course happens to be Bryans manager. Then when it got to the final stages they chose a song written by Bryan McFadden and gave it to the poll topper at the time Simon Casey, everything looked set for Bryans song to go all the way to Eurovision. Together with endorsements from the "judges" about what a great Eurovision song it would be. Despite their best efforts to fix it so Bryans song would go to Eurovision, Mickey Harte upset things for them and ended up winning. (Incidently his song was written by 2 song writters who have also written for Westlife and B*witched- more of Walsh stable ) Another song in the final last year was written by the one and only Ronan Keating. Talk about stinking of jobs for the boys. Uproar followed in the media but they defended strongly that these were the best songs entered.
Lets move forward a year to Your A Star 2004. Kerry is no longer on the judging panel. It’s down to the last 3. For the last 2 weeks Chris Doran has topped the poll. I wonder what song they will pick for him?? Oh yes an intro first letting us know how above board the selection has been this year and the massive amount of entries they have received. And wait for it…….yes 2 years in a row the poll topper shall be given a Bryan McFadden song. Do they think Irish people are fools??? Even though I like Chris Doran as a singer I will not vote for him. His song is poor imo but I’m sure the legions of westlife fans must have soar thumbs from texting. Looks unbeatable doesn’t it, lets see what happens. In fact last night I thought James (yes Fr. Kilbane!!) Kilbanes song was best and I voted for him.

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

sunbeam

If anything I thought the songs were worse than last year. I suppose Chris Doran's was the best of a very bad lot, but is 'sounding like a young Johnny Logan' a good criteria for a Eurovision winner these days? The old formula that did so well for us over the years doesn't seem to work any more, so why are they still pushing it?

I think what's worse than the obvious assigning of the Westlife penned song to the favourite was what seems to be the strategic attempt to eliminate the other two by giving them even poorer alternatives. Though I'm not a fan of James Kilbane I did think he made a good job of a very poor song (same goes for Jean) and almost threw something at the TV when Linds Martin declared that she couldn't see it being sung in Turkey. Then why on earth did they (presumably including she) give it to him??!!

Draupnir

B-Witched werent part of the Louis Walsh stable, just thought Id let ya know

tuxy

do what i do, dont watch this crap
problem solved

Citizen7

Chris has been the best "Singer" all through this show and without hearing the other 300 songs they say were submitted, the song is definately better than the other two. I'm definately not a Westlife, Louis Walsh or even Eurovision fan (although I enjoy the voting ... especially seeing neighbouring countries voting for each other ... or not in some cases), but I think Chris will have a very decent chance of winning with that song.

Also according to the show, Phil Coulter choose the song with some other 'industry experts', and I would value his opinion way ahead of Louis Walsh's .... although comparing Ronan Keating with Cliff Richard was spot ... his career has gone downhill since ....

ixoy

Originally posted by tuxx
do what i do, dont watch this crap
problem solved

Heh, that's what I do! Watched the all-time classic "The Appartment" on DVD instead. Guess which is better (that's rhetorical btw).

comet

Originally posted by sunbeam
If anything I thought the songs were worse than last year. ...................... Though I'm not a fan of James Kilbane I did think he made a good job of a very poor song (same goes for Jean) and almost threw something at the TV when Linds Martin declared that she couldn't see it being sung in Turkey. Then why on earth did they (presumably including she) give it to him??!!

Yeah I agree, they are probably worse than last year alright. I don't think any of these songs will be winning Eurovision.

Originally posted by Draupnir

B-Witched werent part of the Louis Walsh stable, just thought Id let ya know

Ah stop, you're ruining my conspiracy theory

Originally posted by Citizen7
Chris has been the best "Singer" all through this show

Thats true, I think the problem with the format of the show is that it is too much based around the singer than song. Its a song contest. If Chris was given Blah Blah Black Sheep to sing his band of supporters would still vote for him and likewise for the other singers. I think the format should be that all singers sing the 3 songs each. The public would then vote that night for the best song. Then the next night the 3 would sing the same song then vote for the singer who sings it best. How about that??

emertoff

I don't watch You're A Star either but I do like Eurovision. This type of show is just typical of the populist rubbish aimed at the teenybopper market that have more money than sense these days. I can't understand why they don't run it as just a general talent show without the need for the ultimate winner to represent Ireland at Eurosong. As another poster has said, the contest has changed and the ballad-type Logan-esque entries probably can't win it anymore. Mind you, I'm sure the powers that be in RTE are very much aware of that fact anyway and are probably doing everything they can to ensure we send another mediocre entry to save themselves the financial headache.

