X Factor Tulisa will 'speak her mind', says Tinchy
Tinchy Stryder has given Tulisa Contostavlos his back-up for her upcoming post on the X Factor because she's so opinionated. The Spaceship rapper, who topped the charts when he collaborated with Tulisa and N-Dubz on Number 1, insists Tulisa won't be told what to do on the show and will 'speak her mind'. Tinchy said: "I think Tulisa will be a good judge on the X Factor personally, because of her personality - she's got character about her, man, and she speaks her mind and that's what's needed." He went on: "I don't think she's gonna to be someone who's going to be told 'You gotta be this or do that' 'cause she's opinionated, so that's what I think she will bring something to it. "But there is a lot of pressure because people are thinking OK there's no Simon [Cowell], and feel like now it's all on them, but I think she'll pull through." The 24-year-old rapper is backing new website thankateacher.co.uk, which allows students to post a thank you message to the teacher that has inspired them. Tinchy said: "When I was in school the teacher who helped me was my maths teacher his name's Mr Ashmore. "When I first got to secondary school maths was a subject where no one really enjoyed going to, but he somehow made it one of my favourite subjects just by how he broke it down and his whole aura and I wanted to learn and achieve. "So all I'm saying young people right now go to thankateacher.co.uk all it needs is a 30-second clip and just say thanks to whoever your teacher is who you feel helps you through your days or inspires you in any way, just show them your appreciation, and you're all good."
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.