Three former X FactorUK contestants recently participated in a roundtable discussion on the We Need to Talk podcast, during which they talked about their experiences on the show. During the discussion, Series 9 runner-up Jahméne Douglas explained what actually happened when judge Nicole Scherzinger snatched his mic in their live duet.
The X Factor Contestant on Nicole Scherzinger’s ‘Mic Snatch’
In 2012, Nicole Scherzinger served as a mentor to contestant Jahméne Douglas on The X Factor UK. During his recent discussion with We Need to Talk podcast host Paul C. Brunson and fellow contestants Lucy Spraggan and Myles Stephenson, Douglas spoke highly of Scherzinger and said they’re still friends.
Douglas also addressed a viral moment from his finale duet with Scherzinger, in which they sang “The Greatest Love” by Whitney Houston. Scherzinger could be seen taking Douglas’ microphone out of his hands and singing into it. The “mic snatch” clip continues to circulate online years later.
As Douglas explained on the podcast, he could hear through his in-ear monitors at the start of their performance that Scherzinger’s microphone wasn’t working. Although viewers at home could apparently hear her, there was no sound from her microphone in the arena.
Douglas acknowledged that Scherzinger “took the mic maybe too soon,” but added that the moment was not “a reflection of who Nicole is.” He emphasized that “nobody came with a second microphone,” so they had to share a microphone for the rest of the performance. Douglas added that Scherzinger was “devastated” for him afterwards.
Jahméne Douglas also highlighted a positive moment he had with Nicole Scherzinger before the finale. He shared that his experience on the show had been “numbing,” and he was “so exhausted by the end” of the season.
“She kicked off her heels, lay down on he floor, and prayed for me,” Douglas said of Scherzinger, adding that she also gave him two gifts. “She gave me a Bible and a cross from Tiffany. And that’s when I was like, ‘Yeah, this is my sister in Christ.'”
What do you think about Jahméne Douglas’ account of what happened between him and Nicole Scherzinger during the X Factor finale? Let us know in the comments below.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
