Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1044434
17 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 OCTOBER 2018 INTERVIEW depend on the artist's determi- nation and music choices. I see songs as vehicles where the singer is the driver in control of that vehicle. There are a few contestants who have their own original songs, and that's part of what we're looking for. But there are many vehicles to choose from. There are international and local writers already con- tacting us, pitching their songs. This is the creative industry, so it would be quite short-sighted to limit the artist's options. When X Factor first aired, the production was taken to task over the excessive code- switching between Maltese and English. Some argue that the show should be in Maltese (with exceptions only for non-Maltese speakers), while others, who don't have a language preference, still argue that the programme switches between Maltese and English too much. How do you respond to those views? I would of course bow my head, as I definitely do not see myself as any language expert. I personally welcome such dia- logue. Simply looking around us one will notice code-switching happening constantly, even in our highest institutions: media interviews with members of parliament, political debates, in our hospitals, among doc- tors, lawyers and several other industries, TV and Radio pro- grammes, media portals… not to mention, of course, several households, Facebook posts and even comments prompting the language discussion. In other words, this hap- pens constantly in our society, whether we want to accept it or not. Having said that, two of the judges – Ray and Alexandra – are more comfortable speaking in English. The same thing hap- pens with some of the contest- ants who switch from English to Maltese and vice versa at their own choice. I think it's fair to say that when someone speaks in English we normally and naturally answer in English, and same for Mal- tese. For example, both Ira and myself speak in Maltese be- tween us, however the minute anyone else speaks to us in Eng- lish it automatically triggers us to switch to English. People may have been expecting you to be the Simon Cowell of the X Factor judging panel... but you haven't been too hard during the auditions. Are we to expect some broken hearts in the programmes to come? That's funny, because I've heard more comments telling me I'm actually a bit harsh! But the minute I accepted to be part of this, I accepted the fact that I have to be honest and be myself, regardless how it's perceived. Many people who know me, know me exactly as they see me on TV. I will never be the type who rips someone apart for the sake of making good television – apart from the fact that I have absolutely no idea how to act – nor would I pass someone through because it's expected to do so. It's not something I would do in real life, and I am being 100% honest here: I will always say it as it is. I guess the fact that I'm sitting in the chair that is normally oc- cupied by Simon Cowell, tends to give people a pre-conceived idea of what to expect. This happens in other countries as well. But the way I see it, X Fac- tor is an extension of what I do every day in my professional life with the difference that it's done on a public platform. We're there to do a job and that is to filter out the best possible acts, share our experience with them, and mentor them. Ultimately it will be the TV viewers who will get to vote, and that's why this format is so great. I assure you, viewers will have a hard time when the judge- ment will be passed onto them in the live shows. We are go- ing to give them great acts to choose from. There is so much more to come… I will never be the type who rips someone apart for the sake of making good television – nor would I pass someone through because it's expected to do so him…