Elmo

This type of show is just typical of the populist rubbish aimed at the teenybopper market that have more money than sense these days.

Emmmm is this not Eurovision????????


Any lets face it Ireland has had enough of the eurovision in the last 15 years we have one it 4 times.

Eurovision has gone down hill since Diva Woman/man won it in 1998. Edit okay it was always fairly **** but now it is worse then ****.

The last good song from the eurovision was Love Shine A Light.

And after all the work with the sets that RTE did they continue to copy the UK set of 1998 ,which was ugly, since (Well not quite as bad as the norweign one)

The last good set was 1997.

Auburn

I thought Jean's song was total rubbish. Drip drop..... sounded like a nursery school song. James' song wasn't suitable for Eurovision imo, sounded very country and western. So that left Chris' song. Again wasn't great, but the best of a bad bunch and the most catchy.

I don't think any of those songs would win Eurovision. I find it hard to believe that those three songs were the best ones submitted. Did they just pull them from a hat or something? And I agree that it's very suspicious that again Bryan Mc Fadden is involved. Are they trying to tout him as some kind of songwriter? My granny could have written better lyrics.

sceptre

Originally posted by Elmo
The last good song from the eurovision was Love Shine A Light.

Amd there was me thinking that the last good song from the Eurovision was Waterloo. Or Making your mind up or Save all your kisses for me if you're from the era and like crud.

Jim

I like Micky Joe

parasite

i'm just amazed bryan mcfadden can construct sentences
who'd have thought it ?
:dunno:

flogen

wo wo wo, hold on a second...

your trying to tell me Your A Star is manufactured????

what a scoop

Flogen

sceptre

Originally posted by flogen
wo wo wo, hold on a second...

your trying to tell me Your A Star is manufactured????

I think he's trying to tell you that it's fixed. And worse, fixed badly.


Personally, given that the Eurovision is supposedly a "song contest", I'd rather they picked the singer behind closed doors, giving all of us the opportunity to openly vote for the song that singer was going to sing. That way I'd watch it in the relatively secure knowledge that nobody would appear on the show with a voice like a yowling cat. Of course there wouldn't anywhere near the same amount of cash generated if we did it that way.

flogen

i know, it was a joke,
but in all honesty who cares,. they used to just pick the singer and song, so why if anything this is slightly better, at least the public can have some impact on how the song is sung rather than just being given someone and told 's/he is your represenitive'.

and besides, this is eurovision, it means -€€€€'s for us if we win, remember the whole fiasco of us winning 3 years in a row (or was it more?). RTE is bad enough without them having to hand over a large part of their budget to fund a competition that is as outdated and aged as Miss World.

Flogen

penguinbloke

I miss the song for Europe. The voting, the runup on the "Late Late Show".

especially the token (usually donegal) entry in irish

"Is mise an ferr leis on brum brum carr,
Tá an brum brum carr i bhfad nios fearr."

what wordsmiths and where would "my lovely horse" have been with out it

Agent Orange

Stop criticising Louis Walsh.

He's shown you can be a success even if you've got Down's Syndrome.

Fair play to him.

donhughberto

Originally posted by Agent Orange
Stop criticising Louis Walsh.

He's shown you can be a success even if you've got Down's Syndrome.

Fair play to him.

Agreed, people slag success and i don't think anyone should be involved in a show like that anyway, its crap! We won't win eurovision again with current format and chris doran won't win it FULL STOP! I just wonder will he do better that Mickey!

Washout

the show concept is just so so wrong.

there was three contestants left and three songs...whatever about the choosing of the three songs process i think its rather unfair to say to each contestant "right your singing this song"

surely it should be a case where all three contestants sing all three songs?!?!

Imposter

The way the format is now it'll be very hard for anyone other than turkey to win it anyway. The amount of Turks all over Europe that can vote for their own song is staggering (the irish abroad don't even come close to those numbers) .

The Rooster

Had to laugh at Phil Coulter explaining the song-picking exercise, saying that this year they've made it open and fair - by implication admitting that it wasnt last year!

Agree with what most people say about the songs. Jean's song was absolutely brutal, so she hadnt a hope. Kilbane's is alright but isnt suited to Eurovision, though he performed it very very well. Doran's song is most suited to Eurovision. He didnt do a great job on it, he seemed more nervous than usual, but I'm sure he'll do a better job next time and I'd expect him to win.

I think Chris would deserve to win, the only reservation I'd have is that he's Louis's pick, so we'll never hear the end of it. Louis's comments throughout the whole show have always had a hidden agenda, and he's been unbelievable bias in favour of Doran. The only comment of value he has made throughout the series was that Jean's song was krap.

