X Factor Winner Melanie Amaro Being Kept Out of the Spotlight Until She Loses Weight?

By On 05/15/2012 · 94 Comments · In X Factor

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THE X FACTOR: Top 3 Perform: Melanie Amaro performs on THE X FACTOR Dec. 21 (8:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. THE X FACTOR Finale airs Wed., Dec. 21 and Thurs., Dec. 22 on FOX. CR: Ray Mickshaw / FOX.

Have you wondered what X Factor winner, Melanie Amaro, has been up to these days? Were you surprised Simon Cowell wasn’t showing off his Season 1 winner at yesterday’s FOX upfronts where he announced the addition of Demi Lovato and Britney Spears?

A source tells the Hollywood Reporter that judge L.A. Reid, who is overseeing her album launch, has her squirreled away…until she loses some weight.

So why has Amaro been so out of view? According to a source, the 19-year-old British Virgin Islands native has been ordered to undergo a sort of pop star boot camp that involves a strict regiment of exercise and monitored nutrition. “L.A. Reid is adamant that Melanie get thinner so he’s hired a trainer for her, has her on a strict diet and checks in personally every day to see how much weight she’s lost,” says an insider, who says Amaro is also seeing an etiquette coach (an Epic representative denies the claim). “When she comes back, it will be a whole new Melanie Amaro.”

An etiquette coach? Is that to keep her from randomly busting out the  island patois? Isn’t it enough that the girl can sing?

Considering the short attention spans for singing show winners–not to mention the  proliferation of singing competitions means there are even more out there looking to break–keeping Melanie out of the  spotlight for too long could backfire.

Via The Hollywood Reporter

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  • Listening

     I think they’ve absolutely waited to long for Melanie we never got to
    know her before she won. This is what I recollect girl who got kicked
    out ,returned won, had a big voice and hid her Jamaican accent that pops
    up occasionally oh yeah no personality. If you have someone who showed
    no personality during her entire run on the show you get them out quick
    so people don’t forget em. I keep thinking they better hurry up and get
    some new material for Melanie and Astro. Yep Astro i’m waiting more
    eagerly for his music than Melanie’s w/ hers i’m just curious about what
    it’s going to sound like. While with Astro I KNOW I want to listen to
    it. I know Astro came out w/ an actual mixtape but it was short and
    never really pushed, it was short but real good though.

  • Anonymous

    This does not surprise me at all and has the kiss of Simon all over it.  Man has one of the worst fat phobias around.  Remember this is the same guy who made fun of Mandisa’s weight and refused to sign Take That because he thought Gary Barlow was chunky.   

  • http://twitter.com/MissGolightly22 No Thanks

    Astro’s mixtape was just that, a mixtape that he dropped on his own.  It wasn’t supposed to do anything.  Astro is getting bits of promo here and there amongst the hip hop media (which I doubt most people here follow).  And if you follow his Twitter you can see who he’s working with (a lot of MAJOR producers like Timbaland and Pharrel).  He often posts video diaries as well.  And of course there was his acting gig.  He performs from time to time as well.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ACMLXLYSSX73RNYQOUZWSO2I4U Enough already!

    Considering how Simon pushed her down everyone’s throats to insure she won season 1 of X Factor, that they now have her in hiding for a serious makeover is rather ridiculous.   Didn’t they take any of these factors into consideration before insuring that she won no matter what?   This is really so OTT as to be funny!

  • BonnieDee

    It’s show biz.  They know going in that looks matter.  Part of their job.  There are exceptions.  Adele is so freaking talented nobody cares about her weight.  But there’s a very short list of people out there who can sing like that.  

  • Anonymous

     If Melanie looks older, it’s because of the clothes that someone on the show picked for her.  Not because of her weight, IMO.

  • Anonymous

     But what does ‘hiding’ them say?  That they’re not good enough.  If that’s how they feel, then cut Melanie from her contract, IMO.  If she’s not good enough now, she likely will never be in their eyes.

  • http://twitter.com/MissGolightly22 No Thanks

    It’s just a marketing ploy.  Think of Lady Gaga incubating in her egg before showtime. :op

  • Anonymous

    I’m not worried about Melanie. I think her lack of public appearances has to do with her album. There may be a liitle bit of image work but I think her chances of a strong debut are good.

  • Anonymous

     Simon made comments to David Cook about his weight, too.

  • Anonymous

    I agree with your assessments. Nothing wrong with Melanie getting fit. If they’re debuting her through the next season of X-Factor, it could work out. Why not? I rather she comes out with great music. Plus with this news out, it could bring in more attention. People will want to see the results! I can’t wait. She was my favorite since her audition.

    BTW, I am so excited about Astro. He was one of my favorites in X-Factor. Dude has skills. Thanks for the link to the interview!

  • Chris

    Yeah, she will get praised by some, but snubbed by some women that say she “sold out” or caved to Hollywood standards. Of course, its easier to go along with expectations than try to fight the system. Especially with a $5m contract.

  • Chris

    Lauren’s rocking a bikini now. No more chubby teen jokes.

  • Itsmekg

    But Jordin was pretty…

  • Anonymous

    Waiting until the new season to put out new music by the first season winner was Simon’s plan all along, so it has nothing to do with molding Melanie into a better pop star. The funny thing is they’ll be heralding on the show what a big prize winning “X Factor” is when the winner hasn’t even put out a single yet!

  • Itsmekg

    I am probably the only person on earth that thinks Adele is overrated.  I have liked her songs when someone else sings them more than when she does…but I caught on to her too late, by then I had already heard Haley singing “Rolling In The Deep.”

  • Mateja Praznik

    Melanie tweeted she had dinner with Cher Lloyd:
    https://twitter.com/#!/ItsMelanieAmaro/status/202613340386766848/photo/1

    And here is a photo of Melanie and LA Reid:
    http://instagr.am/p/Kq_45yxHU_/

    So, girl is eating and doesn’t look starved.

    ETA: Actually this dinner was attended by several Epic artists, like Melanie, Cher, Marcus Canty, Karmin, etc. and label people, I think also LA Reid.

  • Anonymous

    Melanie is pretty by “normal” standards, but if she’s trying to lose weight, I don’t see how that differs from what every other entertainer, male or female, does to succeed. Just because we don’t see her doesn’t meanv she’s under lockdown in a remote spa eating celery sticks. If the industry is superficial, it’s because of the media and consumers. Managers give advice based on what consumers appear to want, and are often too cautious to venture outside the box. When someone else’s career is at stake, I can’t blame them. 

    Adele is an exception because aside from her amazing voice, her career was launched in the United Kingdom by a British recording company. Once she became internationally successful, Americans caught on (thanks to SNL).  I think Adele is gorgeous, but whether people want to admit it, weight matters a lot here. She would have had a tough time launching her career in the USA. Maybe not 30-40 years ago, but definitely now. 

    By the way, Melanie doesn’t speak “island patois”, she speaks English with a Caribbean accent. Patois is a different language: Usually a combination of French + English and occasionally Dutch or Spanish (e.g. In Curacao, it’s Dutch+English and they call it “papiamento”). I know Americans find it strange that Melanie has two accents, but that’s pretty common for a Caribbean person living in the USA. Americans don’t understand the dialect anyway!

  • Anonymous

    THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT

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