‘The X Factor’ UK: Nicole Scherzinger defends Rylan Clark choice

It came as a shock to many people last week that Nicole Scherzinger opted to pick Rylan Clark as a member of her “X Factor” team, but there is one person who seems to have no qualms about it at all: the former Pussycat Doll herself.

Speaking to The Sun on the eve of the first live performance show Saturday (which we will have a full review for up a little later in the day), Nicole defended her choice by giving us a simple reminder that this is a talent show where really something other than just vocal ability has to be taken into consideration:

“I like to think of myself as an artist ambassador. I like to get down into the trenches and roll my sleeves up,” Nicole told The Sun abut the decisions … I must be making Simon Cowell proud because controversy is his favourite word. I chose Rylan because the show is about having the X Factor and he has the X Factor.”

Nicole also defended Rylan during an appearance alongside Gary Barlow on “The Jonathan Ross Show,” saying that his vocal ability has increased greatly since Gary was last around him at bootcamp. Is this a guy who is trying to be the next Celine Dion? No, but there always seems to be one act who manages to make it through to the live shows and then even lasts for a few weeks as some of the more indistinguishable performers are all slowly and surely knocked out one by one.

Do you think Rylan was a silly choice for Nicole, or was this at least a good thing when it came to giving us someone to talk about this season?