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Cole and Cowell clash in new UK X-Factor series

LONDON (AFP) – Show business tycoon Simon Cowell and singer-actress Cheryl Cole swap insults in the new series of The X Factor starting on Satuday, previews showed.

Tempers flare when Cowell brands the Girls Aloud star a "brat" during an early audition and jokes about her catty behaviour by putting out a saucer of milk for her.

After Cole tells one disappointed group they should consider a career in children's television, Cowell sarcastically demands: "Have we got any cream?" and when he catches her pulling faces at him, he tells her: "You're a childish little brat."

According to reports, the first show also includes scenes of Cole collapsing with an illness that was later diagnosed as malaria.

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell also makes waves in an appearance as a guest judge.Going by the reaction of her fellow judges, the constant references to her time in the Spice Girls and off-the-cuff advice to contestants about their "tone" soon wore thin.

At one point Louis Walsh moans to the cameras that "Geri talks and she talks - some of it makes sense, not all of it".

After watching a particularly poor act, Halliwell says: "I don't know what to say," to which Walsh retorts: "That's a first."

First contestant was house-husband Stephen Hunter whose mixture of soulful vocals and dancing last seen at a 1980s school disco set the tone for the rest of the show. Despite missing his cue, the 41-year-old - who promised to "give it everything" - got the thumbs-up from all four judges.

Among the potential stars already identified was Gamu Nhengu, an 18-year-old student who left her native Zimbabwe for Scotland five years ago.

Her version of Katrina and the Waves' Walking On Sunshine wowed the judges, with Simon Cowell praising her "old school jazz voice".

Not everyone did so well and one tuneless trio in London left the judges stunned into silence with a performance Cowell later described as "possibly the worst group we've ever had on this show".

Other potential stars included a singing waitress and a devoted Freddie Mercury fan who was given a rare second chance after her attempt to sing like her hero fell flat.

Danni Minogue's place was taken at the auditions by a series of guest judges including former Neighbours star Natalie Imbruglia, singers Pixie Lott and Katy Perry, and Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls.

Cole admitted she enjoyed the support of the guest judges, saying: "It's lovely for me that there are other women on the panel because I couldn't be sitting between those two miserable so-and-sos on my own. I love having other women with us."

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq has signed up as the new host of The Xtra Factor on ITV2.

The contestants are divided into four categories, boys aged 16 to 24, girls aged 16 to 24, over 24-year-olds and groups.

The new series of The X Factor begins at 7.30pm Saturday on ITV1.

Top 10 Twitter Trends This Week [CHART]

If you think teens aren't a chatty demographic on , think again. We've seen many teen culture trends hit the top of the charts over the , and this week, Fox's Teen Choice Awards dethroned Inception, which had carried the top spot for nearly a month.

The explosion of chatter from theseems to have left its mark on Twitter, as the regular goings-on in the football world have rarely left the top topics since the end of the tournament.

Movies continue to trend solidly during these summer months, and the week-long Muslim holiday of Ramadan made a strong showing as observers tweeted their spirituality from all over the world.

The best news for long-time Twitter trend fans? The legendaryappears to be back with some new staying power, thanks to a cadre of Twitter-happy "Beliebers."

Have a look-see at the complete chart below, compiled by our friends over at . Because this is a topical list, hashtag memes and games have been omitted from the chart.

You can check past Twitter trends in oursection as well as read more about this past week's trends on .

Top Twitter Trends This Week: 8/7 - 8/13

RankSebastien Drums and Rolf Dyman download mp3 albums

Rush concert a workout for air drummers

IRVINE, California (Hollywood Reporter) – Rush fans who see the band tour after tour know not to expect many surprises.

There will be virtuoso playing, funny video segments and a long drum solo. There won't be covers, band interaction or extended jam sessions. About the only variance is the set list -- and that can be easily checked online because the trio generally sticks to it night after night.

But the current Time Machine jaunt is nothing less than a must-see because of two simple words: "Moving Pictures." Following a growing and welcome trend in the concert biz, Rush is playing its 1981 masterpiece all the way through for the first time. And those 40-plus minutes were nothing short of thrilling during Friday's stop at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre south of Los Angeles.

From the instantly recognizable keyboard blush that opens "Tom Sawyer" through the compu-reggae and period techspeak of "Vital Signs," the band brought to life one of 1980s rock's best and most revered records -- at least among non-elitists. The playing was typically precise, with only a few slight departures from the recorded versions; Rush slowed it up during the bridge of "Red Barchetta," and a few bars went missing from "The Camera Eye." The latter song, sadly missing from most Rush tours of the past three decades, is an 11-minute buried treasure. The original -- like much of "Moving Pictures" -- could have used a little less studio polish, but it played purely onstage.

Geddy Lee delivered a reined-in yet expressive vocal, adding expertly placed and paced bass line and runs; Alex Lifeson added sharp, purposeful guitar licks, complete with soaring late solo; and master drummer Neil Peart -- outwardly grim-faced and forbidding as always -- perfectly re-created some of his most satisfying timekeeping and fills. Stunning.

For nearly three hours, with intermission, Rush proved why it remains among rock's top live acts. The career-spanning show ranged from the band's pre-Peart 1974 debut to both sides of the advance single from Rush's 20th studio album, "Clockwork Angels," due next year. One of the latter tunes, "BU2B (Brought Up to Believe)," had a grunge-y opening and raced along, led by Lee's pulsating bass.

Even as the Rush guys age -- all three are 56 or 57 -- it remains hard to keep your eyes off Peart. Arguably the greatest rock drummer alive, he astounds with his speed, stamina and technique. Indeed, the legions of air drummers in the large crowd created a mini-maelstrom as they tried to keep up. Forget the concept of drum solo as Cretaceous artifact; Rush fans would riot if they didn't get several minutes of Peart to themselves. He eschewed the blocks, bells and chimes of yore, instead fairly battering his drums and cymbals. The overhead-camera shot of Peart doin' work could have stayed on the video screens all night. Note to producers and marketers: Taping an entire concert that way would make a helluva extra for the inevitable DVD of this tour.

Along with all of "Moving Pictures," whose "Witch Hunt" was apropos for Friday the 13th, there were highlights throughout: The chestnut "Closer to the Heart" suddenly changed course from the usual arrangement, then straightened out for the Big Finish; "Marathon" breezed by with its keyboard-washed self-determination; and "Freewill" was carried by Lee, who made up for a slightly sluggish musical pace by going all-out on its highest parts, drilling the vocal as well as anything all night.

The Time Machine show ended appropriately with a pair of '70s nuggets, both featuring tweaked openings. A near-oompah intro welcomed the jazz-prog instrumental "La Villa Strangiato," and the first minute or two of show closer "Working Man" channeled the reggae-like break of show opener "The Spirit of Radio." And a spectacular night had come full circle. A "Hemispheres" run-through on the next tour, anyone?

Venue: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine, Calif. (Friday, August 13)Set List:The Spirit of Radio Time Stand StillPresto Stick It Out Workin' Them Angels Leave That Thing Alone Faithless BU2B (Brought Up to Believe)Freewill Marathon Subdivisions IntermissionTom Sawyer Red Barchetta YYZ Limelight The Camera Eye Witch Hunt Vital Signs Caravan Drum Solo Closer to the Heart 2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx Far Cry Encore:La Villa StrangiatoWorking Man