ITW: Khloe Kardashian Defends Her Hosting Skills; Is She Bad On The X Factor?
November 26, 2012 by Hollywoodite
The X Factor USA is well into its live rounds and shedding people each week. Although, one of the hosts is still making more headlines than some of the contestants (not least because her family turns up to tapings to make the episodes all about them, just as anticipated).
Since the first live episode, Khloe Kardashian has been drawing criticism for her style of presenting. Especially for the early episodes, were she was stiff and looked nervous and uncomfortable, probably because she was.
But she wasn’t chosen because she was was right for the job, nor because she would be good at the job, she was picked to get attention. That’s what she’s being paid for: headlines, and having her family pull focus from the contestants to get more attention. Not for hosting. So it’s not really surprising that she’s (subjectively) not very good at it. And it’s less surprising that she’s being mocked for how bad she is by the detractors.
In a new interview with In Touch Weekly Magazine though, Kardashian says that she had bad nerves and it’s harder than it looks.
“There are still so many people left in the competition that I don’t have time to talk and be myself,” she admits. “You get all these nerves. It’s so loud in there, so on the mic you feel you have to scream. But I have to remember the microphone is for the viewers at home. Now I feel like I can just get better and better. I still have a whole world to conquer.”
In other news, there’s a National Enquirer story which you should take with a very large grain of salt. But, for what it’s worth, here it is. In short, one gathers a caveat of remaining on X Factor is not getting any more DUIs (so random!)
When Khloe [Kardashian] joined the show, Simon [Cowell] gave her a bombshell ultimatum: Mess up again and you’re fired!
The Enquirer has learned that before he offered her the job on The X Factor, Simon did his homework and learned that the 28-year-old Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had been arrested for a DUI. And he made it clear right from the beginning that if she drank and drove again, she’d be out of a job!
“Simon has a ‘no tolerance’ policy for drinking and driving,” revealed an insider. “When Khloe joined the show, someone on the cast joked about getting a drink to welcome her, and that’s when Simon took the opportunity to lay down the law and reiterate his strict rule. He took Khloe aside and said, ‘If I ever see or hear that you’ve gotten behind the wheel of a car and you’ve been drinking, or, God forbid, you get another DUI, there will be no questions asked, consider yourself fired!’”
The reality star was arrested on March 4, 2007, after registering a .13 blood alcohol level, well above California’s .08 limit. She received 36 months probation and was ordered to enroll in an alcohol education program. But she didn’t complete the program and was arrested again in 2008 for violating her probation.
This isn’t the first time Khloe’s DUI has put her in front of the firing squad. In 2009, Donald Trump booted her from Celebrity Apprentice specifically because of the incident.
According to several sources, Simon loves Khloe’s edgy attitude, but, like Trump, he won’t stand for a boozing, out-of-control employee.
“Simon warned her from day one that she needs to give 100 percent to the X Factor,” continued the insider. “He told her, ‘This isn’t the Kardashian show. This is MY show, and it’s important to remember that it’s serious business.’ Khloe got a bit defensive and smarted off, telling him she thought he wanted her to be the ‘wild card Kardashian’ and that’s when he laid into her again. Simon said, ‘I want you to be edgy but to use some common sense. I don’t want to hear that you’re out drunk and making a fool out of yourself, me or the show!’”
Khloe, who’s married to NBA player Lamar Odom, made a shaky X Factor debut opposite co-host Mario Lopez on Oct. 31 and received biting criticism.
TheHollywoodGossip.com wrote that she was “every bit as boring and awkward as we imagined she would be.” Another reviewer said she was “just plain awful.”
But Simon is willing to work with her as long as she stays off the booze, maintains the insider.
“Simon wouldn’t have hired Khloe if he didn’t think she could do the job,” the insider added. “He knows she has a huge fan base and will draw in viewers, but he has to protect the show. There would be a tremendous backlash if she were popped for another DUI. Khloe promised Simon that she’s not going to disappoint him.” – via National Enquirer.