Yes, I know. It doesn’t exactly fit the ‘brand’. But once a year for ten weeks or so I plug in the TV in the bedroom and follow this extraordinary show with an exhausting mixture of anger and delight. I cannot watch the auditions, as few things disturb me more about modern TV than people being humiliated and misled for our entertainment, but once the live shows are up and running I can’t wait for Saturday night. I’m still disturbed by it: something in me worries at the idea of a show offering a very narrow vision of success to a group of talented and vulnerable individuals and groups, eleven of whom we have to see dramatically lose in order for one to grasp this dubious prize. I’m niggled by the voting structure, and whether the public vote is a huge exercise in misdirection. And above all I hate watching people lose. I hate the booing and the vile press frenzy; I loathe myself for moments when I want someone kicked off the show, or for sharing in an ounce of that hostility.
Then last night, in one whirly, girly evening, I got to see the show and meet everyone.
I arrive about six o’clock and am immediately supplied with sandwiches, wine and supportive briefings by the team: Phil, Jules, Liz, Rob, Chris, Eddie, Helen and many more check that every possible need I might have or could imagine is entirely satisfied. I chat to Sara from the Daily Mail, quietly up for having a huge row with her across the Plexi-glass of the panel’s bar-table and frustrated that she seems really nice. At ten to eight we are ushered through into the studio – up through a dark gallery (whacking my head on the edge of a door), across the miniature Xtra Factor studio that sits at the top of the main studio like a projection booth, and then down into the main auditorium. It is, as indeed everything and everyone turns out to be, rather smaller than you imagine. I remember the crane shot over the audience from An Evening of Wonders and how misleadingly huge it made the Old Vic feel, and this is the same: certainly a very large studio as far as studios go, and a splendid extravaganza of a stage, but shockingly modest in comparison to the image one realises one has carried in ones head.
After much wide-eyed soaking up of the atmosphere, and cross-aisle pledges of support to the nearby Solomons (who all – boys and girls alike – look like Stacey), I get nudged, and turn to see the familiar faces of Lloyd, Stace herself, Rachel, Lucie and Joe coming up the steps next to me. I almost burst with excitement. It seems they’re going to start their group song in the audience this week. I give a big thumbs-up to Joe, who grins dentally back, and then the show is gearing up to start. There’s an excellent warm-up, we’re all briefed on when to stand (it was less clear when we should sit down, so for most of the show half of us were stood, looking across concernedly at the other half who were seated and wondering who was wrong), and then we all count down the final ten seconds and the opening titles play. It’s fantastic. Dermot comes out, all brilliant and just like on telly, (small, yes, but we knew that), dealing with God knows what going on in his ear and so perfectly on top of everything. Then – glory of glories- here are the judges, who have little to do on the Sunday show, emerging from the big screen, and tiny. Dannii is tiny, Cheryl is teeny, Simon is small, all head and shoulders, and Louis is but a wee fella himself. They sit at their smaller-than-expected desk, maybe five rows in front of me (I’m sort of behind Simon).
It’s rather hard from the auditoriumn to hear anything that the judges are saying, but the astonishing production of the whole thing is marvellous. It rocks. Seeing it in the flesh makes it both seem less real (hard to hear much of what is being said; generally overwhelmed by the noise and excitement; no benefit of close-ups to lock you in to the action), and of course more real (the person being knocked out is a living breathing young thing a few yards from where you’re sat).
We watch a very talented young lady sing beautifully, an adorable chap sing very well with a bad throat, and then we see the former forced to leave the competition. Presumably Rachel would not lose to Lloyd (tiny, again) if the public voted purely between those two, and both contestants are now feeling miserable. There’s much hubbub about the result.