Linda Martin has been the best panelist, as she's not afraid to air her views. Though she does have an unreasonable bias against Kilbane after she advised him to change his style and he ignored her.

Phil has to take the blame for picking one rubbish and one poor enough song. Be interesting to see if he replies next week to Louis's comment that Jean's song was rubbish as he didnt get a chance to reply last week.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by donhughberto
I just wonder will he do better that Mickey!

hard guy to beat with his water safety adverts

does he not release songs?

Citizen7

hard guy to beat with his water safety adverts

Except he makes you want to jump in the water

Dustaz

Originally posted by The Rooster

Linda Martin has been the best panelist, as she's not afraid to air her views. Though she does have an unreasonable bias against Kilbane after she advised him to change his style and he ignored her.

Oh please. Her "Right, now im going to make a nasty comment to stir things up a bit" is so transparent its funny. Simon Cowell is GOOD at being a cùnt. Linda Martin is good at doing VIP.

ElNino

Originally posted by donhughberto
Agreed, people slag success and i don't think anyone should be involved in a show like that anyway, its crap! We won't win eurovision again with current format and chris doran won't win it FULL STOP! I just wonder will he do better that Mickey!

As far as I know Ireland have to pre-qualify for the Eurovision this year because Micky Joe did so bad last year. I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Doran didn't qualify. And if that Daniel O'Donnell clone wins he would be lucky to get nil points

I had to laugh at Louis Walsh saying that Bryan McFadden's song would win the Eurovision. Did we not hear that last year as well?

comet

No we don't need to pre-qualify because we came 11th last year.
The "Big Four" group, consisting of Germany, the UK, Spain and France are assured of participation no matter what position they come. (UK got nil points last year). The best 10 countries other than the Big Four also qualify. So 14 countries are guaranteed performers. A further 10 more countries will be selected from the pre-qualifier the day before the Eurovision.

Originally posted by The Rooster


Phil has to take the blame for picking one rubbish and one poor enough song. Be interesting to see if he replies next week to Louis's comment that Jean's song was rubbish as he didnt get a chance to reply last week.

I can't remeber exactly Sunday nights show, but i think one of the judges (Phil I think or was Linda) paid a big complimemnt to the writters of Jean's song saying it was a great Eurovision song. Then Monday night Louis says she lost cos the song let her down. If only Bryan could have entered more than one song, I'm sure his song wouldn't have let her down.

alleepally

I think you're a star is great gas. Sure doesn't it provide "great copy" to the newspaper and gives Joe Duffy something/someone to talk to (and Marion, Pat, Gerry etc etc.).

Regarding the fixing - there was a piece in the paper today about a preview of next weeks RTE Guide showing Chris and James on the cover with headline "FINAL SHOWDOWN" - the point being made in the paper was that RTE knew before the contestants who was going to win.

BUT FOLKS THERE IS SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT I HAVE TO SAY

Why does Ray D'arcy have to say "WELL DONE" so much - it is BUGGING ME

That and Louis Walsh being so smug. Hats off to the man for what he's done. But success with some humility

Thats all I wanted to say. I feel better now

Cork

RTE trying to get increased circulation figures for their TV mag.

Its all pretty sad.

The songs are dire.

They'd be considered old fashioned in a pre-Elvis era.

Barbie_666

Linda Martin should build a bridge and get over her boney wrinkley old self.Has anyone seen her on "The Lyrics Board"???
HELLO!!!miniskirts are for anorexic teenagers, and girls that havent quite hit puberty yet.Quite frankly, RTE should stop this "mutton dressed as lamb type thing" and let the poor woman wear jumpers and trousers, coz some day she'll freeze to death on that stage type thing...um...set.
Linda, if your reading this (very unlikley!) nothing personal!!!

sceptre

Originally posted by Barbie_666
Linda Martin should build a bridge and get over her boney wrinkley old self.Has anyone seen her on "The Lyrics Board"???
HELLO!!!miniskirts are for anorexic teenagers, and girls that havent quite hit puberty yet.Quite frankly, RTE should stop this "mutton dressed as lamb type thing" and let the poor woman wear jumpers and trousers, coz some day she'll freeze to death on that stage type thing...um...set.
Linda, if your reading this (very unlikley!) nothing personal!!!

You know the hundreds of us with a blue background on boards find pink text almost impossible to read:)

Having said that, and leaving behind all sense of any possible PCness I might ever exhibit, you're not wrong. I'd cringe just as strongly if Louis Walsh turned up in a pair of short pants and a sailor suit. I'll bet she picks her own clothes though.

