Dannii sorry for X Factor remark

Minogue said she was joking about the subject with Danyl in rehearsals

X Factor judge Dannii Minogue has apologised after making a comment about the sexuality of a contestant on the ITV1 talent show.

Danyl Johnson changed a line of the Dreamgirls song And I Am Telling You to make it about a woman instead of a man.

Minogue said on Saturday: "If you're to believe everything you read in the papers, then you didn't need to change the gender references in the song."

She later offered her "sincere apologies to anyone who took offence".

After coming in for criticism, she said the remark was "meant to be a humorous moment about the fact he had an opportunity to have fun with his song".

She said it was "an openly bisexual guy singing a song that is lyrically a 'girls' song'".

Danyl Johnson is being mentored by Simon Cowell on the show

"Danyl and I were joking about the very same thing in rehearsals on Friday, so it carried on to the show," she wrote on her blog.

"I'd like to apologise to anyone that was offended by my comments, it was never my intention."

Minogue spoke to Danyl straight after the broadcast and he was not offended or upset and "knew exactly what I was saying", she added.

"I understand X Factor fans do not want the judges to get personal with judging comments. During the course of the show all the judges become close to the contestants and this is because we adore them and care about them."

Minogue's comments on the show prompted rival judge Simon Cowell to say: "You can forget playing any of those games with him. I'm not having that. This guy sang his heart out. Give him some credit."

Saturday's X Factor show beat BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing in the ratings, averaging 11.3 million viewers, compared with eight million for Strictly.

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