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Natalie Bassingthwaighte joins X Factor NZ

Nat Bass to judge X Factor NZ following the dismissal of Natalia Kills and Willy Moon.

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Australia’s Natalie Bassingthwaighte has been announced as a new judge on The X Factor New Zealand, following the dismissal of Natalia Kills and Willy Moon.

She will be joined by Shelton Woolright, drummer of rock band I am Giant.

Husband and wife team Kills and Moon were sacked after Kills called singer Joe Irvine “cheesy” and “disgusting”.

Kills and Moon left New Zealand on a plane bound for Los Angeles on Tuesday night. They were spotted by international media upon their arrival at LAX and hounded for a response about the incident.

Kills told MTV there were two sides to the story and that she wished Joe Irvine good luck.

FremantleMedia Australia owns the Australasian rights to X Factor and supported Mediaworks sacking the duo.

Bassingthwaighte has appeared on multiple seasons of the series on Seven, but it isn’t clear if she is set to return in 2015.

Source: stuff.co.nz

20 Responses

  1. “cheesy”and “disgusting”… is that all that was said? There must be more to it then that surely. Worse has been said on tv so not sure what the big deal is.

    1. David has underplayed it a bit here – if you’ve missed the story look up the vid – much more was said than that. She basically ripped into him for copying her husband all because he wore a suit and had hair, and then her husband accused him of being a serial killer.

  2. Was pretty much the obvious short term emergency replacement – the Australian panel would have been the first place to look and she’s the only one likely to have been available. The NZ show should be wrapped up in time to allow her to film the audition for the Aussie series I’d have thought.

  3. Smart Choice. Nat has a great personality that appeals to the audience. The problem is that she has been on the Australian version for way too long and its time for someone new and fresh. X-Factor NZ gives Nat a chance to continue a job that she loves but to a new audience that I think would be very appealed by her great personality. So I think its a win for Nat, for Ch 7 (as they can find a replacement) and for X-Factor in New Zealand.

  4. I am not sticking up for what the duo said but lets not forget that to get these judging jobs they are told to be controversial. so maybe the producers of XFNZ should cop some of the blame.

    1. 300,000 is respectable but ideally a show should achieve at least 350,000 to be considered a proper success… 350K would be the NZ equivalent of the magic million to put it into perspective.

  7. You appear to be defending the pair who have gone. All I know is, Willy Moon’s get up and look is not original. People his age might not know too much about Sammy Davis et al but they should know their music history far better. And the only song I have heard Willie sing had a phrase “in the month of May” which he tried to sound radical singing. Not sure it worked. I take your point that the audience does not always see the entire dialogue that transpired but, truly, she was too ego based and Willy sat there like a smug cat as she vented her spleen. Her whole vent could have been thrown at her own husband when all is said and done because the points equally apply. Experienced, decent people in a profession do not act like this. I assume the Finn brothers and others were unavailable at such short notice and I assume they simply now want someone experienced who can get on with it…

  8. Great replacement choice and weirdly someone I thought of when thinking of replacements. Didn’t think she would due to her kids but oh well.

    Unfortunately the contestants suffer from all this as they now have a new mentor to get to know and learn their style

  9. Not to sound harsh, but do New Zealanders even know who she is? Since she had only one charting single over there as part of Rogue Traders in 2005.

    2. If they don’t know her from neighbours/rogue traders or the one album she released from her solo career then they know her from X factor australia as that was broadcast in New Zealand as well.

  10. Wow.. has she even watched any of the NZ series? How does the series work over there anyway? Has she just been shoved in as a mentor of a category like she was here?

  11. good choice getting nat bass on x factor nz. she is likeable and hope nz embrace her as australia did. if this means she is out of australian x factor then please please please get jess mauboy to replace her. she is respected in the australian music industry, has made a name for herself and worked really hard to get to where she is. and she is also a respected movie actress too. ohh and jess has appeared on the show before helping dannii with her groups.

  12. Two sides to every story, typical response by those who are in the wrong. Everything has been recorded and shown, what exactly is the other side that no one else sees in the vision.

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