Saturday 7 November 2009

Rikki to switch on the Christmas Lights in Ayr

Fans of Rikki in Scotland will be able to catch a glimpse of the lad as he heads the list of entertainers at this year’s Christmas lights switch-on in Ayr.

He’ll be in town on Sunday, November 29, leading a programme of fun and entertainment in Ayr High Street, which begins at 2pm.

Rikki, who will be joined by Deville, Tartan Legends, Craig Jeffrey, Rumour Has It, The Simple Touch, and Ayrshire’s own Andrew Merry, will provide an afternoon of entertainment before they all join Provost Winnie Sloan in the traditional Christmas lights switch-on at 5pm.

This year this event also signifies the end of the year of Homecoming and, as such, it is being billed as the Homecoming Finale and St Andrews weekend.

Saturday 31 October 2009

Be the first to get the X-Factor 2009 single - 'You Are Not Alone'

Every year the X-Factor contestants come together to record a charity single and this year's single is almost ready.

The Single features all 12 of the X-Factor Finalists


Danyl Johnson
Lloyd Daniels
Lucie Jones
Jamie "Afro" Archer
Joe McElderry
John and Edward Grimes (The Twins)
Kandy Rain (Coco, Azi, Khatereh, Chemmane)
Miss Frank (Graziella, Shar, Shaniece)
Olly Murs
Rachel Adedeji
Rikki Loney
Stacey Solomon
The song, a cover of Michael Jackson's You are not alone, will raise vital funds for the Great Ormond Hospital in London which over the years has treated thousands of children from the UK and across the world. A powerful message that no matter how bad things are they are not alone.


To order your copy:

Click to buy the X-Factor Charity Single from Amazon.co.uk (Free Delivery available)


Not less than £1 from the sale of each CD will be paid to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Be part of what will be one of the biggest charity drives in the UK this year by ordering the Single which will be released on November 16th




Wednesday 21 October 2009

Rikki Loney leaves the X-Factor house

...and so begins the long journey back North for young Rikki as he leaves the house in Golder Green shared by the X-Factor contestants. It is almost like a Big Brother eviction.



Rikki hugs fellow contestant Olly Murs



Rikki has left the building
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Tuesday 20 October 2009

Rikki Loney Exit Cost Bookies Thousands...

Well not as shocking as it might first seem, but bookies Ladbrokes are apparently set to lose £60 grand after Rikki's exit.

Considering the Ladbrokes' annual profit of about £1 billion it is not going to cause them sleepless nights, but it is do show how wrong they got it as they were banking on the Glaswegian crooner to make it further than he did.

Current favourite with the Bookies is Joe McElderry, followed closely by Danyl Johnson and Stacey Solomon.
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Monday 19 October 2009

Rikki Loney : Cheryl messed up my chances

Rikki Loney has blasted Mentor Cheryl Cole letting him down when it really mattered. In a wide ranging interview with the Sun Newspaper Rikki alleged that Cheryl Cole was so stressed out by the prospect of having to perform live that the contestant had to spend all their practice time reassuring her rather than the other way round.

He also said the song choices Cheryl had given him were the wrong ones and even Whitney Houston and music guru Clive Davis had advised him to switch from Aretha Franklin's Respect (Buy MP3 now) to Whitney's My Love Is Your Love (Buy MP3 now) , but with 24hrs to the live show it just was not possible.

He also had praise for the Twins John and Edward Grimes who he claimed behind the scenes were really hardworking and professional.

Unlucky Rikki is booted off X-Factor

He had waited so long for X-Factor glory and when it came, it was so brief and for all but his most loyal fans, anti-climatic. Glaswegian Rikki Loney became the second contestant to be kicked off the the X-Factor 2009 finals.

After an abysmal performance last week he really needed to raise his game. He went for a high risk strategy choosing a huge soul classic Respect (Buy MP3 now) by the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.