Then Xtra factor. They had asked if I would go on: my PR had politely declined on my behalf, anticipating such an answer. Blame Coops for insisting I go on if you were in any way bewildered by my appearance. The more observant amongst you will have noted that, in order not to annoy, I don’t do TV interviews or appear as a ‘celeb’ on other shows, but I thought this would be a fun exception. And as they were nice enough to find me a couple of tickets to the show, it would have been churlish to decline. So on I went, up and into the little room at the back, and sat on a silver bar-stool and tried not to lean on the wobbly long table held down by stage-weights. Holly was a treasure; the Backstreet Boys very charming and polite; I mentioned something about buttocks, and then met the contestants as they poured in.
There’s a lovely and bizarre thing about being a little well-known: namely that when you meet people you’re excited to meet, they sometimes are excited to meet you too. So now here I am shaking hands with the guys, running round to give Lucie and Stacey a hug, and it’s all very easy and friendly: exactly how you hope it will be. I pass on a hello from Ethan (a previous contestant whom I know a little) to Danyl: they were good friends during the process, and as Ethan is delightful, I can only imagine Danyl is every bit the same. I meet Rachel, who is just wonderful and does not seem too miserable, and later see her stood privately with Dannii, in a tender, hand-holding conversation of support. I don’t know why I would have wondered whether the affection we see from mentors would continue off-screen, but it’s lovely to note that it does.
Back in the Xtra factor studio for a moment, I meet the twins, who are bright and sweet. They will do well in some form, probably as presenters, and thankfully seem untainted by the fuss surrounding them. I chat with Louis, who is utterly lovely. Dannii, on her own and having just lost Rachel, tiny and gorgeous in the bustle of camera crew and tall mingling bodies, seems vulnerable and a little bewildered. I remember Ethan speaking very highly of her.
And then down to the bar to mix with families and contestants. Stacey’s family are there again, Gemma (Stacey’s sister, every bit as lovely and identical in manner and appearance) holding gorgeous little Zach. I meet Dad – David – a clearly talented photographer and every bit as wonderful as the other members of his family with whom I chatter. It becomes clear that their most famous daughter’s nation-wooing charisma is shared throughout that home, and comes from a warm, deep place. Danyl’s sister Janine introduces herself and we chat enthusiastically: I am a big fan of her brother and think he deserves to win. Danyl is delightful: if he is at all cocky then he shares it with the other over-25s. All the contestants have been thrown into the same revolting world of instant celebrity that ruins so many, and they all deal with it according to their means. The older singers just seem to lap it up a little more: they are already acting like celebrities in a way that the younger ones are not. Of course to a public that feels (probably wrongly) that they are creating these stars, there is something more endearing about the baffled humility of the younger contestants. Tricky as it certainly is, we should be able to allow the older chaps to enjoy their fame and the celebrity that we’re supposedly handing them. It would be nice to enjoy it through them rather than resent it. We really don’t own them.
As well as Stacey, I have huge soft spots for Joe and Lucie, and am surprised by Lucie’s confidence in real life (a perfectly pleasant confidence at that) and Joe’s polite, charming uneasiness with all the attention. I give Joe – again, teensy-weensy – a big hug and his Aunty Betty, so proud of her nephew, takes a picture of us.
Joe, Lucy and Stacey seem to offer us ‘journeys’, and sadly, when we’re watching these people every week for so long, we value journeys over talent. This is the power of story, and the producers know it well. Danyl will struggle to give us a good journey, for he has come in already at the top. He’s so good, he has nowhere to go. This we can unfairly read as smugness. Now he needs to be knocked down in order to build up again, to a new place with new learnings: it’s the hero’s struggle, and will be important for him if he’s going to win. Stacey, Joe and Lucy have a clearer story: modest and much-loved, they rise to find the star within themselves. And I hope they do, even if it’s just a confection of the show, because I love a good story and bawl my eyes out at anyone winning anything.
I speak to Rachel again and her family. She is on great form and seems to be enjoying herself in the crazy after-show atmosphere. Her family are charming, understated, dignified. Poor Lloyd’s voice has gone; he is teary from, I presume, a mixture of emotion and illness, and is pootling about unable to talk. Another chat with Louis, who is candid, friendly and hugely, hugely likeable.
