| 6th October - X FACTOR could be in hot water with TV watchdogs
after blurring shots of Sharon Osbourne's phone because it is
not made by sponsor Nokia.
Sharon has refused to give up her pink Motorola Razr mobile
so the show has doctored shots of her handset - while fellow
judge Louis Walsh's Nokia is featured prominently.
This is despite broadcasting watchdog Ofcom's rule that programmes
must not be "distorted for commercial purposes"
by sponsors.
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Viewers were puzzled at the weekend as they watched Sharon
speak to Louis on the phone.
Sitting in her bed, Sharon looked as though she was talking
into a shocking pink blur. Yet Louis' handset was clear on
his desk.
Cameramen have also been told to film Sharon making calls
from a certain angle, so the make of her mobile cannot be
identified.
One show insider said: "Nokia has tried everything but
she won't budge. She's attached to that phone and is sticking
with it. Sharon's feisty and won't be railroaded into anything."
Ofcom said: "We've a code broadcasters must stick to.
We'd look into any complaints."
A spokeswoman for the hit ITV show commented: "We are
aware of all broadcasting regulations and work within them."
Nokia, whose X Factor deal is worth around £10million,
said: "There are a number of mobile devices featured
on the programme, in use by the judges and contestants, all
of which are used at the owners' choice."
ITV itself stresses the importance of editorial independence
in guidance notes on sponsorship, calling it a "fundamental
rule".
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