Nick Grimshaw has joked that he’ll be taking his ‘X Factor’ acts to the sun-soaked destination of Oldham for this year’s judges’ houses.
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The judges’ houses stage of the competition is intended to bridge a gap between the mentors and acts while they’re whittled down to four finalists, but over the years the judges have been known to take their contestants to increasingly lavish destinations, rather than their actual homes.
This was never more apparent than last year, when we saw Tulisaemerging from the sea at Louis Walsh’s ‘home’ in Barbados, while Mel Bsoaked up the sunshine in Mexicurrrr (or Mexico, as it’s more commonly known).
Nick Grimshaw
However, newly-announced judge Nick has joked that if his acts are hoping for a holiday at judges’ houses, he’ll be dragging them back down to earth with a bump.
“I'm thinking of doing it in Oldham,” he joked during his Radio 1 breakfast show on Tuesday, “It's gorgeous. That's where I was born and bred so I was thinking maybe I'd go back there, that or maybe go there or Barbados, they are the two options I'm thinking.”
Fellow judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, who was a guest on his show for the day, seemed less convinced, telling him: “You should have a good think about that.”
It was recently reported that, in yet another shake-up, Simon Cowell was planning to air this year's judges' houses live, if time differences would allow it, that is.
Following weeks of speculation, Nick was confirmed to be replacing departing judge Louis Walsh on Tuesday morning, while ‘Poison’ singer Rita Ora will be defecting from ‘The Voice’ to fill Mel B’s spot on the panel.