From the bar now, upstairs to Dermot’s dressing room, where the suave embodiment of ‘makes-it-look-easy’ is chatting with friends and crew. We share, hoodathunkit, the same stylist and a predilection for brown suits, so there is some sartorial chatter. Dermot is lovely.
We leave grinning widely from an evening that has never for a moment stopped being fun. It has been utter, delicious madness. I have forgotten all concerns. And when we were hanging around in the empty studio, I stole Cheryl Cole’s pack of Smints from the desk to give to Coops. Hope that’s alright.
x
Sounds like a lovely, fun, exciting evening and I’m soooooo not jealous
aww you hit your head? hope it didn’t do too much damage! you were great on xtrafactor
xx
Its sad that Rachel had to leave, cause she is brill… Wish to go to xfactor this year sometime but i have to wait and see
lol Great blog Derren… Love ur twittering too 
hahaha, absolutely loved reading your account of the evening, and very very pleased that it was a good experience for you.
You looked sexy, of course, and even though most of us were cringing at the NLP reference, and unimpressed by the lack of Derren viewage, it was nice.
Glad you had fun.
xx
fantastic Derren – you haven’t blogged in ages, and when you do its a friggin long one about x-factor!!! LOL
Great blog! Would love to share this experince one day!
Some great talent this year!
I’ll give you £10 for that pack of Smints!!
As brilliant a summary of the x factor phenomenon as you are ever likely to read. I’ll re tweet later when not on mobile. Glad to see others watch the meta show as much as the singing and to be reassured that they are all nice real people too. Cheers derren!
That was a good read. Ta very much
Well it sounds like you had a really great time, i’m glad you did!
I’m so jealous of her….grr….
Oh my bloody gosh Derren! That is one incredibly moving, emotive, wonderfully enthralling, totally mesmerising encounter you’ve just posted for our reading pleasure. I was picturing it all in my mind as I read and seeing it completely through your eyes. Just brilliant!!
I’m so glad you had such a fantastic time, and everyone just sounds so lovely.
If you love the X-Factor and enjoy watching it (whenever) you don’t have to feel the need to apologise or explain yourself. We all have our guilty pleasures… it’s what makes this life bearable sometimes.
Take care,
LC x
Btw, what a beautiful photo!
I was intrigued that you were introduced as an NLP person and you nodded (slightly) at that. I had heard that you were quite anti-NLP. What’s the truth?
That’s a fascinating account of the evening Derren, thank you for sharing.
Love your analysis too x
Great blog Derren. I found it interesting despite having no interest in the show at all. I’m just wondering if you’re applying the old adage of ‘If you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all’ about Simon Cowell? Could that be the case or did you not get to meet him?
Hey hi, i enjoyed reading all that =) glad you had a great time =) now i’m off to read because i’m in the reading mood now LOL! you take care all and have a bright day .. hopes you din’t just take the pack of smiths for coops? i send a smacked hand if you did ,Emma Doran
Jealous. So very jealous.
Glad you had a great time though
LovelyLovelyeyey
X
Derren, what a fabulously written piece – marvellously full of delicious detail… great to hear what goes on, great to hear how you feel about it, and great to hear that humanity still exists behind all the glitz and staging… must have taken you a while to write this.. thanks
Wow!!! What a brilliant story! I really enjoyed reading that, so well written as always.
Glad you loved it, sounds like it was a great night.
Dioni xXx
Sound like you had good time. You lucky bugger getting photo with Lucie.
Come on Lucie!!!!
SO HAPPY FOR YOU! Pleased you had a wonderful night.
XXXXXXXXXX
P.S: Extra kiss for your whack on your head MWAH! X
Its the first time I’ve watched the Xtra Factor – damn you!
Awwww
This is a lovely blog! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself whilst also hideously jealous. So pleased to hear that all the things we love on TV (the personalities of the contestants and their relationships with their mentors) continue when the cameras are off – from what I’ve seen on the show you’ve got their personalities spot on! Adore Stacey; never doubted she was anything other than what she seems but it’s nice to have it confirmed.
