In a move that is bound to cause stress, Top 5 contestant Ben Hazlewood, has had his song choice for Pop week, an original that he had written himself, vetoed by the powers that be at 19 Entertainment one day before the show is to be recorded. It is our understanding that 19 didn't want an original sung until the Grand Final.
This late change has meant that Ben will only have one day to rehearse a song already cleared by 19 for use in the show - Teddy Gaiger's For You I Will (Confidence).
This has put Ben in a most disadvantaged position being 3 days behind the rest of the other contestants just because he put himself out there and if he goes this week then that will be an absolute crime.
However, the producers of the show, South Pacific Pictures, did go in to bat for Ben but were unsuccessful in convincing 19 that it would be a good move considering all the recent publicity surrounding comments from some of the NZ Music industry's heavy weights.
On a side note, the sixth season of American Idol which is currently in auditions is supposed to have a songwriting/original element to it this year.
Just to make a point..the song is good:)
I still hope he gets kicked off. His song was probably sh*t anyway... And there are probably heaps of other legal reasons for it as well as them just "not wanting" him to do it... Sounded as though the judges were told to be nice to him though, because he wasn't exactly that great tonight.
I just read that someone in the top 7 of australian idol got to sing their own song...i don't see why ben couldnt :S
They were pi**ed off that SPP had played around with the format by ripping off the Rockstar/x-Factor "sing off" at the end of the elimintion episodes so just wanted to make an example of them. Unfortunately ity was only poor old Ben that got to suffer for it.
Yeah. SPP is just stupid because Idol was crap this year, and by that I mean the way the show was run, not the talent.
This is so stupid - what made him feel special enough to be singing an original song? he couldnt even pick a song each week and give it some sort of justice so what made him think that singing his own song is gonna work -
not only would he be risking the fact that he has a weak voice (as everyone already knows) he would be risking the fact that he cant write songs.
just kick his a$$ off anyway!
Dude, have you been on his MySpace? He writes hot songs.
i agree with everyone else, why leave it too the very last min to say"oh sorry you can't perform this"..oh well I'm sure Ben has done a good job:)!
Ben, you're a fighter, that was a great performance last night, despite all the drama
omg thats sooooo sad, why did stupif Fremantle leave till the last minute like that, poor ben, im definetly voting for him heaps this week coz he had the bravery to take the risk of using his own song but then he couldnt do it coz fremantle decided they would make it just that little more difficult, GO BEN...F*** YOU FREMANTLE
another backward publicity stunt to get everyone to give Ben their sympathy vote.
ofcourse its unfair! no one in their right mind would pull the mat out from under his feet this late??
This definatly proves this years Idol has so many "hidden agendas" and jokes going on
chev pull your head out of there and explain your post oi.............
I agree! I guess I'm a loser too
lmao heres looking at you loser!
ofcourse its unfair! no one in their right mind would pull the mat out from under his feet this late??
This definatly proves this years Idol has so many "hidden agendas" and jokes going on
my earlier post has nothing to do with trashing Ben. Why cant young dumb full of come people (like Scap&Co) on IB see its written to vent my anger against Fremantle and the powers that be?
Yes imho its a publicity stunt to get people to sympathy vote for Ben as we've seen with what happened to kali lastweek or have we forgotten already lmao!
Man I have trouble understanding you sometimes o_O thanks for the post above - why didn't you say that in the first instance HUH?
So will you eat your 'hidden agenda' words if Ben wins please? LOL
If you're right and it was a publicity stunt, they would have to tell the TV audience what happened. E.g. "...and so Ben had to learn a new song in one day..."
From what I saw last night, no mention at all was made, it was completely hidden. So the audience won't feel any sympathy towards Ben :-(
Unless of course they're Idolbloggers!
