X Factor hopeful denies Cowell flat trashing

Sep 2 2010 by Carla Callaghan, Hamilton Advertiser

A HAMILTON student and his pop group were delighted to get into the ‘boot camp’ stage of ITV talent show The X Factor.

However, Cameron Boyd (20) and his group Noir were stunned when they were linked along with other bands to trashing music boss Simon Cowell’s villa in Marbella.

The band categorically denied the claims, pointing out they were in Scotland at the time.

The act received a ‘yes’ from all four judges at the audition stages for their rendition of Lady Gaga hit ‘Paparazzi - with judge Cheryl Cole saying to the group: ‘There is something exciting about you.”

Noir were then sent to the ‘boot camp’ stages with the other chosen acts.

Cameron, along with Nadine Hall from Coatbridge, Danny Holmes from Caldercruix and Lianne McHugh from East Kilbride, met whilst studying musical theatre at Motherwell College.

The group were outraged to hear that they had been linked to the carnage at Cowell’s £15,000 per night rented villa – which reportedly included damaging a £10,000 Persian rug and raiding the music mogul’s drinks cabinet.

Speaking to the Advertiser, Cameron was eager to set the record straight.

He said: “It was weird to read it in the paper that we had basically trashed his (Simon Cowell’s) place.

“Because we do musical theatre we will be going to London and trying to get agents, so it affects our career.

“I don’t see why they would put our name in without double-checking.

“Some people were saying ‘I can’t believe you trashed it’ and some people found it funny.

“It was amazing experience and we would do it again, it was a good buzz but then we get that in the paper.”

Cameron added: “Because we are still at college together we are going to try and do more rehearsals and see if we can get more gigs out there, starting locally and maybe into Glasgow and see where we will go from there.

“We had 60 people coming to support us and had to get a big coach and then they all ran on stage.”

A spokesperson for the X Factor said: “There is no truth in it and was greatly exaggerated by those papers.”