Oh, and I want Cheryl’s Smints. x
facinating insight.. At the end of it all do you think the public voting has any impact on who stays in or goes out?
nawwwww.
glad you enjoyed it.
it seemed like you couldn’t contain your excitement at the beginning of Xtra factor.
“And when we were hanging around in the empty studio, I stole Cheryl Cole’s pack of Smints from the desk to give to Coops”.
love it
lol.
x
No. Stealing is wrong at all times.
I really dislike Lloyd; Rachel was brilliant.
Good stuff with the xtra factor!
haha stole Cheryls smints, you cheeky bugger you lol!
Excellent review, felt like i was there lol Glad you had a great time!!
x
Awh Derren Brown, you are like a child getting all excited about Christmas. What sandwiches did they have?
Blimey, the number of words in your blog postings is starting to rival those of Stephen Fry! Glad you got to have an enjoyable evening.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your X factor experience Derren. As always you were polite gentlemanly and witty. I loved the way you managed to put your point across regarding the press. The press can use their powers of persuasion to influence and destroy someone’s character whenever it suits them but I think the majority of decent human beings are very aware of this fact.
I guess we live in very strange times where the unkind and distasteful things in life i.e. (the Michael Jackson séance) are now somehow considered acceptable. However, not everyone will get ‘hooked in’ and believe that all that ugliness is the way things are supposed to be. Most people can see for themselves that there is still kindness, love, truth and beautiful human beings living on our planet, so, please take comfort in knowing that ‘you’ Derren are one of them xx
Thanks for your really candid and well written point of view of what it feels like to experience the whole X Factor shebang! Very very interesting, and congrats on the smints theft
I am quite jealous of you Derren Brown, in an odd way. It was ridiculously sad that Rachel left. Glad you had fun. I hear Holly has quite the Xtra Factor now..which means *ahem* theres a spot open .. x
Wow, great post!
I guess this highlights somewhat that old adage, ” never judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes”.
With desensitised ‘TV’ everything appears very different to actual reality, in fact I also previously
thought Simon came across as pretty much an ostentatious fool however when you hear his actual
life story and the life journey hes taken, it builds a human affinity when you can relate to someones
turbulence.
I think your blog shows that sometimes apprehension and trepidation can be the antithesis of life itself
but before you pre-judge anything or anyone you should go and have the experience first!
On that Venn diagram of Derren fans and X factor fans, it looks like the overlapping middle section is not huge. I’m there!
That was an excellent read. Thank you.
Danyl seemed broken on Saturday and I am relieved he went through and will have a chance to get back to form.
I’m an Olly fan but no mention of him?
Ethan would have had a great night on Saturday. .
Sounds like fun, watched the Xtra Factor ‘specially to see Derren. Don’t know why I am surprised – but he remembered everyone’s name he met.
You’re a lucky devil Mr Brown, you obviously had a wonderful time and I’m ever so slightly envious.
Sounds brilliant. Watched for the frist time last night (all 2 hours cos i didn’t understand about xtra factor not being the same show) with muso boyfriend, and 2 friends (one in rock band, one hip-hop dj) and a bottle of Bowmore.
The expression “laugh riot” comes to mind. Was fun but lots of shouting. How do y’all go through that every week?
Wow! How good is that to get an ‘outsiders’ view of X factor and also good to get these little insights into the real Mr B – great to know that you are still ‘thrilled’ to meet others I really like you you know!
What a wonderfully refreshing picture of the show. Most celebs, I suspect, would have had a rather snooty description of the whole thing and it says far more about Derren than anything else I have ever read.
(Mind you, it’s no more than I would have expected from such an obviously sensitive, caring, person.)
Am I crawling? Perhaps a tad, lol!
