RYLAN & MATT GET XTRA EXCITED
ITV2’S Xtra Factor has a new bromance and we’re into it
Juggling emotional contestants, an audience that have already been watching The X Factor for two-and-a-half hours, and that tricky live phone-in bit with the totally-over-it judges – being at the helm of The Xtra Factor is a job for only the ballsiest of presenters. Step forward Rylan Clark-neal and Matt Edmondson. Rylan and Matt – who follow in the footsteps of presenters like Melvin Odoom, Rochelle Humes, Caroline Flack, Olly Murs, Konnie Huq and Sarah-jane Crawford – both have history with the show. Rylan, of course, is one of the show’s most successful contestants – triumphing from joke-act status, via a very big cry, to become a This Morning and Big Brother anchor. Matt, meanwhile, was famously meant to get the Xtra gig in 2011, but was replaced at the very last minute by Olly.
But will they work as a duo? Well, heat is here to tell you that this could be the greatest series of The Xtra Factor ever. Rylan, 27, and Matt, 30, complement each other perfectly. W hile we’re chatting, they’re cracking each other (and us) up, and are always eager to entertain without shouting over each other. Oh, and brilliantly, they’re happy to spill the beans on all the backstage goss.
There’s another challenge for them to face, though – this year all the Xtra Factor shows will be live, right from the auditions stage – and let’s just say some of this interview was definitely too naughty for teatime telly… How did you feel about each other before you started working together? Rylan: Couldn’t stand him. Matt: There’s so much tension between us.
‘I’m here for my looks. I’m the eye candy’ – Matt
R: It’s like Louis [Walsh] and Ronan [Keating] in a room.
M: No, I love Rylan, he’s been on my radio show a lot. Although last time he came on, he did generate a complaint because he spoke about his lactating nipples. At what stage did you find out you were presenting
The Xtra Factor together?
M: About the day before [it was announced], but they leave everything to the last minute on this show. I’m still not convinced we’ll actually get to do the show. We might turn up on the day and there’ll be Stacey Solomon and Eoghan Quigg. Have you reached bromance levels yet? R: Yeah, last weekend we were literally wearing next to nothing, frolicking on a bed.
M: It was a shoot that got out of control. They said freestyle and have fun and Rylan pinned me to the bed and humped me. People used to be obsessed with Caroline and Olly getting together on The Xtra Factor… R: It’s going to be exactly the same. M: It’s going to be worse, because you always knew they were never going to get it on, but… R: …with us there’s a possibility. Have you been bonding? M: I’m a big fan of spooning – skin-on-skin contact. You’re both big personalities and used to having your own show – how will that work out? M: I think it’ll be alright. Rylan’s
the famous one and I’m here maybe for my looks. I’m the eye candy, the Steve Jones booking.
R: Does that make me June Sarpong? Do you aspire to be like any other presenting duos? R: We want to be the Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood of X Factor. How has Simon Cowell welcomed you to the
X Factor family?
R: I’ve not had any conversations with Simon at all – I don’t know if he knows I’m doing it… No, I saw Simon at Six-chair Challenge – it was my first day on the job, and he came up to me, shook my hand, and said, “Welcome home,” and my willy went up inside.
M: I’ve had a bit more private Simon time – he’s the most magnetic man you’ve ever met. He has a tractor beam of energy that comes on you and you feel like, “I’m his world, he loves me, we’ll be together forever,” then it goes away and he puts it on someone else. I saw the most Simon Cowell conversation ever. He doesn’t have a phone, he has a woman who has a phone, called Katie. He stared into the middle distance and says, “Katie, is it connected?” Then he took the phone and had this conversation: “Is it normal that someone like me would be having a conversation with someone like you about something like this?” and handed the phone back. I have no idea who it was or what it was about.
Matt – you were going to do the show before and then got dropped. Have there been any awkward conversations?
M: Not really. I think generally people at ITV make decisions, then the day before the show begins, Simon’s made decisions in his head and says, “We’re doing this now.” The first time that didn’t work in my favour, and this time it has. But we could still get replaced – Diva Fever are in the wings.
