‘Imagine if a man had done this?’
Singer Nicole Scherzinger shocked British television viewers over the weekend with her bizarre antics while judging on singing competition series X Factor Celebrity.
Some accused the former Pussycat Doll, who also acts as a judge on Australia's Got Talent, of exploiting sexist double standards when she stood up at the judging panel and forced fellow judge Louis Walsh's head between her breasts, while wearing a low-cut strapless gown.
The OTT "motorboating" move came after former Glee actor Kevin McCale had wowed the crowd with a rendition of the Donna Summer disco classic I Feel Love.
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"Kevin McCale, what just happened? I feel love!" said Walsh, at which point Scherzinger grabbed his head and thrust it into her chest.
Walsh appeared momentarily stunned but carried on judging - but viewers soon questioned what the reaction would've been had a male judge had made a similar move on Scherzinger:
Another prime example of how it is okay for women to be sexually inappropriate towards men but if Louis dangled his penis in front of Nicole’s face there would be an uproar 🙄 #CelebrityXFactor
— Grace Barker (@Gracebarker94) November 16, 2019
Why does Nicole always have to be so sexual. Stuffing her boobs in Louis' face #CelebrityXFactor #XFactorCelebrity
— neelima (@toasksomestuff) November 16, 2019
Nobody bats an eyelid at Nicole forcibly motorboating a fellow judge. Just imagine the furore if a male judge thrust his schnangus into her face. It would be career ending. #CelebrityXFactor
— Phil Havercroft (@Phil_Havercroft) November 16, 2019
I’m offended by Nicole rubbing Louis’ face in her breasts... if a man rubbed his junk in a woman’s face without her consent there would be an uproar from all these feminists 🙄 #doublestandards #Feminism #CelebrityXFactor
— Kelly (@K3llyElizabeth) November 17, 2019
Umm Nicole rubbing her boobs in Louis’ face... is that ok?! Imagine if Louis rubbed his bits on her face! #CelebrityXFactor
— Ella Kathryn (@ellakathrynx) November 16, 2019
Elsewhere in the episode, Scherzinger could barely contain her glee when a boy band made up of sports stars Thom Evans, Ben Foden, and Levi Davis performed shirtless on stage.
"Wow, as far as I'm concerned you guys can boom boom boom however you want want want. Seriously that was one of my favourite performances, not because you're hot and wet and naked, but because your performance was crazy," Scherzinger told the trio, before announcing:
"I want to get naked! I want to get naked with them!"
For the second time in the episode, viewers raised questions about double standards in Scherzinger's behaviour:
#CelebrityXFactor Replace @NicoleScherzy with a male judge and out three female girls on stage be a different conversation about getting naked and hot public would go mad
— Dean Mcveigh (@deanred1) November 16, 2019
what was more cringe, Nicole screaming "I WANNA GET NAKED!" and caressing Louis' head or Levi Davis waddling around with his torn shirt around his knees? #CelebrityXFactor
— Ariadne Griffin 🦋 (@Ariadne_Griffin) November 16, 2019
