Almost eight weeks ago, British schoolteacher Danyl Johnson wowed UK audiences (and YouTube-viewing Anglophiles across the pond) with a tryout for the sixth season of The X Factor that judge and executive producer Simon Cowell called “the best first audition I have ever heard.” Although he was immediately pronounced the next Susan Boyle, strangely, since then, I’ve seen and heard barely anything more about the handsome Mr. Johnson stateside, so I was doubly surprised to learn today that the 27-year-old has found himself at the center of a minor scandale! over the past week.
For his first live performance on the show on Oct. 10, Johnson did what was to my ear a rather tepid version of the Dreamgirls barnburner “And I Am Telling You,” flipping the lyric “You’re the best man…” to “You’re the best girl…” and finishing off with a truly killer final note. Amid thundering applause and a standing ovation from Simon (who may be biased since, per the X Factor format, he selected the song for Johnson), the other three judges weighed in. And, well, watch for yourself (the moment in question shows up at the 3:00 mark):
Judge Dannii Minogue is not making up her observation about Johnson’s sexuality out of thin air: He’d apparently told a British paper that he’s dated men in the past. And Johnson himself seems to say “I’m not ashamed” when the audience started booing Minogue. Still, Simon to my eyes looked royally cheesed by Minogue’s comment, and although Minogue has since apologized for the remark, there have evidently been all kinds of calls for Minogue to be, as they say, sacked from the show.
The whole thing has me both amazed and confused: Amazed that a talent competition judge would speak so brazenly about a contestant’s private life on live TV, and confused as to why so many seem to think Minogue was trying something underhanded or cruel. As my colleague Tim Stack points out, “I’m not sure you can ‘out’ a man who knows the lyrics to ‘And I Am Telling You.’” And besides, is it so awful that Johnson could have sung the song to a man as well as a woman, or for Minogue to point this out, however ham-handedly?
What do you make of all this, P’Dubs? Was Minogue in the wrong? Was Simon perhaps a bit off with his pronouncement that Danyl delivered “one of the best performances I’ve ever heard in my life”? And what do you think would’ve happened in the U.S. had Paula or Kara let slip a pointed comment about Adam Lambert’s sexuality?
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Didn’t he basically out himself by singing ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’?
Did you read the article? As it clearly stated, the song was not Danyl’s choice. It was the judge’s (Simon’s) choice.
I read his quote saying that he is bi-sexual (and seems proud of it)so he really wasn’t “outed”. It wasn’t a rumor, it was in his own public words. So the judge was right. There really was no need to change the gender in the lyrics of the song.
Totally not helpful to this discussion, but man…he’s cute!
(Wouldn’t matter one way or the other to me which way he swings)
LOL really? He’s so…average looking…?
haha i def agree with sarahp:D
But now that I re-watched the clip (I saw this online earlier), I think she was out of line. Not because it matters one way or the other, but because it wasn’t her place. And it obviously surprised him and upset him. I don’t know if she thought she was being funny, but it came across as a bully move.
Exactly
Yeah, I agree. While I might agree with her point, I don’t think it was appropriate for her to bring it up on national television. He looked really shocked, and considering the X-Factor format, where the judges mentor a segment of the contestants, it definitely came across as a bitch move, to try and shake him up or something. That probably wasn’t what she meant, but that’s how it sounded, and I think Simon thought so too, hence the extreme pissed-off-ness.
OFF WITH HER HEAD!!! If Kara did it, take hers too. Better yet, as a preemptive strike, DO IT ANYWAY!
Just own your sexuality. If you are who you are, then no one can ‘out’ anyone. Both US and UK shows are scared if anyone says they like to swap spit with a man before the voting has been tallied, it will ruin the show somehow. Paleeze, its 2009.
Of course it makes a difference. Its 2009 but there is still rampage homophobia everywhere! There are many people that wouldn’t vote for someone who is gay.
I don’t think anyone should be made to feel ashamed of their sexual orientation. However, you can “own” your sexuality without making it a public statement for other people to comment and speculate about. That judge’s comment was rude and rudely put.
Andy-How did he “out himself” when right there in the article it states that Simon picked the song for him. Or didn’t you bother to read the article?
LOL. The comprehension skills of some folks amaze me.
Huh?
it amazes me that when some people are obviously defeated in arguement, they turn to attacking someones comprehension or spelling skills…
Never cared about a singer’s sexuality but what I found really irritatingly funny is the way Simon Cowell patronizes the guy. I bet that his [S.C.] standing ovation has no weight at all in this competition. He does it all the time.
Actually, Kara DID out Adam Lambert while he was on the show.
Simon is so full of it. Of course it was one of the best performances bc simon has been proclaiming this guy to be the second coming of Christ. He sung it well, but not amazing. Again, mcuh ado about nothing w. this guy. More hype than substance. The judge’s comment was a bit odd but i guess in the UK/Europe they are a bit more brash with their commentary?
I agree, if this were not X-factor style, Simon would probably be saying “It was Okay, but I am not going to remember it next week or even tomorrow”.
