Redfoo gives X Factor attitude

REDFOO joins the judging panel on The X Factor and brings along some of his famous friends, writes Andrew Fenton.

Redfoo

REDFOO joins the judging panel on The X Factor and brings along some of his famous friends, writes Andrew Fenton.

"It's all about the song". That was the key piece of advice Jon Bon Jovi left with new X-Factor judge Redfoo when the veteran rock star visited London to help mentor his contestants on a "home visit".

"I had mentioned some stuff like, 'man, I really like your style and your image and how the band was like 'rock' and he was like, 'Hey I'm going say this: it's really all about the song, that's all I care about'," says the eccentric LMFAO performer.

"And I was like, 'yeah man, when I'm writing Sexy and I Know It, and these things, I feel the same way. If you have other stuff, that's great, but the song is like The Song'."

For the new season of The X-Factor, Redfoo (self-named after his "passion", his red hair and the fact he's a "damn fool") steps into the judging chair left vacant by Guy Sebastian. But he's not the only new judge this season, with Dannii Minogue filling the shoes of Mel B, who switched networks to join Minogue's former show Australia's Got Talent, but discovered Seven's Got Lawyers and got stuck in contract limbo-land.

Though there are plenty of musical purists who write off Redfoo, and nephew SkyBlu's dance-pop duo LMFAO as a cartoonish novelty act, it's hard to argue with their popularity.

Their song Party Rock Anthem shifted almost 10 million copies around the world and became the third highest selling digital song in US chart history.

Sexy and I Know It went number one in four countries, including Australia and the US and top 10 virtually everywhere else - and the group memorably performed with Madonna in front of 111 million viewers in the US for the 2012 Super Bowl half time show.

Redfoo actually grew up surrounded by some of the greatest acts in the world, thanks to his father, Motown Records Company founder Berry Gordy Jr. One of his childhood friends, Black Eyed Peas founding member will.i.am, came on board as another mentor for the home visit. "I've been friends with him since the 7th Grade and I even helped him out, he recorded his demo to get signed with Interscope at my house," Redfoo says.

"So I said, 'hey man, I need you to bust this out because you are what's happening now. You are the man'. And he was like, 'sure'. He's so funny and so cool and it was just awesome."

The contestants were understandably ecstatic about their superstar mentors.

"They're just so in awe of Jon and Will and it's great because they hang on every word they say and it means a lot to them, you can tell. And Bon Jovi really helped me a lot with coaching some of the people."

Redfoo got signed for The X-Factor thanks to another personal relationship - his, No. 3 ranked tennis player Victoria Azarenka. The rather unique looking Redfoo came to the attention of Channel 7 executives while standing out in the crowd as he supported his significant other at this year's Australian Open.

"I think that was the first time they spotted me," he says.

"I used to do some dancing in front of the camera. They went, 'well, he looks good on camera and he's a fun bloke' and then I guess they did their research."

Redfoo says he had to weigh the X Factor opportunity against the time he'd have to spend apart from Azarenka.

"It's going to be challenging being in different places for so long," he says. "Her tennis is so demanding and she's travelling every two weeks somewhere new." But distance on this side of the world is relative, and Redfoo hopes to pop over to China or Japan during filming to watch her play.

Although LMFAO actually performed on X Factor in 2011, Redfoo was very much the new guy on set. But he says the other judges were super friendly and he, Dannii and Ronan started hanging out the first time they met.

"I thought this could have been really bad, like if they were intimidated by me," he says. "But we became so close so fast that it feels like we're best friends. I never felt weird at all being new on the scene."

In fact, word around the set is that Redfoo and Keating have developed something of a Bromance.

SO what skills does Redfoo bring to the judging panel?

"One of my biggest assets is getting my team's attitude right and getting them to prepare for battle. And since I'm a DJ and stuff I really know what's going to work in front of the crowd," he says.

> THE X FACTOR, CHANNEL 7, MONDAY, 7.30PM