category header Watch with Kristin



Is The X Factor's Simon-L.A. Feud Real? Or Faked for TV? The Top Seven Tell Us!

Sorry, Paula Abdul, looks like you've been replaced!

When The X Factor judging panel was announced and reunited Simon Cowell with his former American Idol sparring partner Abdul, we thought for sure they would butt heads again. Well, we were wrong because we didn't realize just how combative Cowell and L.A. Reid would be! From Reid intimidating and challenging Cowell's young contestants and Cowell constantly criticizing Reid's taste in music, it seems these two are always at each other's throats.

So is it all an act? The remaining seven contestants sound off on reality TV's most epic new feud!

MORE: Gossip Girl Poll: Chuck, Dan or Louis: Whom Should Blair Choose? 

14-year-old Drew, who has become X Factor enemy No. 1 for Reid, admits she feels awkward when the judges start arguing after her performances. "'What do I do? I'm just standing up here. Hi guys, how's it going?'" she says with a laugh.

Reid has criticized Drew for never taking risks and choosing "old lady" songs, but Cowell is always quick to fire back at him, a trait Drew really admires in her mentor. "I love how Simon looks at me like his daughter and he doesn't like when other people talk about me."

Melanie Amaro, one of Simon's other contestants, echoes Drew's sentiment, saying, "Simon is very protective of his girls. He's like a daddy. We've become really close." 

MORE: Spoiler Chat: Glee, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, Revenge and More!

While some people have questioned whether or not Cowell and Reid's verbal fights on the show are real, Josh Krajcik (Nicole Scherzinger's last remaining contetant) assures us it definitely is.

"People ask me, 'Is that real or is that for television?' The truth is it's real," he says. "When you see those guys off-camera after one of those spats they have, they're genuinely ticked at each other. I think it's fun because it's like clash of the titans."

Marcus Canty, one of Reid's boys, also thinks the spats are real. "It seems pretty real to me," he says. "Even afterwards, they're still going at it. I think L.A. has opinions and Simon has his opinions. It's just back and forth. It's kind of  territorial, it's like a mama bear and his cub."

Astro, the outspoken 15-year-old rapper, admits he thinks they might embellish their fights a bit to make for good television. "I mean, it's TV. It's very funny. Everyone has different opinions, so it's bound to happen sometimes."

To hear more from the top seven, like what viewers can expect from tomorrow's Michael Jackson-themed show, watch our interviews with the contestants above!

PHOTOS: Dancing With the Stars: Special Guests!