Melanie Amaro has got The X Factor….and 5 million bucks!

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Truly Julie

Part II of The X Factor finale was a nail-biter and an awesome concert! I almost threw my neck out bobbing my head so hard during 50 cent’s performance. Come on…you know “In Da Club” is the ultimate dance jam! Melanie Amaro is the first X factor winner here in the US…and after getting to know her a bit this week…I’m pretty confident she’ll wear the crown well. The 19-year-old is full of faith…brimming with humility…determined beyond measure…oh…and that victorious VOICE. Here are some snapshots from the X Factor grand finale red carpet…andclick here for my interviews with The X Factor stars just moments after the big show. And tune into Good Day New York Friday morning to catch so much more (yes..that means I’m sleeping for 2 hours tonight and reporting back to work)!

Truly Julie with judge Paula Abdul….host Steve Jones…..judge LA Reid!

Truly Julie with runner up Josh Krajcik. Sweet Simon giving Truly Julie a peck!

Truly Julie with Brooklyn’s own Astro!

Fashion Front: Truly Julie’s dress Bensoni, shoes Rebecca Taylor.

What Had Simon Cowell Cracking Up? Find Out!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Truly Julie

Of all the times I’ve interviewed Simon Cowell…I’ve never caught him off guard. Until now! Click on the picture to watch our interview. You’ll also hear from the rest of The X Factor gang: Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Steve Jones (sans Nicole Scherzinger. She was finishing her tour).

Fox Rolls Out its Fall Shows Including The X Factor!

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Truly Julie

I’m in LA this week covering all the new Fox shows for this fall…including the X Factor! Reunited and it feels so good (insert Peaches & Herb tune)…the lovely Paula Abdul is back with Simon Cowell…and she says The X Factor will prompt some serious tears. And smiles:) Believe it or not..she says Nicole Scherzinger cries more than she does! Paula just finished taping the “Judges Home” episode, where she mentored 8 contestants at her home…then whittled it down to just 4 contestants! Catch all theThe X Factor action when it launches September 21st on Fox.

Mark my words…Steve Jones, the handsome host of The X Factor, will be the biggest star in the US, and perhaps the world, in a year. He is the whole package: wits, charm, looks, and heart. But don’t look for this dream boat on twitter…he’s quite anti. This is Steve and me doing our best “Zoolander” face. After all, this Welsh lad was discovered by Elle magazine! Lucky for us..he parlayed his modeling gig to hosting what will be the biggest show on television. The X Factor is going to crush it!

I also have huge respect for LA Reid. What a classy, genuine guy. He helped usher the career of…well…Usher! And so many others e.g. Justin Bieber, Pink, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and the list goes on for miles…and yet, he’s still so nice and real. I really look forward to seeing him mentor/judge on The X Factor. He’s also a skilled drummer…so I hope to one day hit the sticks with him!

The Fox Fall Junket also celebrates the new season launch of returning shows. Expect Glee to shed some of its glamour..and get down to the basics of character and relationship development. Expect less celebrity guest stars, homage theme episodes and more family! I’m told we’ll meet the parents of the main characters this season. I ran into Lea Michele (AKA Rachel Berry) at the Fox Eco/Casino Party. She just got back from New York Fashion Week…so she was beaming with wicked style. She did that J.Mendel dress proud.

More pics from my LA adventures in the picture gallery below. More to come tomorrow as well!

[Show as slideshow]