Nicole Scherzinger has confirmed she believed Marcus Canty -- not fellow bottom two vote-getter Rachel Crow -- would be ousted from The X Factor during Thursday night's results show.
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Crow was eliminated after Scherzinger deliberately forced a 2-2 judging deadlock that resulted in the results show elimination being decided based on home viewer votes cast following Wednesday night's Top 5 performance show rather than the decision of Scherzinger and fellow judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and L.A. Reid.
"Marcus has been in the bottom two twice, this was his third time and Rachel's never been in the bottom so the probability was that America would've sent Marcus home. I wasn't going to be the one to send anyone home," Scherzinger told reporters after the results show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
However, even though her strategy didn't result in the elimination of The X Factor contestant she had intended, Scherzinger also reportedly said she would still make the same decision again.
"I didn't want to make the decision but if I had to do it all over again, I would've done the same thing," she added.
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"Because, how did I know? I have a big heart and I care so much, I feel it on me."
Cowell, Abdul and Reid all reportedly defended Scherzinger's decision to reporters.
However Cowell -- who intentionally forced a deadlock of his own two weeks ago, resulting in Leroy Bell's elimination over Canty -- reportedly disagreed that Scherzinger would still have made the same decision if she had known Crow, a 13-year-old from Longmont, CO who had been mentored by Cowell, would be ousted from the competition.
"[Nicole] didn't do this out of spite," Cowell said.
"What she was trying to do was to let Marcus go with some dignity. No question, if she knew Rachel was going to be in the bottom, she would've gone the other way."
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Cowell also reportedly expressed hope that Crow's elimination wouldn't result in a repeat of last week's results show -- when Abdul and Scherzinger's decisions to vote for the elimination of 14-year-old fan-favorite Drew Ryniewicz resulted in the female judges receiving death threats from upset viewers.
"If there are death threats and stuff like that, it's crazy," he said.
Abdul also noted the studio audience -- which booed Scherzinger heavily -- seemed to treat Scherzinger's decision to force a deadlock differently than Cowell's prior decision to do the same.
"Why would it be okay for Simon to do it, but not Nicole?" she asked reporters, Entertainment Weekly reported.
About The Author: Steven Rogers