Monday 15 March 2010

X Factor: Whitney Houston comeback questioned after live performance

The 46-year-old soul diva, who has fought a public battle against drug addiction, made her first UK TV appearance in 12 years on Sunday night's programme.

She sang her single Million Dollar Bill, over some pre-recorded vocals, and suffered a wardrobe malfunction when a strap at the back of her long silver dress snapped open.
Questions were also raised about Houston's physical condition as she looked drowsy and did not speak clearly when being interviewed by host Dermot O'Leary.
Fans have inundated the show's official website to express their shock at the performance.
One fumed: "What a huge waste of her talent. People should watch and learn what harm one can do to ones self. I hope for Whitney and all her fans she gets a grip and rejoins this planet."
Another, using the name _kelcee_, said: "Not sure what was going on with whitney what a huge let down."

Her performance came a week after former Take That idol Robbie Williams sang his latest single Bodies in a wide-eyed and very heated performance.

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole also performed her new song Fight For This Love in the studio following a week of strong debate about whether or not she would sing live. Simon Cowell described her routine as "incredible".

Rikki Loney was evicted from the show this evening after losing out to Rachel Adedeji in the live head-to-head. Irish duo John and Edward Grimes won through to the next round of the competition but were booed vociferously by the studio audience.

Whitney Houston Tickets are available online on GigSport.com or call 0844 477 9950.

Whitney's Drug Hell

Whitney Houston's poured her heart out to Oprah Winfrey.

For the first time, she's talked in detail about her shocking downward spiral into drugs.


And she's given an insight into her abusive relationship with ex-husband Bobby Brown: "Emotionally he was abusive. He slapped me once, but he got hit on the head three times by me."


Emotionally, the words he spoke were horrifying. And there were times he would smash things in the home."


She mentions one argument where she says Bobby was so drunk he spat on her.


She told Oprah she "was horrified he spit on me, in my face" and said it left her "very hurt, very angry".


She continued: "He had such hate in his eyes for me, because I loved him so much."


Whitney Houston and Bobby BrownWhit reveals their marriage hit such a low that Brown started cutting her head off pictures and painting evil eyes on their bedroom walls with spray paint.


But she says she loved him endlessly: "He was my drug. I didn't do anything without him."


Talking about her battle with cocaine and marijuana, she explained: "Before The Bodyguard it was very light. After The Bodyguard it started getting heavy. Cocaine. Marijuana."


The platinum-selling singer said she took so many drugs she couldn't even think about getting back onstage.She told Oprah: "I didn't think about the singing part any more. I'd totally forgotten about that life. I had so much money by that time."


Come take a look at Whitney's life in pics in our gallery below.