Derren, you are quite right, I was extremely shocked to see you on the Xtra Factor! I’m glad you decided to go on it though as each week you post a blog in regards to th X Factor telling us all you’re thoughts and judgments on the show. I loved the fact that you asked (quite timidly) if the judges knew the results of the public vote before the “sing off” between the two acts that allegedly pulled the fewest votes! However, even though Holly said “No, they don’t know”, I’m still unsure as lets face it its Simon Cowell’s company that will earn the most out of the winner. So just curious what do you think, is it rigged? xxx
Awwwwwww
That was really sweet. I was watching from home, knowing how super excited you must be, the group performance was amazing! You are living proof that educated people can enjoy reality TV and not have our brains turned into mush 
You make all us closet-reality lovers want to “come out” and shout it from the windows 
I’m glad you had such a good time, Danyl really is a good person. The picture is soooo sweet too 
I think the experience has brought out the child in you and it’s really cute 
I suddenly remember how very unentertaining, and even annoying, it is to listen to someone rave on about how blooming lovely, wonderful and delightful people are (contradictio in terminis if you ask me).
But I’m glad you had a nice time obviously
Realizing it’s actually a 3 circle Venn diagram: Derren fans, X factor fans, saddos checking the Twitter feed at 3pm.
So you had a good time then
)
Glad to hear the pointy-bearded one is a soppy sod. What a lovely, well balanced account, free from malice and full of wonder. Thanks Derren, I may just do as you do and watch the final stages. I too cannot stand the auditions. The show should really be called ’99,999 losers humiliated’. The ratio of participants to losers reveals the show’s true appeal – a forum for humiliation. However, having cried twice during Sister Act 2, I do not think I can justifiably dismiss the power of a rags-to-riches story, especially when singing is involved. “A hero’s story” – I like that.
That is the sweetest review, fantastic to read, thank you so much for sharing such a vivid recollection. Glad you had a great time. Ace hearing about it & as you’re not hugely tall I am wondering about the vertically challenged heights of everyone else. Why is it that those on “telly” are generally short, it’s a peculiarity shared by many stars.
Loved your perceptive take on story & personal narrative – absolutely agree with you.
Have a good week & I apologise in advance as I shall continue to stalk you on twitter.
xxx
Aw glad you had a good time Derren! I am very very jealous!
It had to happen didn’t it? Underground cult mystic seduced by the bright lights and shiny googaws of the modern age, becomes shameless media tart! Heh heh heh… Sounds like you had a ball… glad you had a nice time, even if it was on one of the most foul revolting televisual spectaculars ever to clog our screens! To hell with all those nay-sayers who get all precious about you doing such a heinous thing as making an appearance on a tacky prime time trash-fest!!! I just hope you didn’t feel too cheap the morning after!
God… how excited do you read…. thanks for the seriously detailed account! glad it was fun… it was amusing to watch you next to the bsb… and im soooo glad u like danyl! yay!!
ok… now i will pretend not to like x factor at all….
Of course the official XFactor page videos doesn’t work outside UK, but for all and numerous foreign DB fans, here is the link to the part DB is in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGdpscLO-Kc
Enjoy!
im glad you enjoyed it derren, i watched it, you should of got more camera time
lol
So essentially you’re saying that everyone was tiny, and charming / lovely / delightful? Hmm, I smell a rat.
Love this…fantastic
You looked stunning too.
x
Oh boy, it’s that time of year again!
love xfactor
but can you pleeeeease like brainwash/ use mind control on people to stop them voting for the awful john & edward pleeeeease? they will NOT be missed!
yay for Lucy! love that girl.
He cheats the lottery, and we get a paragraph or two.
He sticks people to seats, and we get a paragraph or two.
He monkeys around in a casino, and we get a paragraph or two.
He visits the X Factor and we get a 20-page glee-fest essay! Mr Brown, you’re an enigma…! But a beardy one, so it’s ok.
Marsh
hooray!
sounded hell fun.
wish i wuz there.
x
Dam you Derren Brown for looking so good on the Xtra Factor, you must let me know what facecream you use.
