X-Factor Audience Wowed By Iraqi Orphan With No Hands

OK, first a confession. Normally the thought of blogging about an X-Factor clip - never mind watching it - would make me feel slightly nauseous.

But then I came across this clip of Aussie X-Factor wannabe Emmanuel Kelly's audition.

Now, I not usually one to be taken in by the sad tales the TV talentless show usually trots out, but even I found myself getting a little bit emotional after watching this clip.  

So just who is he? Well, when they were very young, Emmanuel and his brother Ahmed were found huddled in a discarded shoe box by nuns in an Iraqi park and taken to an orphanage.

Both were suffering from limb deficiencies as a result of chemical warfare, and neither had any birth certificates or notes with them. 

However, an Australian woman adopted the pair and gave them bright new lives Down Under.

Fast forward to 2011, and his adopted mum and brother were backstage to watch Emmanuel do his best to impress the X-Factor judges.

And, well, he did more than that - his rendition of John Lennon's Imagine bringing the house down and leaving one or two of the panel in tears. 

TV Still Has X-Factor As UK Ad Spend Highest Since 2006, But Will It Last?

Not content with keeping the worst barber in the world in business, it seems Simon Cowell is now helping UK ad spend to exceed expectations.

According to a new report, the amount of cash forked out on advertising is the highest it’s been since 2006, thanks largely to the World Cup, and, yes, you guessed it, Britain’s biggest karaoke session, The X-Factor.

Thanks to vast marketing budgets being spent to try and tempt the millions that regularly tuned in to watch these shows, UK ad spend for 2010 is up 6.6% year on year, according to data compiled by the Advertising Association and the World Advertising Research Centre (WARC).

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Justin Bieber, Posh Boys and Cher Lloyd Are The Stars Of YouTube 2010

Who would have thought the only thing you need to be a YouTube hit was posh, annoying or Justin Bieber? Wait, just make that posh and annoying.

Well, at least that is the case for users in the UK anyway, according to stats just released by the video-sharing giant.

According to YouTube, the UK's most viewed comedy video of 2010 was Gap Yah (above) - a satirical swipe at posh people - followed by an annoying orange and a song about Dickheads.

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