It is a big big song and needs a big performance, but what we got from Rikki was limp performance that had his inexperience plastered all over it. Was he the worst performer on the night? No that accolade goes to Lloyd Daniels, but Rikki lacks the blue-eyed, blond looks that make Lloyds singing irrelevant to his tens of thousands of teenage female fans.

So it was Rikki was in the Bottom two with Rachel Adedeji who was facing an early exit for the second time in a row.

He fought to stay in the competition his version of Westlife's Flying Without Wings (Buy MP3 now).



With Louis Walsh still away and Cheryl and Dannii being mentors to Rikki and Rachel respectively, the casting vote fell to Simon and he decided it was the end of the road for Rikki.

Saturday 17 October 2009

Rikki Loney at the Live Show 1

We join our with our Brave Scottish lad having snatched victory in Morocco is back in London to seek acclamation as the best Pop Singer to have appeared on the X-Factor (well since the last X-Factor series ended).

As has become his trademark he donned an ill-fitting pork pie hat and sadly accompanied that with an ill-suited and ill-sang version of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black (Buy MP3 now).

What did the good people of Britain think, well they thought it was alright as he escaped the dreaded bottom two.

Rikki Loney at the Judges House

Our Intrepid Scottish hero having braved a throat infection to qualify from Boot Camp departed the shores of Britain in his quest for stardom.

His destination was the exotic desert kingdom of Morocco. His Mission to persuade the newly crowned Queen of X-Factor Cheryl Cole that he was the one to lead her category to victory in the X-Factor.

Cheryl was holding court in Marrakesh where six young lads were doing their best to persuade her they were the right choice for the X-Factor finals and Rikki was up to this point just one of the contestants.

His weapon of choice a ill-fitting trilby and a rendition of James Taylor's - You`ve Got A Friend (Buy MP3 now)

I thought it was distinctly average, but her Majesty not-so-old Queen Cole was impressed and that's what mattered Rikki was on his way to the Finals.

Rikki Loney at Boot Camp.

Our wee Scottish lad having wowed the Judges up North has made his way down south the the bright lights of London (well the Hammersmith Apollo to be precise) for the X-Factor BootCamp.

Can the brave Scottish lad melt the hearts of the stiff upper lipped English folk? Well he has come armed with a hat, and we all know how formidable a weapon that can be.

Sadly he suffered throat infection and as a result gave an appalling rendition of Adele's - Chasing Pavements (Buy MP3 Now). The Judges in their wisdom decided to overlook this and take into consideration his potential and the Brave hearted Rikki was on his way to Boot Camp.

Rikki Loney at the X-Factor Auditions

Rikki Loney is back for another chance at the X-Factor after failing in previous years. Here he was at the Auditions singing a soulful classic Otis Redding's - These Arms Of Mine
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I thought he did a great job and the Judges were also suitably impressed and so it was that he was on his way to boot camp.

Thursday 15 October 2009

Rikki Loney: This is my last chance

Given that Rikki is only 21 and that the X-Factor is not the only means of achieving musical stardom, this sounds kind of bizzare but that's how he feels apparently.

Speaking about the X-Factor Boot Camp he told The Sun: "I went to Marrakech to give it my all.

"I was confident about going through as I gave the best performance I could give.

"I thought to myself, 'This is my last opportunity and if I don't give it my best now, I'm never going to give it'."

Rikki also confessed that support from his fans gave him the strength to overcome his previous rejections from the show.

He explained: "If it wasn't for the fans last year I don't think I'd have come back. I got great support when I got put out and that made me try again.

"I think the rejection makes you stronger - and makes you want it even more.

Lesson from Rikki Loney, try, try and try again...

It has been a journey of over five years, but finally Rikki Loney has made it to the Finals of the reality TV talent show, the X-Factor.

The Scotsmand reports that at the age of 16, Glaswegian Rikki Loney auditioned for The X Factor. He didn't make it then, the next year or last year, but eventually this year judge Cheryl Cole finally put the determined young singer through to the final of the show.
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