Derren you’re a legend (: Loving the smileys btw
:O 
Well, you sound as if you seriously did not see it on the inside anymore indeed. Or was that afterwards, as true writers do it.
I wonder .. where is the voting part? Didn’t you need to vote or such too? To me it is not so interesting as we have other contestants here in Holland but the procedure is more or less the same, there and at home. But I was curious about the way you were going to vote then.
That was so sweet and uncynical it almost made me cry. Derren, you write like you have never been in a TV studio before! Absolutely adorable. Can anyone really criticise him for the Xtra factor appearance after reading this?
Ah come on Derren. We all know you’re a closet Jedward fan
Glad you had fun!
PS. Did that guy manage to “hyptonise” you?
Ooooooooooh Derren, how I’ve missed your lovely, long, bubbly posts
Welcome back
I’m a big fan of Joe, he just belts it out week after week.
Aw Derren! I loved reading that!
You write so enthusiastically, it’s lovely! Bless yoooooooou! 
Sounds like you had a great time! I loved watching you on the show, I thought you were great, but you should have been on longer!! You stole Cheryl’s mints for Coops? That’s hilarious! xD I’m sure he’ll cherish those for a long time 
I think you should come to my house for tea one day 
I’ll cook you spaghetti! As that’s pretty much the only thing I’m good at cooking! ^__^ OH! And after I’d watched Xtra Factor, an advert for I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! came on, and I totally think you should sign up!!!! 
:D That would be amazing..
Tickets? You were in the audience and then you need to go on stage and do your voting? They ask you, pr declines, and then they get you tickets? That doesn’t make sense, am I missing something.
I think I prefer So you think you can dance .. with the Dan as judge member .. which he isn’t anymore … *sob*
hiya derren am really glad you had a nice time! you looked great! love georgina xxx
What a lovely insight. I think you make an excellent point re Danyl suffering for starting so well and not having a journey like the others. I must admit I had fallen into the trap of disliking his smugness but I shall heed your wise words and try not to pre judge him in future.
Still want Lucie to win though
“…few things disturb me more about modern TV than people being humiliated and misled for our entertainment” ha ha, good one DB
x
That was a very well written piece, – a very talented writer is in our midst
. Very insightful and instantly visual discription of the evenings chaos and wonder. Love it!
still missed it
*is sad*
I just wanna say, that made me laugh, love ur sense of humour, wished u ‘celebs’ actually made friends with some of us ‘fans’ and by fans I mean people who sometimes watch ur show if its extremely interesting to the individual or of course there isnt a karaoke (hate tryina spell that word) on at the Dog & Partridge
cause i gotta say i think we’d b gud mates lol, well thats as long as u didnt try that whole put u in a trance an nick 5 grand off u stunt u got goin on 
Anyways Facebook calls, bye x
oh 1 more things wats with them weird faces when i do a smiley? Kinda weird!
<< see!
What an amazingly detail packed story. Told so wonderfully too.
I don’t usually watch X Factor anymore since they changed the audition process, that sounds fickle and picky, but i never really watched it properly anyway.
You did look terribly happy on the Xtra Factor, and i’m jealous of the opportunity to you had to see it live.
much love x
Ahh woah! That was a fantastic review! So exciting!
nice work if you can get it.
Ronald C K Ong is right – never judge a man etc… I take it back Derren, this is a great post. You clearly had a great time and why shouldn’t you. Love you even more now if that’s possible!!
Over the moon DB enjoyed the evening, love the so called open auditions but watched for a one off. Has Derren consided his own channel like Dave¿
Was Olly not there?? I love Olly
Sounds like you had a great nite – unfortunately for all your blog your fans only saw you for what 2 mins on the Xtra factor ………….and everyone was charming etc., etc.,- what a shame you got no gossip hun – thats what i thought you would post ……………bit unimpressed ……………….
Love you to bits Derren – get on the TV soon!!!!!!!