Barbie_666

Really???do you think she dose?!?
EUCH!!!some of the things that skeleton wears sank with the titanic...PLEASE!!!FOR THE LOVE OF JEABUS!!!LEAVE THEM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA WITH GRANNIES NECKLACE!!!

James R

To be honest the only decent judge on it this year was Ryan Tubridy

Barbie_666

Sooooooooooooo true!!!!!

Dustaz

Just in case you were too busy hugging your teddybear and missed it the first time, let me repeat:

Originally posted by sceptre
You know the hundreds of us with a blue background on boards find pink text almost impossible to read

Not to mention very annoying.

Barbie_666

yes sir.sorry sir.:(

sceptre

Heh, LOL at Dustaz.

And I'm glad I didn't mkae a typo in the sentence above

And where the hell did that smiley in this post come from... I didn't type it

Dustaz

Originally posted by Barbie_666
yes sir.sorry sir.:(

Thank you


(Sceptre, maybe your just auto-smileying - yer outtta control!)

BuffyBot

Not to mention very annoying.

Indeed. My eyes feel so much better now the pink is gone!

The Rooster

Great quote from Louis Walsh about Michelle - the large lassie who won UK Popstars:

"I don't think she's going to do well. I think she's like the new Jane McDonald, just a larger version. She'll be good for cruise ships - big cruise ships!"

Elmo

Dear Phil,

YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF TASTE.

Yours etc

__________________________________________________________________


Dear Linda,

YOUR SO UNIMPORTANT THAT I CANN'T THINK OF ANYTHING TO WRITE TO YOU ABOUT.

Yours etc
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Louis,

YOUR A SCABBY **** YOU PROBABLE DIDN'T GIVE A DONATION TO THE HOSPICE, LET ALONE THE AVERAGE OF A 100 EURO GIVEN, I WONT BE INVITING YOU TO MY WEDDING.

Yours etc.
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Ray,

PLEASE STOP ALLOWING FIONA LOONEY WRITE YOUR SCRIPTS.

Yours etc.
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Mr. + Mrs. McFADDEN

YOU ARE BOTH SLAGS.

Yours etc.
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Eurovision Organisers,

PREHAPS IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU JUST STOP.

Yours etc.
__________________________________________________________________

comet

lol

catcon

Dear Elmo,

You speak the truth

Yours etc.

MisterAnarchy

Brilliant Elmo.
Youre a star is the biggest steaming pile of manure on tv.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Elmo
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Eurovision Organisers,

PREHAPS IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU JUST STOP.

Yours etc.
__________________________________________________________________

and miss Terry Wogans commentary every year while i'm waiting to go to the pub. you might have a point actually

that is all

Cork

Originally posted by The Rooster
Great quote from Louis Walsh about Michelle - the large lassie who won UK Popstars:

"I don't think she's going to do well. I think she's like the new Jane McDonald, just a larger version. She'll be good for cruise ships - big cruise ships!"

What ever happened to six, bellefire, Who's Eddie?

This type of TV is mindless garbage - yet our public service broadcaster is happy with it.

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Cork
What ever happened to six, bellefire, Who's Eddie?

dont know about six
i heard a bellefire song on the radio a couple of weeks back, the dj said it was new
Who's Eddie indeed. never heard of Who's Eddie

alex122

Your A Star Ticket For This Sunday!

I've got ONE ticket to sell for this Sunday's Grand Finale of Your A Star - Sun 7th March!

Tiered Seating near the front... best and most expensive seats in the house. (Bought for €30) Offers above that. Call 086-8225618 (Alex)

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by alex122
Tiered Seating near the front... best and most expensive seats in the house. (Bought for €30) Offers above that. Call 086-8225618 (Alex)

why not sell for let's say €30. there is a board for selling stuff. btw i have no interest is purchasing

comet

Well Chris Doran won. Near to a million votes on saturday night, RTE are laughing all the way to the bank.

Couple of final points

- Sundays papers told us Chris Dorans backing track was produced by Westlifes top producers in a big studio over a few days. James Kilbanes was made in-house by Ronan Johnson(the RTE music guy)

- Linda Martins comment to James Kilbane were totally out of order on the final night before the contestants sang their songs. She said to Chris Doran "You seperate the men from the boys" and she said to Kilbane "The pressures getting to you, I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice".....lovely


I don't think either of them would have won Eurovision anyway, suits RTE down to the ground.

P.S. Phil Coulter knows everthing there is to know about music and songwriting, well thats what he told us every week anyway. Thanks God its over....