Also to Adam B. Vary and his “colleague” Tim Stack, was he suppose to go on a show NOT know the lyrics to the song he was sing. That was one of the more stupid comments I have ever read in a EW article.
It’s supposed to be a joke. You can’t out somebody who knows the words to a song from Dreamgirls, i.e. only gay men know the words to those songs.
LOL!!! How about he learned the words after he was given the song by Simon?…:-) Someone please tell me, is Dwane Lamonte gay? Just wondering…
He’s one of my friends on a social website! Who knew? (J.K.)
“I’m not sure you can ‘out’ a man who knows the lyrics to ‘And I Am Telling You.’” Hilarious! I watched the show on YouTube on Saturday night and it was so awkward and unnecessary. I do agree with you Adam that his version was not as great as Simon seemed to think it was.
since the judges on the X-factor are competing as well as the contestants there is a history of one judge trying to sabotage a contestant from another judge’s category with these kinds of comments. that is why Simon was upset, because the snipe was really directed at him and not at Danyl. These kinds of hijinx are pretty common on the X-factor.
I did not think that comment was approriate at all. Judge the performance not ones personal life.
I watched that performance several times and what he said was “I’m Not gay”.
aah, but he IS!
Watch it again…he said “I’m not ashamed.”
No, he obviously says “I’m not ashamed” if you listen to it closely
why does he not have the likeability factor????????????? love him
He Said I’m not ashamed
Danni is a selfish inconsiderate creep. Watch the video again what he said in response was IM NOT GAY. and even if he was she was pulling something wierd by what she said. She should not have done what she did. Was she hoping to underscore him in some way? what a witch.
He Said “I’m not ashamed”
check your ears
Dannii was saying one shouldn’t have to change the lyrics to conform to the “norm”. She just said it in a very awkward way. She was supporting breaking the mold, not condemning it.
Then why did she preface her comment with, “Based on what I’ve been hearing this week….”? I have to humbly disagree with you: it was a very directed comment on his sexuality, not changing the lyrics.
You would think that a celebrity (who hasn’t really managed to find that success across the pond- as far as I know) would know better than to believe things said in the tabloids.
I think Danni was calling him out on his crap. Why did he change the lyric in that song? Was it necessary? He was trying to play both sides and hide his sexuality to the viewing audience (like it is something be ashamed of), and she just wasn’t having it. I don’t understand the outrage over her comment. There should be more outrage pointed toward him/X-Factor producers idea to change gender-specific lyrics to always fit the straight mold.
What a bitch. That was uncalled for.
And to add–I didn’t think that performance was all that good. Simon is full of it.
Wow. Look at Simon in a tie!
That was a bonehead move. Why bring that up after he sings. Ridiculous.
Who cares! Who cares? Who cares!?!
The man has an amazing voice! Who cares if he is gay, bisexual, trisexual, transvestite, or anything! He is an amazing singer and maybe one day when the world stops overanalyzing EVERYTHING about a person and focus in on what should be focued on (his talent), we can actually get the music industry back on track.
When the world started worrying about the looks of singers, the ‘likeability’ of the singer, etc., we ran the risk of losing alot of talent. Its a shame that someone who is in the music industry and has faced this type of prejudice decided to make that type of comment. Good for Simon for stepping up and saying what he did. And good for Danyl for not being ashamed of who he is.
the thing is there are a lot of people who do care if one is gay, and danni saying that could prevent alot of people from voting for him, even though he aint the best we seen he is quite better then the others in the show
It irritates me to no end when I read “Amazed that a talent competition judge would speak so brazenly about a contestant’s private life on live TV.” On these shows, there’s a huge emphasis on the straight contestants’ “private” lives. If I ever hear the phrase “dead wife” again, I will kill myself. Why is it suddenly brazen when it’s about a gay contestant’s “private” life? Huge double standard there.
My only problem with her comment is that I don’t get what the point was. There was no reason for her to say what she did, but judges on a performance reality show rambling on for no good reason is nothing new. And yeah, Simon was way overexaggerating. He’s like a completely different person when he’s in his home country.
According to what both Dannii and Danyl said, they were joking in rehearsals about changing the gender in the song (something Simon made him do). The guy “came out” to the media on his own several weeks ago; Dannii didn’t out him. On Sunday’s show, Simon admitted that he over-reacted and said that Dannii was the last person in the world who would say something like that with maliciousness. All in all, Danyl made his private life public and Dannii just made an innocent remark that didn’t go over too well. Get over it people.
What an odd comment to make. And she said it like an insult too.
I figured he was gay when I saw his first audition.
Judge was completely out of line. A contestant’s personal life should be off the table as subject matter for a judge to spout off about. She had no right.
I would date the guy in a second, he is HOT!
As for Simon saying that is the best performance – he knew the guy’s confidence just took a HUGE knock and was just trying to bolster him. Martin, he IS hot, isn’t he. I think he’s hot and I’m a lesbian.