The verdict on the X Factor NZ judges

There have been a lot of haters out there about who was cast as one of the X Factor NZ judges, and of course haters are gonna hate... and hating they did!

The X Factor NZ judges from left; Daniel Bedingfield, Ruby Frost, Melanie Blatt and Stan Walker. Source: Facebook

Firstly let me start off by saying I think the casting was spot on! For me it ticks all the boxes; they appeal to a broad age demographic and each of them have had (or currently have) successful music careers.  I've heard some people say Melanie Blatt isn't even from New Zealand... uh, I'm fairly certain that hasn't ever been part of the criteria on any of the other X Factor shows around the world.

Melanie Brown from the Spice Girls was on X Factor Australia, Simon Cowell was on X Factor USA and Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child was on X Factor UK. So importing judges from other countries is not only common, but probably more likely than not.

Now, let's take a look at the judges one-by-one...

First we have Daniel Bedingfield. He rose to fame with his hit single, Gotta Get Thru This, which rose to number 1 in the UK charts and the album of the same name sold over 4 million copies world wide.  As well as being nominated for a plethora of awards, he won Best British Male in the 2004 BRIT Awards.

Cover for single remix album, Gotta Get Thru This. Source: Eli.com

Most musicians would envy that kind of musical success, especially in a country that is renowned for being a notoriously hard market to crack. Daniel has had a lot of criticism on the show, for bending rules and making unpopular choices with some of the fans. One thing I will say is that he has stayed with his decisions and not backed down, to me that shows real character and something he should be commended for.

Next we have the other Male component of the judging panel; Stan (the man) Walker.

What can I say about the bro Stan... not a lot really. The guy is freakishly talented and needs no introduction... he sings, he acts and now he is mentoring up and coming artists.  From the shy kiwi boy on Australian Idol, to the confident but still humble star he is today. No stranger to the New Zealand and Australian music charts, he continues to be a top selling artist. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of him on idol but he has grown on me as much as he has the rest of New Zealand and no doubt Australia too.

From Australian Idol 2009, finalists Stan Walker and Hayley Warner. Source: Herald Sun

He is proving to be the comedic relief on the X Factor NZ show with some of his cheeky and witty one liners. Stan invests not only a great deal of time and effort in to the contestants, but also a lot of emotion and thought. This, of course, makes him one of the fan favorites on the judging panel.

Then there is Ruby Frost, the seemingly unknown judge who just popped up out of nowhere. Fans were ranting and raving on the official Facebook page, asking who she was and how she was cast. I have three words for all of them.... Haters, Haters, Haters! She might come across as a bashful, pink haired princess; but when she performs, her voice and music is unique and she has a very confident stage presence.  For those who still haven't heard her sing, here is her single 'Young' which hit the NZ top 20 over the 2012/13 summer...

Ruby has definitely held her own on the show, and gives some really good constructive feedback. By the kind of advice she gives, you can clearly tell this girl knows what she is talking about. She understands stage craft, the complexity of voice and entertainment value. She's also not shy to say what she thinks, and can often be brutally honest with contestants. But it's clear that she understands it is part of the job, and may indeed be the biggest negative that comes with a role like that.

Finally, to complete the judging panel, we have the incomparable Melanie Blatt. Our international import and mentor for the Groups category on the show. New Zealand should be honored to have an artist of her caliber, mentoring local aspiring artists. With top 20 hits in the UK, Australia, NZ and parts of Europe... as well as a string of awards, her success as the lead singer in the 90's UK R'n'B group All Saints would surpass any of the other judges by a mile.

Melanie Blatt (far right) with her 90's R'n'B group All Saints. Source: sofeminine.co.uk

Always the honest straight shooter who doesn't like to sugar coat things, Melanie was quickly labelled the "mean one" on the judging panel. But one thing is for sure... she clearly knows what's what and imparts sound judgement to help the contestants succeed. She also knows the industry inside and out, maybe not the New Zealand music industry, but the international scene; which is arguably a more valuable insight to have. She seems to be a big favorite among many of the older fans from gen-y, who likely grew up with her music that helped define the generation.

Sure the producers could have cast numerous other local artists as judges, some fans have said Dave Dobbyn should have been a judge, others have said Tim Finn, Kimbra, Brooke Fraser or Savage.  But we have to consider the possibilities of conflicting schedules, or even the fact that those people may have been approached and weren't even interested in the project. There are so many factors to producing a show like X Factor, we can't just assume we (the audience) knows what's best.

It's a mammoth project to undertake, but the risk appears to be paying off for MediaWorks. With nearly half a million viewers each episode, ratings appear to be growing as the week progresses. The show is going to be a very interesting watch in the coming weeks, especially considering the amount of controversy it has already generated... and I for one, will be staying tuned to see the carnage unfold.

So now we know more about the judges, who do you think has the winning act?