R: 2 Shoes on standby. Rylan, are you worried you’re going to give too much advice to the contestants? R: I’m going to be giving it out like I’m Sylvia Young. We will be hard
on the judges, because we’re the halfway mark between them and the contestants. If the judges are really critical, we’ll be like, “You’re an arsehole.” Whoa! Do you worry about getting fired?
R: No! We’re working – we’ve got other jobs.
M: Also, the life expectancy of an Xtra Factor presenter is very short.
R: We’re only going to do one f**king series – might as well go out with a bang.
M: We’re like mayflies – out for a few months, then gone forever. Have you heard from any previous presenters? M: Melvin and Rochelle sent me nice messages to say good luck. Caroline sent me a text, too, saying, “Just heard about the news.”
R: I didn’t get a text off Caroline Flack – and we’ve slept together. How will you cope with that first bit of The Xtra Factor when you have to speak to the judges and Simon sits there fidgeting like he’s desperate to leave? M: I think Simon thinks of me like a little pet, like his dogs. He seems to like me annoying him. So I’m thinking with the two of us, we’ll make it fun and he’ll want to stick around.
‘I feel naughty around Nicole Scherzinger’ – Rylan
Are you worried about Ofcom complaints? R: I keep Ofcom in business. They are going to be so pleased with the extra work. Are any jokes banned? Like ones about Simon and Botox?
R: Oh no! I’ve started with Louis. We were having a really deep chat and I just said, “Have you had a f**king facelift?” Sharon loves it! My first day back, we were in a studio for promotion shots. I walked in and Nicole was immediately like, “My baby!”, Dermot was like, “Welcome home,” and then Louis was like, “You f**king owe me one.” Then Sharon, who was up above, stood up and flashed me, which was so nice. What’s it like having Sharon and Louis back together again? R: It’s like Lassie had a mate, then that mate died. Then four years later, Lassie is at Wembley and the mate dog comes back and they’re licking each other. That’s the only way to describe it.
Rylan – are you and Nicole going to hit the town, like you did the last time you were on the show together?
R: I’m a hermit – I don’t go out any more. But with Nicole, I find myself suddenly like Rylan on
The X Factor again. I feel naughty around Nicole, and she’ll only have to say something and I’m
like a dog – I’ll bite. If she was to say, “Let’s have a drink” and I know I’ve got to be up the next morning, I’ll have one… I think she’ll bring out the old Rylan – you might see me falling out of hotels naked. Do you worry about having a tequila with Nicole, Matt?
M: I’ll have to step away from that – she’ll dominate.
R: For my birthday when I was on the show, we went out to Mahiki and my brother was there. He wasn’t drinking because he only likes Jack Daniel’s. Nicole got two bottles of Jack Daniel’s and did a whole bottle straight in five minutes, then walked out looking like a million dollars. There have been lots of jabs made at last year’s judges – what do you guys think of that? R: Oh, Louis is a troublemaker. M: My favourite thing Louis says is that anyone who says they quit the show, they didn’t – they were fired.
R: Louis is the most bitter successful man there is.
M: He’s so candid. He said to me, “What did you think of Adele at Glastonbury? ” So I said, “She was great,” and he replied, “No, she’s not a pop star. She doesn’t carry herself like a pop star.” Simon’s famous for making people wait for him on set – has that happened yet? M: No, it’s been OK, because I’ve been getting there later. Louis always arrives first, then Sharon, then Scherzy, then Simon. W hen he gets into the room, he wants it to start immediately. When it was Six-chair Challenge, Simon was asleep in the middle of a crowded room – upright. Matt, have you had any style tips from Rylan?
M: The teeth are a concern, because I’ve never had them whitened and I worry people are going to need to adjust the contrast on their TV in comparison. [Looks at Rylan.] If I’m coming to anyone for advice, you’re low on the list for this. Tan, I think I’m going to have to go up a few levels.
The Xtra Factor Live returns to ITV2 at 9.30pm on Saturday 27 Aug and 9pm on Sunday 28 Aug