Nat gives PopSugar the X-Factor scoop
After working on The X Factor for months, new judge and mentor Natalie Bassingthwaighte has been excited for the show’s return (tonight, 7:30 p.m. on Channel Seven) for ages. Along with fellow new recruit Mel B, she joins Guy Sebastian and Ronan Keating in searching for Australia’s next musical sensation. We caught up with Natalie this morning to talk about her involvement in the show, meeting Simon Cowell and her gorgeous 1-year-old daughter, Harper.
Were you a fan of The X Factor before you got involved?
The first time that I saw the show was in the UK — I think it was the year that Leona Lewis won — and I definitely loved the format of the show. I loved the fact that the judges weren’t there just to judge but also mentor, so I really enjoyed the whole concept of it.
Did you have any hesitations about taking on the X Factor role?
A little bit — only in the way that I’m a new mum and I just wanted to make sure that it would fit into our family. It’s different now; you can’t just go here, there and everywhere, you have to really discuss it as a family. So that was a really big priority for me, to see if that worked first. My partner [Cameron McGlinchey] was really up for me taking up that challenge. And also at the beginning of the year I was doing a play at the Sydney Opera House — I got that little acting bug back, and I thought that I was gonna go down that path. It was different, but I’m so, so glad that I said yes, ’cause I’ve never had so much fun doing anything, ever. It’s just been awesome.
What’s the camaraderie like between you and the other judges?
We have such fantastic chemistry; like I said, I’ve never laughed so hard for so long, we have so much fun. But we all have our own opinions, too — we’re not afraid to disagree with each other, which is just as important as to support one another’s decisions as well.
What was it like for you to meet Simon Cowell?
It was incredible. I was nervous, definitely, just because I admire him as a person — I feel like he’s really intelligent and he has a lot to say. I love what he’s done, I love that he’s made his own fortune really, then lost it and made a comeback. He’s a very powerful man so to be in the same room as him was quite intimidating, but at the same time he was lovely [and] definitely told us what he wanted from the show.
Read the full interview over at PopSugar, here.
