SATURDAY NEWS WRAP #17

• Channel 7 confirmed with us this week that the live post-show wrap called ‘The Xtra Factor’ will be part of their programming when The X Factor hits our screens next month. ‘The Xtra Factor’ will screen live on 7TWO after the main show.
• Looks like Lady Gaga is on her way to another hit here in Australia, with her latest single ‘Dance In The Dark’ being added to the 2Day network last week. B105, 2DayFM, FoxFM, SAFM, 92.9 – even NXFM in Newcastle all added the new track, putting in good stead for a ‘most added’ position come Monday.
• Sydney classical outfit Aston keep kicking goals with their intriguing take on contemporary pop songs. Their latest (a cover of La Roux’s ‘Bulletproof’) is now live, and they’ve now collectively clocked up more than a million hits on Youtube.
• Ellen Degeneres has announced that she’s quitting the American Idol judging panel after just one year. In a statement, the popular TV star said, “While I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings.”
• Reports coming out of the UK suggest that Girls Aloud will only be 80% of their former selves when they come together to make their next LP. It’s reported that they’ll carry on as a foursome after falling out with Nadine Coyle.
• In the US, Eminem and Rihanna have held onto their No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, holding off Katy Perry’s ‘California Gurls’ and a fast-surging Taio Cruz with ‘Dynamite’. Katy Perry’s new single ‘Teenage Dream’ is in with a bullet at No.20.
• And Eminem holds firm at No.1 on the US albums chart too, with Rick Ross debuting at No.2, Sheryl Crow in at No.3 and Kidz Bop Kids debuting at No.5. Jonas Brothers’ ‘Jonas LA’ soundtrack debuts at No.7.

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