Makes for a very good read, a detailed insight to the goings on behind the screen. Good work.
Hey Derren, what a fantastic blog!!! I think you were fab on the Xtra Factor…..very good comments ;o) xx
i just liked the fact that you were second guessed by holly willoughby r.e. twitter :p
your face made me laugh when she said that…and also when you said ‘mid-riff baring jls boys’
loved it xx do this more often haha
Haha! I did catch you calling someone a buttock. Nearly spat out my tea!!
Fantastic post.. Thanks for sharing it in such a way. x
Loved the first bit where Derren expressed his cynicism towards the auditions. Deliberately choosing deluded people to audition is on the same level as laughing at someone with a mental illness. I’m disappointed that Derren showed his support for a show that does this by attending.
That’s such a fantastic description of the night – thank you for that Derren. I was fairly shocked to see you on Xtra Factor, and wondered whether you may have wanted to say something to the Daily Mail person – I’m not a fan either. Glad you got to give Joe a hug – he’s such a wonderful chap and I hope he wins, even though he does look as though the whole journey iust terrifying him.
You gave a thumbs up?
Thanks for this lovely script, and your wonderful aptitude at seeing the best in people as well as seeing them as people and not celebs – it’s great to hear about a reality show from a “real” perspective. I’m glad you had a great time, and hope you have thousands more like it!
) Personally, I’ve found XFactor too disturbing and upsetting to see – the worst thing is to see people of differing degrees of talent being torn to shreds by a group of judges and then being destroyed from the judgment of millions of public viewers. I could say a lot more, but there’s no room – anyway, I’d just bore! 
). All the best, db x
Loved reading that blog! Sounds like you had a fantastic time.
Shame Rachel had to leave
Such a great review of the whole evening and glad everyone was really nice
I am sooooooooo jealous.
Mind you, not a word about Simon, my crush of shame. Was there no delightfulness in that quarter?
Ahh Im so glad to hear y=that you had a wonderful time, hope you didnt bump your head to badly
they all sound so wonderful its nice to hear a different side to them other than the one on stage and in the press, sounds like it was lots of fun to meet everyone and be there to see all the performances.
Much love,
Awwww I really enjoyed reading this and I am really glad you had a great time. I even watched you on repeat you looked really good lol :p xx
i bet derrens really small in real life too
Gosh, you make the X Factor seem sane and genuine! Fab!
Im so jealous!!!
JOE TO WIN XFACTOR
x
would have loved to be there
You looked fantastic,and was practically stuck to my seat,if you’ll excuse that rather sad joke.
xxx
xx
x
Ah come on Derren., we all know you’re a closet Jedward fan
:P
Glad you had fun
PS. Did that guy try to “hyptonise” you?
Your blogs brighten my day
The fact you thought everyone was lovely made me giggle as it is so against your public image.
x
sounds awesome (Y) great that u had a good time
my fav is joe
I must have had some kind of ‘remote vision’ that you were there on Sunday! As me and my wife switched our tv onto the Xtra Factor – with no idea whatsoever that you’d be part of the show – I said to her “I wish Derren Brown would make the country not vote for the Twins” and within seconds you appeared on the screen!
The irony being that Cheryl is probably blogging that when Derren left the room briefly, she stole his chewing gum…
jesus youre lucky
glad you had a good time, and dermot sounds lovelyy xx
Yeah well I guess it sounds fun. You should definitely have punched Simon Cowell though – that would have been the moral thing to do…
LOL you stole Cheryl Cole’s smints…. You’re epic!!!
I love you Derren
=]
Shame I missed that episode… I’ll have to try and find it online!
xxx
What a big Mary, and what an utterly delicious account. I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to hear that you have another addition to the distressed band of I Dream Of Derren lunatics. Had the most bizarre one last night in which you were in charge of a horizontal big wheel into which I was strapped and which was whirling demonically through the air. Quite exciting as there was also a hint of Carnal but unfortunately the mechanisms went horribly wrong and the wheel killed all in its wake, which was quite transparently all your fucking fault.
