Tonight:
9°c
New Moon is nothing if not an international advertisement for the hungry virtues of virginity and young people can’t get enough of it
Latest: Policeman admits murdering his fiancee — also a constable — then staging a fake car crash days before they were due to marry in St Lucia
More...
Victoria Beckham: Simon Cowell turned down Spice Girls
By Alistair Foster, London Lite Last updated at 13:09pm on 11.08.09Victoria Beckham has revealed that Simon Cowell had the chance to sign the Spice Girls — but let them go. The pair now sit alongside each other on the American Idol judges' panel, so there's nothing like dropping a few bombshells to crank up the pressure.
Turning up the heat: Simon got it wrong (left) and Posh outside the studios while recording American Idol (right)
Posh, having an early dig at her colleagues' costly error of judgment, said: “He is the only man in the music industry who turned down the Spice Girls — and said we would never work. I like that fact.”
Gallery: Victoria Beckham through the years
We'd like to remind Simon that the Spice Girls were the most successful girl band of all time, proving that his money-making radar must have been on the blink that day.
His arch-rival Simon Fuller snapped up the opportunity and went on to mastermind the girls' success and propel the likes of Victoria, 35, to global stardom.
The fashionista, and other half of Team Beckham, joined the American Idol panel this week after Paula Abdul left the series. Posh's inclusion is on a trial basis (so she might not want to rub Simon's nose in his previous mistake too much).
Of Abdul, Posh said: “I'm a spiritual person, and I believe that you get back what you put out there. I hope she does something that is bigger and better. There's something great for her around the corner, I'm sure.”
Apparently that something around the corner is Dancing With The Stars, if reports in the US are to be believed.
We also hear that Vic has hired a phonetics coach to soften her British twang so American audiences can understand her better. Before her Idol debut earlier this week we're told she had a couple of one-on-one speech and drama lessons to help develop her pronunciation skills and her spontaneous facial expressions.
Our source told us: “Victoria knows she has a very thick British accent and is sometimes misunderstood in America. She wanted to come across the best she could on American Idol, so she took some private lessons on how to properly pronounce words and how to make appropriate facial expressions.
“Vic is famous for her pout but she herself admitted she wanted to shed that pout for the show to come across more human.”
Related articles
Reader views (10)
Oh sure, they were a hit amoung the children, which is easy to do. Its not hard to make it huge in the industry by catering to the kids. Just be cute. But an embarressment to the music business in general as they are not musicians. They claim to be, which makes me sick. They were coached and trained, poorly mind you. Nothing natural or original about them. Ignorant, yet decent looking and when you have to dump millions into something to make them, as opposed to being of natural accomplishment, I dont consider that a winner. If the Spice Girls want to believe they made it big on their own, thats fine. But dont EVER compare them to musicians. They are actresses at best.
- Real Musician, New York USA
I shall never bitch about him again! Just proves that nobody is ALL bad.
- Lezli Taubler, London/England
What the duce is a "thick British accent"??
- Hb, Rochford, Essex
How many thousands of talented people in the US and they choose this Bimbo..............."only in a America"
- Kae, Hants
She is a talentless no mark elevated to almost godlike status by the sycophantic media. She can't sing, can't act, can't present, and surely can't judge a talent contest, being bereft herself!
- M, London
Pity no one else turned them down,
- Alex., brighton
It says everything you need to know about Victoria Beckham that she needs lessons on making "appropriate facial expressions"...
- Steve Spruce, Merstham, UK
How to properly pronounce words - or how to pronounce words so that the American audience can understand them? 2 different things I think.
- Me, UK
It is the one decision I respect the man for
- Keith Price, Luton England
The man has taste after all.
- Adrian, London