The people with the power over at the production of NZ Idol aren't dumb! They know exactly how influential Idolbloggers are in respect to prospective votes out there in the wider country, and they'd know exactly that if you read it on Idolblog, you're going to talk about it with other people who are possibly going to vote ... I can't help agreeing with Chevy on this one - another money making publicity stunt it seems :|
I completely disagree - they wanted Ben to sing it too but they couldn't get permission.
get over your self. According to my sources Ben is really dissappointed and he doesnt need a loser like you to make it worse. so BACK OFF
. According to my sources
*puts on Elvis voice* hey baby hows about abit of sources for "action man" here
and he doesnt need a loser like you to make it worse
LMAO the cheek of these newbies round here! Go back to Skool, get an education then come back and comprehend Lol my post! I was not taking a dig at Ben but a dig at SPP, TVNZ and Fremantle for using Ben as a pwan cash cow to ramp up txt/0900 votes like they did to kali. Please do not shoot your mouth off to early. I am a member of Bens fanclub and have been to Bens own song thread and "wished him well" on his performance (which has gone out the window in the last 24hours thanks to Fremantle).
get over your self
i think i fancy you
lmao
LOL
Raow :s
It's physically impossible for one to get over themselves... and even in the figure of speech way, why would he need to get over himself?
He's not saying he's awesome because Ben has to change his song.
*confused*
oi oi oi! Don't say that to an idolblog elder!
nah im no elder round here Lol i liek to be known as Ken the "action man"
Now where did barbie go?
lol why am i starting to like you?
My apologys for flying off the handle NRMW
imho IB is about NZ-Idol and opinion which is cool. great to have yourself and others on IB
hey its okay. I think of you as a mate on IB now so no harm done. Im sorry too
Because everyone starts to like chevy. Even the n00bs who think they're so much better than him, yet can't understand his badly-worded style of posting.
THIS IS A JOKE!! IF BEN GOES THIS WEEK (because of this) I REFUSE TO VOTE ANYMORE.
I have never been a fan of Ben but this is a joke. One day to learn and perfect a new song!? Thats just crazy. Although its good to hear that the producers tried to defend him. :s
Ben doesn't deserve this. FCS, he worked so hard to get to this place, and look what bloody Fremantle have done. They should be ashamed.
*boycotts*
Join the Boycott: http://www.idolblog.com/node/2009381
Poor Ben! That's such bull---.. :@ three days behind the rest of them?! I hope his boppers are working overtime this week.. :S
This is another example of big corparates taking power trips. Poor Ben!
Isnt the show is being recorded tonight. Can someone please keep us updated.
Ben did GREAT tonight!
Yes. Ben was told this morning he wasn't aloud to sing this song anymore... and had a couple of hours to come up with a new song, before filming begun!
ok that is just mean!
That is so not fair, at such a late time before the show.
If that was to be a rule, it should have been stated at the start!
What would it matter, if Ben wants to take that chance, surely it's up to him! It could make or break him, but it should be his choice - if there was no previous rule about it..
There wasnt any rules about singing an original song, however it states that all songs are sung at own risk.
If Ben goes out because of Freemantles stupidity then I wont watch idol again
count me in. we should all email freemantle and sign a petition or something
THIS IS NOT FAIR. WE ALL KNEW THAT BEN WOULD DO AN ORIGINAL DURING THE SHOW A FEW WEEKS AGO IN THE SUNDAY NEWS AND HE CHOSE THE SONG AT THE STARTING OF THE WEEK SO WHY DIDNT FREEMANTLE REACT FASTER. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. WHY? I STILL HAVE FAITH IN BEN'S ABILITY AND I KNOW HE WILL DO JUST FINE. FOR YOU I WILL BY TEDDY GEIGER IS AN AWESOME SONG AND BEN WILL PULL IT OFF JUST FINE.
awwwwww the poor guy. Feel really sorry for him
This is pathetic
I will be voting for Ben this week
What friggen idiots
That's really terrible! So bloody unfair.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
That is really, really, REALLY unfair and so wrong! but I guess it's what we've come to expect this season
I assume the judges will be making the same allowances for him as they did the other week for someone who had a sore throat! Otherwise that would be totally biased. However he won't need their sympathy cause he will do it on his own merits.