Nice read. Thanks! x
You appeared on a documentary about Ghost films!!! I saw it, you actorly celebby celeb.
Thank you Derren, for making it real. It’s so easy to get caught up in the pantomime of the show and so easy to forget that they’re real people we’re watching. Real people with hopes, fears, dreams and feelings just like us. Not only did you give us an insight to the show you made each one of the contestants human again.
None of them deserve the boos or the bad press, they’re human beings just following their dreams – that’s the bravest thing anyone can do.
Awwww! I love your use of adjectives regarding the small and cuddly!
A teeny weeny hug I send to you!
You jammy devil, tickets to the live show are hard to come by. I want to get a pair of tickets but for the wrong reasons, i’m not fussed about the singing…Danyl to win……i’d be there just to gaze at Louis Wlash who i want to adopt and take home, keep him in my attic and feed him cornflakes…..ok maybe i shouldn’t have said that.
Great blog Derren, I have similar mixed feelings about the X-Factor.
Hugely jealous that you know Ethan
Wow this is a long entry, and, as always, very well written! Had to read this in several goes for it to sink in, but am glad you enjoyed yourself
Hopefully Coops won’t go on an Smint-selling spree on eBay
I’m extremely confused, is this a blog? Is it actual Derren Brown writing a blog? Also, what the hell is a blog?
Enjoyed reading this very much. So insightful (but not in a magical or misdirecting way) and so warm and affectionate. A very personal and very humble account which brings out the humanity of all involved and makes both the writer and his subject seem touchable and huggable.
So glad to hear you watch TV, we have something in common at last! (I have such a big crush on you).
Will read later. For now I just want to bed you. Sigh.
You don’t need to do an interview, you’ve just interviewed yourself!
I hope you swiped those mints with some kind of ‘Derren Brown’ misdirection style…
Have you done a Dermot characture yet?
You are such a big girl
x
yeah thanks, ive been ill and was saving the sunday show to watch when i felt better you thieveing git!
Thanks for posting this Derren, it was a pleasure to read your account of the evening and I’ve enjoyed seeing the evening through your eyes.
D’oh! Sorry! Didn’t mean to post the same comment twice. I thought the first one didn’t go through because my e-mail was in wrong…:)
looking gr8 derren,
did not know you watched x factor,coool!
watching trick or treat-your show tonight!
looking forward to that!
Much Love
Simone from Cornwall!
cant believe i missed it
this blog, however it hillarious!!!!! cant wait to see you on the repeat show!
xxxxx
Not that I particularly anticipate response of any kind (whether direct, blog posting or something more subtle), but many of my friends have raised the hypothesis that your appearance on the Xtra-factor was in fact you “getting upto your usual tricks” to quote one of them in particular. We were indeed most surprised to find out you were a fan, that is not to say we do not enjoy the show, in fact many of our weekends are spent crammed into a rather distressed Sofa.
-Cont.
However, you must surely have expected people to at least suspect that your appearance was another nation-wide experiment.
Obviously if this was the case, I wouldn’t expect you to admit it, least of all to a stranger, but I have been asked to tell you that if it was a trick, there is a small group of people somewhere in middle England who are onto you.
Hoping to hear from you soon,
S
P.S.
We also noted the hint you gave to the ending of “how to beat a casino” in Trick Of The Mind Season 4 episode 5.
Nice review. Glad you had an amazing night.
They all sound lovely, if a little teeny.
But what about Simon?!!!!
Okay I know we can’t discuss taste, but the whole “reality TV” is rather tasteless in my book.
I think that people watching this (with all due respect) crap, are keeping the whole formula in existence. I do not watch anything that involves texting and voting anymore. I think I will even skip watching the 3rd season of Phenomenon this year in Holland eventhough it is about the thing that I love, mentalism.
Please everybody boycot these shows so that we can have some more interesting intelligent and entertaining stuff on the tube. I vote for more Derren f.i.